Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 2

Indian

SPIRITUAL

SIGNIFICANCE OF NUMBER

of energy lines and there are a total of 108 energy


lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of
them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra and is said
to be the path to Self-realization.

NUMERICAL SCALE - The 1 of 108, and the 8 of 108,


when added together equals 9, which is the number of
the numerical scale, where 0 is not a number.
MEDITATIONS - There are 108 styles of meditation.

SANSKRIT ALPHABET - There are 54 letters in the


Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine,
shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.
PRANAYAMA - If one is able to be so calm in
meditation has to have only 108 breaths in a day and
enlightenment will come.

BREATH - Tantra estimates the average number of


breaths per day at 21,600, of which 10,800 are solar
energy and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying
108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals
21,600.
PATHS TO GOD - There are 108 paths to God.

UPANISHADS - There are 108 Upanishads, texts of


the wisdom of the ancient sages.
SRI YANTRA - On the Sri Yantra there are marmas
where three lines intersect and there are 54 such
intersections. Each intersections has masculine and
feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals
108.

IN HINDUISM
108 has a very important role in Hinduism. One can see that many aspects of Hinduism are
related to the number 108. 108 is considered to be a spiritually powerful and auspicious.
108 is an abundant number and a semiperfect number. It is a tetranacci number.
Mukhya Shivaganas are 108 in number and hence Shaiva sects, particularly Lingayats, use 108 Rudraksha
beaded lace for japa. They recite supreme lord Shivas 108 names daily during their morning Shivapuja.
In Gaudiya Vaishnavism, there are 108 gopis of Vrindavan. Recital of these names, often accompanied by
the counting of a 108-beaded mala and is considered sacred and often done during religious ceremonies.
Srivaishnavism has 108 Divya Kshetras of Lord Vishnu, called as 108 DivyaDesam.
The well known bas-relief carving at the famous Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia relates the Hindu story of a
serpent being pulled back and forth by 108 gods and asuras (demons), 54 gods pulling one way, and 54 asuras
pulling the other, to churn the ocean of milk in order to produce the elixir of immortality.
According to the Oriental Architecture site there are 5 monumental guardian gates to the fortified temple
city of Angkor Thom. In front of each gate stand giant statues of 54 gods (to the left of the causeway) and 54
demons (to the right of the causeway), totaling 108, which represent the churning of the ocean.

9 TIMES 12 - Both of these numbers have been said to


have spiritual significance in many traditions. 9 times
12 is 108.

(Harshad is from Sanskrit, and means great joy)

POWERS OF 1, 2, AND 3 IN MATH - 1 to 1st power=1;


2 to 2nd power=4 (2x2); 3 to 3rd power=27 (3x3x3).
1x4x27=108

LIES - There are 108 lies that humans tell.

HARSHAD NUMBER - 108 is a Harshad number,


which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits
78

WWW.WISHESH.COM | JUNE 2015

DESIRES - There are 108 earthly desires in mortals.

DELUSIONS - There are 108 human delusions or


forms of ignorance.
HEART CHAKRA - The chakras are the intersections

PENTAGON - The angle formed by two adjacent lines


in a pentagon which equals 108 degrees.
MARMAS - Marmas or marmasthanas are like energy
intersections called chakras. There are 108 marmas in
the subtle body.
TIME - There are 108 feelings, 36 related to the past,
36 related to the present and 36 related to the future.
ASTROLOGY - There are 12 constellations and 9 arc
segments called namshas or chandrakalas. 9 times
12 equals 108. Chandra is moon, and kalas are the
divisions within a whole.
RIVER GANGA - The sacred River Ganga spans a
longitude of 12 degrees (79 to 91), and a latitude of 9
degrees (22 to 31). 12 times 9 equals 108.
PLANETS AND HOUSES - In astrology, there are 12
houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.
1, 0, AND 8 - 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands
for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice
and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.
SUN AND EARTH - The diameter of the Sun is 108
times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the
Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.

