A vitasti (, ') is an ancient Indian unit of length approximating to 21

centimeter upright=1.35, Different lengths as in respect to the electromagnetic spectrum, measured by the metre and its derived scales. The microwave is in-between 1 meter to 1 millimeter. A centimetre (International spelling) or centimeter (American ...

Etymology

The

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

word ''vitasti'', meaning "span", is an ancient Indo-Iranian term. It is derived from the

Proto-Indo-Iranian Proto-Indo-Iranian, also called Proto-Indo-Iranic or Proto-Aryan, is the reconstructed proto-language of the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European. Its speakers, the hypothetical Proto-Indo-Iranians, are assumed to have lived in the late 3rd ...

term ''*witasti-'' and is related to

Avestan Avestan ( ) is the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism. It belongs to the Iranian languages, Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family and was First language, originally spoken during the Avestan period, Old ...

''vītasti'', Kurdish ''bist'' and

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

''bidast'', all meaning "span".

Measurement

According to the Vāstuśāstra, a vitasti is equal to 12 aṅgulas. It is defined as the long span between the extended thumb and the little finger or as the distance between the wrist and the fingertips.Sir Monier Monier Williams dictionary

Equivalence to other units of length

8 ''Paramāṇu'' = 1 ''Rathadhūli'' (chariot-dust)
8 ''Rathadhūli'' = 1 ''Vālāgra'' (hair-end)
8 ''Vālāgra'' = 1 ''Likṣā'' (nit)
8 ''Likṣā'' = 1 ''Yūkā'' (louse)
8 ''Yūkā'' = 1 ''Yava'' (barley)
8 ''Yava'' = 1 ''Aṅgula'' (finger)
12 ''Aṅgula'' = 1 ''Vitasti'' (span)
2 ''Vitasti'' = 1 ''Kiṣku'' (cubit)

References

{{reflist Units of measurement