Measure Multiple of hasta P-hasta (24 A) C-hasta (28 A) F-hasta (54 A) K-hasta (42 A) M-hasta (32 A)
use of this common term in later metrological texts2) and (Table 1). The earth’s circumference is determined to be
further, four gorutas make up one yojanam. These values 39,096.4 km, with angulam taken as 1.763 cm and
in terms of the modern metric unit of centimetres are yojanam as defined by the K-hasta. The deviation from
listed in Table 1. This table is fundamental in the under- the exact circumference is –2.50%. Again, we notice that
standing of measures of the Indian subcontinent through this gives an excellent match with the known value of
the ages. The important point to note is that the goruta has circumference, which again goes to prove the accuracy of
been taken as 1000 dandas, which was the view the calculations of the Indian astronomers.
expounded by Shamasastry11. Kangle12 suggested the unit The above analysis suggests that the astronomers who
of 2000 dandas to the goruta. The approach using the estimated the earth’s circumference as approximately
value of 1000 danda to the goruta provided a coherent 3300 yojayams have utilized the measure based on the
understanding and analysis of the data. 42-angulam hasta (i.e. K-hasta), while those who estima-
At this juncture, we briefly digress to note that the ted it to be 5000 yojanams have used the measure based
garhapatya dhanus, which was also used for measure- on the 28-angulam hasta (i.e. C-hasta). The angulam
ment according to the KA, contains 108 angulams11,12. remained the same at 1.763 cm.
This has not been considered separately, but it is easy to The implicit assumption in the above argument is that
note that this is a simple double multiple of the F-hasta. the early Indian astronomers were able to measure the
We will, therefore, not add the garhapatya dhanus earth’s circumference fairly precisely, since the actual
(= 190.4 cm) as a separate multiple, but note here that it value of the earth’s circumference was used to work out
offers a coherent explanation of the dimensions of several the value of the yojanam that was in use. Recent statistical
Harappan Civilization settlement sites7,8 and the dimen- analyses of Aryabhata’s tables of planetary longitudes15–17
sions of the Delhi Iron Pillar10. Another ‘double’ measure have clearly established the existence of a rich tradition
that appears to have been popular through the ages is the of accurate observational astronomy in the Siddhantic
measure of twice the P-hasta9. period. Therefore, a precise measure of the earth’s cir-
cumference would therefore have been well within the
Circumference of the earth in Sanskrit texts abilities of the savants of the time.
The confusion from astronomical texts is primarily
The circumference of the earth14 is 40,075 km. For the caused because one does not know the precise length of
case when the circumference was mentioned as 5000 the basic unit, based on which the measures are described.
yojayams in Indian texts, each yojanam is approximately An example here will illustrate this point. In verse 7 of
close to 8 km. A yojanam of about 8 km is obtained while section I (Gitikapada) of Aryabhatiya, the diameter of the
considering the measure based on the use of C-hasta, as earth is mentioned as 1050 yojanams18. The circumfer-
can be seen from Table 1. Looking at this in another way, ence is to be obtained using the value 62,832/20,000 =
if the circumference of the earth was calculated based on 3.1416 for the ratio between the circumference and the
the yojanam of 7.89824 km, the circumference of the earth diameter, as defined in verse 10 of Ganitapada. The cir-
comes to be 39,491.2 km. When one compares this with cumference of the earth is, therefore, obtained as 3298.68
the known circumference of 40,075 km, the error is yojanams (which is quite close to the value of 3300
– 1.47%. The error is defined as the deviation of the yojanams used in this article and has been explained
proposed measure from the actual measure expressed in based on the use of the K-hasta). The only clue to the
percentage of the proposed measure. This is indeed an measure of the yojanam that Aryabhatiya gives (in the
excellent match, and a great tribute to the Indian astro- same verse 7 of the Gitikapada) is that one yojanam is
nomers who determined this number. equal to 8000 measures of nara, the height of an average
Let us understand the second value of 3300 yojanams person. Using the value of yojanam as 11.847 km, accord-
for the circumference of the earth. In this case, the ing to the present article, the value of the nara can be
yojayam is approximately about 12 km. This is close to estimated as 1.48 m. The problem has to be analysed further
the yojanam of 11.8474 km, based on the use of K-hasta by searching out clues for the length of the nara defined