Short answer: No. The original Navkar (Namokar) Mantra does not have 108 letters.

Key points

• The classic Prakrit Navkar Mantra has five salutations:

“ṇamo arihantāṇaṁ, ṇamo siddhāṇaṁ, ṇamo āyariyāṇaṁ, ṇamo uvajjhāyāṇaṁ, ṇamo lōe savva-sāhūṇaṁ.” Many traditions also recite the explanatory verse: “eso pañca namokkāro, savva-pāva-ppaṇāsaṇo; maṅgalāṇaṁ ca savvesiṁ, paḍhamaṁ havai maṅgalaṁ.”

• Traditional letter (akshar) counts for the core mantra are around 68 in Prakrit. The exact number can vary slightly with script/transliteration and whether the explanatory verse is included, but it is not 108.
• The number 108 in Jain practice relates to:

- 108 combined virtues of the Pañcha Parameṣṭhi (Arihant 12, Siddha 8, Āchārya 36, Upādhyāya 25, Sādhu 27 = 108). - Japa malas of 108 beads and the common practice of reciting the mantra 108 times. It does not refer to the mantra’s letter count.

Digambar and Śvetāmbara notes

• Both traditions accept the same fivefold salutation; there are only minor orthographic differences (e.g., savva/sabba). Neither tradition teaches that the mantra has 108 letters.

For a simple overview of the mantra and akshar discussion, see: and a basic explanation of the Navkar Mantra here: .