Science and

Scientists of Ancient
India
V.Gayathri
Guest Faculty, CBIT
 Overview of the Topic

• In this topic you will get to know about

• Ancient Indian scientists and their works

 Science in India

• Science consists of an objective pursuit of truth

through observation and experimentation.
• Science and Mathematics were highly developed
during the ancient period in India.
• Indians were pioneers in Mathematics, Astronomy,
Astrology, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Metallurgy,
Medicine, etc.
• In India, science and spirituality have always gone
together.
Indian Scientists and their
works
Famous Ancient Indian Mathematicians

• Baudhayan (800 BCE)

• Pingala (2nd/3rd century BCE)
• Aryabhatta (476–550 CE)
• Brahmgupta (598-668 CE)
• Bhaskaracharya (12th Century CE)
• Mahaviracharya(850 AD)
 Famous Indian Scientists &
Physicians
• Famous ancient Indian scientists
• Kanad (600 BCE)
• Varahamihira (505-587 CE)
• Nagarjuna (150-250 CE)
• Medical Science was also highly developed in ancient India
• Noted Physicians of ancient India
• Susruta (surgery)
• Charaka (medicine)
• Vagbhatta
Aryabhata (476–550 CE)Kusumapura (Pataliputra) (present-
day Patna, India)

• Aryabhatta was a fifth century

mathematician, astronomer,
astrologer and physicist.
• He was also a pioneer in the field
of mathematics.
• He wrote Aryabhattiya, which is
a summary of mathematics of his
time.
• It has four sections. In the first
section he describes the method
of denoting big decimal numbers
by alphabets.
 Aryabhatta

• Aryabhata gave the world the digit "0" (zero) for

which he became immortal.
• His book, the Aryabhatiya, presented astronomical and
mathematical theories in which the Earth was taken to
be spinning on its axis and the periods of the planets
were given with respect to the sun (heliocentric).
• Ayrabhatiya’ covers several branches of mathematics
such as algebra, arithmetic, plane and spherical
trigonometry.
Brahmagupta(born c. 598 CE, died c. 668 CE)

• Zero and its operation were first

defined by Brahmagupta in 628
• In 7th century, Brahmgupta
developed methods of
multiplication, he used place value
in almost the same way as it is used
today.
• He also introduced negative
numbers and operations on zero.
• He wrote BrahmSputa
Siddantika through which the Arabs
came to know of our mathematical
system.
Brahmagupta
 A few large numbers used in India by about 5th century BC
(See Georges Ifrah: A Universal History of Numbers, pp 422–
423):
•gananagati (गनानागती) —1041
•akkhobini (अक्खोबिनि) —1042
•niravadya (निरावाद्य) —1043
• lakṣá (लक्ष) —105 •mudrabala (मुद्राबाला) —1045
• kōṭi (कोटि) —107 •sarvabala (सर्वबाला) —1047
• ayuta (अयुत) —109
•bindu (बिंदु or बिन्दु) —1049
•sarvajna (सर्वज्ञ) —1051
• niyuta (नियुत) —1013
•vibhutangama (विभुतन्गमा) —1053
• pakoti (पकोटि) —1014 •abbuda (अब्बुद) —1056
• vivara (विवारा) —1015 •nirabbuda (निर्बुद्ध) —1063
• kshobhya (क्षोभ्या) —1017 •ahaha (अहाहा) —1070
• vivaha (विवाहा) —1019 •ababa (अबाबा). —1077
• kotippakoti (कोटिपकोटी) —1021 •atata (अटाटा) —1084
•soganghika (सोगान्घीक) —1091
• bahula (बहुल) —1023
•uppala (उप्पल) —1098
• nagabala (नागाबाला) —1025 •kumuda (कु मुद) —10105
• nahuta (नाहूटा) —1028 •pundarika (पुन्डरीक) —10112
• titlambha (तीतलम्भा) —1029 •paduma (पद्म) —10119
• vyavasthanapajnapati (व्यवस्थानापज्नापति) —1031 •kathana (कथन) —10126
• hetuhila (हेतुहीला) —1033 •mahakathana (महाकथन) —10133
•asaṃkhyeya (असंख्येय) —10140
• ninnahuta (निन्नाहुता) —1035
•dhvajagranishamani (ध्वजाग्रनिशमनी) —10421
• hetvindriya (हेत्विन्द्रिय) —1037
• samaptalambha (समाप्तलम्भ) —1039
 Pingala
2nd /3rd century BCE
• Binary Numbers
• The binary number system was first
described by the Vedic scholar
Pingala, in his book Chandahśāstra,
which is the earliest known Sanskrit
treatise on prosody ( the study of
poetic metres and verse)
• He is identified either as the younger
brother of Pāṇini (4th century BCE),
or of Patañjali, the author of
the Mahabhashya (2nd century BCE)
• Pingala used the Sanskrit word śūnya
explicitly to refer to zero
 Baudhayan
(800 BCE)

• Baudhayan was the first one ever to

arrive at several concepts in
Mathematics, which were later
rediscovered by the western world.
• Original Mathematician behind
Pythogras theorem (The diagonal of a
rectangle produces by itself both (the
areas) produced separately by its two
sides.
• The value of pi was first calculated by
him. pi is useful in calculations of the
area and circumference of a circle.
• Baudhayan’s Sulva Sutra mentioned
what is today known as Pythagoras
theorem years before him.
 Varahamihira
(505-587 AD)

• Varahamihira was a well known scientist of the Gupta period.

