10-21-2006, 04:27 AM
On the origin of number 108 from OM
The number 108 is quite significant in Hinduism. Even the rosary used during Hindu prayers has 108 beads. There are several legends about the significance of this number and they are mentioned in âThe Significance of the number 108â -- http://www.salagram.net/108meaning.html
In addition to the reasons mentioned in the above article about auspiciousness of number 108, there is another possibility (not considered earlier) as indicated below.
The number 108, for example, may be some kind of numeral representation (in some ancient language, Brahmi, Sanskrit or Tibetan, etc.) of the holy word Om, expanded and written as âaumâ or âom:â in that (or other) language.
In other words, the letters / sounds âaâ, âuâ and âmâ (or âoâ, âmâ and â:â), written in some ancient language, appear identical or somewhat similar, respectively, to the numbers 1, 0 and 8 expressed in the same or another language.
This could have given rise to number 108 becoming the numeral form of the holy word OM (expressed as AUM or OM. Thus the number 108 would be used widely in many legends, religious rituals and articles (e.g. the number of beads in a rosary).
- Seva
The number 108 is quite significant in Hinduism. Even the rosary used during Hindu prayers has 108 beads. There are several legends about the significance of this number and they are mentioned in âThe Significance of the number 108â -- http://www.salagram.net/108meaning.html
In addition to the reasons mentioned in the above article about auspiciousness of number 108, there is another possibility (not considered earlier) as indicated below.
The number 108, for example, may be some kind of numeral representation (in some ancient language, Brahmi, Sanskrit or Tibetan, etc.) of the holy word Om, expanded and written as âaumâ or âom:â in that (or other) language.
In other words, the letters / sounds âaâ, âuâ and âmâ (or âoâ, âmâ and â:â), written in some ancient language, appear identical or somewhat similar, respectively, to the numbers 1, 0 and 8 expressed in the same or another language.
This could have given rise to number 108 becoming the numeral form of the holy word OM (expressed as AUM or OM. Thus the number 108 would be used widely in many legends, religious rituals and articles (e.g. the number of beads in a rosary).
- Seva