恒河沙

See also: 恆河沙

Chinese

For pronunciation and definitions of 恒河沙 – see 恆河沙 (“countless number like the total of the grains of sand on the Ganges; etc.”). (This term is the simplified form of 恆河沙).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
恒	河	沙
ごう Grade: S	が Grade: 5	しゃ Grade: S
goon

Alternative spelling
恆河沙 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 恆河沙 (MC hong ha srae), calque of Sanskrit गंगानदी वालुका (gaṃgānadī vālukā, “sand of the Ganges River”).

The current usage as the number 10⁵² was first fixed by the Jinkōki (塵劫記), 1634.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ごーがしゃ [gòógáꜜshà] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [ɡo̞ːɡa̠ɕa̠]

Noun

恒(ごう)河(が)沙(しゃ) • (gōgasha) 

1. (etymology, Buddhism) a metaphor of the extremely large number

   Synonym: 恒沙 (gōsha /⁠ごうしゃ⁠/)

2. the number 10⁵² (ten sexdecillion of the American system)

Korean

Hanja in this term
恒	河	沙

Noun

恒河沙 • (hanghasa) (hangeul 항하사)

1. hanja form^? of 항하사 (“a metaphor of the extremely large number; the number 10⁵²”)