Numbers and Hinduism
NUMBERS AND HINDUISM
Hey Guys! I'm back with another article, on a subject that I'm studying
at present, Mathematics. Hope it makes sense. And let us learn more about what
we have had in Mathematics since the time of creation of this world. I might be
including instances of Mathematical contributions by Indians, and their
respective counterparts from other Philosophies of the world.
Cheerio,
Soups 😊
PS - For those who are not very fond of Math, I must say you're missing
out on something great. (Not that you need to love Math with all your heart,
but you can at least see some wonderful stuff that's out there, governing our
history and mythology!)
Indians have contributed a lot to the field of Mathematics in general.
Invention of the Number "ZERO" or "SHUNYA” by the Scholar
Pingala as it is called in Sanskrit is an important contribution to the number
system. There is a text by name Brahmasphuta Siddhanta which talks entirely of
special theories of Mathematics. This text is the first to mention zero. There
are many well-known Mathematicians who have emerged from India, who have
existed since the Indus Valley Civilization till the present day, some of whom
are:
Aryabhata, Brahmagupta (Author of the Brahmasphuta Siddhanta), Bhaskara,
Satyendra Bose, Srinivasa Ramanujam, Manjul Bhargav etc.
All these people have contributed something to Mathematics. But, if we
visualize the world that we live in, in religious terms, there is a great
significance of numbers in our lives. I'm going to try and give as many insights
into this area as possible. But of course, there can be differences in
different theories.
Every number from 0 to 9 has an importance in our History and Mythology.
I'll just give the important ideas of each of these numbers and I'll then talk
of the numbers that symbolize one of the greatest ideas in the existence of the
universe.
- 0 - Shunya or Zero, when was discovered,
implied just nothing. One needed a nothingness to understand something
that exists. In the Hindu Philosophy, Shunya refers to the Nirguna Brahman
who is formless and still is the cause of many thing in the world to
exist, just as how any number has a greater value when a zero is added to
its right. It is the exact depiction of the Primordial Being, which has
nothing and yet everything.
- 1 - Eka or One, is a symbol of the
Saguna Brahman or the awakened Brahman. It is this form of the Brahman
that created the holy Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara and all the
other gods. Eka symbolizes the essence of Aatma Tatva, where there is only
one Aatma in the world and everything is born of it, dies and merges
within it. It is a state of non-dualities.
- 2 - Dvi or Two, symbolizes the only
sign of the dual aspects of our creation, The Purusha and Prakriti or the
symbolization of the Male and Female forms of the world. From the Purusha
emerges the forms of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, while Prakriti is the
origin of the holy Female Trinity, Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati. It is
believed that the Brahman had just been visualized as spilt into two just
for entertainment purposes.
- 3 - Triaha or Three, is the idea of the third
being called Rta, born of the union of the Prakriti and the Purusha. This
Rta is a symbol of orderliness and regularity. Rta or Rtam is commonly
understood in English as Rhythm. Three in Hinduism is the 3 forms of
Prakriti and the 3 forms of Purusha. Three also has many other examples
that we can see, Trinetra or 3 eyes of Shiva, Trishula (Trident or weapon
with 3 sharp pointed ends), 3 worlds or Triloka (Bhooloka, Antarloka and
Shivaloka), 3 Qualities or Triguna (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas), 3 visions of
time or Trikala Darshi (Of Present[Vartamana], Past[Bhoota],
Future[Bhavishyat]) etc. The symbol of Om (Pronounced AUM) is an
amalgamation of 3 sound syllables, "A", "U" and
"Ma".
- 4 - Chatura or Four, represents the idea that Rta
by itself will not be able to function on its own without a set of rules,
regulations and ideas. Then comes the fourth being into existence, The
Dharma (which is known as eternal righteousness or Sanatana Dharma). The
functioning of Rta is better with the existence of Sanatana Dharma, with
better balance in the world. Examples of the number 4 are: Four heads of
Brahma, Four Purushartha's (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha), Four hands of
Gods and Goddesses, Four Varnas or Castes (Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya
and Shudra), Four Stages or Ashrama's of life (Brahmacharya, Grihasta,
Vanaprastha, Sanyasa) etc.
- 5 - Pancha or Five, symbolises aspects of the
human body and represents the Earth, which is the 5th of the Pancha
Mahabhuta. There are a lot of Examples for the number 5: Pancha Mahabhuta
(Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Ether), 5 sense organs, 5 breaths of life, 5
arrows made of flowers that is held by Manmatha, the holy offering made to
the Hindu Deities called the Panchamrita (Made of Milk, Yogurt, Honey,
Sugar and Ghee [Clarified Butter]).
