hare krishna centre - leicester, uk - ancient sanskrit and...

Hare Krishna Centre - Leicester, UK - Ancient Sanskrit And The Numerical System

Written by James Robinson CooperFriday, 19 February 2016 12:56 - Last Updated Sunday, 04 February 2018 17:39

In Sanskrit the word for "two" is "Dva" and "Dvi" and from this comes the Sanskrit "Dvaka"meaning "twofold", the Sanskrit "Dvipa" meaning "island" as in that which is surrounded on bothsides by water. We get "Dvipad" meaning "two footed" and this becomes the source of the Latin"Biped" meaning the same. We get "Dvaja" meaning "two fathers", we get "Dvigotra" meaning"two families" and many more with this Sanskrit "Dva" and "Dvi" meaning "two".

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In Europe this Sanskrit "Dvi" and "Dva" is reflected in the Latin "Duo" where the Sanskrit "Dvau"meaning "two" reflects the Indo/European "Dwo" and then the Latin "Duo" meaning "two". Wethen get the Latin "Dubious" meaning to be in "two minds" and the Latin "Dubito" from whichcomes the word "doubtful", all words related to this Sanskrit "Dvi" and "Dva" meaning "two".

In Greece the Sanskrit "Dvi" and "Dva" meaning "two" is seen in the Greek "Dyo" meaning "two"and the Greek "Dicha" meaning "in two" from which we get the word "Dichotomy" meaning "acontrast between two things". We also have the Greek "Dis" meaning "two" and "apart" as in the"one" becoming "two". The primary root of "Dis" is the Indo/European "Dwis" and "Dvis" whichreflects this Sanskrit "Dvi" meaning "two". Numerous words are created through this Greek"Dis" meaning "twice" and "split into two" - Distill - Distend - Dispell - Dismiss - Dissent - Dissipate - Dissolve - Discord - Dispose - Dissuade - Dishonour - Display - Dispute - There are nearly 1700 words with this prefix "Dis" meaning "two" and which is related to theSanskrit "Dvi" meaning "two".

Throughout the whole of Europe we see this Sanskrit "Dvi" and "Dva" in their words for "two" - Bosnia - Dva - Belarussia - Dva - Serbia - Dva - Bulgaria - Dva - Croatia - Dva - Russia - Dva - Czech - Dva - Slovenia - Dva - Slovak - Dva - Polish - Dwa - Ukraine - Dva - Swedish - Twa - All meaning "two" and all reflecting this Sanskrit "Dva" meaning"two".

The actual word "Two" also reflects this Sanskrit "Dva". It migrates throughout Europe as theOld English "Twa", the Proto Germanic "Twa", the Old Saxon "Twa", the Old Norse "Tvau" andwe eventually arrive at the word "Two".

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"It is true that even across the Himalayan barrier India has sent to the West such gifts asgrammar and logic, philosophy and fables, hypnotism and chess and above all numerals andthe decimal system" American Historian William Durant, author of the widely acclaimed "TheStory Of Civilisation".

The word for "three" in Sanskrit is "Tri". In the Vedas we find the words "Tri kala Jnana"

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meaning "one who knows past, present and future", we have "Tribangananda" meaning "Krsnaand his threefold bending form", we have the "Tri guna avatars" which are Visnu, Siva and LordBrahma, we have the "Tridanda", the Sannyasi rod, the symbol of renunciation where onededicates ones mind, body and words to God, we have "Trivikrama", the three steps of LordVamanadeva and we have the "Triveni", the confluence of the three great rivers, Ganga,Yamuna and Sarasvati.

In Europe we find this Sanskrit "Tri" meaning "three" throughout the languages - Bosnia - Tri - Bulgaria - Tri - Czech - Tri - Irish - Tri - Russian - Tri - Serbian - Tri - Slovak - Tri - Slovenian - Tri - Welsh - Tri - Latin - Tribus - Greek - Tria - Latvian - Tris - Lithuania - Trys - Ukraine - Try - Belarussian - Try - Polish - Trzy - Macedonia - Trys - Norwegian - Tre - Italy - Tre - Portugese - Tres - Romania - Trei - Spanish - Tres - Swedish - Tre - All meaning "three" and all reflecting this Sanskrit "Tri" meaning "three".

