Posted on: 13 August 2012

New Book:
Lilavati of Bhāskarācārya: A Treatise of Mathematics of Vedic Tradition : With Rationale in Terms of Modern Mathematics Largely Based on N.H. Phadke's Marāthī Translation of Līlāvatī
By Krishnaji Shankara Patwardhan, Somashekar Amrita Naimaplly & Shyam Lal Singh
Published by Motilal Banarsidass - 2001

Read Book Online:

http://bit.ly/PeDccr

Book Review:
Bhaskaracharya's Lilavathi
By Nithin Nagaraj
May 2005

The above authors have translated the Marathi work of Professor Phadke tiled `Lilavati Punardarshana' A New Light on Lilavati written in 1971. He took great pains in writing the Marathi translation with comments and explanation. The authors acknowledge Professor Phadke for his excellent translation and his attempt to explain the rationale of Lilavati in terms of modern mathematics.

Lilavati is the first part of Bhaskaracharya's work Siddhantashiromani which he wrote at the age of 36. Siddhantashiromani consists of four parts namely 1) Lilavati 2) Algebra 3) Planetary motions and 4) Astronomy. Lilavati has an interesting story associated with how it got its name. Bhaskaracharya created a horoscope for his daughter Lilavati, stating exactly when she needed to get married. He placed a cup with a small hole in it in a tub of water, and the time at which the cup sank was the optimum time Lilavati was to get married. Unfortunately, a pearl fell into the cup, blocking the hole and keeping it from sinking. Lilavati was then doomed never to wed, and her father Bhaskara wrote her a manual on mathematics in order to console her, and named it Lilavati. This appears to be a myth associated with this classical work. Lilavati was used as a textbook in India in Sanskrit schools for many centuries. Even now, it is used in some Sanskrit schools.

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How does the author derive Lilavati from the Vedic tradition? What is considered to be "Mathematics of Vedic Tradition"? Which veda? Are there ancient references to connecting these mathematical treatises to vedas? Or is it a generic description that asserts "all knowledge of the universe" is contained in the vedas?

While skeptical disdain has merits, insouciance may push gems into oblivion. Thanks RBSI for presenting this book to anser my questions on zero. One of the reasons why India has had a broken tradition in mathematics is perhaps we did not develop the language required for it. Commentators, such as the the editor of this book unnecessarily eulogises the "brevity" of sutras in India and belittles the "verbosity" of proofs in the West.

>> One of the reasons why India has had a broken tradition in mathematic What is the basis of the claim that 1) India had a broken tradition in Maths 2) There was no language for maths? I am not sure the criticism of the author of the book is well founded. ______________________________________ >> Vedic tradition The question is in fact more general. What is "Vedic tradition" anyway. Who defines what is Vedic tradition? The issue here is that "Vedic tradition" -- unfortunately is a much used and abused term. With many choosing it to mean what they will since clearly there is very little evidence in India, based on either archaeological or epigraphical evidence that such "distinct" separate "traditions" existed. In India, the mixture of different schools of thoughts of philosophy, science, mathematics etc are well documented. However no such distinct traditions are seen. This entire classification of Indian system into "different traditions" as watertight compartments themselves is a retrofit of Indian thought into reductionist western thought process. -------------------------------------------------------- However if you chose to mean Vedic tradition as one where there are no artificial secular and religious boundaries but both are mixed. Suitable quotes from the Lilavati may be provided to back that up.