India history and geography

Source: Google Books: Studies in the History of the Exact Sciences (history)

Vighaṭikā (विघटिका) refers to one-sixtieth of a ghaṭikā, equaling one pala or twenty-four seconds.—From about the fourth century A.D. up to recent times the water clock of the sinking bowl type (Ghaṭikā or Ghaṭīyantra) has been the chief device in India for measuring time. The instrument consists of a hemispherical bowl (ghaṭikā or ghaṭī) with a minute perforation at the bottom. When this bowl is placed on the surface of water in a larger vessel or basin (kuṇḍa, kuṇḍikā, kuṇḍī), water slowly percolates into the bowl through the perforation. When the bowl is full, it sinks to the bottom of the vessel with a clearly audible thud. The weight of the vessel and the size of the perforation are so regulated that the bowl sinks sixty times in a nychthemeron (ahorātra). Thus the time taken for filling the bowl once is one-sixtieth part of a nychthemeron, or twenty-four minutes. This was the standard unit of time measurement in India and is called ghaṭikā or ghaṭī after the name of the bowl. The ghaṭikā is subdivided into sixty vighaṭikās, which are also called palas.

context information

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Vighaṭikā (विघटिका).—A measure of time equal to one-sixtieth part of Ghaṭikā (or nearly equal to 24 seconds).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vighaṭikā (विघटिका).—f.

(-kā) Sixtieth part of a Ghari, equal to 24 seconds. E. vi, ghaṭikā a Ghari.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vighaṭikā (विघटिका):—[=vi-ghaṭikā] [from vi] f. a [particular] measure of time (= 1/23 Ghaṭikā), [Rājataraṅgiṇī]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vighaṭikā (विघटिका):—[vi-ghaṭikā] (kā) 1. f. A minute of 24 seconds, 60th part of a ghari.

[Sanskrit to German]

Vighatika in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Ghatika, Vi.

Full-text: Kundi, Ghati, Ahoratra, Kunda, Kundika, Ghatiyantra, Ghatika, Pala.

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