Origin and History of the Hindu names for Geometry

Zusammenfassung The geometrical knowledge of the ancient Hindus can be gauzed from a class of works known under the generic name of Śulbasūtra 1). There are works with that title by several ancient writers such as Baudhāyana, Āpastamba, Kātyāyana, Manu, Varāha and Vadhula. In the epithet Śulba-sūtra, the term sūira means “an aphorism”, “a short rule”. It indeed describes the nature of the composition of the works. Hence truly speaking, it does not form an essential part of the name of the subject. In the Śrautasūtra of Āpastamba2), his Śulba-sūtra is found to have been referred to as Śulba simply3). The title of the work attributed to Kātyāyana is Śulba-pariśiṣṭa (“Supplement to the Śulba”). In the introductory verses of a commentary on Baudhāyana’s Śulba-sūtra by Dvārakanātha Yajvā, the commentator says: “Desiring to give a clear exposition of the Śulba of Baudhāyana, this commentary, named Śulba-dīpikā (“The Light of the Śulba”), has been made by Yajvā, the son of Bhaṭṭa”4). Similarly Sundararāja, the commentator of the Āpastamba Śulbasūtra, has spoken of the subject as Śulba 5). We have also works of later times, which are obviously based on the earlier treatises, entitled Śulba-mīmāṁsā (“Investigation into the Śulba”), Śulba-vārtika (“The Glossary of the Śulba”), Śulba-bhāṣya (“Commentary on the Śulba”), and Śulba-rahasya-prakāśa (“Divulging of the secrets of the Śulba”).