Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.11.9
द्वादशार्धपलोन्मानं चतुर्भिश्चतुरङ्गुलै: ।
स्वर्णमाषै: कृतच्छिद्रं यावत्प्रस्थजलप्लुतम् ॥ ९ ॥
dvādaśārdha-palonmānaṁ
[dvaadashaardha-palonmaanam]
caturbhiś catur-aṅgulaiḥ
[chaturbhish chatur-angulaih]
svarṇa-māṣaiḥ kṛta-cchidraṁ
[svarna-maashaih krita-chchidram]
yāvat prastha-jala-plutam
[yaavat prastha-jala-plutam]
Word-for-word
dvādaśa-ardha
—
six
pala
—
of the scale of weight
unmānam
—
measuring pot
caturbhiḥ
—
by weight of four
catuḥ-aṅgulaiḥ
—
four fingers by measure
svarṇa
—
of gold
māṣaiḥ
—
of the weight
kṛta-chidram
—
making a hole
yāvat
—
as long as
prastha
—
measuring one prastha
jala-plutam
—
filled by water.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dvādaśārdha-palonmānaṁ
dvādaśa-ardha
six
pala
of the scale of weight
unmānam
measuring pot
caturbhiś catur-aṅgulaiḥ
caturbhiḥ
by weight of four
catuḥ-aṅgulaiḥ
four fingers by measure
svarṇa-māṣaiḥ kṛta-cchidraṁ
svarṇa
of gold
māṣaiḥ
of the weight
kṛta-chidram
making a hole
yāvat prastha-jala-plutam
yāvat
as long as
prastha
measuring one prastha
jala-plutam
filled by water.
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.
Purport
It is advised herein that the bore in the copper measuring pot must be made with a probe weighing not more than four māṣa and measuring not longer than four fingers. This regulates the diameter of the hole. The pot is submerged in water, and the overflooding time is called a daṇḍa. This is another way of measuring the duration of a daṇḍa, just as time is measured by sand in a glass. It appears that in the days of Vedic civilization there was no dearth of knowledge in physics, chemistry or higher mathematics. Measurements were calculated in different ways, as simply as could be done.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
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 or nāḍikā.
This verse defines the length of the nāḍikā. Unmānam means that by which something is measured. Here it refers to a copper pot weight of six palas. Sixty-four māśas make one pala. One should make a hole in the pot using a gold needle four fingers in length and weighting four māṣas. Five guñjas make one māṣa. The time it takes forl one prastha of water to enter the vessel and fill it is a nāḍikā. If the weight of the vessel is more or the hole is larger, the pot will sink more quickly. If the vessel is lighter and the hole smaller, the pot will sink more slowly. Thus the exact weight of the pot and the size of the hole are specified. If the needle is made of silver and the same length and weight, the hole will be bigger.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Mind and senses, left ungoverned, will quietly run a life into the ground. The verse implies that small daily regulation is more powerful than occasional dramatic resolve.
Reflection Questions
- What small rule kept consistently would do more for you than a dramatic vow once broken?
- Where could you offer the senses a better object instead of merely fighting them?
My note
Source: vedabase.io