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ROLE OF JAINS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATHEMATICS
Dr. B.S.JAIN Dr. B.
IMPORTANCE OF MATHEMATICS IN JAIN RELIGION
Jains of ancient India attached great importance to the study of Mathematics and this subject was regarded as an integral part of their religion. The knowledge of Samkhyana (the science of numbers, meaning arithmetic. and astronomy) is stated to be one of the principal accomplishments of the Jaina priest.1 This knowledge was required by him for finding out the proper time and place for religious ceremonies.
According to Jainas, a child should be taught firstly writing, then arithmatic as most important of the seventy two sciences or arts. According to the Jaina legend, their first Tirthankar Rishabhanath, taught the Brahmi script to his daughter Brahmi, and mathematics to his other daughter Sundari. The sacred literature of the Jainas is called Siddhanta or Agama and is very ancient. Jainas evolved their own theories and made notable contribution to the science of medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, cosmology, the structure of matter and energy, the fundamental structure of living beings, the concept of space and time, and the theory of relativity.
The Indian name for mathematics is Ganita. It literally means the science of calculation or computaiton, Ganita-Sar-Samgraba (GSS) of Mahaviracarya (850 A.D.) is the only treatise on arithmetic and algebra, by a Jain scholar, that is available at present. Suryaprajnapti and the Chandraprajnapti are two astronomical treatises. The other mathematical treatises by the early Jainas have been lost. The author of GSS has always held Bhagwan Mahavira, to have been a great mathematician.
Amongst the religious works of the Jainas, that are important from the view point of mathematics are :
1. Suryaprajnapti 2. Jambudvipaprajnapti 3. Sthananga Sutra 4. Uttradhyayana Sutra 5. Bhagwati Sutra 6. Anuyoga-dvara Sutra
KUSUMPURA SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS
In the Sulva Sutra period (750 B.C. to 400 A.D.) there existed three important schools of mathematics : i) The Kusumpura or palliputra School near modern Patna. Bhadrabahu (4th cent. B.C.) and
Umaswati (2nd cent. B.C.) belonged to this school. ii) The Ujjan School
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