Significance of Ghatika
Ghatika is a versatile unit of measurement referenced in various texts, signifying both a specific quantity and a unit of time. In Arthashastra, it denotes one-fourth of a varaka for measuring ghee or oil. In Vaishnavism and Purana, a ghatika equals twenty-four minutes, used to denote time intervals linked to astrology and specific actions. In historical context, ghatika refers to a significant time unit for daylight calculations and is related to other measurements of time, illustrating its importance across different aspects of scholarly traditions.
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
Hindu concept of 'Ghatika'
Ghatika in Hinduism is a 24-minute time unit significant for avoiding unfavorable actions during specific asterisms, governing contexts, and astrological measurements, also linked to quantities of ghee or oil.
From: Garga Samhita (English)
(1) A unit of time in this text, where one ghatika equals twenty-four minutes.[1]
From: Kautilya Arthashastra
(1) A specific measurement used for determining quantities of ghee or oil, corresponding to one-fourth of a varaka.[2]
The concept of Ghatika in local and regional sources
Ghatika is a unit of time synonymous with nadi, linked to vinadika. It measures half-lengths of daylight and is used in time-related calculations like daylight tables and time corrections, as highlighted in the text.
From: History of Science in South Asia
(1) Units of time used in the horoscope to indicate the duration from sunrise, as seen in the description of the native's birth time within the manuscript.[3] (2) This is a unit of time used in calculations, and it is derived by multiplying the remainder of vara by 60 and dividing by 800.[4] (3) Ghatikas are units of time, and the length of the half-day is given in ghatikas, and the verse explains how to correct the solar longitude for precession, and the resulting precession-corrected solar longitude in signs and degrees is the argument of the table that tabulates the sun’s half-day.[5] (4) Ghatikas are time units used in the length of daylight tables and the time corrections.[6] (5) The ghatika is a unit of time, which can be synonymous with nadi, and has a specific relationship to vinadika, as stated in the text.[7]