Asaṃkhyeya

An asaṃkhyeya (Sanskrit: असंख्येय) is a Hindu/Buddhist name for the number 10¹⁴⁰, or alternatively for the number ${\displaystyle 10^{(a\cdot 2^{b})}}$ as it is described in the Avatamsaka Sutra.[1] The value of the number is different depending upon the translation. It is ${\displaystyle 10^{(5\cdot 2^{103})}}$ in the translation of Buddhabhadra, ${\displaystyle 10^{(7\cdot 2^{103})}}$ in that of Shikshananda and ${\displaystyle 10^{(10\cdot 2^{104})}}$ in that of Thomas Cleary, who may have made an error in calculation. In these religious traditions, the word has the meaning of 'incalculable'.[2]

Origin

Asaṃkhyeya is a Sanskrit word that appears often in the Buddhist texts. For example, Shakyamuni Buddha is said to have practiced for four great asaṃkhyeya kalpas before becoming a Buddha.

The word "asaṃkhyeya" in Sanskrit literally means "innumerable" in the sense of "infinite."[1] It is also a title of the Hindus deities Vishnu and Shiva. The word appears in Stanza 27 of the Vishnu Sahasranama, "Asankyeyo-aprameyaatmaa": one who has innumerable names and forms.

See also

• History of large numbers

References

1. Garg, Ganga Ram (October 1, 1992). Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World: Ar-Az. South Asia Books. ISBN 8170223768.
2. Yong, Bhikshu Jin. "How Large is One Asamkhyeya" (PDF). Vajra Bodhi Sea (November 2008): 42–44. Retrieved 24 November 2013.