Recently my pitAshrI inquired about an elementary problem presented by one of the greatest mathematicians of our tradition, bhAskara, who graced the seuna yAdava court. While it is a simple quadratic problem it has a certain beauty in its versification in the mAlinI meter. We showed it to a few friends to take some delight in the educational devices in devabhASha. Then it struck us that it would be a good test for R's legendary IQ. She took a few minutes with the saMskR^ita, but not with the mathematics – we think her abilities are undiminished on the whole :-)
ali-kula-dala-mUlam mAlatIm yAtam aShTau nikhila-navama-bhAgAsh cha alinI bhR^i~Ngam ekam |
nishi parimala-lubdham padma-madhye niruddham pratiraNati raNantam brUhi kAnte ali-saMkhyAm ||
The square root of 1/2 a cluster of bees translocated to a mAlatI creep, there after went 8/9ths of the total number bees, remaining was a one queen bee, which buzzed to the other remaining drone which was trapped in the midst of a lotus that closed for the night. Tell me dear lady the total count of bees (bhAskara addressing his daughter lIlAvatI).
The answer to it may be obtained among other ways by setting the total number of bees=8*x^2 and solving the ensuing quadratic: 4*x^2-9*x-9=0
Hence, the ali-saMkhyA = 72
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God
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