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An outlook of several Yojanas & celestial

distances described in Indian texts

Dr. Shyam deo Mishra* arious types of measuring units like Renu, Trasrenu, Lav, Leekshaka, Angushtha, Balakhilya, Yojana etc are described and applied in Indian astronomical and

mathematical texts. Some of them have variable measures in terms of their values according to various contexts. Unawareness of their different values according to several standards can disguise the reader and land him in a jungle of intriguing polemics. As a result, his wrong interpretation convolutes the text into an absurd. For an instance, a Yojana has different values according to various standards. Bhaskarachrya II in his text Siddhanta-Shiromani cited the circumference of earth on Equator is 4967 Yojanas whereas in his mathematical text Leelavati he defined a Yojan as a length which is equivalent to 32000 hands.

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;oksnjSj~xqye"Vla[;S% gLrks~xqyS% "kM~xqf.krS'prqfHkZ%A

gLrS'prqfHkHkZorhg n.M% ks'k% lglzf}r;su rs"kke~AA

L;k|kstua ks'kprq"V;su --------------- AA2

If one compares both the values in terms of Kilometers (km) it gives the clear idea about the difference in values of a Yojana according to various standards that was used by Bhaskar. As per Siddhanta-Shiromani , 1 Yojana = 8 Kms

& as per Leelavati, 32,000 hands = 1 Yojana = 16 Kms

Here, in the first value, the standard is Earth whereas in the second value, Human is considered as a standard. Hence the first Yojana can be called as Bhu-Yojana or Parthiv-Yojana while the second one can be stated as Nar-Yojana.

Thus our peers determined several values of a unit like Yojana according to the standard best suitable in a particular context. In other words, they tend to use several types of Yojanas accordingly. This paper, deals with such Yojanas mentioned in ancient astronomical treatises and other scriptures like Puranas & Vedas.

1 Sidhanta Shiromani, Ganitadhyaya

2 Leelawati, Paribhasha prakaran, Verse 5-6

V

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Parthiv-Yojana or Bhu-Yojana: Since the value of a Yojana, as a unit, depends on the standard or scale, a Yojan which is

measured on the Bhu-scale termed as Parthiv-Yojana or Bhu-Yojana. One of the most prominent and antique Indian astronomical text known as Surya-Siddhanta determines the value of diameter of Earth on equatorial plane which is equivalent to 1600 Yojanas.

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It is needless to say that the Yojanas mentioned here, are none other than Bhu or Parthiv Yojanas. If we compare this Sura-Siddhantic value to the modern value of Earths diameter which is 12756.28 Km we can find;

1 Parthiva-Yojana = 12756.28/1600 = 7.9727 Kms.

It is quite evident that Bhaskars Parthiv -Yojana is almost equal to Surya-Siddhantic value of Parthiv -Yojana.

Planetary-Yojana or Graheeya-Yojana: The terrestrial objects like Sun, Moon is also measured in Yojanas in Surya-Siddhanta. It

can be termed GraheeyaYojana or Planetary-Yojana. Here the measurement of each planet does differ from another. For an example; the diameter of Sun is 6500 Yojanas according to Surya-Siddhanta.

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fo"dEHk% e.MyL;-----------------AA4

If we compare this to the modern value of the diameter of Sun, we get the exact value of Solar-Yojana:

1 Saura-Yojana = 13, 92, 000/6500 = 214.1538 Kms The circumference of Suns orbit is 43,31,5000 Yojanas in Surya-Siddhanta.

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In modern astronomy it is almost 940 million Kilometers. As seen that a Solar-Yojana is equivalent to approximately 215 Kilometers, the Sura-Siddhantic value in Yojanas is equal to,

43315000 215 = 9312725000 Kilometers or 931 million Kilometers

3 Suryasidhant, Madhyamadhyaya, Verse - 59

4 Suryasidhant, Chandragrahanadhyaya, Verse - 1

5 Suryasidhanta, Bhugoladhyaya, Verse - 86

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Its clearly evident that the Surya-Siddhantic value is almost close to the modern value. One must take the perturbed motion of any planet into consideration which causes the diversity in the diameter, circumference etc of a planetary orbit or motion. Therefore any value regarding these cannot be stated as a constant. But if we consider this value for the diameter of Moon it nowhere stands near apparent value. Since the diameter of Moon is 480 Yojanas according to Surya-Siddhanta.

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The true value in modern astronomy is 3474.8 Kms.

Here, 1 Lunar-Yojana = 3474.8/480 = 7.239 Kms.

Surya-Siddhanta mentions that the circumference of lunar-orbit is 324000 Yojanas.

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If one measures this value in Kilometers, it appears close to the modern value, which is 2392547.5 Kilometers.

324000 7.239 = 2345436 Kilometers

Thus the Planetary Yojanas seem to be depended upon the size and distance of a particular planet.

In Surya-Siddhanta, the circumference of Zodiacal orbit said to be 60 times bigger than the solar orbit.

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lw;ksZifj"Vkn~Hkzefr ;kstuSLrSHkZe.Mye~AA8

Since the solar orbit is 43315000 Yojanas, the circumference of zodiacal orbit is 2598900000 Yojanas.

