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Pada?

• Subject: Pada?
• From: Ray T
• Date: Thu Jun 29 15:42:10 1995
• Message-Id: id547

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>Dear Swami
>
>I remembered something yesterday which I would like to discuss
>with you.  The circumstances of it coming to my attention are
>also quite interesting.
>
>One day while researching material on cycles at my local
>University library I came across an article about the 160
>minute period.  There is an oscillation of 160 minutes in
>the sun (actually 160.01) which is almost exactly 1/9 a day.
>There are many other things about 160 minutes as explained
>in the article, and I have since found some more.  See my
>paper on the solar system.  Anyway, acting totally on impulse
>I went over to a different set of shelves and picked out a
>book from a section on the history of science and opened it
>up at a page.  There to my amazement was an article about
>Hindu astronomy which said that to understand how they did
>their calculations it was first necessary to know that they
>used a unit which was  1/9 of a day!  This was explained
>as due to many common periods being multiples of this.

The Vedic concept of timis is quite amazing. I don't completely understand it but
it is calculated from the atom. The following is from Srimad Bhagavatam Third
Canto Chapter 11, "Calculation of Time From the Atom."


"This material manifestation's ultimate particle, which is indivisible and not
formed into a body, is called the atom. It exists always as an invisible identity,
even after the dissolution of all forms.

"The atom is the minute subtle form of eternal time.

"Atoms are the ultimate state of the manifest universe. When they stay in their
own forms without forming different bodies, they are called the unlimited oneness.
There are certainly different bodies in physical forms, but the atoms themselves
form the complete manifestation.

"One can measure time by measuring the movement of the atomic combination of
bodies. Time is the potency of the almighty Personality of Godhead, Hari, who
controls all physical movement although He is not visible in the physical world.

"Atomic time is measured according to its covering a particular atomic space. The
time which covers the unmanifest aggregate of atoms is called the great time.

"Time and space are two correlative terms. Time is measured in terms of its
covering a certain space of atoms. Standard time is calculated in terms of the
movement of the sun. The time covered by the sun in passing over an atom is
calculated as atomic time...

"The division of gross time is calculated as follows: two atoms make one double
atom, and three double atoms make one hexatom. This hexatom is visible in the
sunshine which enters through the holes of a window screen. One can clearly see
that the hexatom goes up towards the sky.

"The time duration needed for the integration of three trasarenus [hexatoms] is
called a truti, one hundred trutis make one vedha, Three vedhas make one lava.

"It is calculated that if a second id divided into 1687.5 parts, each part is the
duration of a truti, which is the time occupied for the integration of eighteen
atomic paticles. Such a combination of atoms into different bodies createst the
calculation of material time.. the sun is the central point for calculating all
different durations.

"The duration of time of three lavas is equal to one nimesa, the combination of
three nimesas make one ksana, five ksanas combined together make one kastha and
fifteen kasthas maake one laghu.


"By calculation it is found that one laghu is equal to two minutes. The atomic
calculation of time in terms of Vedic wisdom may be converted into present time
with this understanding.

"Fifteen laghus make one nadika, which is also called a danda. Two dandas make one
muhurta and six or seven dandas make one forth of a day or night, according to
human calculation.

"The measuring pot for one nadika or danda with a six-pala-weight [fourteen ounce]
pot of copper in which a hole is bored with a gold probe weighing four masa and
measuring four fingers long. When the pot is placed on water, the time before the
water overflows in the pot is called one danda.

"It is advised herein that the bore in the copper measuring pot must be made with
a probe weighing not more than four masa 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 danda. This is another way of measuring the
duration of time, 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.

"It is calculated that there are four praharas, which are also called yamas, 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.

"The aggregate of two  fortnights is one month, and that period is one complete
day and night for the Pita planets. Two such months comprise one season and six
months comprise one complete movement of the sun from south to north.

