Mathematics in Vedas

Abstract

Popular numerical system including zero and decimal are the great contribution of Indian into the subject of mathematics. India was having a rich knowledge about the mathematics in ancient Vedic era. We can have the decimal numbers mentioned in the holy mantras and religious scriptures in Vedic era. The important numerical system, invented by ancient scholars of ancient India is mentioned in this paper. We can find that the contribution of mathematics in Vedic era is available many centuries before Christ. It’s very important that the Indian Mathematics is a great gift to the entire world.

Introduction

The text highlights that the Vedas are among the earliest written texts in the world and contain advanced mathematical concepts, including the decimal number system. Indian sages of the Vedic era recorded numbers systematically, long before other civilizations developed writing or formal mathematics.

Key Points:

1. Decimal System in Vedas:

   • Taittariya Samhita, Rigveda, and Yajurveda describe numbers using powers of ten.

   • Numbers are represented with specific terms for increasing magnitudes, from 1 (eka) to 10 trillion (parardha).

2. Examples from Vedic Texts:

   • Rigveda mentions counting vehicle wheels for Lord Indra in multiples of 10 (20, 30, 40, … 70), showing understanding of series and large numbers.

   • Four-digit numbers, like 3,339 Gods worshipping Lord Agni, are recorded, demonstrating large-number calculations.

   • Yajurveda lists bricks used in constructing the Yagya Kunda using terms for powers of ten, e.g., eka (1), da?a (10), ?ata (100), sahasra (1,000), ayuta (10,000), and so on up to parardha (10¹³).

3. Significance:

   • The Vedic sages not only developed the decimal system but also applied it practically in rituals and calculations, laying the foundation for modern mathematics.

References

[1] Taittariya Sanhita 7.2.49 [2] Rugveda 2.18.5. [3] Rugveda 3.9.9 [4] Yajurveda 17.2

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Mr. Vaibhav Datar. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.