The Mystical Language of Numbers
Is there an occult, divine or mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events? In ancient Greece, Pythagoras propagated the idea that reality at the deepest level is essentially mathematical. He and many after him believed that a system of principles existed behind numbers. One of his most basic notions revolves around the symbolism and beauty associated with the Divine Proportion, and conversely, some numbers were considered inauspicious and representing beasts.
Pythagoras found harmony in numbers. Everything started with a centre, and the creation was a circle around it. A circle is, therefore, number 1. The circle is the most stable: the First, the Essence, the Foundation, the Monad, the Unity, representing God and the good. The number 1 is the seed of a tree, and all other numbers grow out of it. Number 1 preserves the identity of every other number or anything it encounters.Whether multiplied or divided by number 1, all numbers remain unchanged.
For ‘one to become many’, the one contemplating upon itselfcreated its reflection. That which connects the two centres of the circles becomes a line. The line represented two of one – the dyad – subject and object, bhakta and bhagwan, teacher and student, father and son, lover and beloved – numbers 1 and 2 are forever entwined. Then, three lines made a triangle – joining the centres of two circles and their intersecting points.
The triangle contains the smallest area within the greater perimeter. Number 3 is the only number equal to the sum and product of the previous numbers. A triangle is a sign of stability and represents strength. The triad, number 3, is family and organisation, and besides stability, it also signifies prudence and purity. There is Trinity, Tridev, Trishul, and Triveni.
When a circle was drawn along a line that connects the two centres, the perfect shape of a square – a tetrad – emergedwithin the circle. A square stands for democracy, equality and completion. There are four seasons for ages in a person’s life and four directions.
All the previous numerical symbols – the monad’s point, the dyad’s line, the triad’s surface, and the tetrad’s three-dimensional volume – created the pentad – the symbol of life itself – five fingers, five toes, five elements – water, earth, air, fire, and space. The five-pointed stars represent the divine; when the point is directed downwards, it is a sign of Satan.
The hexagram can be formed by joining two inverted triangles, considered a symbol of the divine origin of mankind. Number 6 is, therefore, associated with harmony, love and responsibility. It is also considered for service and compassion.
A centred hexagram gives the number 7. As a circle can never be divided into seven equal parts, 7 is not a divisor of the 360degrees that make a circle; it is considered inconsistent. God carried out Creation in 6 days, and the 7th was the day of rest, or repositioning in the centre. No wonder 7 is considered to represent mysteries and reflections. There are seven sages – Sapta Rishis and Seven Seas.
Number 8 is associated with a cube, a solid formed by the union of six equal squares. The number 8 is also represented by a wheel with 8 branches. The Octagram is made of two tilted squares, and the number 8 is associated with success and material abundance.
A centred octagram gives the number 9. It is created by a triangle to each arm of a hexagon. Being the last number, 9 is an end-of-cycle number – the end of something and the beginning of something new – a mark of completion, conclusion and resolution. It is generally associated withuniversality and altruism. No wonder it is called the number of the alchemists.
My friend Kiran Raju, a computer scientist in the AI business, presented to me The Complete Book of Numerology: Discovering the Inner Self by British teacher David Phillips. It is a book based on observations and claims no science. Dealing with deep data, Kiran accepts ancient sciences like Numerology, Ayurveda, and Vastu. They may not pass the test of modern science based on observation and evidence. Still, science still needs to provide reasons for the evidence of several apparent things like consciences, chance, and the general unpredictability of phenomena; he feels the maturity of AI will validate most of these ancient sciences.
I read the book not as a sceptic but with faith. The birth date is converted into a life chart of nine numbers. The birth date DD/MM/YYYY numbers are placed on a chart of two vertical lines crossing over two horizontal lines, like a noughts-and-crosses layout. Each number – 1 to 9 – has given a position – the first column is 1/2/3, the second 4/5/6, and the third 6/7/8, rising bottom upwards. Consequently, the first row is 3/4/7, the second is 2/5/8, and the third is 1/4/7. Phillips called the first row indicative of the mind, the second, the soul and the third, the body.
The numbers in the birthdate occupy their assigned place, or the position of a number remains vacant. On my birthday – February 10, 1955, for example – 1 and 5 come twice, and there are no numbers 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8. So, the first row in my chart turns out to be x/x/9, the second row is 2/55/x, and the third is 11/x/x. This leads to different interpretations, which are purely speculative, and no one knows if they are supported by which observations and by whom. Number 9 in my first row explains my idealism, number 2 and the two fives in the middle row, driving intensity, and two 1s in the bottom line show my balanced self-expression. I can vouch for their accuracy in the late phase of my life now. Are all the people born on the same day? No, they are all different and are given different names.
