Vachmi
Numbers in Sanskrit (सङ्ख्याः)
Let us now learn to count numbers in Sanskrit. Look at the numbers given below. If you already know numbers in some of the other Indian languages, you will find them very similar.First, let us look at numbers from 1 to 10.
Sanskrit counting 1 to 10
| Number in Devenagari | Number in English | English | Sanskrit | Marathi | Hindi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ० | 0 | Zero | शून्य (shunya) | शून्य (shunya) | शून्य (shunya) |
| १ | 1 | One | एकम् (ekam) | एक | एक |
| २ | 2 | Two | द्वे (dve) | दोन | दो |
| ३ | 3 | Three | त्रीणि (treeni) | तीन | तीन |
| ४ | 4 | Four | चत्वारि (chatvaari) | चार | चार |
| ५ | 5 | Five | पञ्च (pancha) | पाच | पाँच |
| ६ | 6 | Six | षट् (shat) | सहा | छः |
| ७ | 7 | Seven | सप्त (sapta) | सात | सात |
| ८ | 8 | Eight | अष्ट (ashta) | आठ | आठ |
| ९ | 9 | Nine | नव (nava) | नऊ | नौ |
| १० | 10 | Ten | दश (dasha) | दहा | दस |
Sanskrit counting 10 to 100
| Number in Devenagari | Number in English | English | Sanskrit | Marathi | Hindi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| १० | 10 | Ten | दश | दहा | दस |
| २० | 20 | Twenty | विञ्शतिः | वीस | बीस |
| ३० | 30 | Thirty | त्रिंशत् | तीस | तीस |
| ४० | 40 | Forty | चत्वारिंशत् | चाळीस | चालीस |
| ५० | 50 | Fifty | पञ्चाशत् | पन्नास | पचास |
| ६० | 60 | Sixty | षष्टिः | साठ | साठ |
| ७० | 70 | Seventy | सप्ततिः | सत्तर | सत्तर |
| ८० | 80 | Eighty | अशीतिः | ऐंशी | अस्सी |
| ९० | 90 | Ninety | नवतिः | नव्वद | नब्बे |
| १०० | 100 | One Hundred | शतम् | सौ | शंभर |
Large Numbers in Sanskrit
| १००० | 1,000 | One Thousand | सहस्रम् |
| १०००० | 10,000 | Ten Thousand | दशसहस्रम्, अयुतम् |
| १००००० | 100,000 | Hundred Thousand | लक्षम् |
| १०००००० | 1,000,000 | One Million | दशलक्षम्, नियुतम् |
| १००००००० | 10,000,000 | Ten Million | कोटि |
| १०००००००० | 100,000,000 | Hundred Million | दशकोटि, अर्बुद |
| १०९ | 109 | One Billion | वृन्दम् |
| १०१० | 1010 | Ten Billion | खर्व |
| १०११ | 1011 | One Hunderd Billion | निखर्व |
| १०१२ | 1012 | One Trillion | शङ्खः |
| १०१३ | 1013 | Ten Trillion | पद्मः |
| १०१४ | 1014 | Hundred Trillion | सागरः |
| १०१५ | 1015 | One Quadrillion | अन्त्यम् |
| १०१६ | 1016 | Ten Quadrillion | मध्यम् |
| १०१७ | 1017 | Hundred Quadrillion | परार्धम् |
What is more intersting is that these numbers are so well captured in the following subhashit.
एकं दशशतं चैव सहस्रमयुतं तथा।
लक्षं च नियुतं चैव कोटिरर्बुदमेव च॥
वृन्दं खर्वो निखर्वश्च शङ्खपद्मौ च सागरः।
अन्त्यं मध्यं परार्धं च दशवृद्ध्या यथाक्रमम्॥
लक्षं च नियुतं चैव कोटिरर्बुदमेव च॥
वृन्दं खर्वो निखर्वश्च शङ्खपद्मौ च सागरः।
अन्त्यं मध्यं परार्धं च दशवृद्ध्या यथाक्रमम्॥
How Numbers are read in Sanskrit
Now let us look at how the numbers are read in Sanskrit.Number is Sanskrit are read in way that is slightly different from English. e.g. In English, the number 38 is read from left to right in English. First we read 3 as Thirty and then 8 as eight.
However in Sanskrit we read this starting from unit's place i.e. अष्टा (ashta) and then त्रिंशत् (trinshat). So 38 is read as अष्टात्रिंशत्
Let us see some examples
Number 11 is called एकादश in Sanskrit.
Number 16 is called षोडश in Sanskrit.
Number 22 is called द्वाविंशति: in Sanskrit.
Number 26 is called षड् विंशति: in Sanskrit.
Number 36 is called षट् त्रिंशत् in Sanskrit.
Number 66 is called षट्षष्टि: in Sanskrit
Number 82 is called द्वयशीति: in Sanskrit
Number 83 is called त्रि + अशीति: = त्र्यशीति: in Sanskrit
Number 85 is called पञ्चाशीति: in Sanskrit
Number 86 is called षडशीति: in Sanskrit
Some unique numbers where we can get confused as they have undergone some change in form due to Sandhi.
Number 94 is called is चतुर्नवति: in Sanskrit
Number 96 is called is षण्णवति: in Sanskrit
From the above, can you guess what number 19 will be called?
Yes, you are right. It is called नवदश
However, interestingly and more popularly, numbers ending with 9 are read in one more way. The number 19 can also be read as एकोनविंशति: (एक + ऊन + विंशति:)
ऊन is less. एक + ऊन is 'one less than'. विंशति: is 20. So this number is one less than twenty.
Likewise एकोनत्रिंशत् is 29, एकोनचत्वारिंशत् is 39, एकोनपञ्चाशत् is 49
Can you now think what 79 will be called in both ways?
Hope you guessed it right. 79 can be called as एकोनाशीति: as well as नवसप्तति:
Hope this lesson helped you in getting some understanding of numbers/counting in Sanskrit. Do not forget to provide your feedback below.