• Varahamihira was one of the nine gems, in the court of
Vikramaditya. Varahamihira’s predictions were so accurate
that king Vikramaditya gave him the title of ‘Varaha’.
• Varahamihira made contributions in the fields of hydrology,
geology and ecology.
• Termite theory: He was one of the first scientists to claim that
termites and plants could be the indicators of the presence of
underground water.
• He gave a list of six animals and thirty plants, which could
indicate the presence of water.
• He gave very important information regarding termites
(Deemak or insects that destroy wood), that they go very deep
to the surface of water level to bring water to keep their
houses (bambis) wet.
• Earthquake cloud theory: Contribution to the world of science
is given by Varahmihira in his book Brhat Samhita.
• The thirty second chapter of this samhita is devoted to signs
of earthquakes – the influence of planets, undersea activities,
underground water, unusual cloud formation and abnormal
behaviour of animals.
 Bhaskaracharya

• Bhaskaracharya came in 12th Century, born in

Bijapur, Karnataka.
• Renowned Indian Astronomer, Mathematician and
Astrologer
• He is famous for his book Siddanta Shiromani.
• It is divided into four sections namely:
• Lilavati (Arithmetic)
• Beejaganit (Algebra)
• Goladhyaya (Sphere) and
• Grahaganit (mathematics of planets).
• Bhaskara introduced Chakrawat Method or the
Cyclic Method to solve algebraic equations.
• This method was the rediscovered six centuries later
by European mathematicians, then called inverse
cycle.
• In the nineteenth century, James Taylor,
translated Lilavati and the world came to know of
this great work.
 Mahaviracharya

• There is an elaborate description of mathematics in

Jain literature (500 B.C -100 B.C).
• Jain Guru Mahaviracharya wrote Ganit Sara
Sangraha in 850A.D., which is the first textbook on
arithmetic in present day form.
• The present method of solving Least
common Multiple (LCM) of given numbers was also
described by him.
• Therefore, long before John Napier introduced LCM
to the world, it was known to Indians.
• Also, Jain gurus knew how to solve quadratic
equations.
• They have also described
• fractions,
• algebraic equations,
• series,
• set theory,
• logarithms and
• exponents in a very interesting manner.
• Mahāvīra (or Mahaviracharya,
"Mahavira the Teacher") was a 9 Jain
mathematician possibly born in or close to
the present day city of Mysore, in
southern India.[1][2][3]
• He discovered algebraic identities like a3
= a (a + b) (a − b) + b2 (a − b) + b3.[3] He
also found out the formula for nCr as
[n (n − 1) (n − 2) ... (n − r + 1)] / [r (r − 1)
(r − 2) ... 2 * 1].[10] He devised a formula
which approximated the area and
perimeters of ellipses and found methods
to calculate the square of a number and
cube roots of a number.[11]
• He asserted that the square root of a
negative number does not exist
 Maharishi Kanada
(600BCE)
• He propounded atomic
theory, described
dimension, motion,
chemical reactions of
atoms.
 Maharishi Kanada
• Vaisheshika or Vaiśeṣika (Sanskrit: • Vaiseshikas further held that atoms
वैशेषिक) is one of the six Hindu schools of same substance combined with
of philosophy in Ancient Vedic India. each other to produce dvyanuka
They were originally proposed by the
(biatomic molecules) and tryanuka
sage Kaṇāda (or Kana-bhuk, literally,
atom-eater) around the 2nd century
(triatomic molecules).
BC. • This devinuka has the properties
Vaishesika sutras espouses a form of similar to those of the two original
atomism and postulates that all objects paramanu.
in the physical universe are reducible
to a finite number of atoms. • Kanada also put forward the idea
Vaisheshika is one of the six Hindu that atoms could be combined in
schools of philosophy of India. various ways to produce chemical
Historically, it has been closely changes in presence of other
associated with the Hindu school of factors such as heat.
logic, Nyaya (syllogism, inference).
 Kanada

