History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.851

v4.c63.851

⁸⁹¹ A धनुः is 4 cubits (or about 6 feet). Manu VIII. 237 ordains having a space of 300 *dhanus* round a city; it also says that the space round a village for pastures should be three throws of *śamyā*. Āp. Dh. S. I. 3. 9. 6 and 23 employ the expression शम्याप्रास for stating distance. शम्या means yoke-pin (युगकीलक). Vide p. 145 note 185 above for *dhanus* and other measures of distance. In E. I. vol. I. pp. 154-155 a पारमेश्वरीयहस्त (the king's hand) is mentioned in an inscription dated *saṁvat* 933 at Gwalior. A दण्ड was 4 हस्तs but there were दण्डs of 7 or 10 hastas. Vide मिता. on या. II. 106. It was but natural that in ancient times man relied upon his own fingers or hand or height as a measure of length. Vide H. of Dh. vol. II. p. 209 n. 485 and n. 2021 (for हस्त, दण्ड and निवर्तन), p. 1034 (for Vedi being as much in length as the height of the sacrificer) and puruṣa as a measure of length in तै. सं. V. 2. 5. 1 and कात्यायनश्रौत 16. 8. 21-25. Vide also H. of Dh. vol. II. p. 989 n.