Each number can be seen hidden in names, in nature and in events, making them auspicious, inauspicious, lucky, unlucky, favourable, or unfavourable, seeded with opportunities or bringing calamities. Most importantly, matching or conflicting. In Indian and Chaldean systems, the number 9 is not assigned to any letter in the English alphabet. So as we go numbering letters, A, I, Q, J, and Y are 1; B, K, and R are 2; C, G, L and S are 3; D, M, and T are 4; E, H, N and X are 5; F, U, V and W are 6; O and Z are 7; P and W are 8. So, my name, Arun Tiwari is 6. APJ Abdul Kalam is 6. No wonder he found me resonating with his sense of service and compassion. Our book Wings of Fire is 4, a book of wholeness and completion.
The book also presents the concept of a life pyramid. The numbers in the birth date form a pyramid which gives a pattern of life. An example of the long life of the British monarch Queen Elizabeth is cited. I made my pyramid out of the month, date, and year of my birth. It shows 1986, 1995, 2004, 2013, and 2022 as significant years that shaped my life. Undoubtedly, I was appointed Project Manager in the Akash Missile Project in 1986, developed the Coronary Stent in 1995, survived a cardiac arrest in 2004, had to close an Indo-US venture in 2013, and again survived health crises in 2022. Number 3 for 1986, 1995 and 2004 indicated directions toward intellectual pursuits, which means new beginnings. After 2004, the number 6 in 2013 brought awakening, and 4 in 2022 marked a period of health loss rather than gain.
What is random for an ignorant observer can be strictly following an exact intelligent pattern. All our life decisions and outcomes can be viewed as functions and accumulated as our personal history, regardless of their characteristics. Similar to the Human Genome Project, which unlocked the secrets of our genetic makeup and led to advancements in medicine and biology, this approach can serve as an initial grounding source to explore whether our decisions influence the fate of others and whether numbers could be the signposts towards the ultimate destination. Seeing numbers behind things, people can take a lot of subjectivity out of the equation and make decisions rationally rather than egotistically.
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Thank you Sir for sharing such a deep thought on numerology. I enjoyed a lot reading this blog. Numbers also play an essential role in an individual’s life. Me and my wife share the same number for DOB i.e. 24, however the months and years are different but I observed most of our thoughts and interests matching due to this. It might be a reason that we have a good understanding between us.
Interestingly, mu class roll numbers during school days and in medical college was 24, my wife’s class roll number was also 24, but it was changed to 34 in graduation. Because we both had 24 as date of birth, our first conversation in graduation started with date of birth. I have many examples suggesting that numbers play an important role in anyone’s life. Nature sometimes gives and guides the person via numbers and signs and symptoms, so keep observing the numbers game and try to manipulate. Warm Regards,
Dear Sir, Numerology is a matter of faith. I believe in Angels. I also take Numbers beyond mere numerical. You nicely explained that each number carries many essential meanings to knowledge. Because the numbers are universal, the Angels use them to contact us and let us know they’re here. What if Angels use angelic numerology to speak with human beings to specific, coded messages within numerical sequences? Knowing this meaning brings us closer to understanding our existence better. Thank you for posting.
Numerology is an interesting concept. Like astrology, it is a science of subjectivity. Decoding numbers in the phenomena, objects and events is similar to searching on Google and using ChatGPT to get an answer. Despite the lack of concrete evidence supporting the accuracy of human-led astrological predictions, this ancient practice has persisted across various cultures and civilisations throughout history. Its enduring relevance suggests that it possesses some intrinsic value.
Integrating AI predictive analytics and algorithms can enhance the accuracy of predictions for the general population by combining science and astrology. What is lacking in terms of nuances must still come from humans. Hence, instead of pitting the two against each other, it would be more logical to utilise them synergistically to propel humanity’s pursuit of unravelling the enigma that lies beyond. The idea of cycles and patterns is undeniable, and with a bit of mindfulness, one can see it operating in life.
