The Bhūtasaṅkhyā (भूतसङ्ख्या) system is a unique approach to expressing numbers using common words that inherently carry numerical connotations.
The Bhūtasaṅkhyā system is primarily used in traditional Indian disciplines such as linguistics, grammar, and traditional knowledge systems like Āyurveda and Nāṭyaśāstra.
The system works by using the natural association of numbers with certain words. For example, words like "ऋतु", "रिपु", "रस", "दर्शन", and so on represent the numerical value 6 as they are associated with the number 6.
It's worth noting that sometimes a single word can be linked to multiple numbers. For instance, "रस" signifies the number 6 (षड्रसाः) in the context of taste in Ayurveda, while in the domain of Nāṭyaśāstra (dramaturgy), it signifies the number 9 (नवरसः).
You can read more about the Bhūtasaṅkhyā system on Wikipedia.
The Decode tab will let you calculate the Bhūtasaṅkhyā
number for any Devanagari text.
In general, there is no fixed set or a single list of all the words used in the Bhūtasaṅkhyā system. However, we maintain a comprehensive word list with their corresponding numerical associations, collected from several sources.
The List tab enlists the complete set of words used by our system.
For encoding numbers, we start by dividing the input number into valid groups of digits, giving priority to larger digit groups. Subsequently, we search for words associated with each digit group and construct a compound word (Samāsa). To aid the process of combining the constituent words of the Samāsa, we utilize the Python package "sandhi" for performing sandhi (combination) between the individual words.
When decoding text, we employ the Sanskrit Sandhi and Compound Splitter to break down the input text into individual words. These words are then matched with their respective numerical representations from the maintained index.