- 6 – Shashta or Six, is a representation of the
Human Mind, which is the 6th important sense organ. The mind can
think and direct the body to work as per situations. The Human mind
consists of 6 faculties or powers or abilities: Reason, Emotion, Thought,
Awareness, Knowledge and Intelligence; It also consists of 6 vices that
eventually destroys any human: Lust, Anger, Greed, Pride, Delusion and
Envy. This is exactly why the human mind needs to be controlled, else the
wandering mind is never at peace and therefore the human also loses all
his peace. Examples of 6: Six Vedangas (The 6 limbs of the Vedas, namely,
Phonetics, Prosody, Grammar, Etymology, Ritualistic Instructions and
Astronomy), Six Tantras, Six Schools of Hindu Philosophy, A six-sided
hexagon that is a symbol used to worship Goddess Durga.
- 7 – Sapta or Seven, represents the earthly
plane. As per the abridged version of the Gayatri Mantra, one knows of the
3 worlds: Bhu or Bhur, Bhuva, Swah. But there are 4 more worlds that are
described in the unabridged versions of the Gayatri Mantra, as mentioned
in the Puranas: Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, Satya or Brahmaloka.
Examples of seven are: The Sapta Loka (As mentioned above), The Sapta
Rishis (Seven Sages, namely, Agastya, Atri, Bhrigu, Bharadwaja, Gautama,
Jamadagni, Vasishta and Vishwamitra), The Sapta Dweepa (7 islands), The
Sapta Samudra (The Seven seas), The Sapta Kshetra (7 holy war lands), The
Sapta Matrika (The 7 forms of Mother Parvati), The Seven Layers of
Consciousness of the Human Body, The Sapta Puri (The Seven holy places),
The Sapta Nadi (7 holy rivers) etc.
- 8 – Ashta or Eight, represents the division of
space and its components. It also represents completeness. The most famous
example of 8 in the present day, that expresses completeness is the famous
Octet Rule in Chemistry, where any atom cannot have more than 8 electrons
in its valence shell. Atomic Number 8, which is Oxygen is known as a
stable element. Some other examples are: 8 Adityas, 8 Rudras, 8 Vasus,
Lord Shiva has 8 forms (The beautiful (Saumya) and terrifying forms are 8
each), Goddess Lakshmi has 8 forms, Lord Vishnu has 8 corresponding
Shakti's to the 8 forms of Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Vishnu and Goddess
Lakshmi are worshipped with the number 8 (Ashtakshara Mantra's), There are
8 Dikpalakas (Lords of Direction of Space), Ashtaanga Namaskaram (The
human body performs the 8-fold salutation), Yoga has 8 elements (Yama,
Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi) etc.
- 9 - Nava or Nine, is the
highest and the most important number of Hinduism. Nine holds a special
place in Hinduism. It is an indicative of the highest order of thought
(The Hindu Sanatana Dharma). It is also believed that the cosmos thrives
on the number Nine. The greatest energies of the cosmos combine and are
the most effective in any element of the "Nine". Examples of
Nine: Navarasa (The 9 emotions), Navaratri (9 nights of worship to Goddess
Parvati), Navagraha (Nine Planets), Navadurga (Nine forms of Mother
Durga), 9 Treasures of wealth possessed by Kubera, the human body has 9
openings - 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils, 2 excretory openings and the
Navel), The 9 forms of worship mentioned in the Bhagavata Puranam
(Shravanam, Keertanam, Mananam, Padaseva, Archanam, Mantram, Seva, Maitri
and Sharanam) etc.
Dasha or Ten (10) is also a number that has a significance, but I won't
be taking it much in detail as it is a 2-digit number. 10 is a representation
of the combination of Nirguna and Saguna Brahman (1, 0). It refers to eternal
awakening, the realization of Atman. Examples: Dashanana (Ravan who had 10
heads), Dasha-Disha (10 directions), Dasha Matrika (10 motherly forms of
Goddess Parvati), Dashavatar (The famous 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu).
Now Hinduism specifically focuses on certain numbers that are of utmost
significance for well-being.
I would be mentioning them but
focusing on 3 of them:
1.
Shunya (0)
2.
Eka (1)
3.
Triaha (3)
4.
Sapta (7)
5.
Ashtaadasha (18)
6.
Ashtottara Shatam (108)
7.
Ananta (Infinity - ∞)
Ashtaadasha is a symbolism of the entire Mahabharata. It had 18
chapters, 18 days of war,18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, The Original name of
the Mahabharata, Jaya has a numerological total of 18 (The word
"Jaya" as per numerology totals up to 18).
I will be talking about 3 of the important numbers mentioned above:
·
Ashtottara Shatam - 108 Signifies Balance in
the world. It represents the basis of creation, the existence of the cosmos. It
is the symbolic representation of the Nirguna and Saguna Brahman (not number
10, but number 9). 108 is both useful and harmful to the world. Sum of 1+0+8 =
9 which represents the cosmic energy. It is the representation of our birth,
rebirth, death and salvation, or in other terms, the cycle of life
Eg:
i.
There are 108 Mukhya Shivagana's (Attendants of Lord Shiva),
ii.
The Samudra Manthan involved 54 Gods and 54 demons churning the Ksheer
Sagar together making a total of 108
iii.
Suryanamaskar is always performed 108 times to receive maximum health
benefits
iv.
As per the Vaishnava Traditions, there are 108 Divya Deshams or holy
places of Worship of Lord Vishnu
v.
There were 108 Gopikas in Vrindavan who were part of Lord Krishna's life
vi.
As per Ayurveda, there are 108 pressure points or Marma points in the Human
body which can be tapped for cosmic energy.
vii.
108 Degree Fahrenheit is a point where the human body starts to fail due
to over heating
viii.
Mantras are recited 108 times
ix.
The diameter of the Sun to the Diameter of the Earth and the distance
between the Sun and the Earth is 108 times. The same holds for the Earth and
the Moon.
x.
The famous Theatre treatise, Natyashastra talks of 108 Karanas or
Movements.
xi.
In Sanskrit, there is this concept called the Harshad Number (108) that
is a symbol of Joy. It is represented by an Integer divided by the sum of its
digits.
xii.
The basis for Astrology is 108 (12 Houses, 9 Planets: 12 x 9 = 108)
xiii.
Every Pentagon that is formed, each angle formed by two adjacent lines
is 108 Degrees.
xiv.
It is believed that there are 108 feelings, 36 of the past, 36 of the
present and 36 of the future.
xv.
River Ganga spreads over 12 degrees of Longitude (79 to 91), and 9
Degrees of Latitude (22 to 31) = 108
xvi.
Silver has an atomic number of 108 and is a representation of the moon.
xvii. The Shree Yantra
includes Marmas where lines intersect in 54 spots, each for masculine and feminine
aspects making it 108.
xviii. There are 108
Desires, Lies and Delusions that Humans go through.
xix.
There are 108 energy lines in the human body that converge to the Heart
Chakra.
·
Ashta – Ananta: The 8 – Infinity
If one just inverts the Number 8 by 90
Degrees, one gets infinity. 8 and Infinity are closely related. 8 is ∞ and ∞ is
8. As per one source I read, I came across this beautiful comparison. The first
thing one can picturise when I say “Shesha-Shaayi Narayana”, is that of Lord
Vishnu resting on the Greatest of Serpents, Adi Shesha who is also known as
Ananta.
As per Sanskrit grammar, The word,
अनन्तः which can be split as न अन्तः इति अनन्तः, which means: Because ‘IT’ doesn’t (न) have an end (अन्तः), it is called endless or in easier terms, Infinity (अनन्तः). So, the Great Snake Ananta or Shesha represents
infinite time. Ananta also represents Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi represent
8 (As mentioned in the description for number 8). Since Lord Vishnu and Goddess
Lakshmi are seated and are resting on the Shesha, we can assume that there is
infinite stability in the world. Everything in the Ksheer Sagar is absolutely
sublime and one finds nothing but bliss in viewing that. Infinity and 8 are mainly
associated with time. The scene of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi seated on
Shesha represents, Prakriti in its purest form, that Prakriti which is
creative, protective and destructive. Adi Shesha is called Shesha because,
after Pralaya or the cosmic flood of destruction, he is the only thing that
remains (शेश).
One interesting
that I found (which I also practice) is the 8 – walk.
This exercise is famous
in the south of India and is one of the best solutions to all physical
diseases. One needs to just mark points on the ground in the form of an 8 and
walk along the points for about ½ an hour every day, focusing on the breath.
The benefits:
1.
All our organs in the body are activated.
2.
Nostrils and lungs get cleared while walking.
3.
The body is energised by the greater intake of air.
4.
Stomach related issues are cleared.
5.
Eyesight improves.
6.
All nerves in the body, which converge at the feet
get activated, thus improving the functioning of all the organs.
This
kind of walk makes us eternally happy! So, the 8 - walk, makes us fit for as
long as we live (which is in our terms infinite) 😊
This is totally unrelated, but I thought I’d just
mention this Shloka, which talks of Krishna 😊
गोपीभाग्यमधुव्रात श्रृङ्गिशोदधिसन्धिग ।
खलजीवितखाताव गलहालारसंघर।।
खलजीवितखाताव गलहालारसंघर।।
This means, “O Lord! Anointed with the
yogurt of the milkmaids’ worship, O saviour of the fallen, O master protect me!”
What is interesting here is that, this
Shloka is composed in a meter called “Anushtup Chhandas” and has the value of (p/10) up to about 32 decimal places.
See!! Nothing can make anyone escape from
Mathematics. It might be difficult at times, but is nothing but wonder! 😉
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