The Water Clock of Destiny: Bhaskaracharya's Ingenious Invention for Lilavati's Wedding

Rajeev: Hey Divya, I found an interesting story about Bhaskaracharya, an ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer. He wrote a book called Lilavati which is the first volume of his principal work, the Siddhant Shiromani.

Divya: That sounds interesting. What's Lilavati about?

Rajeev: It contains numerous word problems on arithmetic and geometry. But the story behind it is quite fascinating. Bhaskaracharya had a daughter named Lilavati who was destined to die a spinster. To avoid this fate, he predicted an auspicious moment for her wedding.

Divya: How did he do that?

Rajeev: He nailed a small hole in a cup and allowed it to float in a vessel filled with water. When the cup reached the top and the water overflowed, it indicated the auspicious moment for her wedding.

Divya: That's creative.

Rajeev: Yes, but unfortunately Lilavati was curious and went to see the cup. A pearl from her trousseau fell into the cup, upsetting its arrangement and causing her to miss the propitious moment. She was heartbroken and remained teary-eyed for the rest of her life.

Divya: That's sad. But you mentioned that the book was inspired by her?

Rajeev: Yes, to help her come out of her grief, Bhaskaracharya granted her a second life in the form of a book in her name. Lilavati had no idea that the book would inspire generations of mathematicians to come.

Divya: That's amazing. I didn't know that mathematics was such an important part of everyday life in ancient India.

Rajeev: Yes, there were many great mathematicians in ancient India, and mathematics was an integral part of their everyday curriculum. It wasn't separated into distinct compartments like it is today.