THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 108 IN HINDUISM
The number 108 is considered a sacred number in Hinduism. Malas or prayer beads number 108 on a string (plus one – Meru - this is a larger bead, not part of the 108). It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala.
· MATHEMATICS
The ancient Indians were excellent mathematicians and numerology has important significance in many Asian cultures. The special status of 108 may have arisen because it is the product of a precise mathematical operation which was thought to have special numerological significance. It turns out that 1 to the power 1 times 2 to the power 2 times 3 to the power 3 equals 108 (i.e. 11x22x33 = 1x4x27 = 108).
· ASTRONOMY - SUN, MOON & EARTH relationship:
One possible origin for the significance of the number 108 can be found in the ancient Indian concepts of astronomy where it was said that the sun was 108 sun-diameters away from the earth and that the moon was 108 moon-diameters away from the earth. This was remarkably accurate. The modern scientific values for these figures are that the sun is 107.6 sun-diameters from the earth and that the moon is 110.6 moon-diameters from the earth. According to NASA, the Moon’s orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle and is more of an ellipse, therefore the distance varies slightly, the average being 108. Earth’s orbit around the Sun is also an ellipse. On September 18-19 the distance of the Sun from Earth is 108 times that of the Sun’s diameter.
So, for example the diameter of the sun is approximately 864,000(1.4 million kilometres) and it is approximately 93,000,000 miles (151 million kilometres) from the earth (i.e. 1.4 x 108 =151). Another fact which was not likely to have been known by ancient Indian astronomers is that it just so happens that the sun’s diameter approximately equals 108 times the earth’s diameter.
The result of the sun and moon having the same ratio between distance and diameter is that they appear to be the nearly identical in size when viewed from the earth, when of course they are not, with the diameter of the sun being over 400 times that of the moon. This fascinating relationship also allows for total solar eclipses, where the moon obscures the sun entirely. See calculations below:
· RIG VEDA:
This could be the reasoning behind the appearance of the number 108 in the Rig Veda, the first of the four books of the Vedas. The Vedas are the scriptures that form the foundation of the early religious beliefs of Hindus. There is evidence that Vedic age astronomers made careful observations of the sun, the moon, and the planets as far back as the third millennium B.C. and this distance-diameter relationship can be determined without any instruments. Of course we can’t be sure that this remarkable astronomical fact played any role in the selection of 108 as a sacred number, but 108 (and multiples/variations of it) make appearances in the Rig Veda and in the structure of the document itself. For example, there are 10,800 stanzas in the Rig Veda and 108 is important in various aspects of the design of the Vedic fire alters that are outlined in the document.
The Rig Veda is a collection of mantras or hymns which were intended to be said aloud and were meant to symbolically take one to the sky (i.e. to the home of the Gods). Indian thought takes the outer cosmology to be mirrored in the inner cosmology of humans, so the number 108 is taken to represent the ‘distance’ from one’s body to the God within. The 108 beads of the mala then map the steps between the body and the inner sun. One is making a symbolic journey from the physical body to the heavens ⎯ traversing this distance of 108 from the earth to the sky ⎯ as they repeat 108 repetitions of their mantra.
· THE UPANISHADS are a compilation of texts which give clarity to the ultimate teachings of the Vedas. There are 108 major Upanishads.
· ASTROLOGY:
In astrological traditions, as a multiple of 12 and 9, 108 represents the nine planets in the 12 zodiac houses.
In Sanatan Dharma we have 27 Nakshatras (constellations) where every living thing is born in anyone of these Nakshatras.
The Geometric pattern, as
mentioned below, however, it is the inter-weaving of geometric patterns, not
the motion of the Moon, that gives the Nakshatras their awesome significance,
and also their relationship to the number 108.
In Vedic Science Astrology, each of these 27 constellations is further divided
into 4 parts, each consisting 3 degrees and 20minutes; these sections are known
as charan or padam that is considered a step. The total number of 27
constellations multiplied by 4 quarter each totals to 108. This signifies the
evaluation to the divine path.
· BREATHING:
In one minute, we breathe in approximately 15 times, in 1 hour 900 times, and in 12 hours 10800 times, and in a day 10800 x 2 breaths.
