Kanakkatikaram

The catalogue information from holding repository identify this manuscript as Astana Kolakalam. The first leaf which contains an invocation also refers to the manuscript as Astana Kolakalam. However, we are unsure if the following leaves belong to Astana Kolakalam, which is recognised as a mathematical manuscript in the tradition of Kanakkatikaram tradition. Even if it is, the manuscript is clearly incomplete. Astana Kolakalam is considered to have been inspired by Kanakkatikaram texts and follows a similar organisation of problem verses based on context of computations, such as gold, land, grain and so on. The author intend it to be a summary (kolakalam) which will be an useful reference both the skilled and numerically weak. Whether all the leaves we have here belongs to Astana Kolakalam needs to be examined. Besides manuscripts housed in GOML, Chennai and Saravati Mahal Library there are also two edited volumes of Astana Kolakalam available.

The dimension of this palm leaf manuscript is 42 x 3.5. Contains 42 leaves. 5 to 7 lines per page approximately. Preserved in good condition, some leaves are damaged. Incomplete. The page number is inscribed to the left of the manuscript. The text discusses mathematical operations such as multiplication of integers, operations of fractions, measures of length, weight, time and miscellaneous other problems. Aastana Kolakalam is considered to have been inspired by Kanakkatikaram texts and follows a similar organisation of problem verses, based on context of computations, such as gold, land, grain and so on. The author intend it to be a summary (kolakalam) which will be an useful reference both the skilled and numerically weak. Besides manuscripts housed in GOML, Chennai and Saravati Mahal Library there are also two edited volumes of Aastana Kolakalam available.

The title suggest the manuscript is related to Kanakkatikaram. The nature of its relation to Kanakkatikaram texts needs to be examined. The manuscript appears partially damaged. Readable.

The manuscript appears to be in good shape. Has a total of 34 leaves with about 8 lines per side.

The following description is from a recently published volume of Kaṇakkatikārarattiṉac curukkam edited by Muthu V Prakash and Gunasekaran Babu. Kanakkatikara rattinac curukkam, written in late medieval South India by Valathuruvakkum Perumal, is a compilation of mathematical problems. These problems pertain to practices concerning village accounting, agriculture and other artisanal occupations. This text is part of the genre of mathematical texts in Tamil, called the Kanakkatikaram. While the text does not fit neatly into modern categories of a manual or a textbook, it is a compilation of computational procedures at the workplace of different practitioners, such as the revenue accountant, the peasant, the artisan and the trader. The explicitly pedagogical overtones to the text also help us understand the significance of the spheres in which such a text could have been in circulation in early modern south Tamil country. The manuscript is partially damaged but readable.

The dimension of this palm leaf manuscript is 38 x 3.5. Contains 31 leaves. 7 lines per page approximately. Preserved in good condition. Incomplete. This manuscript contains both the text with its commentary. This manuscript contains two kinds of page numbers inscribed to the left of the manuscript one gives the whole number of the bundle and the other gives the page number of the text. Each folio was classified according to the physical form of the manuscript. The text and its commentary were mentioned separately with specified symbols. Measurements, mathematical calculations are clearly explained. This could possibly be a pedagogical material. The copier appears to have had a sense of having a student's needs in his mind while copying. However, this needs to be closely examined.

This is a hand written copy of Kanakkatikaram copied by S Chandrasekaran in 1956 from a bundle which consisted of Kanakkatikaram, Nadi Nidanam and Agathiyar Muppuvaippu. It is not clear if the actual copy is complete. Our digitised copy is incomplete.

The dimension of this palm leaf manuscript is 40x3. Contains 27 leaves, 5 to 6 lines per page. The title page appears in the middle of this collection. The leaves are misarranged. Some leaves are missing (7-9). Incomplete. Some leaves are broken. Letters are in good visibility. This manuscript deals with all kinds of measurements such as volume, weighing, linear, time, yugas, etc. Lists the measurements and helps the students to know the value of the measurements in words.

The dimension of this paper manuscript is 26x32. Contains 54 pages. Complete. Preserved in good condition. This manuscript was copied in 1956 by Mr. Chandranakeswaran. The original manuscript from which this copy was made is unfortunately not mentioned in this copy. This manuscript contains both text and commentary.

This is digital copy of a Kanakkatikaram manuscript housed at Sri Venkateswara Oriental Research Institute, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. It contains 61 leaves, is readable but incomplete and damaged. 8-9 lines per page.

This is a Kanakkatikaram manuscript held at GOML, Chennai. The manuscript appears to be in good condition and complete. However, we could not digitise the whole manuscript.

The dimension of this palm leaf manuscript is 31 x 3.5. Contains 1 page. 6 lines per page. Incomplete. The page number mentioned on the right side of the page is 142.

This is a handwritten copy of Kanakkatikaram. This paper manuscript is in good condition. The text says it was transcribed in 1920-21 from a manuscript of Vadamalaranbu (?) Chettiyar, Pudunagaram, Palghat.

The dimension of the palm leaf manuscript is 15x1 inches. 22 leaves; 44 folios. Condition is good, though some leaves are damaged. Contains 4-5 lines per page. Incomplete. Kanakkatikaram is a pedagogic text for advanced students. It deals with arithmetic and other mathematical calculations. Contains both formulas as well as calculations.

The title of this manuscript translates to Book of mathematics. The content also appear mathematical. The manuscript is perhaps incomplete. Catalogue information from GOML suggests that in addition to tamil script it also contains Grantha script. It needs to be closely studied to ascertain the nature and context of the content.

This edited version of Kanakku Sāram is based on Palm Leaf Ms. D. No. 291 in the Govt. Oriental Ms. Library Madras. It is edited by C. Achyuta Menon and published by Government Oriental Manuscript Library. A digital copy of the text is housed at Granthapura - Kerala Digital Archive. The text does not name its author. However the author mentions that they base their compilation on the teachings of their Guru, Kaṇakkatikāram and Līlāvatī. The editor has grouped the verses under 6 Chapters. The verses which describes numbers or procedures are followed with problems often. An explanation to verses are often given in prose. The text appears to combine numbers from both Lilavati and Kanakkatikaram to produce a longer list of numbers. In addition to this it also deals with grain measures, gold measures and so on found in Kanakkatikaram texts. The text also refers to diversity in linear measures, in terms of how a kol may vary from place to place. Rule of three, Rule of five and above, the inverse rule of three etc are explicitly stated and many problems on the same are posed. The text also includes problems to compute interest rates, problems on muthukanakku (on computing value of pearls) and a variety of time measures among other things.

This Kanakkusaram Balaprabodham is edited by C. Achyuta Menon and published by Government Oriental Manuscript Library. The editor does not mention the repository information of the corresponding palm leaf manuscript. This is similar to Kanakkusaram, but the editor notes that this is simpler. Additionally it contains some verses not in Kanakkusaram and it does not have some verses in Kanakkusaram. It is likely that the author of Kanakkusaram Balaprabodham is different from author of Kanakkusaram but that their sources are similar. The author of this text also mentions that the text is based on Kanakkatikaram and Lilavati. The version we link here is a digital copy of the text is housed at Granthapura - Kerala Digital Archive.

The copy of tamil Kanakku we have digitised has 12 leaves. The manuscript appears to be decent condition, though it is not clear if it is complete. It deals with mathematical content. However the nature of the content and its relation to texts such as Kanakkatikaram, Kanita Nul, and Aasthana Kolakalam needs to be studied.