GANITASĀRASANGRAHA. six stanzas there is a benediction wishing progressive prosperity to the rule of this king.. The results of modern Indian epigraphical research show that this king Amō- ghavarsa Nrpatunga reigned from A.D. 814 or 815 to A.D. $77 or 878.* Since it appears probable that the author of the Ganita-sira-sangraha was in some way attached to the court of this Rastrakūta king Amoghavarsa Nṛpa- tunga, we may consider the work to belong to the middle of the ninth century of the Christian era. It is now generally accepted that, among well-known early Indian mathematicians Aryabhata lived in the fifth, Varahami- hira in the sixth, Brahmagupta in the seventh and Bhaskarācārya in the twelfth century of the Christian era; and chronologically, therefore, Mahavirācārya comes between Brahmagupta and Bhaskarācārya. This in itself is a point of historical noteworthiness; and the further fact that the author of the Ganita-sara-sangraha belonged to the Kanarese speaking portion of South India in his days and was a Jaina in religion is calculated to give an additional importance to the historical value of his work. Like the other mathematicians mentioned above, Maha- virācārya was not primarily an astronomer, although he knew well and has himself remarked about the usefulness of mathematics for the study of astronomy. The study of mathematics seems to have been popular among Jaina scholars; it forms, in fact, one of their four anuyōgas or auxiliary sciences indirectly serviceable for the attainment of the salvation of soul-liberation known as moksa. X A comparison of the Ganita-sara-sangraha with the corresponding portions in the Brahmasphuta-siddhanta of
- Vide Nilgund Inscription of the time of Amoghavarsa I, A.D. 866; edited by
J. F. Fleet, PH.D., C.I.E., in Epigraphia Indica, vol. VI, pp. 98-108.
