Converting the measurements from the Buddha's time into modern units

[Suvira]

I already sent feedback to Ajahn @Brahmali via email, he got the full, unpolished 6,000 word version of it based on the 45cm colonial hattha, before I decided that the Sp isn’t actually trying to tell us anything about cloth measurement. In-line commentary is not my preference. I hope that Ajahn @Brahmali will still talk to me in the future after he has finished reading my chickenscratch notes

[Brahmali]

Lol! Of course I will talk to you. In fact even more than before. I am very grateful for all your feedback. I haven’t responded yet because I have taken a mini-break from translation. But I can guarantee you will hear from me in due course. But in case there should be any lingering doubt: thank so much for your generous support!

[Suvira]

@Suvira

The term “sugatavidatthi” is mysterious, but there are some legends in the Ashokavadana (also the topic of work by Daoxuan) that suggest that the original measurements were seen as embarrassing in the Ashokan period (because they show the Buddha had normal height?). By giving the Buddha’s vidatthi (as handspan) as equivalent to an ordinary person’s hattha (as length to elbow), the Buddha’s height also doubles, thus averting ancient embarrassment at the Buddha’s normality.

I’ve thought about this a bit more, and I have a better idea now.

hattha–>vidatthi isn’t actually outside the realm of simple human error (listener effects due to phonetic similarity). I was doing transcripts recently, and I consistently misheard Jayasekera as Wijesekera. It’s a perceptual matching thing on the account of the listener; some of these errors can be idiosyncratic & are more likely to happen with dialect/non-standard speakers. I know it looks a little out there, but personally, I wouldn’t underestimate the role of listeners as a source of error…vidatthi is nearly undoubtedly in error.