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What is the significance of Number 9 in Hindu mythology?

Even that every important numbers when summed up ends to a number 9.

Example#1: the life span of four yugas from this link

  • Krita or Satya-yuga is 1,440,000 human years (sum of digits is 9)
  • Treta-yuga is 1,080,000 human years (sum of digits is 9)
  • Dvapara-yuga is 720,000 human years (sum of digits is 9)
  • Kali-yuga is 360,000 human years (sum of digits is 9)

Example#2: "Nava grahas" - Nine planets in Hindu mythology.

Example#3: Navratri - lasts nine days.

Example#4: There are 9 Purans, 108 MahaPuran (Upnishads).Mahabharat has 18 chapters (batter lasted for 18 days), Geeta has 18 chapters, Bhagavat has 108000 Shloks (verses)

Links to refer:

PS: There might be some nonsense in the above reference links but they are just only to support my question.

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    Interesting question...never took interest in our own religion until this site came live... – Mr. Alien Jun 20 '14 at 7:37
  • I have a very very very strong feeling this thing is completely baseless and (if) popularized, due to people of similar kind who made people believe that you should not cut nails on Saturday and other crap... – user3459110 Jun 20 '14 at 7:42
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    The reason that all of those numbers you quoted have a digit-sum of nine is more to do with the divisibility rules for 9 than with anything else (sum of digits congruent to 0 mod 9 → divisible by 9). I don't know what you're talking about with "heart beats per minute" (do you realize this is not a fixed number and varies from person to person?), but that cannot possibly be related. – senshin Jun 20 '14 at 7:43
  • I completely agree with @senshin. It would have been more reasonable if you asked why we add '1' to every gurudakshina and other pays... Like 11, 51, 101 and rest. – user3459110 Jun 20 '14 at 7:49
  • I just can't find source online. but I will update it once I reach home and get the details about the book. – Mr_Green Jun 20 '14 at 7:52
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Numbers 18, 108, 1008, 10008 are all multiples of 9 which is a mystic number. All multiples of 9 added together ultimately become number 9. This can be verified (16x9=144; 1+4+4=9). The mystic number 9 is arrived as follows: The universe is constituted of the three factors - time, space and causation. The universe is constituted of the three Gunas (ingredients) - sattva, rajas and tamas. The universe is constituted of the three functions - creation, preservation and destruction. This three times three making nine has made nine a mystic number. The number nine exhausts the definition of the phenomenal universe.

Twice nine or eighteen makes the Mahabharata scheme complete. The eighteen Parvas define in detail the career of man on earth. The eighteen chapters in the Gita make Yoga philosophy complete. The eighteen day war makes the warrior's exploits complete. Eighteen are the divisions of the armies of the contending parties -Pandavas and Kauravas with one having seven and the other eleven divisions. Thus all the available human forces mobilized were eighteen in number.

The Mahabharata is thus an exposition of the human possibilities and achievements graded into eighteen, the first multiple of nine. The higher multiples of nine signify further ranging into divine regions.

REF:Swami Chidbhavananda in his commentary on the Gitas

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Adding any number to 9, and adding the all digits of resultant with eachother, we get the same number

for ex. 3 + 9 = 12, further 1 + 2 = 3

Same is the case with 0 (zero).

Now, zero begins the count and 9 ends it ( after that the numbers repeat themselves in 2 digits and above format).

From this, one can conclude that 9 is like water (water is associated with moksha) which can take any shape (number added to 9 gives us same number) and 9 being the end number represents the ultimate goal of moksha which everyone should strive for.

Incidentally number 9 represents planets mars in numerology and Astrology has nine planets.

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  • Are you basing your claims (e.g. "9 shows that person should be like water") on some other written source, or are these your own conclusions? – senshin Jun 20 '14 at 21:55

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