Asaṃkhyeya

An asaṃkhyeya (Sanskrit: असंख्येय) is a Hindu/Buddhist name for the number 10140 or alternatively for the number as it is listed in the Avatamsaka Sutra.[1] Depending on the translation, the value is different. It is in the translation of Buddhabhadra, in that of Shikshananda and in that of Thomas Cleary, who may have made an error in calculation.

Asamkhyeya is a Sanskrit word that appears often in the Buddhist texts. For example, Shakyamuni Buddha is said to have practiced for four great asamkhyeya kalpas before becoming a Buddha. Asamkhyeya means ‘incalculable’.[2]

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

See also

References

  1. 1 2 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.


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