Shatkhandagama Pustak 04

Author(s): Pushpadant, Bhutbali, Hiralal Jain, Fulchandra Jain Shastri, Devkinandan, A N Upadhye
Publisher: Jain Sahityoddharak Fund Karyalay Amravati

Page 26

(i) 79999998 is expressed as a number which has 7 in the beginning, 8 at the end, and 9 repeated six times in between1.
(ii) 46666664 is expressed as sixty-four, six hundreds, sixty-six thousands sixty-six hundred-thousands, and four kotis2.
(iii) 22799498 is expressed as two kotis, twenty-seven, ninety-nine thousands four and ninety-eight".
The method used in (i) is found elsewhere also in Jaina literature and at : some places in the Ganita-sara-samgraha. It shows familiarity with the place In (ii) the smaller denominations are expressed first. This is not in accordance with the general practice current in Sanskrit literature. Likewise, the scale of notation is hundred and not ten as is generally found in Sanskrit literature,5 In Pali and Prakrit, however, the scale of hundred is generally used. In (iii) the highest denomination is expressed first. Quotations (ii) and (iii) are evidently from different
sources.
Big numbers-It is well known that big numbers occur frequently in Jaina literature. In the Dhavala also the various kinds of jiva-rasi, dravya-pramāņa etc. are discussed. The biggest number that is definitely stated is the number of developable human souls. In the Dhavala" it is stated to lie between the sixth-square of two and the seventh square of two; or to be more precise, between koti-koti-koti and kotikoti-koti-koti, i. e.,
6
2
2
between
and
2
and more definitely, between (1,00,00,000 )3 and (1,00,00,000)
The actual number of such souls known from other works? is 79,22,81,62,51,42,64,33,75 93,54,39,50,336. This number occupies twety-nine notational places. It has the same, number of notational places as (1,00,00,000 )4 but is greater. This is known to the author of Dhavala who calculates the area of the world inhabited by men and shows that the larger number of men can not be contained in it, and hence that view was wrong.
The Fundamental Operations-Mention is found of all the fundamental operations addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, the extraction of square and cube-roots, the raising of numbers to given powers, etc. These operations are mentioned
6. Dhavala III, p. 253.
7. el Gommatasara, Jivakanda S. B. J. Series, p. 104.
7
1. Dhavala III, p. 98, quoted verse 51. cf. Gommata-sâra, Jiva kanda, p. 633.
2. Dhavala III, p. 99, quoted verse 52.
3. Dhavala III, p. 100, quoted verse 53.
4.
of Ganita-sara-samgraha. i, 27. See also History of Hindu Mathematics by Datta and Singh, Vol. I, Lahore, 1935, p. 16.
5. Datta and Singh, 1, c, p. 14.
2
1