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🪷 Vedic Maths Multiplication Tricks (and When Not to Use Them)
Vedic maths tricks can turn 98 × 97 into a two-second sum. But a trick only helps when the numbers fit it. The real skill is spotting the pattern first, and knowing when the ordinary column method is quicker.
1. Nikhilam: numbers close to 100
For 98 × 97, see how far each number is from 100: 2 and 3.
- Cross-subtract: 98 − 3 = 95 (or 97 − 2, the same).
- Multiply the gaps: 2 × 3 = 06 (always two digits for base 100).
- Join them: 9506.
It works above 100 too. 103 × 107: 103 + 7 = 110, and 3 × 7 = 21, giving 11021.
2. Same tens, ones that add to 10
46 × 44: the tens are both 4 and the ones add to 10. Multiply 4 × 5 (the tens digit times one more) = 20, then 6 × 4 = 24. Answer: 2024.
3. Squares ending in 5
35²: 3 × 4 = 12, then write 25 on the end: 1225. This is the same rule as above, since 35 × 35 has the same tens and its ones add to 10.
4. Times 11
23 × 11: split the digits and put their sum in the middle: 2 (2 + 3) 3 = 253. If the middle sum is 10 or more, carry 1.
5. Make a round number
125 × 48: 125 × 8 = 1000, and 48 = 8 × 6, so the answer is 1000 × 6 = 6000. This one is really a factor trick, not a sūtra, but it is just as fast.
When NOT to use a trick
Try 37 × 24. The numbers are not near a base, the tens differ, and nothing makes a round number. Here the plain method is best: 37 × 4 = 148, 37 × 20 = 740, total 888. Forcing a trick onto the wrong numbers is slower and causes mistakes.
| If you see… | Try… |
|---|---|
| Both numbers near 10, 100 or 1000 | Nikhilam |
| Same tens, ones adding to 10 | Tens × (tens + 1), then ones × ones |
| A number ending in 5, squared | n × (n + 1), then 25 |
| × 11 | Split and add |
| 5, 25 or 125 with an even partner | Make 10, 100 or 1000 |
| None of these | Column method |
A note on the name
“Vedic Maths” is a modern system published in 1965 by Bharati Krishna Tirtha. Its link to the ancient Vedas is debated by historians, but the methods themselves are correct algebra, and each one can be proved.
Want to see every method side by side? Type any multiplication into the Many Ways solver in the BeadBop app. It shows each method that fits, checks every answer, and suggests the best fit for those numbers.
Quick answers
What is the Nikhilam method in Vedic maths?
A way to multiply numbers close to a base like 10, 100 or 1000. Find how far each number is from the base, cross-subtract (or add) for the left part, and multiply the gaps for the right part. 98 × 97 = 95 | 06 = 9506.
Is Vedic maths faster than normal multiplication?
Only when the numbers fit a pattern. For numbers near 100, ending in 5, or with matching tens it is much faster; for numbers like 37 × 24 the column method is usually quicker.
At what age should children learn Vedic maths?
Most children are ready once they know their times tables well, usually around Class 4 or 5 (age 9–10). Younger children benefit more from abacus and number-sense work first.