THE MAGICS OF VEDIC MATHS

The system of Vedic Mathematics was rediscovered from ancient Sanskrit texts earlier this
century. The system uses sixteen word-formulae which relate to the way in which we use
our mind.
Vertically and Crosswise is one of these formulae. Its application in multiplying numbers is
fairly well known now but in fact its range of application is very great- as shown in this
article.
MULTIPLICATION
If you are not aware of its use in multiplication here is an example.
Suppose we want to multiply 33 by 44:

Multiplying vertically on the right we get 3×4 = 12, so we put down 2 and carry 1
(written 12 above).
Then we multiply crosswise and add the two results: 3×4 + 3×4 = 24. Adding the carried 1
gives 25 so we put 5 and carry 2 (25).
Finally we multiply vertically on the left, get 3×4 = 12 and add the carried 2 to get 14 which
we put down.
The simple pattern used makes the method easy to remember and it is very satisfying to
get the answer in one line. It is also easy to see why it works: the three steps find the
number of units, number of tens and number of hundreds in the answer.
This multiplication can also be carried out from left to right, and this has many
advantages. Let us find 33 × 44 from left to right:

Vertically on the left, 3×4 = 12, put 1 and carry 2 to the right (12 above).
Crosswise we get 3×4 + 3×4 = 24 (as before), add the carried 2, as 20, to get 44 and put

TARUN GEHLOT (B.E, CIVIL HONOURS)

down 44.
Finally, vertically on the right 3×4 = 12, add the carried 4, as 40, to get 52which we put
down.
We always add a zero to the carried figure as shown because the first product here, for
example, is really 30×40 = 1200 and the 200 is 20 tens. So when we are gathering up the
tens we add on 20 more. This does not seem so strange when you realise that a similar
thing occurs when calculating from right to left: when we started the first calculation above
with 3×4 = 12 the 1 in 12 was counted as 1 in the next column even though its value is 10.
Although the first method above is useful for mental multiplication the second method is
better because we write and pronounce numbers from left to right and so it is easier to get
our answers the same way. This method can be extended to products of numbers of any
size. Another advantage of calculating from left to right is that we may only want the first
one, two or three figures of an answer, but working from the right we must do the whole sum
and get the most significant figure last. In the Vedic system all operations can be carried out
from left to right (right to left is not excluded though) and this means we can combine
operations: add two products for example. We can extend this further to the calculation of
sines, cosines, tangents and their inverses and the solution of polynomial and
transcendental equations (Nicholas et al, 1999).
The same vertical and crosswise method can be used for algebraic multiplication's. For
example (2x + 5)(3x + 1):

Either method will do. From the left we have

DIVISION
The above left to right method can be simply reversed to give us a one line division method.
Suppose we want to divide 1452 by 44. This means we want to find a number which, when
multiplied by 44 gives 1452, or in other words we want a and b in the multiplication sum:

Since we know that the vertical product on the left must account for the 14 on the left of
1452, or most of it, we see that a must be 3.

This accounts for 1200 of the 1400 and so there is a remainder of 200. A subscript 2 is
therefore placed as shown.
Next we look at the crosswise step: this must account for the 25 (25), or most of it. One

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crosswise step gives: 3×4 = 12 and this can be taken from the 25 to leave 13 for the other
crosswise step, b×4. Clearly b is 3 and there is a remainder of 1:

We now have 12 in the last place and this is exactly accounted for by the last, vertical,
product on the right. So the answer is exactly 33.
It is not possible in this short article to describe all the variations but the method is easily
extended for
a) dealing with remainders,
b) dividing any two numbers,
c) continuing the division (if there is a remainder) to any number of figures,
d) dividing polynomial expressions.
The multiplication method described here simplifies when the numbers being multiplied are
the same, i.e. for squaring numbers. And this squaring method can also be easily reversed
to provide one line square roots: easy to do, easy to understand.
ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION OF FRACTIONS
The usual method using common denominators is cumbersome and difficult to learn. By
contrast the Vedic method allows the answer to be written straight down.

