Additional significance related to Science, Astronomy and Worldly aspects.

Language, Texts and Mathematics

The number of letters in the Sanskrit alphabet is 54. Each has masculine and feminine forms (shiv and shakti). So, 54×2 = 108.

According to the Hindu tradition, the Vedanta recognizes 108 authentic doctrines (Upanishad) of the wisdom of ancient sages aiming to approach Truth and destroy Ignorance.

On the Sri Yantra, the Marmas have 54 intersecting energy lines where three lines intersect.  Each has feminine or Shakti and masculine, or Shiva, qualities. 54 X 2 = 108.  Therefore, 108 points define the human body and the Sri Yantra or the Yantra of Creation.

According to Indian and Chinese Martial Arts: Marma Adi and Ayurveda, there are 108 pressure points in the human body.  There are said to be 108 energy lines, or nadis, converging to form the heart chakra.  Marma points are like Chakras or the intersection of energy with fewer converging energy lines.

Many people believe that there- are 108 feelings: 36 are related to the past,36 are related to the present & 36 are related to the future.

Significance of Number 108

108 seems to be a mysterious number connecting the ancient world to the modern world and the physical realm to the metaphysical realm. 108 is sacred in mathematics, geometry, astrology, numerology, and many world religions and spiritual traditions.

Astronomy

  1. It may signify the wholeness of existence. As per astronomy, there are 27 constellations in our galaxy. Each constellation is supposed to have four directions. So, 27×4 = 108. Apparently, this number covers the entire galaxy. A connection can be drawn between the making of time and the human body. Our planet has a slightly tilted orbit, and as it travels around the sun, it also spins to form a circle. It takes about 25920 years to complete this cycle. The heartbeat of a healthy human is 60 per minute. Now, dividing the axial procession 25920 by 60, we end up with 432. This number 432 has significance in various world cultures like Norse, Jewish, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Indian. The number 432 has a relation with human physiology as well. A healthy heart beats about 60 times a minute, up to 3600 per hour. Now, in a day, the heart would beat about 3600×24=86400. Dividing 864 by 2 results in 432. Adding 4+3+2 equals 9.
  • The distance from the earth to the sun is about 108 times the sun’s diameter. Similarly, the distance from the earth to the moon is about 108 times the moon’s diameter. Again, the sun’s diameter is 108 times the earth’s diameter. The orbits of the earth and the moon are elliptical, so the ratios do not remain constant. So, when we calculate the ratio distance between the earth and the sun or the distance between the earth and the moon to their diameter, it never adds up to exactly 108, but it ranges around and is taken as 108.
  • Let us look at it from a different angle involving spirituality and the Universe. The Universe is created.
  • Being round, the planet earth has 3600. Each degree is divided into 60 minutes. Each of these minutes accounts for one nautical mile. Som the circumference of the earth at the equator is 360×60 = 21600. It is estimated that, on average, we humans take 21600 breaths. This is supposed to make some sort of a connection between the earth, time, and body.
  • The mystic number can also be arrived at in other ways. The Universe consists of three entities: time, space, and causation. It has three attributes or guns: sattva, rajas, and tamas. Three functionalities mark the Universe: creation, preservation, and destruction. From the above, taking three times three or three times three times three, 3×3=9, 3x3x3=27, and 2+7=9. So, 9 becomes a mystic number.
  • Two times nine (2×9=18) corresponds to the 18 parvas of Mahabharata detailing man’s life on earth.
  • Again, the 18 chapters of the Gita complete the yoga philosophy, and the 18-day warfare completes the warrior’s exploits.
  • The armies of Pandavas and Kauravas add up to 18 divisions: 7 of Pandavas and 11 of Kauravas. According to some, the Mahabharata is an exposition of human possibilities and achievements graded into 18, the first multiple of (2×9) and hence a mystic number. The higher multiple of it, 108, has a higher significance extending to higher divine domains. 

Mathematics

The ancient Indians were extraordinary mathematicians, and 108 is the product of a precise mathematical operation (e.g., 1 power 1 x 2 power 2 x 3 power 3 = 108), which was thought to have special numerological significance.