SMALLER DIVISIONS - The number 108 is divided,


such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some
malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads.
HINDUISM - 108 is said to refer to the number of
Hindu deities. Each of the deities has 108 names.
Not only in Hinduism, but also in other religions also
number 108 has significance. Below are some of the
information one should know when thinking about the
number 108.
ISLAM - The number 108 is used in Islam to refer to
God.
JAIN - 108 are the combined virtues of five categories
of holy ones, including 12, 8, 36, 25, and 27 virtues
respectively.
SIKH - The Sikh tradition has a mala of 108 knots tied
in a string of wool, rather than beads.
BUDDHISM - Buddhists carve 108 small Buddhas
on a walnut for good luck. Some ring a bell 108 times
to celebrate a new year. There are 108 virtues to
cultivate and 108 defilements to avoid.
CHINESE - The Chinese Buddhists and Taoists use
108 bead mala, which is called su-chu and has three
dividing beads, the mala is divided into three parts of
36 each. Chinese astrology says that there are 108
sacred stars.
STAGES OF THE SOUL - Atman, the human soul goes
through 108 stages on the journey.
DANCE - There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian
traditions.

MOON AND EARTH - The average distance of the


Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the
Moon.

PRAISEWORTHY SOULS - There are 108 qualities of


praiseworthy souls.

SILVER AND THE MOON - In astrology, the metal


silver is said to represent the moon. The atomic weight
of silver is 108.

FIRST MAN IN SPACE - The first manned space flight


lasted 108 minutes, and was on April 12, 1961 by Yuri
Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut.
JUNE 2015 | WWW.WISHESH.COM

79

Indian

SPIRITUAL

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18. Verse 66

Shloka

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja

IGNORE
OTHER
RELIGIONS,
SURRENDER
UNTO ME, I
WILL TAKE
CARE
I am the Supreme Lord.
Others depend on me for
survival. Hence surrender
unto me

aham tvam sarva-papebhyo


moksayisyami ma sucah
Meaning of Verse
Abandon all varieties of religion and
just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver
you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.

Meaning of Shloka

sarva-dharman - all varieties of


religion
parityajya - abandon
mam - unto Me
ekam - only
saranam - surrender
vraja - go
aham - I
tvam - you
sarva - all
papebhyah - from sinful
reactions
moksayisyami - deliver
ma - not

Explanation
Supreme Lord Krishna reveals the conclusion to
the essence of all knowledge. Relinquishing all
conceptions of religiosity by indomitable faith can
lead to complete salvation and redemption will come
naturally through bhakti or exclusive loving devotion
unto the Supreme Lord Krishna as authorised in the
Vedic scriptures. By this determined conviction, that
nothing else is required or necessary other than
totally surrendering to Him and the Supreme Lord
Himself personally promises moksa or liberation to
such devotees.
Sarva-dharma parityagya means renouncing
all conceptions of what one thinks or imagines
religiosity to be. This does not mean to renounce
the righteousness for righteousness. All jivas
or embodied beings are always attuned and in
harmony with the Supreme Lord. Ultimate goal
of all religious and spiritual conceptions is to be
communion with the Supreme Lord Krishna. One
must have realisation of their atma or immortal soul
within the ethenic heart. After surrendering and
taking exclusive refuge in Him alone, one is blessed
by the Supreme Lord and by His grace, He, Himself
will accomplish this for His devotee.
Knowing the absolute paramount position of the
Supreme Lord Krishna as the creator, maintainer,
protector and sustainer of all creation, one who is
spiritually intelligent have to incessantly attune
themselves in adoring Him with bhakti or exclusive
loving devotion.
Lord Sri Krishna has described various kinds of
knowledge, processes of religion, knowledge of the
Supreme Brahman, knowledge of the Supersoul,
knowledge of the different types of orders and
statuses of social life, knowledge of the renounced
order of life, knowledge of non-attachment, sense
and mind control, meditation, etc through different
chapters. There is no need of strenuous effort to
free oneself from sinful reactions, instead one
should unhesitatingly accept Krsna as the supreme
savior of all living entities. With faith and love, one
should surrender unto Him. And then, one should
be confident that in all circumstances Krsna will
protect him from all difficulties.
Simply by surrendering unto Krsna, one can make
all progress at once and be freed from all sinful
reaction. This is what Lord Sri Krishna says - aham
tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah - I
shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.

sucah worry
80

WWW.WISHESH.COM | JUNE 2015

JUNE 2015 | WWW.WISHESH.COM

81

You might also like