On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c8.s3.5

v1.c8.s3.5

The word kṣaṇa is commonly transcribed in Chinese books as in our text, and it is rarely translated. The lava is sometimes rendered by shih (時), time, and sometimes by fēn (分), a division. So also Muhurta is sometimes translated by shih, time, but more frequently by hsü-yü (須臾), an instant or moment, such being also the original meaning of muhurta. But hsü-yü when used as a translation of this word does not denote an instant but a period of 48 minutes, the thirtieth part of a Day-night. The day is divided into three "times", viz. forenoon, noon, and afternoon, and hence it is called Trisandhya. In like manner the night is divided into three "times" or watches and hence it is called Triyāmā.