Tirthaji and the rediscovery of Vedic Mathematics
The ancient system of Vedic Mathematics was
rediscovered from the Sanskrit texts known as the Vedas, between 1911 and 1918 by Sri
Bharati Krsna Tirthaji (1884-1960). At the beginning of the twentieth century, when there
was a great interest in the Sanskrit texts in Europe, Bharati Krsna tells us some scholars
ridiculed certain texts which were headed 'Ganita Sutras'- which means mathematics. They
could find no mathematics in the translation and dismissed the texts as rubbish. Bharati
Krsna, who was himself a scholar of Sanskrit, Mathematics, History and Philosophy, studied
these texts and after lengthy and careful investigation was able to reconstruct the
mathematics of the Vedas. According to his research all of mathematics is based on sixteen
Sutras or word-formulae.
Bharati Krsna wrote sixteen volumes expounding the Vedic system but these were
unaccountably lost and when the loss was confirmed in his final years he wrote a single
book: Vedic Mathematics, currently available. It was published in 1965, five years after
his death.
Development of further material
A copy of the book was brought to
London a few years later and some English mathematicians (Kenneth Williams, Andrew
Nicholas, Jeremy Pickles) took an interest in it. They extended the introductory material
given in Bharati Krsna's book and gave many courses and talks in London. A book (now out
of print), Introductory Lectures on Vedic Mathematics, was published in 1981. Between 1981
and 1987 Andrew Nicholas made four trips to India initially to find out what further was
known about it. Following these journeys a renewed interest was taken by scholars and
teachers in India. It seems that once they saw that some people in the West took Vedic
Mathematics seriously they realised they had something special. St James' School, then in
Queensgate, London, and other schools began to teach the Vedic system, with notable
success. Today Vedic Mathematics is taught widely in schools in India and a great deal of
research is being done. Three further books appeared in 1984, the year of the centenary of
the birth of Sri Bharati Krsna Tirthaji. These were published by The Vedic Mathematics
Research Group.
Maharishi Schools
When Maharishi Mahesh Yogi began to explain the
significance and marvelous qualities of Vedic Mathematics in 1988, Maharishi Schools
around the world began to teach it. At the school in Skelmersdale, Lancashire a full
course was written and trialled for 11 to 14 year old pupils, called The Cosmic Computer.
(Maharishi had said that the Sutras of Vedic Mathematics are the software for the cosmic
computer- the cosmic computer runs the entire universe on every level and in every
detail). This course was published in March 1998.
Why did
the Vedic Seers need Vedic Mathematics or Mental Mathematics?
The Vedic Seers were highly
ritualistic in practice. All the four Vedas namely Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and
Atharva Veda, consist of Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads. Of these four, the
first three namely Samhitas, Brahmanas and Aranyakas contain several thousand Mantras or
Hymns, Ritual practices and their interpretations. The Vedic Seers were very particular
about the time of doing the rituals. Hence they needed a very scientific and accurate
calendar and time measurements. Hence we have the adage IST which once meant Indian
Standard Time. But in recent times due to our laziness and carelessness, it has come to
mean Indian Stretchable Time.
The Vedic culture was that of Yajna and the Vedic
Purohits or priests were also very particular about the shape and size of the Yajna Kund.
For this they needed a very highly developed Geometry and Trigonometry.
Where is Vedic Mathematics found?
Vedic Mathematics forms part of Jyotish Shastra which is one of the
six parts of Vedangas. The Jyotish Shastra or Astronomy is made up of three parts called
Skandas. A Skanda means the big branch of a tree shooting out of the trunk
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