Text 11]
Calculation of Time, from the Atom
415
probe weighing four  māṣa  and measuring four fingers long. When the pot is placed on water, the time before the water overflows in the pot is called one  daṇḍa .
PURPORT
It is advised herein that the bore in the copper measuring pot must be made with a probe weighing not more than four  māṣa  and measuring not longer than four fingers. This regulates the diameter of the hole. The pot is submerged in water, and the overflooding time is called a  daṇḍa . This is another way of measuring the duration of a  daṇḍa , just as time is measured by sand in a glass. It appears that in the days of Vedic civilization there was no dearth of knowledge in physics, chemistry or higher mathematics. Measurements were calculated in different ways, as simply as could be done.
TEXT 10
यामाश्वत्वारश्वत्वारो मत्यानामहनो उभे ।
पक्षः पञ्चदशाहानि शुक्लः कृष्णश्च मानद ॥१०॥
yāmāś catvāraś catvāro martyānām ahanī ubhe pakṣaḥ pañca-daśāhāni śuklaḥ kṛṣṇaś ca mānada
yāmāḥ—three hours; catvāraḥ—four; catvāraḥ—and four; martyānām—of the human beings; ahanī—duration of day; ubhe—both day and night; pakṣaḥ—fortnight; pañca-daśa—fifteen; ahāni—days; śuklaḥ—white; kṛṣṇaḥ—black; ca—also; mānada—measured.
TRANSLATION
It is calculated that there are four praharas, which are also called  yāmas , in the day and four in the night of the human being. Similarly, fifteen days and nights are a fortnight, and there are two fortnights, white and black, in a month.
TEXT 11
तयोः समुच्चयो मासः पितॄणां तदहर्निशम् ।
द्वौ तावृतुः षडयनं दक्षिणं चोत्तरं दिवि ॥११॥