The journey throughout Europe of this Sanskrit "Tri" becomes the Indo/European "Trei", theGreek "Treis", the Old Saxon "Thria", the Old Frisian "Thre", the Latin "Tres", the Danish "Tre"and eventually we have the word "three" whose journey began as the Sanskrit "Tri" meaning"three".

“It is India that has given us the ingenious method of expressing all numbers by way of tensymbols. In appreciating let us recall that this eluded even Archimedes and Appolonius two ofantiquities greatest mathematical geniuses”. The 13th century Italian mathematician LeonardoFibonacci Da Pisa, he of the Fibonacci numbers.

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In Sanskrit the word for “four” is “Catur”. In the Vedas we have “Caturmasa” meaning the fourmonth period of the rainy season, we have “Caturmukha” the four faces of Lord Brahma, wehave “Caturvana” the four social orders of society and we have “Caturvyuha” the quadrupleexpansion of Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Vasudeva and Aniruddha.

In Europe this “Catur” meaning “four” is seen in the Latin “Quattur” meaning “four” and from thiswe get “Quarter” “Quart” “Quadrangle” “Quadruple” “Square” “Quadriphonic” “Quadratic”

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“Quadriplegia” “Quadrillion” “Quadruplicate” “Quadruplex” “Quadruped” “Quadrennial”“Quadrilateral” “Quartet” “Quadricep” “Quadrant” “Quarantine” and many more which are allrelated to this Sanskrit “Catur” meaning “four”.

This “Catur” meaning “four” is seen throughout the European languages - Bosnia - Cetiri - Bulgarian - Chetiri - Serbia - Cetiri - Latvian - Cetri - Lithuania - Keturi - Macedonia - Cetiri - Belarussian - Catyry - Czech - Ctyri - Croatian - Cetvorke - Polish - Czetry - Irish - Ceithre - Ukraine - Chotyry - All meaning “four” and all reflecting this Sanskrit “Catur”meaning “four”.

The word “Catur” begins its European journey as the Indo/European “Kwetwar” and migrates asthe Proto Germanic “Fedwar”, the Gothic “Fidwar”, the Old Frissian “Fiuwer”, the Danish “Fire”,the Swedish “Fyra”, the Old Norse “Fjorir”, the Old English “Feower” before completing itsjourney as the number “four”.

"The Indian system of counting is probably the most successful intellectual innovation everdevised by human beings. It has been universally adopted. ...It is the nearest thing we have to auniversal language". John D. Barrow, The Book of Nothing (2009) chapter one "Zero - TheWhole Story”.

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In Sanskrit the word for “six” is “Sas”. From “Sas” we get “Sastha” meaning “sixth”, we get“Sastika” meaning “sixty” and we get “Sastham” meaning the sixth day of a lunar fortnight. Throughout Europe the reflection of this Sanskrit “Sas” is pretty much widespread - Lithuania - Sesi - Latvian - Sesi - Dutch - Zes - Romania - Sase - Belarussian - Sesc - Bosnia - Sest - Czech - Sest - Bulgaria - Shest - Macedonia - Sest - Russian - Shest - Serbia - Sest - Slovenia - Sest - Slovak - Sest - Danish - Seks - German - Sechs - Swedish - Sex - English - Six - All reflecting this Sanskrit "Sas" meaning "six". In Latin their name for "six" is "Sex" and from this comes "Sextilis" which was originally the"sixth" month of the year before it was replaced by "Julius Caesar Augustus" meaning"Venerable Caesar" and giving us the month of August. And so we have the Sanskrit "Sas"meaning "six" which is seen in the Latin "Sex" meaning "six" becoming the Latin "Sextilis" theoriginal name for the "sixth" month of the ancient Roman calendar ( 500BC ). Its not so difficult to imagine how the Sanskrit “Sas” could become the English “Six”. In Europethe word migrates as the Dutch “Zes”, the Middle Dutch “Sesse”, the Old High German “Sehs”,the Old church Slavonic “Sesti”, the Polish “Szesc”, the Russian “Shesti”, the Lithuanian “Sesi”,the Danish “Seks”, the Swedish “Sex” and out of this primordial linguistic soup the English “Six”bubbles to the surface. "It is India that gave us the ingenious method of expressing all numbers using ten characters,giving these numbers simultaneously a value absolute and a value of position; a fine andimportant idea, which seems so simple now, that we hardly appreciate its merit. But this verysimplicity, the extreme ease resulting in all calculations, place our system of arithmetic in thefirst rank of useful inventions; and we appreciate the difficulty of achieving this, considering thatit escaped the genius of Archimedes and Apollonius, two of the greatest and most honored menof antiquity". - Pierre-Simon Laplace, Exposition du Système du Monde, Vol. 2.

