5,000-year-old techniques that let kids multiply 97 × 96 in their head in 3 seconds. No calculator needed. Just pure mental math.
97 × 96 = 9,312 🤯
Tap “Show next step” to walk through the trick. Same way Ms. Emma teaches it inside iMasterly — one move at a time, never a wall of formulas.
98 × 97 — base 100
98 × 97
Learn all 16 Vedic sutras with guided practice.
Start Vedic Math freeFrom beginner multiplication tricks to advanced squaring methods. Each technique includes step-by-step visual animations.
34 × 11 = 374
Split digits, add neighbors, place in middle
97 × 96 = 9312
Subtract from 100, cross-multiply deficits
23 × 14 = 322
Multiply vertically, then cross, then vertical
48² = 2304
Deficit from 50 squared + 25±deficit × 100
Verify any multiplication instantly
Add digits of each factor, multiply, compare
Simplify 298 to 302̄
Convert big digits to small ones for easier calc
97 × 96 = ?
97 × 96 ──── 582 (97×6) 870 (97×9) ──── 9312
5 steps. Easy to make mistakes.
97 × 96 = ?
97 is 3 away from 100
96 is 4 away from 100
97 − 4 = 93 (first half)
3 × 4 = 12 (second half)
9312
2 steps. Done in your head.
Vedic Math (also written as Vedic Maths or Vedic Mathematics) is a system of mental math techniques built around 16 short rules — called sutras in Sanskrit — and 13 sub-rules (upa-sutras) that turn multi-step arithmetic into one or two mental steps. With Vedic Math techniques, kids can multiply two-digit and three-digit numbers, square numbers near a base, divide quickly, find squares and cubes, identify divisibility patterns, and verify answers in seconds — all without paper, calculators, or rote drill. It is one of the fastest mental math systems in the world, and it scales from grade 2 multiplication tables to high-school algebra.
The defining feature of Vedic Math is pattern recognition. Instead of one fixed algorithm for every problem, each sutra applies to a specific number pattern — numbers near a base (100, 1000), numbers ending in 5, numbers whose digits sum to 10, and so on. The child learns to look at the problem first, recognize which pattern it fits, and then apply a 2-step rule. This teaches mathematical thinking far earlier than traditional curricula, which is why Vedic Math is increasingly used as enrichment alongside Singapore Math, abacus training, and standard K-8 math.
The word “Vedic” comes from the Vedas — a body of ancient Sanskrit scriptures composed in India between roughly 1500 BCE and 500 BCE. The Vedas are among the oldest religious and scholarly texts in the world and cover an enormous range of subjects: philosophy, ritual, astronomy, medicine (Ayurveda), grammar, and mathematics. Indian mathematicians of the Vedic and post-Vedic period made foundational contributions to global mathematics — including the concepts of zero, the decimal place-value system, negative numbers, square roots, and early algebra — many of which traveled west through Arab scholars centuries later and became the basis of modern arithmetic.
The specific system we today call “Vedic Math” was reconstructed and systematized in the early 20th century by Jagadguru Swami Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji Maharaja (1884-1960), the Shankaracharya of Govardhan Math in Puri, Odisha, India. Tirthaji was a Sanskrit scholar, philosopher, and mathematician who studied the ancient texts deeply between 1911 and 1918. He claimed to have rediscovered 16 fundamental sutras and 13 sub-sutras encoded in the Atharva Veda — short, aphoristic rules that, when properly interpreted, formed a complete system of mental arithmetic. He published his findings in the seminal 1965 book Vedic Mathematics: Sixteen Simple Mathematical Formulae from the Vedas, released posthumously by Banaras Hindu University.
The 16 Vedic Math sutras include rules with poetic Sanskrit names like Ekadhikena Purvena (“by one more than the previous one”), Nikhilam Navatashcaramam Dashatah (“all from 9 and the last from 10”), Urdhva-Tiryagbhyam (“vertically and crosswise”), and Paravartya Yojayet (“transpose and apply”). Each sutra is a one-line rule, and each unlocks a specific class of arithmetic shortcuts. The Nikhilam sutra, for example, is the basis for multiplying numbers near 100 (like 97 × 96) in two mental steps. The Urdhva-Tiryagbhyam sutra is the foundation for general two-digit and three-digit multiplication without writing intermediate steps.
It is worth noting that there is scholarly debate about whether Tirthaji's 16 sutras appear literally in the surviving Vedas or were synthesized by Tirthaji himself from his deep knowledge of both the texts and arithmetic. Most modern Vedic Math educators take the pragmatic view: regardless of whether the sutras are 3,000 years old or 100 years old, the techniques work, build genuine number sense, and produce results in real children today. This is why Vedic Math is now taught worldwide — in India as part of mainstream curriculum supplements, and in the US, UK, Singapore, the Middle East, and Australia primarily as enrichment.
