History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.53
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.53
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From very ancient times minute divisions of time have been mentioned. The Vāj. S. states⁶⁷⁸ 'that all winkings of the eye (and similar units of time) were produced from the (supreme). Person that is brilliant (like lightning)'. This half verse occurs in the Mahānārāyaṇa Upaniṣad also. It is stated in the Bṛ. Up.⁶⁷⁹ that under the dominion of this imperishable *brahma* the Sun and the Moon are held apart, as also *nimeṣas*, *muhūrtas*, days, and nights, half months, months, seasons, and years stand apart The Mahānārāyana Upaniṣad' (I. 8-9) mentions as units of time 'Nimeṣas, Kalā, muhūrta, kāṣṭhā, ahorātra, half months, months, ṛtus, year' Manu I. 64 provides that 18 nimeṣas are equal to kāṣṭhā, 30 kāṣṭhās to kalā, 30 kalās to muhūrta, 30 muhūrtas are equal to one day and night Early and very exhaustive enumeration of the several units of time from subtlest to the highest are contained in Bṛhat-saṁhitā of Varāha and in the bhāṣya of Praśastapāda on Vaiśeṣikasūtra⁶⁸⁰ viz 'Kāla is the cause of the popular usage about the units being *kṣaṇa*, *lava*, *nimeṣas*, *kāṣṭhā*, *kalā*, muhūrta, yāma (prahara or ⅛th of a day), ahorātra (day and night), ardhamāsa (half month), māsa (month), ṛtu (season), ayana, saṁvatsara (year), yuga, manvantara, kalpa, pralaya and mahāpralaya. The Purāṇas also dilate upon the units of time from nimeṣa to pralaya or kalpa. Vide Brahma 231. 6-12, Kūrma I. 5 6-14, Padma V 3. 4-20, Vāyu 57 6-35. Nimeṣa (lit.
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winking of the eye) is defined by the Vāyu and Viṣṇudharmottara as the time required for pronouncing a short letter and the latter adds that a smaller unit than it cannot be (physically) apprehended. There is great divergence of views about the number and names of the minute units of time and their mutual relations. A few examples alone can be cited. Manu (I. 64) furnishes the following table: 18 nimeṣas = kāṣṭhā, 30 kāṣṭhās = kalā, 30 kalās = muhūrta, 30 muhūrtas = ahorātra (day and night). The Arthaśāstra⁶⁸¹ of Kauṭilya provides. 2 truṭas (i?) = lava, 2 lavas = nimeṣa, five nimeṣas = kāṣṭhā, 30 kāṣṭhās = kalā, 40 kalās = nāḍīkā, 2 nāḍīkās = muhūrta, 30 muhūrtas = ahorātra Some of the purāṇas contain the same⁶⁸² verse on the names and relations of small units of time viz 15 nimeṣas = kāṣṭhā, 30 kāṣṭhās = kalā, 40 kalās = nāḍikā, 2 nāḍikās = muhūrta, 30 muhūrtas = day and night together. It should be noticed that here the relation of nimeṣas to kāṣṭhā is different from that in Manu and Kauṭilya. The Arthaśāstra⁶⁸³ of Kauṭilya does not stand alone in speaking of *truti* (*ṭṛṭi*) as the smallest unit of time. The Sūryasiddhānta (quoted above) provides that truṭi is the smallest unit of time, that it is *amūrta* (not apprehended physically), that the prāṇa is the first *mūrta* (physically apprehended) unit of time, that 6 prāṇas are equal to a vināḍī, that 60 vināḍīs are equal to a nāḍikā, 60 nāḍīs are equal to an ahorātra. Utpala⁶⁸⁴ on Bṛ. S.
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quotes verses from Pauliśa-siddhānta and Brāhmasphuṭa-siddhānta to the effect that six prāṇas are equal to a vināḍikā, 60 vināḍikās are equal to a nāḍikā or ghaṭikā and 60 ghaṭikās are equal to a day (i. e. ahorātra). A smṛti quoted in the Tithitattva states that two truṭis make a lava, 2 lavas make a nimeṣa, so that truṭi is equal to ¼th of nimeṣa. Hemādri on Kāla (p. 7) quotes a verse that truṭi is equal to two nimeṣas and 10 truṭis are equal to prāṇa. The Amarakośa follows Manu as to eighteen nimeṣas being equal to kāṣṭhā, but it introduces a unit called kṣaṇa between kalā and muhūrta, so that its scheme is: 18 nimeṣas = kāṣṭhā, 30 kāṣṭhās = kalā, 30 kalās = kṣaṇa, 12 kṣaṇas = muhūrta, 30 muhūrtas = ahorātra. The Bhāgavata-purāṇa (III. 11. 3-10) puts forward a far more elaborate scheme: two atoms (of Time) = aṇu, 3 aṇus = trasareṇu, 3 trasareṇus = truṭi, 100 truṭis = vedha, 3 vedhas = lava, 3 lavas = nimeṣa, 3 nimeṣas = kṣaṇa, 5 kṣaṇas = kāṣṭhā, 15 kāṣṭhās = laghu, 15 laghus = nāḍikā, 2 nāḍikās = muhūrta, 30 muhūrtas = ahorātra. In the Ātharvaṇa-jyotiṣa the table is: 12 nimeṣas = lava, 30 lavas = kalā, 30 kalās = truṭi, 30 truṭis = muhūrta. This agrees with none. Further units of time from ahorātra to *pralaya* will be dwelt upon a little later.