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The number "seven" has always been regarded as a special number, seven days a week,seven seas, seven continents, seven heavens, seven wonders, seven colours of the rainbowand much more. This "seven" is known in Sanskrit as "Sapta" and in the Vedas we find theseven subterranean planets known as "Saptapatala", the planets being Atala, Vitala, Sutala,Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala and Patala. There are the "Saptarishis" the seven great sages,Kashyapa Muni, Atri, Vasistha, Vishvamitra, Guatama, Jamadagni and Bharadvaja. These formthe "Saptarishi mandala" the seven stars we see each night as they revolve around the polestar of Dhruva loka. We have the "Saptacakras" the seven energy points known as Sahasrara,Ajna, Vishuddha, Anahata, Manipura, Svadisthana and Muladhara. We have "Saptapuri" theseven holy pilgrimages of India known as Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Varanasi, Dwarka,Kanchipuram and Ujjain. And in the Rig Veda we find the seven sacred rivers known as"Saptasindhu", the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Ravi, Chenab, Jhelum, Sutlej. Allexpressing this special relationship we have with the number "seven" known in Sanskrit as"Sapta". In Europe this "Sapta" meaning "seven" is seen in the Latin "Septem" meaning "seven" andfrom this we get the month of September, which was the "seventh" month of the old Romancalendar as originally the Roman calendar began from the month of March. In Greece theirname for "seven" is "Hepta", this is similar to the Persians who have a tendency to replace aSanskrit "S" with a Persian "H" hence the Persian name for "seven" is "Hapta". In France theydrop the "A" and their name for "seven" becomes "Sept", in Latvia "seven" becomes "Septini", inLithuania it becomes "Septyni", in Romania it becomes "Sapte", all meaning "seven" and allreflecting this Sanskrit "Sapta" meaning "seven". Throughout the rest of Europe its not so clear, however their is an obvious relationship betweenthe Sanskrit "Sap" and the Slavik "Sed" - Bosnian - Sedam - Bulgaria - Sedem - Croatia - Sedam - Czech - Sedm - Macedonia - Sedum - Polish - Siedem - Serbia - Sedam - Slovak - Sedem - These differences can be understood as we see how this Sanskrit "Sapta"travels throughout the European languages. It begins its journey as the Indo/European "Septm"and develops as the Proto Germanic "Sebum", the Gothic "Sibun", the Old Church Slavonic"Sedmi", the German "Sieben". the Old English "Seofon" and from these different languagescomes the word "seven". "Our modern numerals 0 through 9 were developed in India. Mathematics existed long beforethe Greeks constructed their first right angle. On the other hand George Cheverghese Joseph(author of The Crest of the Peacock: Non-European Roots of Mathematics) points out that theearly Indian mathematics contained in the Sulbasutras (The Rules of the Cord) contain theirown version of the Pythagorean theorem as well as procedure for obtaining the square root of 2correct to five decimal places. The Sulbasutras reveal a rich geometric knowledge thatpreceded the Greeks." The Ancient Roots of Modern Science - By Dick Teresi p. 32)