"Two solar movements [of 6 months] make one day and night of the demigods and that
combination of day and night is one complete calendar year for the human being.
The human being has a duration of life of one hundred years.

"Influential stars, planets, luminaries and ATOMS all over the universe are
rotating in their respective orbits under the direction of the Supreme,
represented by eternal time [kala].

"There are five different names for the orbits of the sun, moon, stars and
luminaries in the firmament, and they each have their own samvatsara.

"The subject matters of physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, time and space
dealt with in the above verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam are certainly very interesting
to students of the particular subject, but as far as we are concerned, we cannot
explain them very thoroughly in terms of technical knowledge. The subject is
summarized by the statement that above all the different branched of knowledge is
the supreme control of kala [time], the plenary representation of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Nothing exists without Him, and therefore everything,
however wonderful it may appear to our meager knowledge, is but the work of the
Supreme Lord. As far as time is concerned we beg to submit herein a table of
timings in terms of the modern clock:

one truti   -  8/13,500 second      one laghu    -   2 minutes
one vedha   -  8/135    second      one danda    -  30 minutes
one lava    -  8/45     second      one prahara  -   3 hours
one nimesa  -  8/15     second      one day      -  12 hours
one ksana   -  8/5      second      one night    -  12 hours
one kastha  -  8        seconds     one paksa    -  15 days

Two paksas comprise one month, and twelve months comprise one calendar year, or
one full orbit of the sun. A human being is expected to live up to one hundred
years. That is the way of the controlling measure of eternal time.

The Brahma-samhita affirms this control in this way:

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, under
whose control even the sun, which is considered to be the eye of the Lord, rotates
within the fixed orbit of eternal time. The sun is the king of all planetary
systems and has unlimited potency in heat and light."


So there it is... Time calculated from the atom.. There is so much scientific
knowledge in the Vedic scriptures but it needs a scientific person to understand
it...

>
>Later when I told a (religious) friend about this he said
>"Ah! that is the finger of God! You should make that your
>life's work."  It already was, so I took it as a confirmation.
>
>>From memory, the 1/9 day period was called a "pada".  Can you
>confirm that this is used in you scriptures?  What reminded
>me was a post to sci.astro yesterday from the Australian
>astronomical society about their publication which abreviates
>to PASA.  The combination of Australia/You/Indian Religion/
>pasa~=pada caused the memory to return.  That's how my brain
>is connected! (Or how Krishna speaks to me?)

I don't know about 1/9. On the table above a "prahara" is 3 hours or 1/8 of a
day...

I hope it helps, I will have a look for other time-related things but I think this
is the best reference.

The "wheel of time" is also often described..

"Your wheel, which has three naves, rotates around the axis of the imperidhable
Brahman. It has thirteen spokes, 360 joints, six rims and numberless leaves carved
upon it. Though its revolution cuts short the life-span of the entire creation,
this wheel of tremendous velocity cannot touch the life-span of the devotees of
the Lord

"The time factor is divided into many fractions of moments, hours, months, years,
periods, seasons, etc. All the divisions in this verse are determined according to
the astronomical calculations of the Vedic literature. There are six seasons,
called rtus, and there is a period of four months called caturmasya. Three peiods
of four months complete one year.

"According to Vedic astronomical calculations there are thirteen months. The
thirteenth month is called adi-masa or mala-masa and is added every third year...

"Time is compared here to a big wheel which has 360 joints, six rims in the shape
of seasons, and numberless leaves in the shape of moments. It rotates on the
eternal existence, Brahman." (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.21.19)


PS: I saw your note in sci.astro about your postings in sci.physics. I am not
subscribing to sci.physics at the moment but I will soon...

I am interested to hear what you think of this "time from the atom". It has always
been something of a mystery to me.

BTW We don't actually have the Astronomical texts in English... We have the main
spiritual books but there are thousands of Vedic texts... Veda means knowledge.
All knowledge is there so it takes quite a lot of books!

Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!

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