History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c38.s1.t1.28

v1.c38.s1.t1.28

Varāhamihira has also mentioned (ch. 68, vs.105). “The height of a tall, normal and short man is 108 aṅgulas, 96 aṅgulas and 84 aṅgulas by his own measure”. The height of the normal man during Varāhamihira’s time was 96 aṅgulas, and height of the normal man with out-stretched arms will obviously become equal to height of the man and one aratni, i.e. 96 aṅgulas + 24 aṅgulas = 120 aṅgulas, which corroborates with Vedic measure. He further pointed out (Bṛhatsaṃhitā, Shamasastry, 1910, p.109), “An army of the lowest standard can march one yojana, that of middle standard one and half yojana, and that of the best standard two yojanas”. So middle standard army can march = 1¹/₂ yojanas = 1¹/₂ × 4000 daṇḍas (or dhanu) = 6000 daṇḍas.