Importance of Sanskrit - Appendix

Appendix

According to the chapter 231 of Mahabharata Shanti Parva, the equivalence of yojana and of nimisa is as follows:

One yojana equals 91/2 miles, and one nimisha equals 16/75 sec., and so half a nimish equals 8/75 sec.

In the light of the above, the movement of the light of the Sun at the rate of 2202 yojanas in half a ‘nimesh’ is as follows:

“2202 yojanas = 2202 x 14516 = 19955.625 miles in 875 seconds light goes 19955.625 miles.

So in one second 19955.625 x 75/8 = 187083.97 miles. Thus the velocity of light comes to 187084 miles per second according to ancient Indian thought. In present day, Michelson precisely found it to be 18735.5 miles per second. The various steps of the above calculations in the last paragraph are expanded as under:

According to Monier Williams, one yojana is equal to 9 miles. If we take this value, the velocity of

light comes to 2202 x 9 = 19818 miles multiplied by 75/8 is equal to 185793.75 miles per second. This figure is also very near the modern value of 186000 miles per sec.

The Mahabharata gives the measurement of Time as follows:

15     निमेष    = 1 काष्ठा

30     काष्ठा   = 1 कला

30     कला     = 1 मुहूत्र्त

30     मुहूत्र्त-    = अहोरात्र = 24 hrs.

15x30x30  = 13500 निमेष = 1 मुहूत्र्त

13500x30  = 405000 निमेष = अहोरात्र  24 hrs. = 86400 seconds

1 निमेष          = 86400405000 seconds
                     = 96450 = 1675 sec.

12 निमेष      = 875 sec.