Jinamanjari 1999 04 No 19

SR No.: 524019
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication
Publication Year: 1999
Total Pages: 88
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, Canada_Jinamanjari, & Canada
File Size: 5 MB

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place-value system were located in the form of big numbers from Śvetambara texts by Datta, 13 Singh 14 and Kapadia. 15 Word-symbol notation was also used by Jinabhadragani.
So far as the Digambara Jaina texts are concerned, Datta and Kapida found the zero and its use in decimal place in greater strength in the Gommatasära of Nemicandra Siddhanta Cakravarti. The Ganitasārasangraha of Mahāvirācārya (9th century C.E.) had already been published in 1912 with its use of zero not only in place value but also in Parikarma. A few years later, Singh took up the challenging task of exploring the mathematical contents of the third and fourth volumes of the Dhavala Commentary on the Satkhandāgama.16 This consisted of the use of zero in a variety of expressions in decimal place value.17 Later, L.C. Jain located similar material in the Tiloyapannatti (c. 5th century Prakrit text on the information about the three worlds or universes).18 He found additional material on the same topic in the ASG and ASL chapters in the Samyak Jñana Candrika - in the Dhumdhari dialect of Rajasthan - a detailed commentary on the Gommațasāra and the Labdhisāra, by Țodaramalla. 19
Use of Zero in the Digambara Jaina School
In the above mentioned texts and commentaries the zero symbol (a circle) has been used as follows:
1. Represents through vowels and in the Katapayādi system.20 2. Stands for a negative sign.21 3. Stands for one-sensed and two sensed bios and so on.22 For example, a three-sensed bio is denoted by 000. 4. Stands for a void - agrhita stage in which a bio does not assimilate karma particles in pudgala parivartana (specific material change).23 5. Stands for filling up the gaps.24 This appears in the writing of the Mahabandha Sutras implying a bridge. Țodaramalla has also expressed such a use in bridging the intervening işekas (cells) in a column of lifetime (sthiti) structure, denoted in the following fashion:
5 1 2 The triangular karma life - a number of karma particles with certain energy level in a specific configuration (prakrti) in every nișeka - is a complicated structure.
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