[Advaita-l] Why holy mantras are chanted 108 times and not any other number of times?

[Ramesh Krishnamurthy]

Several scholars suggest that the number 108 became sacred because the
average sun-to-earth distance is approximately 108 times the sun's
diameter. This ratio can be determined using simple school-level
geometrical principles, i.e. by installing a pole of height 'x' at a
given point and moving a distance 'y' away from it such that the pole
covers the sun's diameter in the observer's angle of vision. The ratio
y/x is the required number.

2010/1/8 RAMESH RAMANAN <rameshramanan at yahoo.co.uk>:
> Dear Learned List members,
>
> Pranams,
>  Can the learned members of the board clarify this doubt of mine please?  Why are Holy Manthras chanted 108 Times? why not any other number? Thanks and pranams once again, Ramesh Ramanan.
>
>