Ganittilakam Savrtuttikam

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

Page 48

INTRODUCTION
MAGIC SQUARES
I have up till now tried to point out some of the features of the Jaina Mathematics as depicted mostly in the canonical literature. Now I shall refer to stotra-sahitya or hymnological literature. I have come across three hymns which allude to magic squares. One of them directly indicates the numbers which make up magic squares. The remaining ones give rise to five magic squares as suggested in its commentary. These magic squares are of different orders: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th. A detailed account of them is given by me in my "Note on Jaina hymns and magic squares" published in "The Indian Historical Quarterly" (vol. X, No. I, pp. 148-153). APPLIED MATHEMATICS
I have collected materials throwing light on Applied Mathematics, too; but I reserve their treatment for future. Only a few particulars are being noted here. That light is matter is suggested in Tattvarthadhigamasutra (V, 24). An idea akin to the first law of Newton, is also expressed in this work (X, 6). The Jaina notion about the principle of flotation can be inferred from Kalyanamandirastotra (v. 10). The theory of sound is discussed at great length in Vises'avas'yakabhāṣya (v. 351-372).1
XLVII
[मुञ्चति सु (सौ) धर्मादिः कश्चित् सुरश्च गोलं चायोमयमधः । भारसहस्रमयं स षण्मासैः षड्भिर्दिनैरपि ||
षट्प्रहरैः षड्घटिकाभिर्यावत् क्रामति यद्यपि एतावता । रज्जुस्तत्र प्रमाणं द्वीपसमुद्रा भवन्त्येते ॥ ]
1 This is only what could be here noted from my paper "Some materials for the study of Mathematics in Jaina literature" accepted by and read at the Jubilee sessions of the Indian Mathematical Conference held in 1932. This paper was based upon the notes prepared by me when I submitted to the University of Bombay in 1924, the results pertaining to "Jaina Mathematics" in connection with which a grant was given to me by this University in 1923. During the years that have since elapsed, my friend Dr. B. Datta has contributed in this connection three important and interesting articles: two to the Bulletin of the Calcutta Mathematical Society in 1928-29 and one, to "Quellen und studien zur Geschicte der Mathematic", a German journal in 1933. Still much remains to be said regarding Jaina Mathematics not only by way of multiplying the instances in support of the facts mentioned here but also by presenting together several Mathematical problems lying scattered in the various agamas and by bringing to light other Mathematical factors which may have escaped notice on account of the want of thorough investigation of the Jaina canonical works which is not still carried out by me owing to the circumstances being not quite favourable for it,