Vedic Math spread globally beginning in the 1980s, when Indian-origin educators and parents living abroad began using it with their own children and then with classmates. Today there are international Vedic Math olympiads, certification programs, and dedicated curricula for K-12. Major adoption clusters include India (where it is embedded in many CBSE and ICSE enrichment programs), the United States (popular among Indian-American families and increasingly in mainstream homeschool curricula), the United Kingdom (taught in some grammar schools and 11+ prep programs), and Singapore (paired with Singapore Math for elite students preparing for math olympiads).
For elementary students (K-8), Vedic Math is not a replacement for school math — it is a layer on top of it. The standard school curriculum teaches a child to compute 97 × 96 by stacking, carrying, and adding. Vedic Math teaches the same child to recognize that 97 and 96 are close to 100, and to use the Nikhilam (Near Base) sutra to get the answer 9,312 in two mental steps. Both methods produce the correct answer; the Vedic approach builds number sense, mental math speed, and arithmetic confidence in parallel.
The reason Vedic Math is so effective for children specifically is that it matches how kids' brains naturally pattern-match. Young children are excellent at recognizing visual and structural patterns — that is how they learn language, music, and chess. Traditional arithmetic asks them to follow a single procedure for every problem regardless of structure. Vedic Math asks them to see the structure first, then choose the right tool. That cognitive habit transfers directly to higher math: algebra, geometry, and eventually calculus all reward the student who looks for structure before grinding through computation.
Most school systems do not teach Vedic Math. Outside India, it is most commonly taught through after-school programs, weekend Vedic Math classes, private online courses, or homeschool curricula. Standalone Vedic Math instruction typically costs $30-100 per month. iMasterly offers Vedic Math free as one of several math programs — alongside Singapore Math, abacus math, math olympiad prep, and the standard K-8 curriculum across 9 subjects.
Builds genuine number sense. Because Vedic techniques rely on recognizing relationships between numbers (closeness to a base, complementary digits, common factors), kids develop a feel for numbers rather than mechanical rule-following. This pays off later in algebra and geometry.
Fast mental math improves test confidence. Kids who can compute reliably in their head spend less time on arithmetic and more time on understanding word problems. Standardized tests — STAAR, NYSTP, SBAC, and others — reward speed at the arithmetic layer, freeing attention for the reasoning layer. See our state test prep hub for grade-aligned practice.
Reduces math anxiety. Many children develop math anxiety because arithmetic feels slow and effortful. When the same problem can be solved in two mental steps using a Vedic sutra, the child shifts from “I can't do this” to “I have a trick for this.” That mindset shift is the single most important predictor of long-term math performance.
Complements school math, doesn't replace it. Vedic Math sits alongside the standard K-8 curriculum. Kids still learn long multiplication, long division, and standard algorithms in school — Vedic methods give them faster mental alternatives. Many families pair Vedic Math with grade-level math practice for the best results.
The simplest Vedic techniques (like “multiply by 11” and digit-sum checking) can be introduced as early as grade 2, once a child is comfortable with basic addition and multiplication facts up to 10. The more advanced techniques — Nikhilam, Vertically and Crosswise, squaring near bases — work best from grade 4 onward, when kids have two-digit and three-digit multiplication in their school curriculum.
Most kids see meaningful gains within 4-6 weeks of regular practice (10-15 minutes a day). Younger children benefit from visual demonstrations and games before formal rule-learning. Older kids (grades 5-8) often pick up the rules directly and enjoy racing against the calculator.
For certain problem types — yes, dramatically. Multiplying numbers close to 100 (like 97 × 96), squaring numbers ending in 5, multiplying by 11, and digit-sum verification can be done in 2-3 seconds versus 30+ seconds with the standard algorithm. For unrelated problem types, the standard method may be just as fast. Vedic Math is best understood as a toolkit of shortcuts, not a replacement for all arithmetic.
No, provided you introduce Vedic Math as an additional tool rather than a replacement. Kids easily handle two methods for the same operation — they use the standard method on school tests where work must be shown, and Vedic methods for mental math at home or on multiple-choice tests where only the answer matters.
Vedic Math focuses on mental computation speed using shortcut rules. Singapore Math focuses on visual problem-solving using bar models and the concrete-pictorial-abstract approach. They solve different problems: Vedic for arithmetic speed, Singapore for word-problem reasoning. Many families use both — and iMasterly includes both programs free.
In most countries outside India, no. Vedic Math is typically taught through enrichment programs, weekend classes, or online platforms. It is increasingly popular in homeschool curricula and supplemental programs.
Standalone Vedic Math programs (online or in-center) typically cost $30-100/month. iMasterly includes Vedic Math free as part of K-8 multi-subject learning — alongside Singapore Math, the standard K-8 curriculum, state test prep, and 9 total subjects.
30+ Vedic Math techniques with visual animations. Free for K-8 students.
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