Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.11.9
Sthāna· The universe in orderMeasuring Time With a Water Pot
“The measuring pot for one nāḍikā, or daṇḍa, can be prepared with a six-pala-weight [fourteen ounce] pot of copper, in which a hole is bored with a gold probe weighing four māṣa and measuring four fingers long. When the pot is placed on water, the time before the water overflows in the pot is called one daṇḍa.”
What the purport teaches
- The measuring vessel is a six-pala-weight copper pot with a hole made by a gold probe. The purport specifies a probe weighing no more than four māṣa and measuring no longer than four fingers.
- The probe regulates the diameter of the hole. When the pot is placed in water, the time before it overflows is called one daṇḍa.
- The purport compares this method with measuring time by sand in a glass. It notes that Vedic civilization had knowledge of physics, chemistry and higher mathematics, with measurements made as simply as possible.
Try this today
Sketch the copper pot and its hole, and label the time until overflowing as one daṇḍa.
Ask yourself
What does this simple measuring method help you appreciate about the knowledge described in the purport?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.