Sava crore means one and a quarter crore: 1,25,00,000, or 12,500,000 in international numbers. Sava (सवा) means "one and a quarter", and a crore is ten million. So sava crore naam jaap is a sankalp to chant a name 1,25,00,000 times, and sava lakh jaap is 1,25,000 times. To see how long your own sankalp would take, use the free naam jaap calculator.
This guide explains the numbers, works out how many malas and days a sava lakh or sava crore sankalp needs, and shows how to keep such a long count without losing it. For the full one-crore plan, see the 1 crore naam jaap guide.
What does sava crore mean?
The word sava is Hindi. Wiktionary gives सवा as "one and a quarter" and traces it back to the Sanskrit सपाद (sapāda). Used before a number, it adds a quarter: Wiktionary's own example is सवा एक बज गए हैं, "the time is 1:15".
The other two words are Indian number names:
- Lakh (लाख) is one hundred thousand, written 1,00,000.
- Crore (करोड़) is ten million, written 1,00,00,000. Wiktionary traces it to the Sanskrit कोटि (koṭi).
Put together:
| Phrase | Indian numbering | International numbering |
|---|---|---|
| Sava lakh | 1,25,000 | 125,000 |
| Sava crore | 1,25,00,000 | 12,500,000 (12.5 million) |
| Sava do crore (sava 2 crore) | 2,25,00,000 | 22,500,000 |
Sava do crore works the same way: sava before two adds a quarter, giving two and a quarter crore.
Sava lakh and sava crore in naam jaap
In naam jaap, the phrase names a target, a sankalp to complete a set number of repetitions of a name or mantra. Sava lakh is the smaller target, and sava crore a hundred times larger.
Some mantra traditions name sava lakh for a formal practice. For example, AstroSight's page on the Hanuman beej mantra says that mantra requires 1,25,000 total recitations for siddhi, and that it ideally begins with formal diksha from a qualified guru. Such counts belong to particular practices. If your guru or family tradition has given you a number, follow it.
For plain naam jaap, the sources quoted on this page don't set sava lakh or sava crore as a requirement. The Chaitanya-charitamrita purports quoted below ask Hare Krishna devotees for a fixed number of rounds every day instead.
Sava crore naam jaap kaise kare
A sankalp this long needs a plan more than enthusiasm. A simple way to set it up:
- Choose one name or mantra and keep it for the whole sankalp. Changing it halfway resets what you are counting.
- Fix a daily count you can keep on your busiest day, not your best day.
- Work out the finish date before you start. The naam jaap calculator shows the days for your daily count.
- Keep the count outside your head. A naam jaap counter or a written log holds the running total, so a missed note doesn't cost you weeks.
- Record the total each day in one place, with the date.
- Consider a shared sankalp. If a family or group takes sava crore together, each person's daily count adds to one total.
How many malas and days does it take?
A mala usually has 108 beads, as the Wikipedia entry on the japamala notes, and one round of the beads is 108 names. So:
- Sava lakh is 1,25,000 ÷ 108, which is about 1,158 malas.
- Sava crore is 1,25,00,000 ÷ 108, which is about 1,15,741 malas.
The table shows how long each target takes at a few daily counts. Days are rounded up.
| Daily count | Sava lakh (1,25,000) | Sava crore (1,25,00,000) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mala (108) | 1,158 days | 1,15,741 days (about 317 years) |
| 11 malas (1,188) | 106 days | 10,522 days (about 28.8 years) |
| 16 rounds (1,728) | 73 days | 7,234 days (about 19.8 years) |
| 64 rounds (6,912) | 19 days | 1,809 days (about 5 years) |
A shared sankalp changes the picture. If 51 people each chant 16 rounds a day, together they add 88,128 names a day, and sava crore takes about 142 days.
Two things stand out. Sava lakh is reachable alone in a few months at an ordinary daily count. Sava crore, at the same pace, takes decades, so it suits a long vow or a shared one.
For a sense of scale, the Chaitanya-charitamrita says Haridasa Thakura chanted the holy name 300,000 times a day. At that pace, sava crore would take about 42 days. The purport to that verse adds that no ordinary person can chant so many names, nor should one artificially imitate him.
