Musings on Indian mathematics

                              SUNDAY MORNING MUSING


I was discussing a shloka in a mantra tradition with my son-in-law, an Engineer, and he suddenly identified the Fibonacci series embedded in it.
I had studied it maybe 30 years ago long ago and forgotten it. He reminded me. [it is gratifying to have so-in-law capable of understanding and interested and willing to accept the knowledge being conveyed in such things]
Fibonacci series envisions the adding of two previous numbers creating the next highest.
The sequence Fn of Fibonacci numbers is defined by the recurrence relation:
F n = F n − 1 + F n − 2 , {\display style F_{n}=F_{n-1}+F_{n-2},} {\display style F_{n}=F_{n-1}+F_{n-2},}
with seed values[1][2]
F 1 = 1 , F 2 = 1 {\display style F_{1}=1,\;F_{2}=1} {\display style F_{1}=1,\;F_{2}=1}
or[5]
F 0 = 0 , F 1 = 1. {\display style F_{0}=0,\;F_{1}=1.} {\display style F_{0}=0,\;F_{1}=1.}
The shloka is simple - एक द्वि त्रि पञ्च वर्षाण्यालोच्य
meaning
one must think 1 year and observe student before granting him the Bala mantra, 2 years before giving Ganapathi, a further three before granting panchadashi and 5 years before giving the per-penultimate mantra.
Looks like a straightforward instruction, but when a Guru teaches it to mathematically savvy students, it takes a different hue, the mathematical significance will be taught. If it were a medical doctor it will have a different hue in physiology, if it is a financial person, still another. And the Guru need to be familiar with all these fields.
The Gurus, when they have no wide knowledge, become parrots and significance disappear. I had a Guru who was 4th grade. She could hold on her own on the effects of phosphates in the ash from human cremation and how they neutralize the poisons injected by creatures such as snake and scorpion (I had seen how she used the knowledge). She could hold on her own on astronomy, astrology, engineering etc.
This series specifically has great usage in stock trading for one, among many. Fibonacci levels are both mystic and useful. Learn to use them and take the mystery out of this technical pattern.
The natural creation of the series is in itself a mystery.
This shloka is at least 1500 years old.
Same way the mathematical precision and formula derivation in Sriyantra is in itself a huge subject worthy of lifetimes of study.
The happy part is that this knowledge has not been lost and always reaches the deserving.
DO NOT THINK THERE ARE NO TRASH IN THE ANCIENT TRADITIONS. THERE ARE. BUT TO SEPARATE THE WHEAT FROM CHAFF IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT AND IT IS THERE THAT THE GURU PLAYS A ROLE.
They should not talk of irrelevancies to the student to impress. They should talk of what is relevant to the disciple. One should not talk of Engineering to teh doctor or medicine to the engineer unless it is useful or will become useful or necessary in future

27 August 2018

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