Water Clock and Steelyard in the Jyotiṣkaraṇḍaka
Saṃkhyā-jñāna, the science of numbers, plays an important role in Jainism which seeks to comprehend the universe numerically. Kāla-jñāna or kāla-vibhāga is an important part of saṃkhyā-jñāna, for time too has to be comprehended in numbers. The Jainas measured time conceptually in microscopic units a...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
2018
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| In: |
International Journal of Jaina Studies
Year: 2018, Volume: 14, Issue: 2, Pages: 1-49 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Saṃkhyā-jñāna, the science of numbers, plays an important role in Jainism which seeks to comprehend the universe numerically. Kāla-jñāna or kāla-vibhāga is an important part of saṃkhyā-jñāna, for time too has to be comprehended in numbers. The Jainas measured time conceptually in microscopic units and in macroscopic units, but for practical purposes, early Jain texts like the Sūrya-prajñapti employ a five-year cycle and provide diverse kinds of astronomical parameters for this period. A related Jain text Jyotiṣkaraṇḍaka introduces an interesting variation into the time measurement and speaks of the “volume” and “weight” of the time. In this context, the text describes two tools of measurement, a water clock and a steelyard, i.e. a balance with a single pan. Descriptions of such instruments are rare in Indian literature; this paper presents a cultural study of these two measuring instruments. |
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| ISSN: | 1748-1074 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: International Journal of Jaina Studies
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