Lord Shiva was asked to pronounce on adding value to breath. He said when we realise that the soul in each of us should be channelled towards the Supreme Soul, then breath carries value. This was His declaration, सोऽहम् (So-a-ham) which carries three syllables and means “I am He”. The first three digits in the 10800 breaths (108) carry this significance.
·
HEART CHAKRA:
There are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart
chakra.
· RIVER GANGA:
The sacred River Ganga spans a longitude of 12 degrees (79 to 91), and latitude of 9 degrees (22 to 31). 12 x 9 = 108.
· THE SUPREME:
If you number the consonants from 1 to 33 and the vowels from 1 to 15 (See Table 1 below), the sum of the letters in the names Seeta and Ram add up to 108 and Raadha and Krishna also. See examples below using Table 1:
सीता (Seeta) राम (Ram)
(32+4+16+2 = 54) + (27+2+25 = 54) = 108
राधा (Raadha) कृष्ण (Krishna)
(27+2+19+2 = 50) + (1+11+31+15 = 58) = 108
TABLE 1
Hindi Consonants |
Vowels |
1 2 3 4 5 क ख ग घ ङ 6 7 8 9 10 च छ ज झ ञ |
1 2 3 4 अ आ इ ई 5 6 7 8 उ ऊ ए ऐ |
11 12 13 14 15 ट ठ ड ढ ण |
9 10 11 12 ओ औ ऋ अं |
16 17 18 19 20 त थ द ध न |
|
21 22 23 24 25 प फ ब भ म |
|
26 27 28 29 य र ल व |
|
30 31 32 33 श ष स ह |
CONCLUSION
Apart from the above reasons, perhaps 108 was given special status because of its relationship to the number 9, which also has been considered an important number in Hinduism as well as other Asian cultures.
Some examples follow:
· According to Indian mythology, there are 4 Yugs
1. Satyug - consists of 172,800 years: 1+7+2+8 =18 (1+8 = 9)
2. TretaYug consists of 1,296,000 years: 1+2+9+6 =18 (1+8 = 9)
3. DwaparYug consists of 864,000 years: (8+6+4) = 18 (1+8 = 9)
4. Kaliyug consists of 432,000 years (4+3+2) = 9
· When multiplied # 9 always reproduces itself. See Table 2:
TABLE 2
1 x 9 = 09 |
0+9 = 9 |
The sum of the product of the number 9 like God always maintains its value as the highest numeral. In like manner, the sum of the product of life reaches its highest value when it makes contact with God. |
2 x 9 = 18 |
1+8 = 9 |
|
3 x 9 = 27 |
2+7 = 9 |
|
4 x 9 = 36 |
3+6 = 9 |
|
5 x 9 = 45 |
4+5 = 9 |
|
6 x 9 = 54 |
5+4 = 9 |
|
7 x 9 = 63 |
6+3 = 9 |
|
8 x 9 = 72 |
7+2 = 9 |
|
9 x 9 = 81 |
8+1 = 9 |
|
,,,,and so on forever |
· What do the digits 1, 0 and 8 represent?
1 represents the individual
0 represents the world
8 represents Maya (illusion) (See Table 3 below)
--
9 represents God
· # 8 represents Maya (Illusion)
TABLE 3
1 x 8 = 08 |
0 + 8 = 8 |
The sum of the product of the number 8 reduces in value except when it comes into contact with God – 9 (and its multiples) and only then its value is increased. If we get caught in the web of Maya (8), the sum of the product of life decreases in value. |
2 x 8 = 16 |
1+6 = 7 |
|
3 x 8 = 24 |
2+4 = 6 |
|
4 x 8 = 32 |
3+2 = 5 |
|
5 x 8 = 40 |
4+0 = 4 |
|
6 x 8 = 48 |
4+8 = 12; 1+2 = 3 |
|
7 x 8 = 56 |
5 +6 = 11; 1+1 = 2 |
|
8 x 8 = 64 |
6 +4 = 10; 1+0 = 1 |
|
9 x 8 = 72 |
7+2 =9 |
|
,,,,and so on forever |
· Dharamopdesha Part 1 by Pandit S. Jadoonanan Misra
· Various religious texts
Sanatan Vidwad Vidyalaya, Hindu School of Theology