Bhaskara II: 3 puzzles worth knowing

3 puzzles from Bhaskara II, each explained in a minute and credited to the original work. Free on Savvy.

A fifth of a swarm lands on one flower, a third on another — how many bees in all?
A fifth part of a swarm of bees settles on a blossom of kadamba, and a third part on a flower of silinda. Three times the difference between these two numbers flies off to a flower…
— Bhaskara II, Lilavati
A strange rule splits a troop of monkeys into two groups — how many monkeys in total?
In Bhaskara's classic version, the square of one-eighth of a troop of monkeys is playing in a forest, while the remaining twelve monkeys sit chattering on a nearby hilltop. How man…
— Bhaskara II, Lilavati
A peacock on a pillar spots a snake gliding home — where do they meet?
A snake's hole sits at the base of a pillar 9 cubits tall, with a peacock perched on top. The peacock spots the snake at a distance from the hole equal to three times the pillar's …
— Bhaskara II, Lilavati

Five ideas worth knowing, every week