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08.10.2012 Feature Article

SEVERAL BRANCHES OF MATHEMATICS HAVE SANSKRIT ROOTS

SEVERAL BRANCHES OF MATHEMATICS HAVE SANSKRIT ROOTS
08.10.2012 LISTEN

In fact mainly due to very aggressive marketing, several mental arithmetic techniques are being promoted but amazing mathematical break through “Vedic Mathematics” is still a back bencher in spite of the fact that this traditional stream of mathematical knowledge, a boon inherited by generations from our ancient “Maharishis” is having such rich treasures. All branches of mathematics are well represented in the Vedas, Aranyakas, Brahminical literature, Upanishads, Panini's Ashtadhyayi and Yaska's Nirukto. It goes on to prove that most solutions that can be arrived through Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry have Sanskrit roots. Thus, what the world knows as Pythagoras' Theorem existed in the Sulba Sutras provided in the manuscripts of Boudhayan, Apostombo, Manaba and Katyayan. A large number of formulae developed thousands of years ago, which lead to the same assumption as modern theorems. Take the case of Euclid's concepts, on which modern geometry is based. It is found that all of today's geometric shapes and angles were present in the way the Yajnabedis or the holy sacrificial fires were erected. Each design had a typical astronomical or cosmic meaning to it and a specific purpose for which the yajna was to be conducted.

The climax of Mathematical achievement of ancient India occurred during the classical period of Indian Mathematics and the great names are: Aryabhata I (b.476 A.D.) ; Brahmagupta (b.598 A.D.); Bhaskara I (circa 620 A.D.) ; Mahavira (circa 850 A.D.); Sridhara (circa 900 A.D.) ; Bhaskara II (b.1114 A.D.); Nilakantha Somayaji (1445 - 1545 A.D.) etc. Arya Bhatta used the word Jya or Jeeva, to give the sense of 'a chord' in 499 AD. The Arabs interpolated this Sanskrit word and read it as gib, which means 'fold'. Using this meaning, gib was translated into Latin as 'Sinus', which is again synonymous to 'fold'. Later, this 'Sinus' was transformed into the present-day 'Sine'. The word 'Geo' (as in Geometry, Geography, Geology, etc.) must have been derived definitely from the Sanskrit word 'Jya'. Leelavati of Bhaskaracharya II was translated into Persian by Abul Fazal in the court of Akbar in the year 1587 AD. His Beeja Ganitam was translated into Persian by Attah-ullah-Rushdie in the year 1634 AD. Indian Jaina religious works (dating from 500 B.C. to 100 B.C.) knew Pi and it is a very old number. Even in ancient days several hand calculation were done using this formula and similar ones to calculate approximations to pi to over 500 decimal places by the early eighteenth century. The modern computers have made it much simpler. In 1910 the great Indian mathematician Ramanujan discovered a formula that in 1985 was used to compute pi to 17 million digits.

Will only speed in computation justify in this breath taking super fast speed days when use of calculators or even computers are so rampant if we do not lose electricity? What is there in other popular mental arithmetic techniques excepting basic calculation pertaining to Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division? Do you expect a person of any age group will be interested to learn Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication or Division? It is difficult to retain the learners of other techniques after certain period because the students get bored with non variety of topics. It is believed that some of these techniques should be started at very early childhood, as young as age four because if started during later ages can create hindrance. In some cases equipment is used as a tool to learn calculations. Beads are moved up and down and various columns to represent the number. As a consequence, have you seen the peculiar mannerisms developed to the users of other so-called popular techniques? Vedic Mathematics is entirely doable in mind alone. Vedic Mathematics also starts at a basic level of numbers and gradually progressing to simple additions, subtractions, multiplications, division etc. and goes much more beyond just the basic calculations. With Vedic Mathematics one can also solve complex geometrical theorems, algebraic problems, Calculus etc. Vedic Mathematics can be started at later ages as well without any difficulty. In deed the word 'Vedic' refers not only to actual texts but also has a literal meaning of 'knowledge'. The formulae or sutra of Vedic Mathematics describe the way the mind naturally works and are therefore a great help in directing the student to the appropriate method of solution. By this way the learner is getting a chance of out of box thinking.

About Vedic Mathematics many people ask 'Is this mathematics or magic'? And invariably the answer is 'It is both. It is magic until you understand it; and it is mathematics thereafter'. Even in India Vedic Mathematics is considered as a myth by many and is not included in compulsory mathematics curriculum. Vedic Mathematics is very unreasonably entangled with so called religious barrier. If Arabian mathematician Al-Khwarizmi (790 AD - 850 AD) had no dilemma to be aware off Indian astronomy and mathematics, then why there should be any reason to be alienated now? Perhaps Pseudo Secularist and Brainwashed Communal people with addictive thinking are still creating bottlenecks on the way. At the same time general Indians are more prone to accept whatever is coming from West. Similar incident happened with “Yog”, it became only popular in India after it traveled around from the West and became “Yoga”. Possibly we are more habituated to accept the Sun, because that is also coming from west and rises in the east. Still India is the official name of our beloved nation not 'Bhaarat'. It is highly unfortunate that we are still using an interpolated borrowed name as the official name of our nation. The Greeks first recognized our Indian territory as the land that lies beyond the river Sindhu, as viewed from their perspective and geographical directionality. They started calling Sindhu as Indus, and the land beyond that, by the name Indica or India. Megasthenes, a renowned Greek traveler of 3rd century B.C., recorded his 'Indian' experiences in his account 'Indica', meaning 'India'. Later, when the Arabs invaded the Sind province during the early part of 8th Century A.D, precisely around 712 A.D, they called the river Sindhu as Hindu and the region Hindusthan.

By Sitangshu Ghoshal ( email : [email protected])

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