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 6 to 15 km (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 (13 km) ^[1] throughout his translations of the Puranic scriptures. The majority of traditional Indian scholars give measurements between 13 km and 16 km (8-10 miles) or thereabouts.^{[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 = 16 mm to 21 mm
4 angulas = one dhanu graha (bow grip) = 62 mm to 83 mm;
8 angulas = one dhanu musti (fist with thumb raised) = 125 mm to 167 mm - fist with thumb raised;
12 angulas = 1 vitasti (distance between tip of thumb and tip of last finger when palm is stretched) = 188 mm to 250 mm
2 vitastis = 1 aratni (cubit) = 375 mm to 500 mm
4 aratnis = 1 danda = 1.5 to 2.0 m
2 dandas = 1 dhanu = 3 to 4 m
5 dhanus = 1 rajju = 15 m to 20 m
2 rajjus = 1 paridesha = 30 m to 40 m
100 parideshas = 1 krosha (or gorata) = 3 km to 4 km
4 kroshas = 1 yojana = 13 km to 16 km
1,000 yojanas = 1 Mahayojan = 13 Mm to 16 Mm