Other Celstial-Distances:

Apart from Astronomical treatises, Vedic literature also very profoundly explains the measurement of other celestial distances. There are various units like Ahar, Vats, Dham mentioned in various hymns in Vedas, Brahmanas, and Upanishads etc. In a hymn, Rishi says that the area of Patanga (Sun) is called as Vak which is equivalent to 30 Dhams. Further this mantra says that the field of Dyu or sky which is termed as Vast is measured in Ahar:

6 Suryasidhanta, Chandragarahanadhyaya, Verse - 1

7 Suryasidhanta, Bhugoladhyaya, Verse - 83

8 Suryasidhanta, Bhugoladhyaya, Verse - 80

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f=ka'kke fo jktfr okd~ irk; /hefgA izfr oLrksjg|qfHk%AA9

Brahman-Granthas very extensively describe the origin, position, states, motion etc of universe and its object which is very magnificently elaborated by Pt. Madhusudan Ojha and his able disciples like Pt. Motilal Shastri and others. Pt. Motilal Shastri in his commentary of Shatpath-Brahman splendidly explicates that 33rd zone from the earth is termed as Vashtkaar Mandal or Amritaagni which gives the ability to see any object in its ambit.10 In general, an Amritaagni is an ambit of a specific zone11. There are mainly 3 kinds of Amritaagni known as Paarthivaagni or Gaayatraagni, Saavitraagni and Antarikshaagni 12 . The range of Paarthivaagni is termed as Rathaantar-Saam13. The range of Saavitraagni is called as Brihat- Saam or Samvatsar14. As the name suggest, Vashtakaar-Mandal has 6 main zones called as Mandala or Stoma15;

1. Trivritta- Stoma 2. Panchdash- Stoma 3. Ekvimsha- Stoma 4. TriNav- Stoma 5. Traystrimshat- Stoma 6. Vashtkaara- Stoma

Every Stoma or Mandala is further divided into sub-divisions known as Ahargana. First Stoma has 3 Aharganas and next 5 Stomas have 6 Aharganas each16.

The initial Stoma which is called as Trivritta-Stoma has 3 Aharganas started from the center of earth to the earth-surface. In other words, the limit of this Stoma is the circumference of Earth.

Panchdash-Stoma that classifieds into 6 Aharganas begins from the Earth to the 17th Ahargana and named as Varaaha zone. It is Equivalent to earth radius 212 = 2.6125 107Km. there is a set of 6 Aharganas that lie between Trivritta-Stoma and Panchadash-Stoma. It begins from the earth and extends beyond the Moons surface.

Next Ekvimsha-Stoma exists till the 21st Ahargana. It is known as Rathaantar-Saam17 or Sahasraaksha in Vedic parlance. Here Rathaantara means the interval or the field that covers by the Rath or chariot of Sun. Covering by Rath means reaching of Sun-rays to that 9 Rigveda, 10/189/3

10 Shatpath Brahman, Vigyan Bhashya (Hindi commentary by - Pt. Motilal Shastri), Adhwarkand, P. 42

11 Ibid

12 Ibid

13 Ibid, P. 43

14 Ibid

15 Ibid, P. 70

16 Ibid, P. 71

17 Ibid

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limit. Thus it refers the area that is covered or affected by the rays of Aksha or Sun which is Sahasra or 1000 Yojans.

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;s pSua #nzk vfHkrks fn{kq fJrk% lglzksoS"kka gsM bZegsAA18

Therefore it is also called as Sahasraaksha. In other words, it is the limit of Solar System. Here 1 Yojana is equal to the diameter of Sun. As we know that the diameter of Sun is 1392000 Kilometer in modern Astronomy, the orbital limit of Solar-system will be;

1392000 1000 = 1392000000 = 1392 108 Kilometers.

Next Stoma is Trinava-Stoma. Trinava means 39 = 27. So this Stoma finishes at the 27th Ahargana. It is known as Brihat Saam in Vedic literature19. In Vishnu Purana it is termed as Maitreya Mandal whose limit is 105 Yojanas where 1 Yojana is equal to the diameter of Sun. It is equivalent to earth radius 224.

The last Stoma exists till the end of 33rd Ahargana. It is called as Vashtakaar mandal. It is 230 times bigger than the earths radius.

Conclusion:

Actually the erudite Vedic hymns or Pauranic verses are in explicit form which ensconces various meanings of same words in different perspectives. Any word that has a general meaning can produce specific meanings depending upon the contexts and thus can be termed as a technical word or term. For an instance, Ahargan which means the sum of Ahar or days but in cosmological terminology it refers a peculiar division of celestial area. This is the main reason behind the wrong interpretation of our ancient texts which leads the reader like Max Mullar to term them as an absurd! Hence if one wants to learn Vedangas like Vyakaran, Jyotisha, Kalpa etc he has to go through the Vedas and Vedic literature painstakingly. Only the diligent study can reveal the exact meaning of these Shastras.

*Assistant Professor & Co-ordinator (Jyotish)

MuktaSwadhyayaPeetham, Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan,

Janakpuri, New Delhi-110 058

18

Yajurveda 16/6 19

Shatpath Brahman, Vigyan Bhashya (Hindi commentary by - Pt. Motilal Shastri), Adhwarkand, P. 43