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"Asta" is the Sanskrit word for "eight" and this is seen in "Janm-asta-mi" the biggest Hindufestival of the year celebrating the birth of the "eighth" child of Devaki, Lord Krsna. We alsohave "Astanga yoga" the "eightfold path" or the "eight limbs of yoga" and we have"Siks-asta-kam" the "eight" prayers of Lord Chaitanya. This Sanskrit "Asta" is seen in the Old Norse "Atta", the Swedish "Atta", the Old Frisian "Ahta",the Gothic "Ahtau", the Old Saxon "Ahto", the Proto Germanic "Akhto", the Greek "Okto", theOld English "Eahta" and from such words we arrive at the number "eight", a word which hastravelled from the Sanskrit "Asta" to the Old European "Atta" to the Old English "Eahta" to thenumber "eight". As mentioned the Sanskrit "Asta" becomes the Old Norse "Atta" the Old Saxon "Ahto" the ProtoGermanic "Akhto" the Greek "Okto" and we also get the Latin "Octo" meaning "eight" and fromthis "October" the "eighth" month of the old Roman calendar. Some of the more obviouscognates are the Latvian - Astoni - Iceland - Atta - Swedish - Atta - Lithuanian - Astouni - Norwegian - Atte - All meaning "eight" and all reflecting this Sanskrit "Asta" meaning"eight". "The measure of the genius of Indian civilisation, to which we owe our modern (number)system, is all the greater in that it was the only one in all history to have achieved this triumph.Some cultures succeeded, earlier than the South Asian cultures, in discovering one or at besttwo of the characteristics of this intellectual feat. But none of them managed to bring togetherinto a complete and coherent system the necessary and sufficient conditions for anumber-system with the same potential as our own." Ifrah, Georges (2000), A Universal Historyof Numbers: From Prehistory to Computers, New York: Wiley, 658 pages, ISBN 0-471-39340-1.

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In Sanskrit the word for "nine" is "Nava" and "Navam". We have "Navadvipa" meaning "nineislands" and the birthplace of the great personality Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There are the"Navaratnas", the "nine" precious jewels known as ruby for Surya, pearl for Lord Chandra, redcoral for Mars, emerald for Buddha and Mercury, yellow saphire for Brihaspati and Jupiter,diamond for Sukracarya and Venus, blue sapphire for Shani and Saturn, hessanite to appeaseRahu and cats eyes to appease Ketu. In Thailand Queen Sirikit wore all "nine" jewels as part ofthe famous gold necklace known as the "Queen Sirikit Navaratna". This Sanskrit "Nava" and "Navam" meaning "nine" are reflected in the Latin "Novem" meaning"nine" and this becomes "November" the "ninth" month of the year in the old Roman calendar. According to academia, the original Slavik word for "nine" was "Noveti" reflecting this Sanskrit"Nava" meaning "nine". Over time however this "Noveti" became "Deveti" - Serbia - Devet - Bulgaria - Devet - Bosnia - Devet - Czech - Devet - Croatia - Devet - Macedonia - Devet - Slovak - Devet - Slovenia - Devet - Russia - Devyat - Latvia - Devini - Lithuania - Devyni - Ukraine - Devyat - All these words were originally "Noveti" reflectingthis Sanskrit "Nava" meaning "nine". "The initial of the Slavik word for "nine", originally "no", seems to have been assimilated by theword for ten (Deset), the old Bulgarian "Deveti" (we should expect "Noveti") "An introduction tothe study of language" Leonard Bloomfield. "The replacement of the initial "N" of "nine" with the "D" of ten (old church Slavonic "Devetu",Lithuanian "Devintas" versus old Prussian "Newints - ninth") "The phonology of Balto-Slavik"Ronald Kim. "The consonant at the beginning of the word "nine" (Devet) was originally "N" the Prussian"Newints" meaning "ninth" refers to that and the "D" replaced it analogous to the followingnumber ten (Deset). "A cultural history of the Baltic people" Endre Bojtar. In other words theoriginal name for "nine" amongst the expansive Slavik culture was "Noveti" reflecting thisSanskrit "Nava" meaning "nine". "Our decimal system, which is derived from Hindu mathematics, where its use is attestedalready from the first centuries of our era. It must be noted moreover that the conception of zeroas a number, and not as a simple symbol of separation, and its introduction into calculations,also count amongst the original contribution of the Hindus." Bourbaki, Nicolas (1998), Elementsof the History of Mathematics.

