Twig Talk — The Scientific Logic behind 108

108 is a Scared number that is of huge significance, especially in ancient Hindu Mythology. Over the years, we have lost the understanding and significance of these things, but these blatant facts managed to pass on.

Ever wondered by your grandparents’s mala had 108 beads? Or why most in most Pooja’s the mantra is repeated108 times? Rushing to your granny to check? After digging a few details and taking cues from your Dadi’s stories, one can link the importance of the number 108 to the depth of knowledge the ancient Hindu Culture holds.

Significance of 108 :

1. The diameter of the Sun multiplied by 108 equals the distance between the Sun and Earth
2. The diameter of the Moon multiplied by 108 equals the distance between Earth and Moon.
3. The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth.
4. There are 108 marma points, considered to be sacred places in the body. In Ayurveda, these pressure points are seen as vital for giving life to living beings for it is at these points that consciousness and flesh intersect.
5. There are 108 nadis, or energy lines, which converge to form the heart chakra.
6. According to yogic tradition, there are 108 sacred sites known as pithas, throughout India.

1. There are 108 Upanishads (a collection of Indian religious and philosophical texts from as early as 800 BCE) and 108 Puranas (Sanskrit sacred writings on Hindu mythology from as early as 400 BCE).
2. There are 54 letters in Sanskrit, where each can be seen as either masculine (Shiva) or feminine (Shakti), and therefore totaling 108.

This is a mere reflection of how deeply connected were the human bodies and universe which could arrive at some many astronomical and medical knowledge without complex and advanced scientific theories of today.

Twig Gyaan :

An interesting way to look at the numbers is the interpretation of each digit.

1: Stands for God signifying there is ONE supreme power
0: Stands for Emptiness and the “SHUNYA” or completeness in spiritual practice
8: Stands for Infinity or eternity