COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF ANGULI PRAMANA IN THE BRIHATTRAYI: A REVIEW ARTICLE

Abstract

Background:

The measurement of the human body has been an important area of study since ancient times. Among the earliest systems of body measurement, Ayurveda provides one of the most detailed and clinically relevant approaches. In Ayurvedic science, measuring the body was not limited to understanding anatomy; it also played a vital role in assessing health, diagnosing diseases, determining prognosis, and planning treatment. One of the most significant concepts in this tradition is Anguli Pramana, a personalized system of body measurement that uses an individual's own finger breadth (Swa-Angula) as the standard unit of measurement.

The term Anguli Pramana is derived from the Sanskrit words Anguli, meaning "finger," and Pramana, meaning "measurement" or "standard." In this system, the breadth of the middle finger, particularly at the middle phalanx, serves as the basic unit for measuring different parts of the body. Because the unit is based on the individual's own finger, the measurements are proportionate to that person's body rather than being fixed or universal.

The concept of Anguli Pramana is described in detail in the three major classical texts of Ayurveda, collectively known as the Brihattrayi: the Charaka Samhita, the Sushruta Samhita, and Ashtanga Hridayam (along with the Ashtanga Sangraha). Although all these texts recognize the importance of Anguli Pramana, each presents it from a different clinical perspective. The Charaka Samhita emphasizes its role in clinical examination and diagnosis, the Sushruta Samhita focuses on its surgical and anatomical significance, while Vagbhata integrates and systematizes the concepts from both traditions. As a result, slight differences can be observed among these texts in terms of numerical measurements, anatomical descriptions, and their practical applications in clinical practice.

Objective: To systematically compare and critically examine the descriptions and applications of Anguli Pramana in the Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and Ashtanga Hridayam (along with the Ashtanga Sangraha).

Methods: Relevant classical references pertaining to Anguli Pramana were collected from the Charaka Samhita (Vimanasthana), Sushruta Samhita (Sutrasthana), and Ashtanga Hridayam/Ashtanga Sangraha, and were critically reviewed and compared.

Results:  Charaka describes total body height as 84 Angula; Sushruta as 120 Angula (with hands raised); and Vagbhata as 3½ Hasta.

Conclusion: Although the classical texts present minor variations in numerical measurements, they share a common understanding of Swa-Angula Pramana as an individualized, proportion-based system for evaluating a person's Ayu, Bala, and Prakriti.