Numerology is also practiced as Yantra Yoga. There are cycles in a plant’s life, starting with the seed and ending with the plant creating new seeds so it can start the whole process again. A thought is like a seed because all actions begin with an idea, much like all plants start with a seed. Understanding your numerology cycles lets you know when to start things, just like the farmer knows when to plant seeds. When you work in harmony with your numerology cycles, you then help obtain success in all aspects of your life.
There are nine yearly cycles, which encompass 108 monthly cycles and 3285 daily cycles (not including leap years). After all of these cycles are finished, one starts again at the beginning. In addition to the yearly, monthly, and daily cycles, one can calculate cycles by the hour, minute, second, and millisecond or nanosecond. In all honesty, the cycles can be calculated to infinity, but for practical purposes, yearly and monthly cycles are most crucial, followed by daily cycles. Thank you for promoting this awareness.
That is a fascinating blog, Tauji. Numbers are fundamental to how computers operate because, in the end, everything a computer works with is a number. In computer science, we have three number bases: base 2 (binary), base 10 (decimal), and base 16 (hexadecimal). In the early days of computers, we were told that base 8 (octal) was also used. It is helpful to become comfortable working with the conversion between number bases, and it is even beneficial to memorise the binary representation of the first 16 integers. It is crucial for people like us who develop code to understand this area, especially in floating-point math.
Interesting perspective on numbers, Prof Tiwariji !
Hopefully your wish of numbers to be the signposts towards ultimate destination will come true !!
Respected Sir, I enjoyed your blog on two accounts. One, you have boldly brought out the limitations of what we call science. Second, the hidden wisdom of nature can be deciphered by numbers, which is an ancient idea, and it can not be discarded just because lesser minds can’t explain it.
There have been a few examples of numerology that have led to theories that transformed society. What is Kepler’s third law – the squares of the orbital periods of the planets are directly proportional to the cubes of the semi-major axes of their orbits – except numbers.
It would be fair enough to say that numerology was the origin of the theories of electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and gravitation. So why disparage when the world is understood as numerological? A good theory that is not yet known but ‘exists’ in the universe of possible reasonable ideas.
Very interesting. Wonder if tantra/ yantra which have numbers arranged in some matrix have some connection.
Reading this blog on numbers kept me spellbound. Only a mystic scientist, not limited by the existing milieu, could have thought of and brought out such creativity. Experimenting with and observing the number would take a lot of time and might fail to pass the existing science paradigm.
AI maturity and interpreting numbers as proposed would let us view Ayurveda and Vastu in a new light. Thank you, Sir, for inspiring and keeping us mesmerised.
Prof, This article is something. This part also “……….this approach can serve as an initial grounding source to explore whether our decisions influence the fate of others” always gets me thinking quietly and severally, and I can see why not……..
Sir, अक्षरों से अंक-ज्ञान की वैदिक परम्परा “कटपयादि” में हर अक्षर के लिए अंक है जो इस सूत्र में निहित है। “अवर्गे शून्यं कादि नव टादि नव पादि पञ्चयाद्यष्टौ नञ शून्यम्।”
0 अ इ उ ऋ लृ ए ऐ ओ औ न ञ
1 क ट प य
2 ख ठ फ र
3 ग ड ब ल
4 घ ढ भ व
5 ड़ ण म श
6 च त ष
7 छ थ स
8 ज द ह
9 झ ध
इसका उपयोग श्लोक की सटीकता को जांचने के लिए और छुपे रहस्यों को बताने के लिए किया जाता है।
Dear Sir, This time you have come up with very interesting and highly debated topic of Numerology.
When you go through some of the books on numerology ,giving characteristics of person born on particular date, it looks as though it is written for you. That sows the seed of belief. As long it boosts your moral and gives kind of hope, one should go along. Non believer in these things is at liberty choose his path.
Thank you once again, sir
Dear Sir, Thanks for picking a very different topic and sharing a perspective on the ever-controversial subject and beliefs. I am sure the fascination for numbers existed even before Pythagoras, in the Vedic period in our continent. The Vedic hymns were presented in mathematical patterns called Ghana, which I am sure had a scientific reason. Our music system is more advanced with the deep intricacies of the notes and the thalas…and your article on numbers impacting an individual is intriguing.
Very interesting piece!
Thank you for sharing, Prof.
Whether true and accurate or purely coincidental remain to be realised, what you have written raises interesting observations, when the mind is allowed to soar, sky is the limit. Thank you for allowing us to look into the number aspects of our mortal lives Prof Tiwari