We multiply crosswise and add to get the numerator of the answer and we multiply the
denominators to get the denominator of the answer.
This looks like "horizontally and crosswise" rather than "vertically and crosswise" but
fractions can also be written: 2/3 + 4/7, in which case we have:

in which we see "vertically and crosswise".

Subtraction is similar, we cross-multiply and subtract:

When the denominators are not relatively prime we may divide out the common factor and
cross-multiply with these reduced figures (see Williams & Gaskell 1997).
EQUATION OF A LINE JOINING TWO POINTS
Find the equation of the line joining (5, 3) and (2, 7).
By conventional methods we need to know or look up the appropriate formula:

We substitute the four values, simplify, remove the fraction, open the brackets and
rearrange the equation to finally get 3y = -4x + 29.

TARUN GEHLOT (B.E, CIVIL HONOURS)

Or, by the one-line Vedic method:

By vertically and crosswise:

we subtract vertically in the first column to get the y-coefficient, 5 - 2 = 3,
we subtract vertically in the second column to get the x-coefficient, 3 - 7 =-4,
and we cross-multiply and subtract to get the absolute term, 5×7 - 3×2 =29.
We can also solve all sorts of problems in coordinate geometry, transformations,
trigonometry etc. and there are more advanced applications in 3-dimensional work,
trigonometrical equations, differential equationS, complex numbers, simple harmonic motion
and so on.
In addition to the general methods described above the Vedic system offers many special
methods which can be used when certain conditions are satisfied. These are often
extremely effective and powerful. The final example is a special method.
MULTIPLYING NUMBERS NEAR A BASE
To multiply, say, 88 by 98 we observe that these numbers are close to the base of 100 and
once again we obtain the answer by one line mental arithmetic:

We see that 88 is 12 below 100 and 98 is 2 below, as shown.

Cross-subtracting we get 88-2 = 86 (or 98-12 = 86) for the first part of the answer,
and multiplying vertically we get 12×2 = 24 for the second part.
So 88 × 98 = 8624.

Vertically and Crosswise has a huge range of applications- and remembers it is

just one of sixteen formulae used in Vedic Mathematics!

The Vedic system is extremely coherent and unified, the methods are so easy they
really amount to mental arithmetic

Fa st e n u p you r ca lcu la t ion s u sin g An cie n t I n dian pr in ciple s

of Ve dic M at h ’s

TARUN GEHLOT (B.E, CIVIL HONOURS)

Tr ick 1 : Mult iply any t wo num be bers from 11 t o 20 in your head.
Take 15 x 13 for exam xam ple..Place t he larger no. first in your m ind and t hen do
som et hing like t his Take
ake t he larger no on t he t op and t he second digit of t he
sm aller no. in t he bot t om .
15
3
The rest is quit e sim ple. Add 15 + 3 = 18 . Then n m ult iply 18 x 10 = 180 ...
Now m ult iply t he second
cond digit of bot h t he no.s ( ie; 5 x 3 = 15) Now No add 180
+ 15
Here is t he answer 1 80 + 15 = 195 .
Think over it . This is a sim ple t rick. I t will help you a lot .
Tr ick 2 : Mult iply any t wo digi
digit num ber wit h 11.
This t rick is m uch sim pler t han t he previous one and it is m ore useful use t oo.
Let t he num ber be 2 7 . Therefore 27 x 11
Divide t he num ber as 2 _ 7
Add 2+ 7 = 9
Thus t he answer is 2 9 7
Wasn't t his one e sim ple. But t here is one com m plicat ion. I f you t ake a num ber
like 57 Thus _57 x 1 1
Divide t he num ber as 5 _ 7
Add 5 + 7 = 12
Now add 1 t o 5 and place 2 in t he m iddle so t he answerr is 5+ 1 _2 _7 = _627
Thus t he answer is 62 7
Tr ick 3 : Mult iply any num ber from m 1 t o 10 by 9 To m ult iply by 9,t ry t his:

( 1) Spread your t wo hands ou

out and place t hem on a desk orr t able in front of
you.

