Essay name: Ganitatilaka (Sanskrit text and English introduction)
Author: H. R. Kapadia
The Sanskrit text of the Ganitatilaka with an English introduction and Appendices. Besides the critically-edited text, this edition also includes the commentary of Simhatilaka Suri. The Ganitatilaka is an 11th-century Indian mathematical text composed entirely of Sanskrit verses and authored by astronomer-mathematician Shripati.
Page 22 of: Ganitatilaka (Sanskrit text and English introduction)
22 (of 207)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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(1) In the 142nd sutra of Anuyogadvāra there is a reference to sthāna (thānehim) or places of decimal notation. (2) A denominational name like koṭākoṭi (koḍākoḍi) is mentioned in this sūtra as indicating its connection with places of numerations. (3) A very big number extending to 29 places i. e. to say a number consisting of 29 digits is here referred to as we shall shortly notice. (4) Vyavahārasūtra (uddes'aka I) furnishes us with a term gananasthana for place of calculation. So says Dr. Datta. THE WORD-SYMBOL NOTATION A notation in which any word conveying the idea of a number is used is called a 'word-symbol notation'. This notation has not only been extremely well-known in India from ancient times but has also been extra-ordinarily popular. The Jaina writers, too, have utilized it in their works, 2 the foremost, 1 1 In "Indian Mathematics" by G. R. Kaye, it is mentioned on p. 31
that this notation was introduced (into India) about the ninth century,
possibly from the east.
Mr. Rangacharya M. A. has stated in his preface to "The Gaṇitasāra-
sangraha of Mahāvīrācārya" that "there is evidence in his (Aryabhaṭṭa's)
writings to show that he was familiar with nominal numerical......Similarly in
Brahmagupta's writings also there is evidence to show that he was acquainted
with the use of nominal numbers and the decimal system of notation."
My friend Dr. Datta just informs me that he has written in Bengali
several articles connected with this topic, which have appeared in the
Bangiya Sahitya Pariṣad Patrikā. For instance, "Jaina-sähitye nāma-saṃkhyā”
in B. S. P. P. 1337 B. S. pp. 28-39; "Nama-saṃkhyā", ibid, 1337 B. S. pp.
7-27; "S'abda-samkhyā Praṇālī," ibid., 1335 B. S. (=1928-29 A. C.), pp. 8-30;
"Akṣara-samkhyā Praṇāli", ibid., 1336 B. S. pp. 22-50; and "Aṅkānāṃ vamato
gatih", ibid., 1337 B. S. pp. 7-30.
2 Amongst the Digambara writers Nemicandra (cir. 10th century) well-
known as "Siddhantacakravartin" and author of Gommaṭasāra, Trilokasāra
and Labdhisāra, has employed both the right-ward and left-ward moves while.
employing various numerical notations. In Trilokasāra (gāthā 21), the
number 197,912,092,999,680,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 is men-
tioned by the right-ward move as under:-
विधु णिधि-ग-व-रवि णभ णिधि-णयण-बलद्धि- णिधि-खराहत्थी
इगितीस सुगुणसहिया...... [vidhu ṇidhi-ga-va-ravi ṇabha ṇidhi-ṇayaṇa-baladdhi- ṇidhi-kharāhatthī
igitīsa suguṇasahiyā......] "
In gatha 313 of the same work, he, however, mentions by the left-ward:
gāthā
move, the number 7905694150 as " पण्णासमेकदाल णवछप्पण्णाखसुण्णवसदरी.
[paṇṇāsamekadāla ṇavachappaṇṇākhasuṇṇavasadarī.
]
