Copyright@shravancharitymission
By Kamlesh Tripathi
By Kamlesh Tripathi
Number 18 unquestionably has a great
significance in Hindu scriptures. Apart from the fact that there are 18 Purans,
18 major Up-purans, and 18 Dharm-Shastras, the importance of
number 18 is best explained in the great epic of Mahabharat, which is
divided into 18 parvas or sections. The great war of Mahabharat
was fought with 18 divisions of army. And out of this 11 were on the side of Kauravas
and 7 on the side of Pandavas. The war lasted for 18 days. Finally, it
is said that only 18 persons survived the war. The treatise Shrimad Bhagwad
Gita is a part of Mahabharat and has 18 chapters. In Gita, Lord
Krishna describes the ideal man in 18 verses at the end of Chapter 2, in which
he lists the 18 traits that constitute the man with a steady wisdom.
The central theme of all scriptures of all
religions in the world are the same: prime being the victory of the higher being
over the lower being, or righteousness over unrighteousness, of good over the
evil, of dharma over adharma. Ved Vyas originally titled Mahabharat
as Jaya (victory). The word Jaya is in the opening stanzas of both Mahabharat
and Gita.
In the Katapayadi-System (numerical
notation system) of Sanskrit numerology each letter has a formula-based numerical
value, where the numerical value of the word Jaya is 18. To stress on the
importance of the word Jaya the number 18 is given a prominent place not only
in Mahabharat, but also throughout various Hindu scriptures. The number
18 is thus repeatedly used as an auspicious reminder to be alert in our
constant battle for inner spiritual victory.
(taken from Hindu scriptures)
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