THE HISTORY,ORIGIN AND FUTURE OF VEDIC MATH

By SMITA SUHASARIA

What is Vedic Maths?

Vedic Maths is the synthesis of two words – the Vedas meaning ‘Knowledge‘ and ‘Mathematics‘ meaning the ‘Science of Calculation‘. So Vedic Maths essentially means Mathematical knowledge from the Vedas.

Due to the simplicity and ease of doing calculations, it is gaining wide popularity and recognition globally. Especially students of competitive examinations find it very useful as they have to solve numerous math problems in less time and they are always in need of solutions which give them accuracy in their results. Vedic Maths also has an in-built verification tool in its system which verifies the answer in split second.

Vedic Maths is a reliable and relevant tool for students in many countries where Maths education is in a crisis.  For example in the United Kingdom according to the report published by the Guardian, over 17 million adults have maths skills less than an eleven-year-old. South Africa, Ghana, and Oman rank in the bottom three in the world for Numeracy Skills according to a report published by TIMSS. It is in these countries that a subject like Vedic Maths is most needed and required.

Vedic Maths is being proposed to be a part of the Indian school curriculum in the  NEW EDUCATION POLICY. Even our Honourable Prime minister Mr. Narendra Modi can be seen advocating Vedic Mathematics to students in his recent “MANN KI BAAT” show.

Origin of Vedic Maths

Indian religions consist of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism of which the Vedic period (under Hinduism) marks the beginning of the period wherein works of Sanskrit are written. The word “Veda” means “knowledge or wisdom” in Sanskrit and these Veda’s are regarded as the oldest sacred texts.

The Vedic texts are classified into four types namely,

1. 1.     The Rigveda 
2. 2.     The Yajurveda
3. 3.     The Samaveda
4. 4.     The Atharvaveda

The above four are collectively known as the Samhitas (Veda). The first three are basically ritual handbooks that were used by priests during the Vedic period and the last Veda Atharva Veda is where our Vedic Maths falls in. The mathematical calculations that are born in this period are called Vedic Calculations or Vedic Maths. “Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji (1884-1960) “, a scholar of Sanskrit, Mathematics, History, and Philosophy rediscovered Vedic math from these ancient Indian scriptures and constructed 16 sutras and their corollaries for easy and effective calculations.

History and Evolution of Vedic Maths 

India has a rich, diverse, and intellectual past and is applauded the world over for its contribution, achievements, and advancements in many fields including science and mathematics. It is one of the greatest ancient civilizations which is respected worldwide for its contributions to the world.

It is in this context that a spiritual guru Swami Shri Bharti Krishna Tirthaji who was also a mathematician wrote a book in the early 20th Century in India. As the legend goes he went into solitude in the forests of South India between 1911 and 1918, meditated and researched for nearly a decade, and came up with an ingenious way to speed up mathematical calculations and that too mentally.

His Holiness Shri Bharti Krishna Tirthaji – the spiritual guru gave 16 Sutras or word formulas by which one can supposedly do difficult calculations easily. He said that the techniques were from the ancient Indian scriptures called the ‘Vedas’ and hence called it ‘Vedic Mathematics’.

Tirthaji propagated the techniques through lectures and classes across India. He was the first monk of his order ever to visit the west and promote Vedic Mathematics in the Universities in the United States. He spoke at various lectures attended by thousands of students of various universities and organizations such as Stanford University, University of California, San Diego College, etc. His visit was even covered by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

Tirthaji authored his book ‘Vedic Mathematics ‘in 1957 and it was published in 1965 posthumously. His work was an epic instant bestseller among students. The academic student community, in general, loves the methods given by Tirthaji. It is important for mental mathematics and its importance among competitive exam aspirants cannot be denied.

THE  NEED FOR VEDIC MATHEMATICS

The online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic only led to making Vedic Maths popular. Vedic mathematics was much needed to make Maths fun and interesting rather than dull and boring. Importance of Vedic mathematics among competitive exams aspirant cannot be denied. It  can also be widely used in scientific research and innovations as complex calculation are required there. Even, students at the INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY are said to be using this ancient technique for calculation

LONDON SCHOOL TEACHES VEDIC MATH

Vedic Maths In Schools

Quite a few years ago ,St James’ school,London,and other schools began to teach the Vedic Mathematics to kids aged 9-15 years, with notable success.Today this remarkable system is taught in many schools and institutes in India and abroad, and even to MBA and economics student. At the school in Skelmersdale,Lancashire,UK, a full course titled “THE COSMIC COMPUTER”,was  tested on 11-14 years old kids, and later published in 1988.It was based on the sutras of the Vedic Mathematics.

  Benefits of Vedic Maths:

·      It helps a person to solve mathematical problems many times faster

·      It helps in making intelligent decisions to both simple and complex problems

·      It reduces the burden of memorizing difficult concepts

·      It increases the concentration of a child and his determination to learn and develop his/her skills

·      It helps in reducing silly mistakes which are often created by kids

• ·  It helps in forming patterns and creating their own formulas as in    Vedic mathematics there are multiple ways to solve any problem

CONCLUSION

Here , we can very easily say that Vedic Mathematics is the best tool for kids aged 9-15 years .It can induce creativity in intelligent pupils, while helping slow learners grasp the basic concepts of mathematics.Wider use of Vedic math can undoubtedly generate interest in a subject that is generally dreaded by children