Moonlight of Mathematics, Part 1 (1936) - Page 10

...is the measure of a hand.

In a standard cubic cubit Ghana-hasta: a "solid hand," or cubic cubit, there are two and a quarter ($2 \frac{1}{4}$) of those [regional cubits].

A khārī Khārī: a large unit of dry volume, often used for grain consists of twenty kuḍavas.

A pādikā should be known as the sixteenth part original: "nṛpa-aṃśena." In the system of word-numerals, "nṛpa" (kings) represents 16 of a kuḍava. ॥ 10 ॥

Two hundred and sixteen original: "rasa-śaśi-nayana," or "flavors-moon-eyes." Read right-to-left: Rasa (6), Śaśi (1), Nayana (2) = 216

is the measure of a pādikā in cubic finger-widths Aṅgula: finger-width.

Sixty ghaṭikās Ghaṭikā: a unit of time equal to 24 minutes make a day and night.

A month consists of thirty of those [days]. With twelve of those months,

a year is formed.

Thus the definitions are declared in mathematics. ॥ 11 ॥

Thus ends the Definitions.

Now, the Eight Operations for Integers.

Regarding addition and subtraction, the rule-verse is half a Gīti [meter]:

In their own places, of like kinds original: "sama-jātyo," meaning quantities of the same category or unit,

addition and subtraction should be performed. ॥ 12 ॥

1. Cubic finger-widths in a standard cubit = $24 \times 24 \times 24$. Finger-widths in a "grinding-stone" cubit original: "dṛśat-kara" = $24 \times 16 \times 16$.
The measure of a "grinding-stone" cubit within one standard cubic cubit = $\frac{24 \times 24 \times 24}{24 \times 16 \times 16} = \frac{9}{4} = 2 \frac{1}{4}$.

2. The volume of a pādikā in finger-widths = $216 = 6^3$. In cubits, it is =
$\frac{6^3}{24^3} = \frac{1^3}{4^3} = \frac{1}{64}$. The number of pādikās in one khārī = $16 \times 20 = 320$.
Therefore, the volume of a khārī = $\frac{320}{64} = 5$ [cubic cubits]. By this, it is understood that the khārī mentioned here is equal to the "five-cubic-cubit" khārī described by Bhāskara Referring to Bhāskara II, the famous 12th-century mathematician.