श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती

ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम् (गुणकमर् त्रैरा शका द )

K. Ramasubramanian

Cell for Indian Science & Technology in Sanskrit

IIT Bombay

AICTE Sponsored QIP program

( Understanding Classical Scientific Texts of India in an Immersive Sanskrit Environment )

IIT Indore
September 14–October 2, 2020
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K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

प्रक णर्का गर्ताः वषयाः — Topics in Miscellaneous operations

The following table presents the various topics discussed by Bhāskara to solve commonly
encountered basic arithmetic problems, in the section titled Prakīrṇaka.

क्रमः वषयः अनुवादः

1 व धः Inverting mathematical processes

2 इ कमर् Operations with assumed numbers
3 स मणं वषमकमर् च Operations with sums and differences
4 वगर्कमर् Operations with squares of numbers
5 गुणकमर् Dealing with univariate quadratic equations
6 त्रैरा शका दः Rules of three etc.
7 भा प्र तभा कम् Barter of commodities
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

Problem involving गुणकमर् – Quadratic equations
पाथर्ः कणर्वधाय मागर्णगणंa क्रु ो रणे स धे
त ाधन नवायर् त रगणं मूलै तु भर्हय
र् ान् ।
श ं ष ः अथेषु भ भर प छत्रं जं कामुर्कं
च े दा शरः शरे ण क त ते यानजुर्नः स धे ॥७०॥
।शादूर्ल वक्र डतम् ।

a
मागर्णः = मागर्य त ल म त ; शर इ थर्ः।

An enraged Pārtha (Arjuna), in order to slay Karṇa in battle, shot a succession of arrows [on his
bow]. Having countered his (Karṇa’s) series of arrows with half of that (Arjuna’s own), [he stopped]
the horses by four times the square root [of his total arrows], [immobilised] Śalya by six arrows,
then [destroyed] the umbrella, flag and bow by three arrows, [and] cut his head by one arrow. How
many were those [arrows], which Arjuna nocked [on his bow]?

𝑥2
𝑥2 = + 4𝑥 + 6 + 3 + 1.
2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

Problem involving गुणकमर् – Quadratic equations
The following verse is also a beautiful piece of poetry in itself:

अ लकुलदलमूलं मालतीं यातम ौ

न खलनवमभागा ा लनी भृ मेकम् ।
न श पिरमललु ं प म े नरु ं
प्र तरण त रण ं ब्रू ह का ऽ
े लस ाम् ॥७१॥ ।मा लनी ।

The square root of half of a swarm of bees and [also]

eight-ninths of the total went to the Mālatī flower. A
female bee is buzzing in response to the buzzing of a
bee which attracted by the fragrance, got trapped in a
lotus at night. O charming lady! Tell the number of
bees.

2𝑥2
2𝑥2 = 𝑥 + ×8+2 (1)
9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

Problem involving गुणकमर् – Quadratic equations

Let the total number of bees be 2𝑥2 . Then according to the

problem, 𝑥 bees as well eight-ninths of 2𝑥2 went to the
Mālatī flower. We also have two more bees—the female bee,
and the bee trapped in the lotus. Therefore,

8
2𝑥2 = 𝑥 + × 2𝑥2 + 2
9
9
or, 𝑥2 − 𝑥 = 9.
2
Now, applying the rule we have,
2
1 9 2 1 9⎤
𝑥2 = ⎡√
⎢ 9 + ( 2 × 2 ) + 2 × 2 ⎥ = 36.
⎣ ⎦
Therefore, the total number of bees is 2𝑥2 = 72.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

Problem involving गुणकमर् – Quadratic equations

यो रा शर ादश भः मूलैः रा श त्रभागेन सम त ।

जातं शत ादशकं तमाशु जानी ह पा ां पटु ता ते चेत् ॥७२॥ ।इ वज्रा ।

Know quickly that rāśi which added by eighteen times its square root, and one-
third of the rāśi, became twelve hundred, if you have expertise in arithmetic.
The given problem can be represented as:
1
𝑥2 + 𝑥2 + 18𝑥 = 1200
3
27
or, 𝑥2 + 𝑥 = 900.
2
2
2
1 27 1 27 ⎤
𝑥2 = ⎡√
⎢ 900 + ( 2 × 2 ) − 2 × 2 ⎥ = 576.
⎣ ⎦
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

त्रैरा शकम् – Rule of three

The term trairāśika refers to the mathematical process of determining an unknown

quantity from three known quantities, based on the rule of simple proportions.

icchāphala pramāṇaphala
= .
icchā pramāṇa

Of these, the pramāṇa, pramāṇaphala, and the icchā are known quantities, while the
icchāphala has to be determined.
In Indian philosophy, particularly in logic, the term pramāṇa has been extensively
analysed. It used to refer to the means of cognition.
Here, it seems to have been used in the sense of a known quantity which helps
in determining the unknown quantity. One of the well known definitions of pramāṇa:
अन धगत-अबा धताथर्बोधकं प्रमाणम्।

