History of Hindu Mathematics: A Source Book v1.c8.s1.18

v1.c8.s1.18

Mathematics is and has always been the most difficult subject to study, and as a knowledge of higher mathematics could not be turned to material gain there were very few who seriously undertook its study. In India, however, the religious practices of the Hindus required a certain amount of knowledge of astronomy and mathematics. Moreover, there have always been, from very early times, a class of people known as *gaṇaka* whose profession was fortune-telling. These people were astrologers, and in order to impress their clients with their learning, they used to have some knowledge of mathematics and astronomy. Thus it would appear that instruction in mathematics, upto a certain minimum standard, was available almost everywhere in India. As always happens, some of the pupils got interested in mathematics for its own sake, and took pains to make a thorough study of the subject and to add to it by writing commentaries or independent treatises.