Sri Sri Veda Pathashala

This article tells you the depth of the language Sanskrit and the expertise in multi-domains and subjects of the ancient Mathematicians in Medieval India

Bhāskarācārya, the leading mathematician of the 12th century, who wrote the first work with full and systematic use of the decimal number system

His mathematical works is an Indian classic, particularly Līlāvatī (“The Beautiful”) and Bījagaṇita (“Seed Counting”), he not only used the decimal system but also compiled problems from Brahmagupta and others. He filled many of the gaps in Brahmagupta’s work, especially in obtaining a general solution to the Pell equation (x2 = 1 + py2) and in giving many particular solutions (e.g., x2 = 1 + 61y2, which has the solution x = 1,766,319,049 and y = 226,153,980;

Let us understand one verse from "Lilavati"

Arjuna’s Arrows and Algebra !

Bhāskarāchārya (1114 -1185 CE), has been called the greatest mathematician of medieval India.

He is considered the progenitor of Differential Calculus - 500 years before Newton and Leibniz !

Bhāskarāchārya wrote at least four mathematical treatises in Sanskrit.

One of them, titled Leelavati, contains many algebra-related teasers, which have become the subject of significant research by scholars.

These teasers are in the form of shlokas which pose the problems.

The shlokas need to be interpreted correctly to decipher the meaning in order to find the solution.

Take a look at the shloka displayed below.

पार्थ: कर्णवधाय मार्गणगणं क्रुद्धो रणे संदधे तस्यार्धेन निवार्य तच्छरगणं मूलैश्चतुभिर्हयान् |
शल्यं षड्भिरथेषुभिस्त्रिभिरपि च्छत्रं ध्वजं कार्मुकम् चिच्छेदास्य शिरः शरेण कति ते यानर्जुनः संदधे ७६

The direct meaning of this shloka is a question formulated as follows:

During the battle between Arjuna and Karna in the Mahabharata, Arjuna released some arrows. Of the released arrows :

Half were consumed in stopping the arrows coming from Karna

4 times the squareroot of the arrows were consumed to control the horses of Karna's chariot

6 were for gaining control over Shalya, the charioteer of Karna. (Shalya was the maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva)

3 were used to take on the umbrella and flag of the chariot and the bow of Karna.

Finally Karna was killed by a single arrow.

So how many arrows were released by Arjuna in the battle ?

Basic algebra easily yields the answer to this question, if the equation is formulated correctly.

Let the total number of arrows be X. The statements above can be reduced to the algebraic form

X = X/2 + 4√X + 6 + 3 + 1

Solving the above, we get the value of X=100 for the total number of arrows shot by Arjuna.

However, the fun is not just in getting the algebra right. There is so much hidden information in this shloka. If we pause to think a little deeper about the hidden meanings :

Even for an atirathi like Arjuna, it took as many as 50 arrows to stop the arrows of Karna - it tells us about the skills of Karna.

That the horses needed 40 arrows to immobilize the chariot tells us about the kind of training given to the horses in the battle field.

When even the horses needed 40 arrows, that Shalya the charioteer surrendered with just 6 tells us that he is favouring Arjuna.

3 arrows to take the chariot and the bow shows the helplessness of Karna.

Once everything is in control the enemy should vanquished in just a single arrow.

So the rules and skills required to win such a battle operationally are :

Firstly, stop the enemy fire-power ;

Second, immobilize the enemy by taking on his mobility- the horses and the driver ;

Thirdly signal to him his helplessness by destroying the carriage,

And finally eliminate the enemy himself.

If we analyze the same shloka on the spiritual side :

To attain ultimate liberation, firstly one needs to control over his / her personal desires, this being a very difficult task, thus takes 50 arrows.

Then take control over 5 senses and sensual pleasures indicated by the horses. The 40 arrows needed to do this indicate the difficulty of the task.

Gaining control over 5 senses will lead one to the control over the consciousness (manas, thought, ego) indicated by the driver.

If all the foregoing are done, achieving the ultimate liberation (moksha) should be relatively easy.

This is the greatness of our ancestors in sanatana dharma - Vidya integrated with Values.

Just a single shloka includes so much of knowledge !

After vacation all the Veda students are back to Gurukul and Vastra daan or new fresh set of clothes or vastra is getting distributed at Omkarehswar Gurukul

Life takes many tuns and twists and we search for the TRUTH. We search for solutions at all moments when we our minds are quiet or we feel we have no solution in hand. In the happiest or darkest moments truth dawns, when we Live with Vedas the education is complete. Enabling us to help many along the path

BROADEN the VISION, DEEPEN theROOTS

A photograph of Sri Sri Veda Pathashala where children are eating a well balanced nutritious Satvic meal. A satvic diet includes foods that are light and healthy. Satvic foods are thought to increase energy, happiness, calmness, and mental clarity. In practice, that means eating things that are vegetarian, nutritious, fresh, and tasty. The children are also provided good Gowshala cows milk that is fresh so they absorb maximum nutrition and is easily digestible. This Veda Pathashala is located at Cuttack, Odisha in the campus of Sri Sri University.

Here we see the Yagnyashala at Sasad , Gujarat Gurukul. Sri Sri Veda Pathashala.
Design of Yagnya Shala 
1. Design of Havan Kunds
2. The 16 Pillars, and their respective colours and flags
3. The four gates representing the four vedas
4. The Digpalas and their flags, and colours
5.The position of the Mandalas
6. The exact measurement of the entire Yagnya shall and each Havankund
Each of these are fascinating to know and there is lot of mathematics and geometry involved in creating the Havankund and the mandalas, perfection is needed and they use very simple instruments to construct the same.

Vasad, Gujarat Ashram Gurukul students chanting Rudram Chamakam at the occasion of Rudra Abhishekam that is performed every Monday morning at all the Gurukuls. Sri Rudram is a Vedic mantra or chant in homage to Rudra (an aspect of Shiva) taken from the Krishna Yajurveda's Taittiriya Samhita (TS 4.5, 4.7)

We see students of Bangalore Gurukul doing Preliminary Research on a topic that helps them get a better understanding on what types of sources are available and what is being said about the given topic for study .This helps them to quickly solidify a topic by broadening or narrowing it down. This research helps the student to choose terms or key words to search by. They have a digital manuscripts, video and audio library for them to get more relevant information on any given topic.

We see the students of Sri Sri Veda Pathashala, Omkareshwar Gurukul practicing Karate. Unarmed Martial Arts is taught with a view to enhance the mental and spiritual state of the student, they strive to attain the state in which the rationalising and calculating functions of the mind are suspended so that the mind and body can react immediately as a unit, reflecting the changing situation around with focus and perfection. It is said that when this state is perfected, the everyday experience of the dualism of subject and object vanishes. This state needs to be experienced to be grasped.

Bodh Gaya is in the northeast Indian state of Bihar. Considered one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, it's dominated by the ancient brick Mahabodhi Temple Complex, built to mark the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment beneath a sacred Bodhi Tree. Very close to the temple the Sri Sri Veda Pathashala is located here we see a photo of a classroom where veda students are learning Samaveda from their Vedacharya
Samaveda is one of the four Vedas, it consists of 1,875 verses.

Chamba Classroom where Veda students are chanting vedas along with Vedacharya