WRITTEN by London Swaminathan

Date: 11 November 2016

Time uploaded in London:17-07

Post No.3343

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Sister Nivedita in “The Web of Indian Life” tells the story of a great mathematician, Bhaskaracharya, who had but one child, the maiden Lilavati. Casting her horoscope carefully, he discovered that there was only a single moment in her life when she could be married with the fear of widowhood. Preparations were made for the wedding accordingly, and the father himself constructed an instrument by which to regulate the time of the ceremonies. Water would be admitted drop by drop through a certain hole, from one pot to another, and upon reaching a given height was the signal for the sacramental act.

“The marriage rites began, but the child Lilavati grew tired, and went wandering from room to room in search of amusement. In some obscure corner she came upon an unaccustomed looking pot, and leaned over its edge to watch how the inner section was gradually sinking in water which it contained. As she did so a tiny pearl fell all unnoticed from her wedding crown, and stopped the hole through which the water passed! Time went on, but the vessel sank no further, ‘Ah!” exclaimed Bhaskaracharya, sorrowfully, when, the hour already past, he found the jewel that had frustrated all his caution, ‘it is useless for a man to fight against his destiny’.

Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar says,

“What is more potent than fate? It forestalls every expedient one may resort to for averting it”- Tirukkural 380

Fate is Inviolable.

Bhaskaracharya, Great Mathematician

Bhaskara  Acharya was a celebrated astronomer and mathematician. He lived in the early part of the eleventh century C.E. he was the author of the Bhija Ganita on arithmetic, Lilavati on Algebra and geometry and the Siddhanta Siromani on astronomy. He was fully acquainted with the principle of the Differential Calculus.

Lilavati means Charming. He gave this fanciful title to the his mathematical work. Colebrook and Dr Taylor translated into English. Earlier Akbar also arranged for a translation in Persian.

–subham–