Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The Vedic Architecture of Thailand





In Ancient Siam, which is a miniature replica of Thailand, there exists Vedic Art and sculpture. I was amazed to see the statue of Surya, the Vedic Deity, with seven horses, during my trip to Thailand.


Surya is the Sun and the seven horses represent VIBGYOR. He is the external symbol of the Absolute Self, who is the Cause of the septenary principles which pervade the Universe, as Life, Mind, Matter, Supermind, Existence, Consciousness and Beatitude ( Prana, Manas, Padartha, Prajnana and Sat Chit Ananda ) !

O Thou riding on a chariot
Drawn by horses seven
O Thou whose sight annihilates sins
To Thy Transcendental Majesty, I bow.


Sapthasva Ratham Aroodham
Prachandam Kasyapatmajam
Sarva Papa Haram Devam
Tham sooryam pranamamyaham



This confirms P N Oak's theory that in the beginning there was only one Civilization, the Vedic, from which everything began. Many Thai words are derived from Sanskrit. Many English words are also derived from Sanskrit.

Here are some words which are simliar.

brother, bhratr

Nova, nine, Nava

Centum, Shatha

Divya, divina, divine

candle, chandra

cardio, hrd

come, gam

deity, devata

eight, ashta

end, anta

genus, janus

gnosis, gnana

idea, vidya

identity, idamta

immortal, amrta

kalon, kalyana

mega, maha

man, manu

mind, manas

mortal, mrta

mother, matr

same, sama

three, tri

vivi, jiva

voice, vaca

wind, vata

wit video, vid

yoke, yoga

young, yuvan

advocate, adhivaktr

agri, ajira

bind, bandhi

bright, bharajat

In the "Origins of Vedic Civilization" Dr Kenneth Chandler remarks " India’s most substantial gift to world civilization was, however, the discovery of Pure
Consciousness and the mapping out of the architectonic structure of pure knowledge.
All other achievements derive from this great awakening of knowledge that took place
in ancient Vedic India."

I was on a trip to Malaysia and Thailand with my family and we stayed with my brother in Bangkok. We went to Kaula Lumpur on 3rd and left Bangkok on the 12th. A great vacation it was !

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Solar Transit of Alpha Leonis destroys rural Kerala !





It was raining cats and dogs in Kerala for the last three days. Heavy rains made life miserable in the villages and many houses were destroyed. 3 people died yesterday and rightly the South West Monsoon is defined as the monsoon of life and death.

Heavy rainfall reported in Trichur 9 cm and Kannur 7. Till Sep 2, gloomy forecasts are there. Rain and thundershower will occur in Kerala and Lakshadweep. Fishermen are warned not to venture out into sea. Onshore winds from westerly direction occasionally reaching 55 kms is likely along and off Kerala coast and over Lakshadweep area within 24 hours.


IMD attributed this to the phenomenon of depression forming in the oceans. Coastal Kerala, Goa, Karnataka and Maharastra experienced hectic rains and now the IMD, which said that monsoon was a failure earlier, says that Monsoon is + 20% success !

Astro Meteorology is not surprised, as the solar transit of Alpha Leonis is always rainy. The sidereal months of Leo and Virgo are called Varsha Rithu, indicating rains ( Varsha = rain in Sanskrit/Malayalam ).

Of intercalary months, Adhi Masas




The solar month is 30.438030202068 days

A lunar month = 29.5305881 days

It need not be added that a lunation or synodic month means the interval between two consecutive full moons or new moons. Conjunction ( New Moon ) is 0 degrees and Opposition ( Full Moon ) is 180 degrees

Hence a solar year does not have a whole number of lunar months ( about 12.37 lunations ) So a thirteenth embolismic or intercalary month is inserted.

It was observed that 19 solar years or 19*12 = 228 solar months = 235 lunations and hence 7 Adhi Masas were found in every 19 years. An intercalary or 13th month had to be inserted in a 19 year cycle and 19/7 was the ratio. .

They are called Adhi Masas in Indian Astronomy and they were computed using the Theory of continued fractions. The Theory of contiued Fractions is attributed to Euler. This 19 year old cycle is called the Metonic Cycle, named after the Greek astronomer, Meton.

But then the Indian mathematicians correctly computed the Adhi Masas, centuries before Meton or Euler ! The Indian National Calender is lunisolar, whose dates both indicate the solar year and the moon phases and the next date when the New Moon or Full Moon will occur. The length of the synodic month is given as 29.5305879 days in the Surya Siddhanta, which is correct to six decimals. Surya Siddhanta stated that there are 15933396 Adhi Masas in 51840000 solar months !

Of Intercalary months, Adhi Masas




The solar month is 30.438030202068 days

A lunar month = 29.5305881 days

It need not be added that a lunation or synodic month means the interval between two consecutive full moons or new moons. Conjunction ( New Moon ) is 0 degrees and Opposition ( Full Moon ) is 180 degrees

Hence a solar year does not have a whole number of lunar months ( about 12.37 lunations ) So a thirteenth embolismic or intercalary month is inserted.

It was observed that 19 solar years or 19*12 = 228 solar months = 235 lunations and hence 7 Adhi Masas were found in every 19 years. An intercalary or 13th month had to be inserted in a 19 year cycle and 19/7 was the ratio. .

