恆河沙

恆河沙

See also: 恒河沙

Chinese

		Ganges River	granule; hoarse; raspy granule; hoarse; raspy; sand; powder; tsar
trad. (恆河沙)		恆河	沙
simp. (恒河沙)		恒河	沙

Etymology

Calque of Sanskrit गंगानदी वालुका (gaṃgānadī vālukā, “sand of the Ganges River”).

The current usage as the number 10⁵² was re-imported from the Japanese usage which first fixed by the Jinkōki (塵劫記), 1634.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): hénghéshā

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄥˊ ㄏㄜˊ ㄕㄚ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hang⁴ ho⁴ saa¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: hénghéshā
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄥˊ ㄏㄜˊ ㄕㄚ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: hénghésha
    • Wade–Giles: hêng²-ho²-sha¹
    • Yale: héng-hé-shā
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: hernghersha
    • Palladius: хэнхэша (xɛnxɛša)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xɤŋ³⁵ xɤ³⁵ ʂä⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: hang⁴ ho⁴ saa¹
    • Yale: hàhng hòh sā
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hang⁴ ho⁴ saa¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: heng⁴ ho⁴ sa¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɐŋ²¹ hɔː²¹ saː⁵⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: /ɦəŋ  ɦɑ  ʃˠa/

Rime
Character	恆	河	沙
Reading #	1/1	1/1	1/2
Initial (聲)	匣 (33)	匣 (33)	生 (21)
Final (韻)	登 (129)	歌 (94)	麻 (98)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I	II
Fanqie	胡登切	胡歌切	所加切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦəŋ/	/ɦɑ/	/ʃˠa/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦəŋ/	/ɦɑ/	/ʃᵚa/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣəŋ/	/ɣɑ/	/ʃa/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦəŋ/	/ɦa/	/ʂaɨ/
Li Rong	/ɣəŋ/	/ɣɑ/	/ʃa/
Wang Li	/ɣəŋ/	/ɣɑ/	/ʃa/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɣəŋ/	/ɣɑ/	/ʂa/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	héng	hé	shā
Expected Cantonese Reflex	hang4	ho4	saa1

Noun

恆河沙

1. (etymology, Buddhism) countless number like the total of the grains of sand on the Ganges
   • 650-661, Bhagavaddharma, transl., Sūtra of the Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded Great-Compassionate Heart of the Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara's Dhāraṇī (千手千眼觀世音菩薩廣大圓滿無礙大悲心陀羅尼經):

     若有謗此咒者，即為謗彼九十九億恆河沙諸佛。 [MSC, trad.]
     若有谤此咒者，即为谤彼九十九亿恒河沙诸佛。 [MSC, simp.]

     Ruò yǒu bàng cǐ zhòu zhě, jí wèi bàng bǐ jiǔshíjiǔyì hénghéshā zhūfó. [Pinyin]

     If there is who slanders this mantra, that is to slander those 9.9 billion times the number of the Ganges river sand, of buddhas.

   Synonyms: 恆河沙數, 河沙

2. the number 10⁵²

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (恆河沙):

• → Japanese: 恒(ごう)河(が)沙(しゃ) (gōgasha)
• → Korean: 항하사(恒河沙) (hanghasa)
• → Vietnamese: hằng hà sa (恒河沙)