Sava lakh as a step towards sava crore
Sava crore is exactly one hundred sava lakhs: 1,25,000 × 100 = 1,25,00,000. That makes sava lakh a natural milestone inside a sava crore vow.
- Count in sava lakhs. Mark each 1,25,000 as one completed step. Sava crore is then 100 steps, and each step can be dated in your log.
- Know your step length. At 16 rounds a day, one sava lakh takes 73 days. At 11 malas a day it takes 106 days.
- Review at each step. After every sava lakh, check whether your daily count is still one you can keep. Adjust it then, not in the middle of a step.
- Share the steps. In a group sankalp, each member can take whole sava lakhs, so the total is easy to add up.
This way a very large number becomes a series of finishable sankalps, each with its own beginning and end.
What the sources say about a long count
Here is what the sources quoted here say about the daily practice:
- A fixed vow. The purport to Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi 10.43 says it is essential that everyone fulfill a specific vow to chant the Hare Krishna mantra, and that its society prescribes at least sixteen rounds daily for its students.
- Keeping the number. The purport to Antya 11.23 says that if one cannot complete the fixed number of rounds he is assigned, he should be considered to be in a diseased condition of spiritual life.
- Quality over quantity. The Adi 10.43 purport also says mechanical chanting is not as powerful as chanting of the holy name without offenses.
- Never stopping. Navbharat Live reports Shri Premanand Ji Maharaj's appeal that naam jap should never stop.
Naam jaap is devotion; it is not a promise of any worldly result.
Niyam for a sava lakh or sava crore sankalp
- Take the sankalp you can finish. Sava lakh first is a sensible step before sava crore.
- Keep the same name from the first day to the last.
- Count full repetitions only. A name broken off halfway isn't counted.
- Don't make up missed days in a rush. Add a little to the next few days instead of doubling one day.
- Write down the total daily. For a vow that may last years, the log is the sankalp's memory.
- Close the sankalp with thanks. When you reach the total, mark the day with a short prayer.
For daily rules of chanting, see naam jap vidhi aur niyam, and for choosing a daily number, naam jaap kitni baar karna chahiye.
Common mistakes
- Confusing sava crore with one crore. Sava crore is 25 lakh more than one crore.
- Reading sava as two. Sava means one and a quarter; sava do is two and a quarter.
- Starting with sava crore alone at one mala a day. At that pace it takes about 317 years. Choose a count or a group that can finish.
- Counting in your head. Over months the running total slips. Use a counter or a written log.
- Racing the number. A hurried count that loses attention misses the point the sources make about quality.
Frequently asked questions
How much is sava crore?
Sava crore is 1,25,00,000, one and a quarter crore. In international numbers that is 12,500,000, or 12.5 million.
What is sava crore in numbers and in English?
In numbers it is 1,25,00,000 in the Indian system and 12,500,000 in the international system. In English it is twelve and a half million.
How much is sava 2 crore?
Sava do crore is two and a quarter crore: 2,25,00,000, or 22.5 million.
What is the difference between 1 crore and sava crore?
One crore is 1,00,00,000 and sava crore is 1,25,00,000, so sava crore is 25 lakh more. At 16 rounds a day, the extra 25 lakh alone takes about 1,447 days, roughly four more years. The 1 crore naam jaap guide covers the one-crore plan in detail.
How many malas are in sava lakh and sava crore?
With 108 names a mala, sava lakh is about 1,158 malas and sava crore is about 1,15,741 malas.
How long does sava crore naam jaap take?
At 16 rounds a day it takes about 7,234 days, roughly 19.8 years. At 64 rounds a day it takes about 1,809 days, roughly 5 years. The naam jaap calculator works it out for your own daily count.
Is sava lakh jaap required for naam jaap?
Not in the sources quoted here. The Chaitanya-charitamrita purports quoted above ask Hare Krishna devotees for a fixed number of rounds every day instead. Some mantra practices name sava lakh as a total for one mantra, such as AstroSight's 1,25,000 recitations for the Hanuman beej mantra; follow your guru or tradition for those.
Is there an app to count sava lakh or sava crore jaap?
For daily practice away from the browser, the MySakhi Radha Naam Jap Counter app is free to download. It shows some ads, and an optional Pro upgrade removes them. The naam jaap counter and the naam jaap calculator on this site work right now, with no install.