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This new blog series '
Love Thy Square' builds upon the initial mathematical exploration
Love Thy Number, and will proceed simultaneously with it.
The focus for this series will be the elegant world of Magic Squares: highly structured arrays where the total of the numbers in every row, column, and the diagonals is the same. This constant sum is named the Magic Constant.
Despite the fact that Mathematics is, let's be honest, already Sorcery; ancient Mathematicians decided to really rub it in by christening these things 'Magic Squares'. I mean, 'Mathematical Squares' would have been perfectly fine—a little boring, maybe, but more accurate!
While Magic is sleight of hand, art and entertainment; Mathematics is much more than that. It is entertainment, Enlightenment and God's chosen language!
Calling them 'Magic Square' is a bit like a Magician saying, 'Sure, maths is great, but watch us Magicians pull a rabbit out of a hat!' It's almost an insult to the elegant power of arithmetic! Regardless of the slightly overdramatic name, they remain what they really are: Beauty Squarely!"
The history can't be changed! Let us continue to call them Magic Squares:)
I have had a connection to Magic Squares for a minimum of fifty years. It all started somewhere in 1972/73 when I, at the age of 10/11 years, noticed a Kuber Yantra ( कुबेर यंत्र) in a Calender hung at a wall in our home at Parsi Mohalla, Indore. The Calender had pictures of Gods, Goddesses, and some religious symbols including the Kuber Yantra having a Magic Square. It also had a Shloka written in praise of Lord Kuber below the Kuber Yantra. It was somewhat like this:
ॐ यक्षाय कुबेराय वैश्रवणाय धनधान्याधिपतये नमः ।
ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं क्लीं कुबेराय नमः ॥
Let's be clear: I would have to immediately hit Google Translate to decipher that Sanskrit Shloka and pretend I'm fluent in it! And that would be a magnificent lie! If you need the exact translation, the AI agents, more eagerly than LIC agents; await your query!
Coming back to Kuber Yantra! As a child it was very fascinating to learn from elders that in this Yantra the sum of each row, column and diagonal was equal to 72!
There were many families which had this magic square engraved on a copper plate. This copper plate or Kuber Yantra used to be kept in yellow or red cloth in a तिजोरी ( Tijori, Safe or Vault).
As Kuber is the Hindu god of wealth and the celestial treasurer, revered as the king of the Yakshas; it is considered auspicious to keep such Kuber Yantra in a Safe with the expectation of continued prosperity. Hence this practice of worshipping Kuber Yantra is still followed by many amongst us.
Back in the day, a few of my schoolmates and mohalla-mates apparently thought their pockets sans walllets needed a Financial Superhero, so they kept a secret weapon: a ' Thin Paper card' featuring the Kuber Yantra—the ancient equivalent of a 'Please Deposit Money Here' sign—and its mystical sidekick, the Magic Square as shown above.
We Indians are fortunete that we are exposed to such Magic Squares at a very young age. However, on the flip side, more emphasis is laid on pleasing the Lord Kuber with the expectation of Wealth; overlooking the beauty/treasure of Maths in such beautiful Squares!
The numbers from 20 to 28 and the Sum or Magic Constant of 72 have a deep significance in Vedic numerology and cosmic cycles.
For example, placing the number 24 in the center is seen as spiritually significant, representing the 24 tattvas (principles) of classical philosophy. This symbolizes the idea that "wealth rests on principled order".
However, in today's context wealth is generally not expected to rest on principles alone.
While the practice of solving Magic Squares may not instantly unlock a vault of riches; it offers a profoundly Soul-Satisfying reward—a serene mental workout that might just be the kind of spiritual activity to earn a nod of approval from Lord Kuber himself!
In the upcoming Blog Post, we'll briefly open the Case File on a truly unsavory episode featuring the era's most magnificent cheats! Then, we'll pivot to the lighter side of my first attempt at conquering the 3x3 Magic Square.
Interested!? Click here to enter into the wonderland of Magic Squares!
Pankaj Khanna
9424810575
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मेरे कुछ अन्य ब्लॉग:
हिन्दी में:
तवा संगीत : ग्रामोफोन का संगीत और कुछ किस्सागोई।
रेल संगीत: रेल और रेल पर बने हिंदी गानों के बारे में।
कुछ भी: विभिन्न विषयों पर लेख।
तवा भाजी: वन्य भाजियों को बनाने की विधियां!
अंग्रेजी में:
Epeolatry: अंग्रेजी भाषा में रुचि रखने वालों के लिए।
CAT-a-LOG: CAT-IIM कोचिंग।छात्र और पालक सभी पढ़ें।
