Number 9 in Hindu mythology

Question

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:

• Significance of 9?
• Myths-Dreams-Symbols

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

Answer 1

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

Answer 2

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.