Significance & Symbolism of Numbers – Hindu perspective

Om! Gam! Ganapathaye! Namaha!

Om! Sri Raghavendraya Namaha!

Om! Namo! Bhagavathe! Vasudevaya!

  Om! Ham! Hanumathe! Sri Rama Doothaya Namaha!

Usage of numbers is prevailing in the world since time immemorial and has become an integral and eternal part of the day to day life in the world economy and civilization. Pythagoras the famous mathematician and philosopher believed that all things are numbers and number is within of all things. Numbers rule the universe. Number is the ruler of forms and ideas. In the words of Bertrand Russell, numbers are eternal and not in time. Number is the explanation of the world and understanding of numbers is   essential to the knowledge.

Plato called the study of number symbolism "the highest level of knowledge". Pythagoras believed numbers had souls, as well as magical powers. He divided the numbers into two groups odd and even, male and female, light and dark etc. St. Augustine of Hippo wrote that, "Numbers are the universal language offered by the deity to humans as confirmation of the truth." Similar to Pythagoras, he too believed that everything had numerical relationships and it was up to the mind to seek and investigate the secrets of these relationships or have them revealed by divine grace.

Starting from a home-maker right up to head of the nation and starting from a kinder garden learner right up to a research scholar everybody keeps battling with these numbers in day to day life. There is nothing one can do that does not involve application of numbers. Without numbers there is no standardization set in any field.  Perhaps there may not be any field which does not use the numbers or any day in human life which passes through without the usage of numbers. Astrology is closely associated with numbers and astrological calculations and predictions are based on numbers. Science of Numerology is exclusively based on the study of numbers and its vibrations. It believes that numbers presage the events to unfold in our lives and they are the framework within which we live.

Hindu perspective

Although the significance of numbers is not recognized or appreciated one cannot deny the great truth behind numbers. Even though lot of research has taken place, the origin and history of numbers is still a mystery. It is strongly believed that India is the cradle of numbers from where it has spread to Arab and Europe. In the words of;

Albert Einstein, "We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made." It was India that gave to the world the value of Zero which was represented by the words like Shoonya in the earliest Sanskrit texts.

Lancelot Hogben, There has been no more revolutionary contribution than the one which the Hindus made when they invented ZERO."

Will Durant, American Historian, "It is true that even across the Himalayan barrier India has sent to the west, such gifts as grammar and logic, philosophy and fables, hypnotism and chess, and above all numerals and the decimal system."

In the words of Pierre Simon Laplace a French mathematician, the ingenious method of expressing every possible number using a set of ten symbols (each symbol having a place value and an absolute value) emerged in India.

The discovery of zero and the place value system were inventions unique to the Indian civilization. Above quotes are some of the testimonials of Indian (Hindu) contribution to the world in terms of significance of numbers.

Though the numbers we use in India are Hindu-Arabic numbers, it is strongly believed that these numbers are in existence since Vedic days and have originated from Brahmi numerals. These Brahmi numerals are said to have come from Indus-Valley civilization. In Hindu philosophy numbers are not mere quantitative indicators, but are of greater value and significance. They are used in the practice of religious ceremonies, to bring in spiritual discipline and are also used as symbols of divinity, their energies and their qualities. In every concept of Sanatana Dharma otherwise known as Hindu dharma we find involvement and usage of numbers. Whether it is Vedas or Upanishads or Puranas or religious rituals and practices, Hindu almanac etc., all are associated with numbers. Even composition of manthras is based on numbers, for example sacred Gayathri manthra comprises of 24 syllables.

In Hindu scriptures (Puranas) we find several numerical descriptions like distances, durations, numbers of universal element, etc. from the perception of Hindu cosmology. They also explain how these numbers were used during ancient times as guiding factors to understand the Hindu cosmology from a numerical perspective. Kaala-Ganana, reckoning of time since creation (Kalpa, Manvanthara and Yuga) is based on numbers only. We also find association of numbers with some of the key concepts of Hinduism.  Hindus have always regarded numbers as highly sacred and symbols of certain cosmic powers with latent secrets associated with spirituality.

Each number according to ancient tradition has its own significance. One lifetime may not be adequate to study the significance of entire numbers available in scriptures. Through this post I am only trying to make an attempt to emphasize the significance and symbolism of some of the numbers from the perspective of Hinduism. 

Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu