The significance of the number 108.

The significance and the importance of 108 as a number.

     * The diameter of the sun is 108 times that of the earth
     * The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.
     * The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.
     * In Ayurveda, there are 108 'Marma' points that are vital to give life to human beings.
     * In Indian astrology there are 12 houses and 9 planets. And 12 times 9 is 108.
     * There are 54 letters in Sanskrit, each can be mentioned as masculine(Shiva) and female(Shakti)
        aspects, totalling 108.
     * There are 108 Puranas and 108 Upanishads.
     * The famous saint Bharatha wrote the 'Natya Shastra' which has 108 'karanas'(Movement of hands
        and feet).
     * There are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals.
     * There are said to be 108 lies that humans tell.
     * There are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance.
     * Pranayama - if one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day,
        enlightenment will come.
     * The angle formed by the two adjacent sides of a pentagon equals 108 degrees.
     * Time - there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present and 36 related
        to the future.
     * The sacred River Ganges spans a longitude of 12 degrees(79 to 91) and latitude of 9 degrees.
        And 12 times 9 is 108.
     * In 108,
            1 stands for God or higher truth
            0 stands for emptiness or completeness and
            8 stands for infinity or eternity.


Tailpiece.

108 signifies the wholeness of the divinity, perfect totality!