  1. Powers of 1, 2, and 3 in maths: 1 to 1st power=1; 2 to 2nd power=4 (2×2); 3 to 3rd power=27 (3x3x3). 1x4x27=108.
  • The number 108 is a ‘Harshad number.’ It is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits. That adds to 1+0+8 = 9. Harshad in Sanskrit means giver of joy. The number 108 is a multiple of the number 9. Numbers which are all multiples of 9 are 18, 108, 1008, and 10008; 9 is considered a mystic or divine or God’s number. All multiples of the number 9 added together will again be 9. For example, 16×9 = 144; 1+4+4 = 9.
  • The Fibonacci sequence is one of the most prominent mathematical formulas. It is named after the belief that Leonardo Fibonacci discovered it. Truly speaking, it is mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts that used the Hindu-Arabic numeral system and predated Leonardo of Pisa for centuries.

It is necessary to understand the numerical science of decimal parity to perceive the significance of the number 108. In many ancient cultures of India and Egypt, decimal parity was used as a way to understand the Truth of numbers. By applying decimal parity, it is possible to break down numbers into single digits. For example, the decimal parity equivalent of 108 is 1+0+8 =9, 144 is 1+4+4 = 9, 786 is 7+8+6 = 3 and so on. 

Let us take the first 24 numbers of the Fibonacci Sequence: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, 4181, 6765, 10946, 17711, 28657.

If we apply decimal parity to the Fibonacci sequence, we find that there is a repeating series of 24 digits: (0), 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 4, 3, 7, 1, 8, 9, 8, 8, 7, 6, 4, 1, 5, 6, 2, 8, 1. If we add these 24 digits, we get the number 108. (0 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 + 8 + 4 + 3 + 7 + 1 + 8 + 9 + 8 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 4 + 1 + 5 + 6 + 2 + 8 + 1 = 108).

Based on his studies, Marcus du Sautory, Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University, has revealed that the Nautilus uses a 1.08 constant growth rate to build its spiral shell. As the Nautilus grows, each chamber of its shell’s growth is 1.08 times larger than the last chamber, creating a logarithmic spiral within the shell’s exterior. He emphasizes that this code can be found in the spirals, and the power of math can be found in the natural world.

Another interesting means of arriving at 108 is multiplying the three digits of the number of days of a leap year, which equals 366. (3 x 6 x 6 = 108).

108 is a mystical number with numerological significance. The number 108 consists of the individual numbers 1, 0 and 8. The number 1 stands for authority and leadership. It also represents new beginnings, taking the initiative, and embarking on a new path of progress.

The number 0 is mysterious and represents both nothingness and eternity, but when combined with other numbers, it will amplify the vibrational influence of the other numbers.

The number 8 relates to power and influence, abundance and achievement and the power to manifest desired outcomes. When this vibration dominates our lives, we can expect to wield great influence in our chosen areas of interest or professional lives.

Another explanation is this: 1, 0, and 8: 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.

The number 108 is also a combination that adds up to 9. As mentioned, 9 is a highly spiritual number and stands for high spiritual energy associated with altruism and humanitarianism. So, when the number 9 comes from the combination of 108, it signals that we should share our possessions and abundance with those less fortunate than us. It must be remembered that the abundance we enjoy has come to us by aligning with the Divine Source. Conversely, when we align our thoughts with the Divine Source, our whole attitude changes, and we naturally become generous, altruistic, and benefactors of the world while maintaining a sense of gratitude for all we have.

The Divine Source keeps giving without expecting anything in return. We can best maintain a connection to that source through an attitude of gratitude and generosity – such an attitude will continue to attract prosperity into our lives, materially and spiritually.

River Ganes: The sacred River Ganga spans a longitude of 12 degrees (79 to 91) and a latitude of 9 degrees (22 to 31). 12 times 9 equals 108.

1, 0, and 8: Some say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity

The number 108 is used in Islam to refer to God.

In some schools of Buddhism, it is believed that there are 108 defilements. 

The Buddhist traditions talk about the 108 earthly desires in mortals, 108 lies humans tell and 108 human delusions.

The Buddhist traditions talk about 108 human earthly desires, 108 human lies and 108 human delusions.

Many people believe that there are 108 feelings – 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present & 36 related to the future