Asaṃkhyeya

An asaṃkhyeya (Sanskrit: असंख्येय) is a Buddhist name for the number 10¹⁴⁰, or alternatively for the number $10^{(a\cdot 2^{b})}$ as it is described in the Avatamsaka Sutra. The value of the number is different depending upon the translation. It is $10^{(5\cdot 2^{103})}$ in the translation of Buddhabhadra, $10^{(7\cdot 2^{103})}$ in that of Shikshananda and $10^{(10\cdot 2^{104})}$ in that of Thomas Cleary, who may have made an error in calculation. In these religious traditions, the word has the meaning of 'incalculable'.

Asaṃkhyeya is a Sanskrit word that appears often in the Buddhist texts. For example, Shakyamuni Buddha is said to have practiced for 4 great asaṃkhyeya kalpas before becoming a Buddha.

See also

• History of large numbers