Yojana

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A yojana is a Vedic measure of distance used in ancient India. The exact measurement is disputed amongst scholars with distances being given between 4 and 9 miles.

In modern Hindi yojana means also means "plan" or blueprint and has an interesting connection with the Cartesian notion of distance. Vedic texts are based on a psychogeography rather than cartography and prediction or plan is equated to space and distance.

1 Variations on length
2 Usage
3 See also
4 References
5 Further reading

[edit] Variations on length

Religious scholar A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada gives the equivalent length of a yojana as 8 miles^[1] throughout his translations of the Puranic scriptures. The majority of traditional Indian scholars give measurements between 8-10 miles or thereabouts.^{[citation needed]}

The British Revenue are believed to have scaled down the measurement to 5 miles with the result being that many dictionaries give this information.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Usage

If the length of a Yojana is taken to be approximately 8 to 10 miles (13-16 km) then its subsidiary measurements are as follows:

1 angula is 3/4 inch
4 angula-s are = one dhanu graha - bow grip;
8 angula-s are = one dhanu muSTi - fist with thumb raised;
12 angula-s are = 1 vitasti - distance between tip of thumb and tip of last finger when palm is stretched;
2 vitasti-s = 1 aratni -s - cubit;
4 aratni-s = one danDa, dhanuS - bow height - 6 ft ;
10 danDa-s = 1 rajju 60 ft ;
2 rajju-s = 1 paridesha - 120 ft ;
2, 000 dhanuS-s = one krosha , and also called goraTa - 4, 000 yards ;
4 krosha-s = 1 yojana - thus one yojana is 9 to 10 miles.

1 Yojan may be equivalent to 4 Krosas, or 8,000 Danda or Bow; it may also be equivalent to 4,000 Dhanu, or 768,000 Angulas. 1,000 Yojans is known as a Mahayojan.