How and why was time measured with a millisecond's accuracy during Mahabharata?

Find out how and why was time measured with such a good accuracy in ancient India.

The relation between time, space and celestial objects is ever-lasting. Astronomy has always succeeded in inducing interest and excitement in man since time immemorial. Be it a 3 year old or a 80 year old. And once one starts studying about it, the interest multiplies like a chain reaction.

According to the western world, Galileo (1564 - 1642) has been given the credit of measuring time up-to the accuracy of a second. But if we look back into our Bharatiya history ( so called mythology ), we see that, all the references of dates and times mentioned in it are with respect to the position of moon, and other nakshatras with respect to earth. And to measure the relative positions of such bodies (Which are several light years away from earth) a very accurate unit to measure time is required.

We find that, in Mahabharata, a fraction of a second could be counted and measured as a unit of time.

"The RISHIS measuring time have given particular names to particular positions. Five and ten winks of the eye is what is what is called a 'Kaashta'. Thirty (30) kaashtas make what is called a 'Kala'; thirty Kala with tenth part of Kala make a 'Muharata'. Thirty Muharatas make a day and night. Thirty days and nights make a 'Month'. Twelve months form a year. Persons well read in Mathematics say that year is made of two SOLAR MOTIONS (SOLSTICES) that is northern and southern".

Shantiparva 231-2,3,4

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If we were to calculate on the basis of modern convention, five twinklings correspond to 11/16th of a second, 15 twinklings correspond to 33/16 seconds which is called Kaashta. 30 Kaashtas (= 1 Kaala) will be equal to 119/32 of a minute. 30 Kaalas Make up 755/16 minutes and if we add 3 Kaashtas to 30 Kalas, one muharata corresponds to 47 minutes and 54 seconds.

One question that arises in our minds is that, what was the need to measure time with such an accuracy? We have to keep one thing in mind, that there was no distinct subject as "mathematics" or "Ganita Shastra" in ancient times. Mathematics was an integral part of Astronomy and other sciences. You can better understand it by taking the reference of Srinivasa Ramanujan. A small piece of paper from Ramanujan's notebook was found few decades ago and it is now used to determine the behaviour of the mysterious black holes. And our answer lies in this explanation itself. In order to measure and study about celestial objects, very accurate measurement of time, and a great understanding of mathematics is required.

Another question I want the readers to think upon is, without sophisticated instruments, how were ancient Indians able to study about celestial bodies which are several light years apart from earth? Some stars mentioned in the scriptures are so far, that if a ray or a pulse of light is sent towards that object, It will take more than 2 centuries to reach there. Or did they have such sophisticated instruments, which the modern man has not yet developed?

Were ancient Indians more advanced than what we are today? What was the need to study bodies which are hundreds of light years away? And many such interesting questions to be answered in the upcoming blogs. Stay tuned and do share this blog with your friends :-)

"Let's bring back sage's wisdom"

Blog Inspired by Prof. A.R. Vasudeva Murthy (1925-2014)

Scientist at IISC Bangalore