SB 3.11.7 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

निमेषस्त्रिलवो ज्ञेय आम्नातस्ते त्रय: क्षण: । क्षणान् पञ्च विदु: काष्ठां लघु ता दश पञ्च च ॥ ७ ॥

Verse text

nimeṣas tri-lavo jṣeya āmnātas te trayaḥ kṣaṇaḥ kṣaṇān paṣca viduḥ kāṣṭhāṁ laghu tā daśa paṣca ca

Synonyms

nimeṣaḥ — the duration of time called a nimeṣa ; tri — lavaḥ — the duration of three lavas ; jṣeyaḥ — is to be known ; āmnātaḥ — it is so called ; te — they ; trayaḥ — three ; kṣaṇaḥ — the duration of time called a kṣaṇa ; kṣaṇān — such kṣaṇas ; paṣca — five ; viduḥ — one should understand ; kāṣṭhām — the duration of time called a kāṣṭhā ; laghu — the duration of time called a laghu ; tāḥ — those ; daśa paṣca — fifteen ; ca — also .

Translation

The duration of time of three lavas is equal to one nimeṣa, the combination of three nimeṣas makes one kṣaṇa, five kṣaṇas combined together make one kāṣṭhā, and fifteen kāṣṭhās make one laghu.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Three lavas make one nimeṣa. Three nimeṣas make one kṣaṇa. Fire kṣaṇas make one kāṣṭhā. Fifteen kāṣṭhās make one laghu. Āmāntāḥ means “is called.” Tāh means kāsṭhāḥ.

Purport

By calculation it is found that one laghu is equal to two minutes. The atomic calculation of time in terms of Vedic wisdom may be converted into present time with this understanding.