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

A note on pramāṇa
A simple definition: प्रमाकरणं प्रमाणम्। (प्र + मा–भावे करणे वा ट्
ु )
When pramāṇa is used to refer to means of knowledge the suffix is only in करणाथर्।
How many are accepted and by whom?
प्र क्षमेकमेव प्रमाण म त चाव काः स रते ।
प्र क्षमनुमानं चे त ेप्रमाणे इ त वैशे षका बौ ा आहर्ता ।
प्र क्षमनुभानमा वचन म त त्री ण प्रमाणानी त सां ा वेदा न ( व श ा ै तनः)।
प्र क्षानुमानोपमानश ाः इ त नैया यकाः।
प्र क्षानुमानोपमानश ा अथ प े त प्राभाकराः।
प्र क्षानुमानोपमानश ा अथ प रनुपल े त ष माणानी परे भा ावेदा नः।
स वै त े अ तिर े प्रमाणे इ त पौरा णकाः ।

In Mānameyodaya, Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭatiri brilliantly summarises:

चाव का ावदेकं तयम प पुनब वैशे षकौ ौ
भासवर्ज्ञ सां तयमुदयना ा तु ं वद ।
प्राहुः प्राभाकराः प कम प च वयं तेऽ प वेदा वज्ञाः
ष ं पौरा णका कम भद धरे संभवै त योगात् ॥
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

त्रैरा शकम् – Rule of three

प्रमाण म ा च समानजाती आ योस् ः फलम जा तः ।

म ेतद ाहतमा हृत् ात् इ ाफलं व ध वर्लोमे ॥७३॥ ।उपजा तः ।

Pramāṇa and icchā [which] are of the same kind (units), are [placed] in the
first and last positions. The result (pramāṇaphala) [which is] of another kind
is [placed] in the middle. That (pramāṇaphala), multiplied by the icchā, and
divided by the ādya (pramāṇa) would be icchāphala. In [case of] inverse propor-
tion, reverse process [is employed].
The relation given in the verse to determine the icchāphala in terms of ādi and anta can
be interpreted as follows:

pramāṇaphala × icchā
icchāphala =
pramāṇa

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

Problem related to त्रैरा शकम् – Rule of three
कु ु म सदलं पल यं न स मलवै भयर् द ।
प्रा ते सप द मे व ण र ब्रू ह न नवकेन त यत् ॥७४॥ ।रथो ता ।

If two and half palas of saffron are obtained by three-seventh niṣkas, then O great
merchant! Tell me quickly how much of that can be obtained with nine niṣkas?
In this problem, we have:
5
×9 105
icchāphala = 2 = = 52.5 palas.
3 2
7
As 1 pala = 4 karṣas, we thus obtain 52 palas and 2 karṣas of saffron for 9 niṣkas. The
word कु ु म (कु ते आदीयते) is used in multiple senses. The following verse would also be
instructive.
का ीरदेशजे क्षेत्रे कु ु मं य वे तत् । सू केशरमार ं प ग तदु मम् ॥
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

Problem related to त्रैरा शकम् – Rule of three

Having provided an example wherein we find the quantity that can be procured with
given amount of money, Bhāskara constructs another example, vice versa:
प्रकृ कपूर्रपल त्रष ा चे ते न चतु यु म् ।
शतं तदा ादश भः सपादैः पलै ः कमाच सखे व च ॥७५॥ ।उपजा तः ।

If a hundred and four niśkas are earned by [selling] sixty-three palas of superior
camphor, then O friend! Having thought, tell what [will be earned] by [selling]
twelve and a quarter palas [of camphor].
In this problem, we have:
49
104 × 4 182
icchāphala = = niṣkas.
63 9
Converting the currency, the above amount corresponds to 20 niṣkas, 3 drammas, 8
paṇas, 3 kākiṇīs, and 11 19 varāṭakas.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

Problem related to त्रैरा शकम् – Rule of three
The following problem is different from the earlier ones in the sense that it involves
conversion from one unit to other.
द्र येन सा ांशा शा लत ु लखािरका ।
ल ा चेत् पणस ात ं सप द क ताम् ॥७६॥ ।अनु ु भ् ।

If one and one-eighth of a khārikā of rice can be purchased by two drammas,

then quickly tell how much of that [can be purchased] by seventy paṇas.
In this problem, we have:
9
8 × 70 315
icchāphala = = khārikās.
32 128
Converting the currency, the obtained weight amounts to 2 khārikās, 7 droṇas, 1 āḍhaka,
and 2 prasthas.
Note on शा लः in राज नघर् ु ः
शालयो मधुराः शीता लघुपाका बलावहाः । प ा ा नलकफाः ाब ा व. . र्स. ः. ॥. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

 त्रैरा शकम् – Inverse proportions
इ ावृ ौ फले ह्रासः ह्रासे वृ ः फल तु ।
ं त्रैरा शकं तत्र ज्ञेयं ग णतको वदैः ॥७७॥ ।अनु ु भ् ।

Wherein reduction happens in [icchā] phala when icchā increases and increment
happens [in phala] when icchā decreases, there inverse proportion should be
considered by experts of mathematics.

1 1
icchāphala ∝ pramāṇaphala ∝
icchā pramāṇa

And so,

icchāphala × icchā = pramāṇaphala × pramāṇa

pramāṇaphala × pramāṇa
or, icchāphala =
icchā
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्

Thanks!

ध वादाः!

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K. Ramasubramanian श्रीम ा राचायर् वर चता ल लावती – ा ानम् 12: प्रक णर्कम्