( 2) To m ult iply by 3, fold dow n t he 3rd finger from t he leftt . To m ult iply by 4,
it would be t he 4t h finger and so on.

( 3) t he answer is 27 ... READ it from t he t wo fingers on t he left of t he folded

TARUN GEHLOT (B.E, CIVIL HONOURS)

down finger and t he 7 fingers on t he right of it .This one was really cool
wasn't it

Tr ick 4 : Square a t wo digit num ber ending in five This one is as easy as t he
previous ones but you have t o pay a lit t le m ore at t ent ion t o t his one . Read
carefully : Let t he num ber be 35
35 x 35
Mult iply t he last digit s of bot h t he num bers ; t hus ___ 5 x 5 = 25
now add 1 t o 3 t hus 3 + 1 = 4
m ult iply 4 x 3 = 12
t hus answer 1225
You will have t o t hink over t his one carefully.As 5 has t o com e in t he end so
t he last t wo digit s o t he answer will be 25 . Add 1 t o t he first digit and
m ult iply it by t he original first digit . Now t his answer form s t he digit s before
t he 25. Thus we get an answer .
Tr ick 5 : Square any t wo digit num ber
Suppose t he num ber is 47 . Look for t he nearest m ult iple of 10 . ie; in t his
case 50 . We will reach 50 if we add 3 t o 47. So m ult iply ( 47+ 3 ) x ( 47- 3) =
50 x 44 = 2200 This is t he 1st int erim answer.
We had added 3 t o reach t he nearest m ult iple of 10 t hat is 50 t hus 3x 3 = 9
This is t he second int erim answer.
The final answer is 2200 + 9 = 2209 ... Pract ice This one on paper first .
Tr ick 6 : Mult iply any num ber by 11 .
Trick num ber 2 t ells you how t o m ult iply a two digit num ber by 11 but what
if you have a num ber like 12345678 . Well t hat is very easy if you our t rick
as given below . Read it carefully.
Let t he num ber be 12345678 __ t hus 12345678 x 11
Writ e down t he num ber as 012345678 ( Add a 0 in t he beginning)
Now st art ing from t he unit s digit writ e down t he num bers aft er adding t he
num ber t o t he right
So t he answer will be 135802458
This one is sim ple if you t hink over it properly all you got t o do is t o add t he
num ber on t he right . I f you are get t ing a carry over t hen add t hat t o t he
num ber on t he left . So I will t ell you how I got t he answer . Read carefully.
The num ber was 12345678 ___ I put a 0 before t he num ber ____ so t he
new num ber 012345678 Now I wrot e ___ 012345678
Then for t he answer

8 + 0 = 8

7 + 8 = 15 ( 1 get s carry carried over)

6+ 1+ 7 = 14 ( 1 get s carried over)

TARUN GEHLOT (B.E, CIVIL HONOURS)

5 + 1 + 6 = 12 ( 1 get s carried over)

4 + 1 + 5 = 10 ( 1 get s carried over)

3 + 1 + 4 = 8

2 + 3 = 5

1 + 2 = 3

0 + 1 = 1

Thus t he answer = 135802458

Tr ick 7 : Square a 2 Digit Num ber, for t his exam ple 37:
Look for t he nearest 10 boundary
I n t his case up 3 from 37 t o 40.
Since you went UP 3 t o 40 go DOWN 3 from 37 t o 34.
Now m ent ally m ult iply 34x40
The way I do it is 34x10= 340;
Double it m ent ally t o 680
Double it again m ent ally t o 1360
This 1360 is t he FI RST int erim answer.
37 is " 3" away from t he 10 boundary 40.
Square t his " 3" dist ance from 10 boundary.
3x3= 9 which is t he SECOND int erim answer?
Add t he t wo int erim answers t o get t he final answer.
Answer: 1360 + 9 = 1369
wit h pract ice t his can easily be done in your head.
I hope you enj oyed t his art icle Please don’t forget t o rat e t his!

TARUN GEHLOT (B.E, CIVIL HONOURS)