Why are mantras chanted 108 times?

For so many people around the world, chanting a mantra as soon as they wake up is a habit. Either Gayatri mantra or a simple ‘Om Namah Shivaay’ are the first words to come out of their mind and mouth.
And so, mantras hold an important place in people’s lives and in many spiritual and religious practices too. And among the many different types of recitation and the information and knowledge around it, the most common one that people hear is to chant a mantra 108 times. It is believed that chanting 108 times has many different benefits and here we list some of them.

Numerology is the study of numbers which helps determine people’s attributes, qualities, their nature and much more. And for the number 108 in numerology, it is counted as ‘1+0+8=9’. The number 9 is considered extremely lucky, powerful and auspicious. Divisible by both 9 and 12, 108 represents the unity of energies with 1 symbolising the Supreme Being, the ‘Eka’, 0 symbolising emptiness or nothingness and 8 representing positivity. And then, the sum of it all, 9, is a symbol of Infinity and the all-encompassing.
Thus, chanting a mantra 108 times is believed to align the individual with the rhythm of the Eka, emptiness, eternity and positivity.

In yogic tradition, the human body is seen as a very small part of the universe. And this body, to sustain, has many different energy centres or ‘Chakras’. It is believed that there are 108 energy lines that come together to form the heart chakra, which is the centre of all life for a human. And so, chanting a mantra 108 times is thought to activate these energy channels, purify the chakras, and help in the free flow of ‘prana’ throughout the body. This calms down the mind, body, and spirit, and helps in maintaining inner peace.

The importance of the 108 number and chant has many different reasons. For example, the repeated occurrence of the number.
The number 108 appears many times in ancient texts, religious scriptures, and cultural practices and in fact, in Hinduism, there are 108 Upanishads. Plus, Hindu gods have many different names and their count too is 108. Lord Shiva for example, has 108 different names and so does Lord Krishna!
To move away from Gods, it is also said that the diameter of the sun is 108 to 109 times the diameter of the Earth.

It has always been taught to us that if you want to focus on something or memorise something, repeat it as many times as possible. Repetition thus is a powerful tool for concentration and meditation. Chanting a mantra 108 times requires focus and mindfulness, which helps calm the restless mind and maintain inner stillness in the person. As a devotee repeats the mantra, the distractions in his or her mind slowly fade away, and a sense of peace moves over.