Sambodhi 2000 Vol 23

Author(s): Jitendra B Shah, N M Kansara
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 36

Vol. XXIII, 2000
VEDIC SOURCES OF THE "VEDIC MATHEMATICS"
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by writing the formulae in very compact form. He also followed the Vedic tradition of not giving proofs. A formula may be given and varified a million times, yet it is not considered as a part of mathematics unless a rigorous proof is available. The Late Prof. P. L. Bhatnagar gave proofs of most of the formulae given by Swamiji94 and the rest of the formulae can easily be proved. The proofs require only intermediate level of mathematics at which Swamiji worked and to regard it as high-level research in mathematics will again be making a false claim. Thus, according to Prof. Kapur, VM has nothing to do with mathematics in the Vedas except that it was written by a person who knew both Vedas and mathematics.95 This remark is rather too much categorical, especially for a scholar like Prof. Kapur, who has been a veteran mathematician alright, but he does not know the Vedas first hand.
In my opinion, based on the first hand acquaintance with the contents of the Vedic texts referred to above, and with the VM as presented by BKTM, and in view of the scholarly, impartial, truth-loving and highly inqusitive nature and the versatile mind of the revered personality like him, and in view of the declarations he himself has made in his lecture in U.S.A., it seems to be beyond doubt that he did come across some Sulba-Sutra traditionally associated with the Atharvaveda, picked up some sixteen sutras initially, and later on some other thirteen or more sutras, worked on it for eight years from mathematical point of view, and in the light of his first hand knowledge of mathematics discovered the mathematical application of the sūtras. In a way he may be called a mathematical interpreter of the 'Ganitasūtras' which he happened to come across, but the real significance of which was long forgotten and could not be caught even by the commentators. Similarly, the remarks of the Editorial Reviewer of International Dayānanda Veda Peetha Research Journal,96 that the Jagadguru has done posit disservice to those who are interested in the history of ancient Indian Mathematics, is quite beside the point, and of no consequence. In his opinion, these sūtras are entirely Jagadguru's imagination or intuitional visualization, or revealed to him personally. I think it is the mathematical interpretation of them that was actually revealed to him intuitively.
In one of his papers Shri 'Ganitanand'97 has remarked about the VM that the objectionable things about the book or system are the name