Indian numerical system > millions years old

These numbers have been described by Sugreev to Raam while giving the count of his military power. Some say about this that “Sugreev meant that innumerable monkeys were coming”; while others hold the view that ancient Hindu organized their military pattern in a particular nomenclature apart from the generalized numbers.

The present Indian system is taken from Indian astrology in which every number is increased by a multiplication of ten – 1, 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 etc. (This is called decimal system – originated from “deca” means 10). As said in verse:

Ekam dash shatam asmat sahastram ayutam tatah param laksham |

Prayutam kotim ath arbudam vrindey kharvam nikharvam cha ||

Tasmat mahaa sarojam shankum saritaam patim twat antam |

Madhyam paraadham aaryuhya ath uttaram dash gunam tathaa gyeyam ||

Leelaavatee mathematics also says:

ek dash sahastra aayut laksh prayut kotyah kramashah |

arbudam abdam kharv nikharvam mahaapadmam shankhvah tasmaat ||

nidhih cha antam madhyam parardham iti dash gunaa uttaram sangyaah |

sankhyaaya sthaanaanaam vyavahaar artham kritaah poorvaih iti ||

It means that,

one = 1

1 ten = 10;

10 ten = 1 hundred;

10 hundred = 1 thousand (Ayut)

10 thousand

100 thousand = 1 lakh

1 prayutam =10 lakh, = 1 million;

100 lakh = 1 koti =1 crore;

100 crore = 1 arbud (Arab) = 1 billion

100 arbud = 1 vrinda

100 vrinda = 1 kharv (Kharab)

100 kharv = 1 nikharv (Neel)

100 nikharv = 1 mahaa padm (Padm)

100 mahaa padm = 1 shanku (Shankh) = 1 lakh crore

100 shanku = 1 samudra

100 samudra = 1 antya

100 antya = 1 madhyam

100 madhyam = 1 paraardh

By this, the nomenclature of million, billion and trillion, was in ancient days. This may be observed by the names “Prayutam” ( a million); “arbud” ( a billion); “shanku” (a trillion) .