Why Does a Mala Necklace Have 108 Beads?
So why 108 repetitions? This is a question with hundreds of answers. The number 108 has seemingly limitless meanings across various philosophical, scientific, and religious beliefs. Some of the most interesting are:
Sanskrit alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, Shiva and Shakti. So, 54 multiplied by 2 is 108.
Heart chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna, leads to the crown chakra, and is believed to be the path to self-realization.
Sun and Earth: The diameter of the sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the sun.
Moon and Earth: The average distance of the moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the moon.
Planets and houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and nine planets. Twelve multiplied by nine equals 108.
Powers of 1, 2, and 3: In math, 1 to the 1st power equals 1, and 2 to the 2nd power (or 2 x 2) equals 4, and 3 to the 3rd power (3 x 3 x 3) equals 27. Therefore, 1 x 4 x 27 = 108.
Harshad number: 108 is a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (Harshad is from Sanskrit and means "great joy").
River Ganga: The sacred River Ganga spans a longitude of 12 degrees (79° to 91°), and a latitude of nine degrees (22° to 31°). Again, if you follow the math, 12 multiplied by nine equals 108.
1, 0, and 8: Some say that one stands for God or higher Truth, zero stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and eight stands for infinity or eternity.
Pranayama: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.
There is a 109th bead that hangs at the bottom of a mala, called either the sumeru, bindu, stupa, or guru bead. This often symbolizes the guru from whom the student received the mala or mantra, paying homage to the student-guru relationship. It is never counted among the repetitions but used as a marker for a start and end of a cycle.
Article by Grace Lower at Seven Corners