GANITHA SASTRAM = MATHEMATICS

यथा शिखा मयूराणां नागानां मणयस्तथा।

तद्वद्वेदाङ्गशास्त्राणां गणितं मूर्धनि स्थितम्॥

"Yathaa sikhaa mayooraanaam, Naagaanaam manays thathaa,
  Thadvad vedanga saasthraanaam Ganitham moordhani sthitham".

This Sanskrit verse if translated gives the meaning as: as the beautiful feather on the head of a peacock, as the diamond on the head of snake, Mathematics shines on the top of all Saasthras.
This sloka gives the importance of Mathematics among various sciences. Very often it is referred as "Queen of all sciences".
At the same time mathematics have applications in all scientific studies. In that sense it is serving all sciences. In fact not only in sciences but also in all other subjects. Because of this mathematics is also considered as "servent of all sciences".  Avvaiyaar the Great Tamil Poetess has rightly pointed that “Ennum ezhutthum kannenath thagum”

 

Sanskrit slokas and Maths

There has been a strong association between Sanskrit slokas and mathematics. Several studies have pointed out to the amazing patterns that are hidden in some slokas, the nuances behind the mathematical logic and the tricks connected to solving problems. Although this topic is extensive, we can analyse the same through some slokas here.

 There was a particular numerical code that was used in many slokas. Consider this sloka:

"Kaadi nava, Taadi nava, Paadi panchaka, Yadyashtaka
Kshah sunyam"

If you examine the words carefully, Kaadi Nava, starting from ka or the Sanskrit equivalent of ka, the sequence of 9 letters are represented by 1,2,..9. The same can be said for Taadi Nava , starting from ta, Paadi panchaka starting from pa, Yadyashtaka(1-8) starting from ya, and ksha that represents 0.

If you want to examine further, we can mark the letters of the alphabet in Sanskrit as follows:

ka1, kha-2, ga-3, gha-4, na-5,

cha-6, cha-7, ja-8, jha-9.

ta-1, tha-2, da-3, dha-4, na-5,

Ta-6, Tha-7, Da-8, Dha-9.

pa-1, pha-2, ba-3, bha-4, ma-5.

ya-1, ra-2, la-3, va-4, Sa-5, sha-6, sa-7, ha-8.

kshah-0.

 Another significant sloka that reveals the PI value is:

 गोपी भाग्यमधुव्रता शृङ्गिशोदधिसन्धिगा।

खलजीवितखाताव गलहाला रसन्धरा ॥

 “Gopeebhaagya maDhuvraatha srungasodadhi sandhiga l

  Khalajeevitakhaataava galahaalaa rasandhara ll”

ga-3, pa-1, bha-4, ya -1, ma-5, Dhu-9, ra-2, tha-6, shru-5, ga-3, sho-5, dha-8, Dhi -9, sa-7, Dha- 9, ga-3, kha-2, la-3, jee-8, vi-4, tha-6, kha-2, tha-6, va-4, ga-3, la-3, ha-8, la-3, ra-2, sa-7, Dha-9, ra-2.

Refer to the first sloka, and you get the numerical values for each letter. In simple terms, we can explain the same in a different way. Generally, the Pi value is written as 3.14159. However, what is amazing is that eons ago, our ancestors had defeated time and discovered the same thorough a sloka. 

(This blog post is a part of Blogchatter's #BlogchatterA2Z2023)