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The Sanskrit word for "Ten" is "Dasa" and in the Vedas we have the father of Lord Rama, King"Dasaratha" his name meaning "ten" chariots, being famous among the Devas as one whocould fight in the "ten" directions. In Europe this Sanskrit "Dasa" meaning "ten" is seen in the Latin "Decem" meaning "ten" andfrom this we get the month of "December", the "tenth" month of the old Roman calendar. Throughout Europe this Sanskrit "Dasa" is reflected throughout the languages - Bosnia - Deset - Bulgaria - Deset - Croatia - Deset - Czech - Deset - Macedonia - Deset - Serbia - Deset - Slovak - Deset - Slovenia - Deset - Ukraine - Desyat - Russia - Desyat - Portugese - Dez - Romania - Decar - Spanish - Decena - Greek - Deka - Lithuania - Desmit - Latvia - Desmit - All meaning "ten" and all reflecting this Sanskrit"Dasa" meaning "ten". "Anachronistic as this labyrinthine mythology may appear to the foreign mind, many of India’sancient theories about the universe are startlingly modern in scope and worthy of a people whoare credited with the invention of the zero, as well as algebra and its application of astronomyand geometry; a people who so carefully observed the heavens that, in the opinion ofMonier-Williams, they determined the moon’s synodical revolution much more correctly than theGreeks." Three Ways of Asian Wisdom – By Nancy Wilson Ross p. 64 - 67 and 74 - 76).

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“It is the ancient Indian culture that has regarded the science of numbers as the noblest of itsarts. A thousand years ahead of Europeans the Indians knew that the zero and infinity weremutually inverse notions". The Universal history of numbers by Georges Ifrah. In Sanskrit the word for "Zero" is "Sunya" meaning "empty" "vacant" "void" "blank". From"Sunya" we get "Sunyata" meaning "illusory nature" "nothingness" and "non reality". This isseen in the "Sunyata" of Buddhism as they strive to experience an empty state of being. TheSanskrit "Sunya" was translated into the Arabic "Sifr" and "Safara" from which we get the word"Cipher". This becomes the Latin "Zephirum" and the Italian "Zefiro" and from this emerges theword "Zero" The concept of "Zero" and its application in mathematics is attributed to Vedic India. Accordingto recorded history is earliest usage is ascribed to the Indian scholar Pingala who used binarynumbers and in his "Chandah Sutras" dated to the 2nd century BC he uses the word "Sunya" torefer to "Zero". History also records the great mathematician "Aryabhatta" who was prominentaround 500 AD and as well as expertly explaining and using trigonometry he also applies thefigure "Zero" in his calculations. In 628 AD we also have the Mathematician Brahmagupta whowrote the Brahmasputha Siddhanta where he also applies the figure "Zero". Decades later, a Syrian bishop, Severus Sebokht studied his system and it was introduced inSyria and spread throughout the Islamic world. Severus himself says the following “I will notspeak of the Hindus knowledge…. of their refined discoveries in the science of astronomy, norof their special method of calculation to appreciate what words cannot express, that is theirsystem which employs nine symbols ( 1 - 9 ) … if these things were known, the people whothought they were the only ones to dominate the sciences, just because they were Greek, orspoke Greek, would be convinced that other people ( Hindus ) knew just as much, if not morethan them”. Its interesting that in the Arabian world the decimal system was called “Hindsa” which means“that which comes from India”. Even the word “decimal” is related to Sanskrit as the “Dec”comes from the Sanskrit “Das” which means ten, Decimal meaning a system based upon thepower of ten, and in the 9th century AD the Arabian mathematician Al Khuwarizma had his worktranslated into latin and was known as “Algoritmi De Numero Indorum” which means “Al-Khwarizmi on the Hindu Art of Reckoning “. "There has been no more revolutionary contribution than the one which the Hindus made whenthey invented zero" Mathematics for the millions - Lancelot Hogben. Anyone wishing to comment please scroll down to the bottom and click "submitcomment" Thankyou.

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hare krishna centre - leicester, uk - ancient sanskrit and...

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