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History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c40.s2: Measures Of Weight And Capacity

History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c40.s2

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English

Measures Of Weight And Capacity

c40.s2.1

The Amarakosha mentions measures of three kinds—weight, length, and capacity.

c40.s2.2

The *kristnala gunja raktika*, the black-and red-berry of the shrub *Abrus precatorius*) was employed as a natural measure of weight. 80 *krishnala* berries on the average weigh 105 grains Troy, and this must be taken as the basis of our computation, though in current practice 80 *krishnalas* are taken to be equivalent to 210 grains

c40.s2.3

The conventional measures were, however;—one gold *masha* was the weight of 5 *krishnalas* of gold, 1 *suvarna* or *tola* weighed as much as 16 *mashas*, and one *pala* as much as 4 *suvarnas* or tolas. A *pala* of gold, therefore, weighs 320 *krishnalas* (Manu Chap. VIII).

c40.s2.4

A *masha* of gold, therefore, would weigh 6 9/16 grains, a *tola*, 105 grains (in current practice it weighs about 180 grains); and a *pala*, 420 grains Troy

c40.s2.5

1 *silver masha* = 2 *krishnalas*, 1 *dharana* = 16 *silver mashas*; 1 *pala* = 10 *dharanas*. 1 *krishnala* = 1296 *trasarenus*.

c40.s2.6

A *trasarenu*, as a measure of weight, therefore, is the equivalent of 7/6912 of a grain Troy, or double this according to current measures

c40.s2.7

But the *trasarenu* of physics is a different conception. It stands for the 'minimum visible', i e., as the physicists define it, that which is 'just discernible' as a glancing particle in the slanting beams of the morning (or afternoon) sun, coming into dark room through a chink or orifice of a window. This is a measure of size.

c40.s2.8

*Measures of Capacity*:—Here the standard was furnished by the *kudava*, a vessel described as 3 *angulis* long, 3 *angulis* broad, and 1½ *anguli* deep,—with a cubical capacity of 13½ cubical *angulis* 4 *kudavas* = 1 *prastha*, 4 *prasthas* = 1 *adhaka* 4 *adhakas* = 1 *drona*, and 4 *dronas* = 1 *khari* or *bhara*.

c40.s2.9

24 *angulis* make 1 *hasta*, cubit, which may be taken to be 18 or 19 inches.

c40.s2.10

A *kudava* would contain about 4 *palas* of distilled water at 30°C

c40.s2.11

SIZE OF THE MINIMUM VISIBLE (ATOM)

c40.s2.12

The supposed thickness of the just discernible mote in the sunbeam, called a *paramanu* in technology and a *trasarenu* in Natural Philosophy, follows directly from Varahamihira's table:—8 *paramanus* make 1 *rajas* (*ratharenu*), 8 *rajas* make 1 *balagra* (filament of hair), 8 *balagras* make 1 *liksha*, 8 *likshas* make 1 *yuka*, 8 *yukas* make 1 *yava*, 8 *yavas* make 1 *anguli*, 24 *angulis* make 1 *hasta* (cubit, 18 inches). The thickness of the *minimum visible* (the finest perceptible mote in the slanting sunbeam) is, therefore, taken to be 3 × 2⁻²⁰ or 1/349525 of an inch. The volume of a spherical *trasarenu* (or *paramanu* of the *silpasastra* or technology) would, therefore, be ⅙π × 3³ × 2⁻⁶⁰ of a cubic inch. It may be here noted that such a *trasarenu* is supposed in the medical schools to contain 30 chemical atoms (*paramanus* of Natural Philosophy) according to one estimate, or 60 according to another. The size of an atom must have been conceived to be less than π × 3 × 5⁻¹ × 2⁻⁶² of a cubic inch.

c40.s2.13

The magnitude of *paramanu* is called *parimandalya* in the Nyaya-Vaiseshika, the name suggesting that the *paramanus* were conceived to be spherical in shape. The Nyaya-Vaiseshika calls a *paramanu* a mere point without any dimensions, but in the Samkhya-Patanjala, a *paramanu*, though indefinitely small, had still dimensions, being divisible into *tanmatras*, which were themselves integrations of *bhutadi*. The diameter of a spherical *paramanu* must have been conceived to be less than 3 × 2⁻²⁰ of an inch (i e., less than the conventional *paramanu* with which linear measures begin), and the volume of a *paramanu* would, therefore, in accordance with Bhaskara's formula, be smaller than 4/3π × 3³ × 2⁻⁶³ or π × 3³ × 2⁻⁶¹ of a cubic inch. The *tanmatras* were conceived as smaller still.

c40.s2.14

That these were conventional measures arbitrarily assumed goes without question; for, of course, the Hindus had no physical data for a mathematical calculation of these minute quantities.

c40.s2.15

I shall now proceed to give an account of the chemistry of the schools other than the Samkhya-Patanjala, and the affiliated Yoga and medical schools, discussed above. I shall confine myself here to the theory of the subject in the briefest outline.

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