Ganita Shastra (गणितशास्त्रम्)

Ganita shastra (Samskrit: गणितशास्त्रम्) or Ganita (गणितम्) means the science of calculation which is an equivalent name for the term mathematics. This ancient term occurs copiously in Vedic literature. Vedanga Jyotisha by Lagadha gives it the highest place of honour among the sciences which form the Vedanga.

यथा शिखा मयूराणां नागानां मणयो यथा । तद्वद्वेदाङ्गशास्राणां ज्योतिषं (गणितं) मूर्धनि स्थितम् ॥ १९ ॥ (Veda. Jyot. 4)

yathā śikhā mayūrāṇāṁ nāgānāṁ maṇayo yathā । tadvadvedāṅgaśāsrāṇāṁ jyotiṣaṁ (gaṇitaṁ) mūrdhani sthitam ॥ 19 ॥

As the crests on the heads of peacocks, as the gems on the hoods of the snakes (cobras), so is astronomy (mathematics) is at the highest position of vedanga shastras (which are the Shad Vedangas or the six ancillary branches of knowledge).

Ganita or Indian mathematics is quintessentially a science of computation and texts of Indian mathematics essentially present systematic and efficient procedures or algorithms for the solution of various mathematical problems. The ancient texts of geometry, Shulbasutras, give procedures for the construction and transformation of geometrical figures. The classical text Aryabhatiya of Aryabhata presents most of the procedures of arithmetic, algebra, geometry and trigonometry, which are taught today in schools, in just thirty-two verses comprising the Ganitapada.

In ancient Buddhist literature we find mention of three classes of Ganita: (I) mudra ("finger arithmetic"), (2) ganana ("mental arithmetic") and (3) samkhyana ("higher arithmetic in general").