Ganittilakam Savrtuttikam

Author(s): Hiralal R Kapadia
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Page 32

INTRODUCTION
XXXI
time with a view to note that anavasthita became empty. Once more we should now construct a new palya having depth and height as before but having its diameter equal to the dvīpa or samudra where the last seed was thrown. Let us fill this palya again named as anavasthita and start throwing seeds as before. When this gets emptied, a seed is to be thrown in s'alāka. When this process is repeated for a number of times, it will so happen that s'alāka will be completely full. At this stage we should again construct a new palya as before and fill it up with seeds. Then we should commence throwing seeds from s'alāka till it gets emptied. This time we should throw one seed in pratis'alāka and start throwing seeds from anavasthita. When this process is repeated several times, s'alāka will become full. Then this palya should be emptied as before and to mark that stage one seed must be thrown in pratis'alāka. In course of time, this process when repeated, will fill up pratis'alāka. We should then start throwing seeds from it till it becomes empty and to note that stage, we should throw one seed in mahāpratis'alāka. Let us then start emptying s'alāka which has been already filled up with seeds by this time. When it . becomes empty, a seed is to be thrown in pratis'alāka, and the process of emptying anavasthita, throwing one seed in s'alāka, constructing a new anavasthita etc. is to be repeated till all the four palyas including the anavasthita finally constructed get filled up with seeds. On this stage being reached, we should make a heap of seeds of these four palyas and add to it all the seeds thrown in various dvīpas and samudras. When this work is over, let us count the number of the seeds. When one is deducted from the number thus obtained, the remaining number is spoken of as utkrsta-sankhyāta. This utkrsta-sankhyāta number of the early Jainas may be compared with what is called "Alef-zero" in modern Mathematics. This number is explained in "The theory of functions of a real variable and the theory of Fourier's Series" by E. W. Hobson Sc. D., F. R. S. (A. D. 1907, p. 154), as under:
1 According to Hemacandra Sūri's commentary (p. 236 ) on Anuyogadāra one seed was thrown even earlier. What is stated here is, however, in accordance with Lokaprakās'a (I, 140).