Sambodhi 2000 Vol 23

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

Page 37

DR. N. M. KANSARA
SAMBODHI
"Vedic Mathematics" given to it and the claim that the 16 Formulas are from the Vedas, that both are deceptive and false and are responsible for creating lot of confusion and misunderstanding; the book or the sutras have nothing to do with the Vedas. This is also too much categorical for the scholar, since it will preclude the possibility of the new and scientific interpretation of old texts. The scholar can easily dismiss the newly propounded interpretations of a few Vedic texts by M. M. Pandit Madhusudan Oza, Dr. V. S. Aggrawal or Anand Coomarswamy as but figments of imagination, or having no more worth than that of a fiction. At the same time, he seems to agree with A. P. Nicholas by granting the fact that BKTM's system is the most delightful chapters of the 20th century mathematical history, and that the book has its own mathematical excellence or intrisic importance. Its novelty has inspired several scholars to delve into the new area of research created by it and found more significant results through its appraoch. Its popularity is increasing both in India and outside.
Finally, we may agree with Dr. T. M. Karade98 that you will never find a special and separate chapter on mathematics in the Vedas. It may be scattered here and there and to discover it is a difficult task indeed. However, one of the most successful attempts was made by BKTM in this direction. His work on mathematics is usually referred to as VM. But it does not mean that there cannot be VM other than that of BKTM.
END-NOTES : 1. Referred to as VM herein-after, published by Hindu Vishvavidyalaya, Sanskrit
publications Board, Banaras Hindu Universiy, Varanasi, 1965; reprinted by
Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi, several times. 2. Author's Preface to VM, p. xix. 3. VM, My Beloved Gurudeva, pp. ix-x. 4. ibid., pp. i-xi. 5. ibid., pp. ii-v. 6. The seniormost surviving Trustee of the Maharshi Agricultural Research
Institute (Ahmedabad Centre) Trust, Ahmedabad. 7. A Professor in the Kalabhavan Polytechnic, Vadodara. 8. Trivedi, Smt, Manjulaben - VM, 'My Beloved Gurudeva', p. X. 9. ibid., p. x.