• Kanad was a sixth century scientist of Vaisheshika

School of philosophy, one of the six systems of
Indian philosophy.
• He developed atomic theory which matches with any
modern atomic theory.
• According to Kanad, material universe is made up
of kana (anu/atom), which cannot be seen through any
human senses. These cannot be further subdivided.
Thus, they are indivisible and indestructible.
 Sridhara
(870-930 CE)
• He was known for two treatises:
Trisatika(sometimes called the
Patiganitasara) and the Patiganita.
His major work Patiganitasara was
named Trisatika because it was written
in three hundred slokas.
• The book discusses counting of
numbers, measures, natural number,
multiplication, division, zero, squares,
cubes, fraction, rule of three, interest-
calculation, joint business or
partnership and mensuration (the part
of geometry concerned with
ascertaining lengths, areas, and
volumes).
 Nagarjuna

• Nāgārjuna (नागार्जुन) was an Indian metallurgist and

alchemist. Legends recorded by Al-Biruni in the eleventh
century say that he was born in the village of Daihak near
in Gujarat "one hundred years ago," i.e., at the start of the
tenth century.[1]
• Till today, his technology of making material with gold
like shine is used in making imitation jewelry.
• In his book, Rasaratnakara, he has also discussed
methods for the extraction of metals like gold, silver, tin
and copper.
MEDICAL SCIENCE IN ANCIENT INDIA
(AYURVEDA & YOGA)

• Medical Science was highly developed in ancient times. Ayurveda,

an indigenous system of medicine that was developed in Ancient
India.
• The word “Ayurveda” literally means the science of good health
and longevity of life. It is the oldest medical system of our planet.
• Susruta, Charaka, Madhava, Vagbhatta and Jeevak were notable
ayurvedic practitioners of ancient India.
• The oldest medical book of the world – Atreya Samhita. Charak
is called the father of ayurvedic medicine and Susruta the father of
surgery.
 Susruta (600 BC)

• Susruta is considered a pioneer in the field of surgery.

He believed surgery to be “the highest division of the
healing arts and least liable to fallacy”.
• He studied human anatomy with the help of a dead body.
• In Susruta Samhita , he has described over 1100 diseases
including fevers of 26 kinds, jaundice of 8 kinds and
urinary ailments of 20 kinds.
• In Susruta Samhita , the method of selecting and
preserving a dead body for the purpose of its detailed
study are also described.
• Susruta’s greatest contribution was in the fields of
Rhinoplasty (plastic surgery) and Ophthalmic surgery
(removal of cataracts). Restoration of limbs lost in wars
was done by him.
Palm leaves of the Sushruta Samhita or
• Susruta Samhita also gives a description of Sahottara-Tantra stored at
101 instruments used in surgery. Some serious
operations performed included taking foetus out of the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, from Nepal
womb, repairing the damaged rectum, removing stone , the text is dated 12th-13th century while the art
from the bladder, etc.
is dated 18th-19th century.
Surgical Instruments used by
Susruta
 Charak
3rd century BC

• Charak is considered the father of ancient Indian science of

medicine.
• He was the Raj Vaidya (royal doctor) in the court of Kanishka.
• His book, Charak Samhita is an elaborate book on medicine. It has
the description of a large number of diseases and gives methods of
identifying their causes as well as their treatment.
• In Charak Samhita, more stress has been laid on removing the
causes of disease rather than simply treating the symptoms of
illness.
• Charak also had knowledge of the fundamentals of Genetics. The
modern day genetics was started by Mendel.
Hindu–Arabic numeral system
or Indo-Arabic numeral system
• It was invented between the 1st and 4th centuries
by Indian mathematicians
• The system was adopted in Arabic mathematics by
the 9th century. Influential were the books of
Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī
• The system later spread to medieval Europe by the
High Middle Ages
Indian-
Numeral
System
 ka-ta-pa-ya-di
• The “ka-ta-pa-ya-di” rule used by
ancient Indian mathematicians and
grammarians is a technique to map
names to numbers. Writing the
consonants of the Sanskrit alphabet
into four groups with “Ka, Ta, Pa, Ya”
as the begining letters of the groups we
get The Katapayadi Shankya.
•
• The oldest accessible evidence of the
use of Kaṭapayādi System is from
Grahacāraṇibandhana by Haridatta in
683 CE. It is also been mentioned in
Laghubhāskariyavivarana written by
Sankaranārāyana in 869 CE.
 ka-ta-pa-ya-di
• A verse of spiritual content, as well as • The interesting fact is that when you start
mathematical significance: numbering the consonants with their
respective numbers from go = 3, pi = 1,
• “gopi bhagya madhuvrata bha =4 , ya = 1 , ma = 5 , duv = 9 and so
srngiso dadhi sandhiga on. you will end with the number
khala jivita khatava
• 31415926535897932384626433832792
gala hala rasandara”

• Do you know what number this is?

Oh Krishna, the fortune of the Gopis,
the destoryer of daemon Madhu, protector of
cattle, • It is the ratio between the circumference
the one who ventured into the ocean-depths, of a circle to its diameter or better known
as pi in modern calculations. The above
destroyer of evildoers, one with plough on the number actually provides you the
shoulder
accurate value of pi divided by 10 to 31
and the bearer of nectar, may (you) protect (us)! decimal places.