Asaṃkhyeya

An asaṃkhyeya (Sanskrit: असंख्येय) is a Hindu/Buddhist name for the number 10140 or alternatively for the number ${\displaystyle 10^{(a\cdot 2^{b})}}$ as it is listed in the Avatamsaka Sutra.[1] Depending on the translation, the value is different. It is ${\displaystyle 10^{(5\cdot 2^{103})}}$ in the translation of Buddhabhadra, ${\displaystyle 10^{(7\cdot 2^{103})}}$ in that of Shikshananda and ${\displaystyle 10^{(10\cdot 2^{104})}}$ in that of Thomas Cleary, who may have made an error in calculation.[citation needed]

Asaṃkhyeya is a Sanskrit word that appears often in the Buddhist texts. For example, Shakyamuni Buddha is said to have practiced for four great asaṃkhyeya kalpas before becoming a Buddha. Asaṃkhyeya means 'incalculable'.[2]

The word "asaṃkhyeya" literally means "innumerable" in the sense of "infinite" in Sanskrit.[1] It is also a title of Vishnu and of Shiva. The word comes up in Vishnu Sahasranama Stanza 27, "Asankyeyo-aprameyaatmaa": one who has innumerable names and forms.