At a glance संक्षेप

Four ways to arrive at 108

In the sky आकाश

The Sun, the Moon and the Earth

Three of the most quoted facts about 108 come from the sizes and distances of the Sun, Moon and Earth. Modern measurements put each ratio between about 107 and 110. That is close enough that many teachers describe 108 as the number that binds the three together.

In Vedic astrology (Jyotisha)

• Jyotisha uses nine grahas: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu (the north lunar node) and Ketu (the south lunar node). Nine grahas across twelve signs give 108.
• The 27 nakshatras each have four padas, giving 108 padas in all. They spread evenly across the zodiac, nine padas to each of the twelve signs.
• Jyotisha is lunar-centred, and the Moon is linked with silver. The atomic weight of silver is about 108 (107.87).

In sacred texts and places शास्त्र

Upanishads, divine names and holy sites

• 108 Upanishads. The Upanishads, whose name is often read as “sitting near” the teacher, unfold the wisdom of the Vedas. Scholars count them differently. The Muktika Upanishad, however, lists a canon of 108.
• 108 names of the divine. Many deities are honoured with an Ashtottara Shatanamavali, a litany of 108 names chanted in worship.
• 108 Divya Desams. In the Sri Vaishnava tradition, 108 temples are celebrated as Vishnu’s holy abodes.
• 108 Shakti Pithas. Some texts, such as the Devi Bhagavata Purana, list 108 seats of the Goddess; other lists give 51 or 52. They come from the story of Sati. After she gave up her life in her father Daksha’s sacrificial fire, a grieving Shiva carried her body across the cosmos. Her body was divided, and wherever a part fell to earth a sacred Pitha arose. Most are found near water, said to carry the Goddess’s energy.
• The Sri Yantra. Its interlocking triangles meet at 54 marma points. Each point has a masculine (Shiva) and a feminine (Shakti) quality, and 54 × 2 = 108. The yantra is said to mirror both the cosmos and the human body.

In the body शरीर

Marma points, chakras and nadis

Hindu thought holds that the outer cosmos is mirrored in the inner self. The body carries the same number.

• Marma points. In Ayurveda, marma points are junctions where muscle, vein, ligament, bone and joint meet. Prana, the vital life force, gathers there, along with the three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The Sushruta Samhita describes 107 marmas, and the mind is often counted as the 108th. They fall into three groups: Shakha (the limbs), Madhyamanga (the trunk) and Urdhvajatru (the neck and head). The major marmas correspond to the seven chakras.
• The heart chakra. The seven chakras run from the crown of the head to the base of the spine. At the centre of the chest, Anahata, the heart chakra, is said to be formed where 108 nadis (energy channels) converge. Opening it is linked with love, compassion and joy.
• The path inward. It is said that 108 units separate us from the divine within. Each repetition of a mantra moves us one step closer, which is why a full round of japa is 108.

In the breath प्राण

108 and pranayama

Yogic tradition counts about 21,600 breaths in a 24-hour day. Half belong to the day and the sun, half to the night and the moon.

The same number guides practice. Kriya Yoga traditionally sets 108 repetitions as the upper limit for a single sitting. Some traditions also describe 108 styles of meditation.

In practice जप

The mala: 108 beads and a guru bead

A traditional mala has 108 beads plus one larger guru (or sumeru) bead, around which the others turn like planets around the sun. The mala keeps count while you repeat a mantra. That leaves the mind free to rest in the sound.

How to meditate with a mala

1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and set an intention.
2. Hold the mala in your right hand, draped over your middle finger. Traditionally the index finger, said to represent the ego, does not touch the beads.
3. Start at the bead next to the guru bead. Recite your mantra, aloud or silently, and draw one bead toward you with your thumb.
4. Continue bead by bead for 108 repetitions. When you reach the guru bead again, don’t cross it. Turn the mala around if you want to begin another round.

Some mala makers read the digits themselves: 1 for the One, the divine or your highest truth; 0 for emptiness and humility in practice; 8 for infinity and timelessness. Others say there are 108 stages on the journey of the soul.

In mathematics गणित

A number of wholeness

India gave the world the decimal place-value system and the concept of zero, and its mathematicians saw 108 as a number of wholeness. It has some unusual properties:

Beyond Hinduism विश्व

108 around the world

• Buddhism speaks of 108 kleshas (defilements, or “earthly desires”), such as arrogance, obsession and anger. Freedom from them is the path out of suffering. In Japan, temple bells ring 108 times on New Year’s Eve (Joya no Kane), one strike for each.
• Stonehenge’s great sarsen stone circle measures roughly 108 feet across.
• India’s 108 is the free ambulance and emergency number in many states.
• Even baseball joins in. In 2016 the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years.