How Many Zeros in a Shankh?
By Vinitha Published Updated
How many zeros in a shankh? A shankh has 17 zeros in the Indian numbering system: 1017 — equal to one hundred quadrillion (100,000,000,000,000,000) in the international system. The word "shankh" means conch shell in Sanskrit and Hindi, a symbol of auspiciousness in Hindu tradition. More on the extended Indian numbering scale: zeros in a neel.
A shankh has
17
zeros
- Written Form
- 1 followed by 17 zeros
- Scientific
- 10¹⁷
- Western
- 100,000,000,000,000,000
Shankh's Position Between Padma and Mahashankh
The direct answer: exactly 17 zeros. The traditional Indian scale adds two zeros at each step, so shankh has two more zeros than padma (15) and two fewer than mahashankh (19).
| Unit | Zeros | International equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Padma | 15 | 1 quadrillion |
| Shankh | 17 | 100 quadrillion |
| Mahashankh | 19 | 10 quintillion |
In the international system, 1017 sits between quadrillion (1015) and quintillion (1018), so shankh has no single equivalent international name. More on crore-to-million conversion: crore zeros.
What Is Shankh Equal to in Crore?
One shankh equals 100,000,000 crore — ten billion crore. Even the national GDP of India, expressed in tens of lakh crore, is still vastly smaller than one shankh.
Shankh's Position in the Extended Scale
- Padma
- 1015 = 1 quadrillion
- Shankh
- 1017 = 100 padma = 100 quadrillion
- Mahashankh
- 1019 = 100 shankh = 10 quintillion
These upper units — neel, padma, shankh, mahashankh, ank — are rarely encountered in modern financial or scientific usage, appearing mainly in classical Sanskrit mathematical texts and comparative studies of numeration systems.
- Padma (1015) — 1 quadrillion
- Shankh (1017) — 100 padma = 100 quadrillion
- Mahashankh (1019) — 100 shankh = 10 quintillion
- Ank (1021) — 100 mahashankh = 1 sextillion
Watch: How Many Zeros in a Shankh?
How many zeros in a shankh? A shankh has 17 zeros — 1 followed by 17 zeros. Watch this short video for the zero count, the written form and the notation at a glance.
Zeros in a Shankh: FAQ
What comes before a shankh?
Quick answer
Padma comes right before a shankh — it takes 100 padma to make one shankh. To see the Indian-system name for 10⁹ and zero counts for 10 arab and larger multiples, read arab zeros.
What comes after a shankh?
Quick answer
Mahashankh comes next, equal to 100 shankh.
How many digits does a shankh have?
A shankh has 18 digits in total — that's the digit 1 followed by 17 zeros.
Is a shankh the same as any international unit?
No single word matches it exactly — a shankh is 100 quadrillion, or one-tenth of a quintillion.
How many zeros in shankh vs mahashankh?
Shankh has 17 zeros; mahashankh has 19.
How many shankh are in a mahashankh?
Exactly 100 shankh make one mahashankh.
About the Author
Designer and Developer · Palakkad, Kerala, India
Vinitha holds a bachelor's degree in Textile and Apparel Design from Avinashilingam University, plus a C-Tech certificate in Graphic Design from Image Creative Education. She builds free, no-clutter reference tools like How Many Zeros. Read her full bio.