Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s18.102

v1.c3.s18.102

Daśan, ‘ten,’ forms the basis of the numerical system of the Vedic Indians, as it does of the Āryan people generally. But it is characteristic of India¹ that there should be found at a very early period long series of names for very high numerals, whereas the Āryan knowledge did not go beyond 1,000. In the Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā² the list is 1; 10; 100; 1,000; 10,000 (ayuta); 100,000 (niyuta); 1,000,000 (prayuta); 10,000,000 (arbuda); 100,000,000 (nyarbuda); 1,000,000,000 (samudra); 10,000,000,000 (madhya); 100,000,000,000 (anta); 1,000,000,000,000 (parārdha). In the Kāṭhaka Saṃhitā³ the list is the same, but niyuta and prayuta exchange places, and after nyarbuda a new figure (badva) intervenes, thus increasing samudra to 10,000,000,000, and so on. The Taittirīya Saṃhitā has in two places⁴ exactly the same list as the Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā. The Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā⁵ has the list ayuta, prayuta, then ayuta again, arbuda, nyarbuda, samudra, madhya, anta, parārdha. The Pañcaviṃśa Brāhmaṇa⁶ has the Vājasaneyi list up to nyarbuda inclusive, then follow nikharvaka, badva, akṣita, and apparently go= 1,000,000,000,000. The Jaiminīya Upaniṣad Brāhmaṇa⁷ list replaces nikharvaka by nikharva, badva by padma, and ends with akṣitir vyomāntaḥ. The Śāṅkhāyana Śrauta Sūtra⁸ continues the series after nyarbuda with nikharvāda, samudra, salila, antya, ananta (= 10 billions).