Aryabhata I and His Contributions to Mathematics (An Old and Rare Book)

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The Bihar Research Society, in order to stimulate the scholars interest in ancient Indian sciences, began celebrating the birth anniversary of the celebrated scholar Aryabhata (b.476 A. D.) on the 13th of April 1965 and undertook publications on different aspects of his contributions. The present volume Aryabhata 1 and his Contributions to Mathematics' by Prof. Parmeshwar Jha, Head of the Deptt. of Mathematics, B. S. S. College, Supaul is the second in the series while the first was the Sanskrit text of the Aryabhatiyam along with Sanskrit and Hindi translations by late Pt. Baldeva Mishra a renowned Sanskrit scholar. No doubt, a number of works have by now come out but still there is the need of a fresh critical study and re- evaluation of Aryabhața's genius. The present work fulfils the need to a great extent. The study shows an exhaustive coverage discussing different aspects of Aryabhata's life, his works and his contributions. The endeavour of the author has been to offer new interpretations and evolve fresh mathematical formulae in the light of latest informations and new evidences collected from various ancient texts. Adequate light on Aryabhata's works and his epoch making achievements has also been thrown in this work and the author is successful in establishing the fact that Aryabhata was an innovator in many of the fields he covered, independent of any foreign influence. A special feature of the book is that a short synopsis of the concerned branch of mathematics is first attempted against the typically Indian background to facilitate comfortable understanding of Aryabhata's contributions. Relevant texts, their prose- orders, translations and comments thereon follow closely.

Since long it had been the ardent desire of the present author to know and understand the momentous achievements of the ancient Hindus in the field of mathematics and astronomy as these are the important milestones in the history of civilization. Bearing this aspect in mind he endeavoured to study some of the ancient Indian works with the help of commentaries and English translations by Indian as well as Western scholars. It is a fact that the Western scholars have done pioneering spade work in this field by searching out various Sanskrit manuscripts and bringing out their translations at times with comments and at times criticisms. Little was known of the ancient Indian sciences and credit goes to them for trying to assess these works afresh, but their assessments cannot be taken as the last word on them. At places they seem to have faltered owing to their prejudices and limitations. Probably the verse-form adopted by the Indian mathematicians with facility and ease, might have posed some very genuine difficulties before them in properly evaluating the ancient Indian sciences. Their intellectual endeavours, in many cases, have resulted in wrong conclusions because of their erroneous interpretation. But in course of time some distinguished scholars of India strove hard to discover the past glory and greatness of India in this field of knowledge. They have neatly presented their various contributions of ancient India with proper elucidation in their learned articles and rare books. But many more secret realms still remained to be explored and discussed fully. An attempt has therefore, been made in this direction in the present work.