They are called Adhi Masas in Indian Astronomy and they were computed using the Theory of continued fractions. The Theory of contiued Fractions is attributed to Euler. This 19 year old cycle is called the Metonic Cycle, named after the Greek astronomer, Meton.

But then the Indian mathematicians correctly computed the Adhi Masas, centuries before Meton or Euler ! The Indian National Calender is lunisolar, whose dates both indicate the solar year and the moon phases and the next date when the New Moon or Full Moon will occur. The length of the synodic month is given as 29.5305879 days in the Surya Siddhanta, which is correct to six decimals. Surya Siddhanta stated that there are 15933396 Adhi Masas in 51840000 solar months !

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Of Vedic Maths




Consisting of 16 basic aphorisms or Sutras, Vedic Mathematics is a system of Maths which prevailed in ancient India. Composed by Bharati Krishna Thirtha, these 16 sutras help one to do faster maths.

The first aphorism is this

"Whatever the extent of its deficiency, lessen it still further to that very extent; and also set up the square (of that deficiency)"

When computing the square of 9, as the nearest power of 10 is 9, let us take 10 as our base. As 9 is 1 less than 10, we can decrease it by the deficiency = 9-1 =8. This is the leftmost digit
On the right hand put deficiency^2, which is 1^2.

Hence the square of nine is 81.

For numbers above 10, instead of looking at the deficit we look at the surplus.



For example:


11^2 = (11+1)*10+1^2 = 121

12^2 = (12+2)*10+2^2 = 144

14^2 = ( 14+4)*10+4^2 = 196

25^2 = ((25+5)*2)*10+5^2 = 625

35^2= ((35+5)*3)*10+5^2 = 1225




Of Vedic Maths




Consisting of 16 basic aphorisms or Sutras, Vedic Mathematics is a system of Maths which prevailed in ancient India. Composed by Bharati Krishna Thirtha, these 16 sutras help one to do faster maths.

The first aphorism is this

"Whatever the extent of its deficiency, lessen it still further to that very extent; and also set up the square (of that deficiency)"

When computing the square of 9, as the nearest power of 10 is 9, let us take 10 as our base. As 9 is 1 less than 10, we can decrease it by the deficiency = 9-1 =8. This is the leftmost digit
On the right hand put deficiency^2, which is 1^2.

Hence the square of nine is 81.

For numbers above 10, instead of looking at the deficit we look at the surplus.



For example:


11^2 = (11+1)*10+1^2 = 121

12^2 = (12+2)*10+2^2 = 144

14^2 = ( 14+4)*10+4^2 = 196

25^2 = ((25+5)*2)*10+5^2 = 625

35^2= ((35+5)*3)*10+5^2 = 1225




Saturday, August 27, 2011

Mathematics and Philosophy




In India, mathematics is related to Philosophy. We can find mathematical
concepts like Zero ( Shoonyavada ), One ( Advaitavada ) and Infinity
(Poornavada ) in Philosophia Indica.

The Sine Tables of Aryabhata and Madhava, which gives correct sine values or values of
24 R Sines, at intervals of 3 degrees 45 minutes and the trignometric tables of
Brahmagupta, which gives correct sine and tan values for every 5 degrees influenced
Christopher Clavius, who headed the Gregorian Calender Reforms of 1582. These
correct trignometric tables solved the problem of the three Ls, ( Longitude, Latitude and
Loxodromes ) for the Europeans, who were looking for solutions to their navigational
problem ! It is said that Matteo Ricci was sent to India for this purpose and the
Europeans triumphed with Indian knowledge !

The Western mathematicians have indeed lauded Indian Maths & Astronomy. Here are
some quotations from maths geniuses about the long forgotten Indian Maths !

In his famous dissertation titled "Remarks on the astronomy of Indians" in 1790,
the famous Scottish mathematician, John Playfair said

"The Constructions and these tables imply a great knowledge of
geometry,arithmetic and even of the theoretical part of astronomy.But what,
without doubt is to be accounted,the greatest refinement in this system, is
the hypothesis employed in calculating the equation of the centre for the
Sun,Moon and the planets that of a circular orbit having a double
eccentricity or having its centre in the middle between the earth and the
point about which the angular motion is uniform.If to this we add the great
extent of the geometrical knowledge required to combine this and the other
principles of their astronomy together and to deduce from them the just
conclusion;the possession of a calculus equivalent to trigonometry and
lastly their approximation to the quadrature of the circle, we shall be
astonished at the magnitude of that body of science which must have
enlightened the inhabitants of India in some remote age and which whatever
it may have communicated to the Western nations appears to have received
another from them...."

Albert Einstein commented "We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count,
without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made."

The great Laplace, who wrote the glorious Mechanique Celeste, remarked

"The ingenious method of expressing every possible number
using a set of ten symbols (each symbol having a place value and an absolute
value) emerged in India. The idea seems so simple nowadays that its
significance and profound importance is no longer appreciated. Its
simplicity lies in the way it facilitated calculation and placed arithmetic
foremost amongst useful inventions. The importance of this invention is more
readily appreciated when one considers that it was beyond the two greatest
men of antiquity, Archimedes and Apollonius."