Asaṃkhyeya

An asaṃkhyāta (Sanskrit: असंख्येय) is a Hindu/Buddhist name for the number 10¹⁴⁰ or alternatively for the number $10^{{(a\cdot 2^{b})}}$ as it is listed in the Avatamsaka Sutra.^[1] Depending on the translation, the value is different. It is $10^{{(5\cdot 2^{{103}})}}$ in the translation of Buddhabhadra, $10^{{(7\cdot 2^{{103}})}}$ in that of Shikshananda and $10^{{(10\cdot 2^{{104}})}}$ 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 three 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

• 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.