92 ROYAL ASTATIC SOCIETY, (CEYLON BRANCH.) 



supposition that man's stature is reduced by three kala every 

 century, — a dictum for which there is no more foundation 

 or authority, than for the statement that "the average age 

 of man was greater in Buddha's age" than it is at present. 

 Yet, in testing his measure by the cases already considered 

 we obtain the following results. 



Taking the Siamese author's angula (i, c, sugata angula) 

 to represent two inches, that is treating an angula as one- 

 twelfth of a carpenter's two feet rule, we find that 



1. A priest's residence was twelve by seven feet. 



2. The height of a bed sixteen inches, 



3. A cushion or carpet two by one and-a-half feet. 



4. The same, with a fringe of one span, will make it 

 three by two and-a-half feet. 



5. The under shift four by two feet. 



6. A priest's bath-cloth six by two and-a-half feet. 



7. A priestess' bath-cloth, four by two feet ; 



8. And Buddha's robe measured nine by six feet. 



If these results are on the one hand in excess of our 

 notions of propriety, from a general view of the principles 

 of ascetism upon which Grotama seems to have enacted his 

 rules — the evidence which we have adduced on the other, as 

 to the stature of Indians in Buddha's age, leads to the con- 

 clusion that the dimensions produced upon the standard of 

 Buddhaghosa's measure is inadmissible ; and that therefore 

 the standard itself must be rejected. For, according to him 

 — i. e. } at twenty-seven English inches per span 



1. A priest's residence would be twenty -seven by fifteen 

 and three-quarter feet — a spacious hall more than enough 

 for a nobleman's sitting room even at the present day. 



2. A cushion or carpet; four and one-third feet, by 

 three feet four-and-a half inches — would be quite an incon- 

 venient appendage for even an ordinary chair, for which 

 the carpet was intended ; 



