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NAME COLLECTION

Names of Shiva

Names of Shiva from the Śivasahasranāma in the Mahābhārata and the Amarakośa, each with its dictionary sense.

This collection follows names to their sources. It describes where a name comes from, not who uses it.

Names recorded in Indian use

Śiva

auspicious, propitious, gracious (adjective); the proper name of the deity Shiva

MBh 13.17.100; Amarakośa 1.1.72

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Śaṃkara

causing prosperity, auspicious (adjective); a name of Rudra/Shiva

MBh 13.17.80; MBh 13.17.99; Amarakośa 1.1.73

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Viśvanātha

lord of the universe; Shiva (esp. at Benares)

Hara

'Seizer', 'Destroyer' (Monier-Williams:); a name of Shiva

MBh 13.17.41; MBh 13.17.66; MBh 13.17.112

Sadāśiva

always kind/auspicious; Shiva

Śrīkaṇṭha

beautiful-throated; a name of Shiva

Amarakośa 1.1.76

Digambara

sky-clothed, i.e. naked; Monier-Williams: a Jain/Buddhist mendicant, also 'N. of Śiva or Skanda' (L.)

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Bhairava

frightful, terrible (adjective); a form of Shiva

Īśa

owning, capable (adjective); Shiva as regent of the north-east quarter

Amarakośa 1.1.72

Īśāna

ruling, owning (adjective); one of the older names of Shiva-Rudra

MBh 13.17.72; MBh 13.17.146; Amarakośa 1.1.73

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Rudra

'Roarer or Howler' (Monier-Williams:); god of tempests, later identified with Shiva

MBh 13.17.46; Amarakośa 1.1.81

Nīlakaṇṭha

blue-necked; Shiva (from the poison swallowed at the churning of the ocean)

MBh 13.17.40

Mahākāla

a form of Shiva as destroyer; also a place sacred to that form

Candraśekhara

moon-crested (candra 'moon' + śekhara 'crest'); Shiva

Amarakośa 1.1.73

Āśutoṣa

easily pleased or appeased; Shiva

Viśveśvara

lord of the universe; a form of Shiva worshipped at Benares

Śarva

Monier-Williams: a god who kills people with arrows, mentioned with Bhava; later a name of Shiva

MBh 13.17.90; MBh 13.17.99; Amarakośa 1.1.73

Other names in the sources

These words are named in the sources as names of the deity. Their listing here does not say that they are used as given names.

Umāpati

Monier-Williams: = 'lord of Umā' (id.), Shiva; the compound is umā + pati

MBh 13.17.40; Amarakośa 1.1.81

Trilocana

three-eyed; Shiva

Amarakośa 1.1.77

Tryambaka

three-eyed (Monier-Williams: originally perhaps 'three-mothered'); Rudra/Shiva

Amarakośa 1.1.79

Paśupati

lord of animals/souls; Shiva

Amarakośa 1.1.72

Pinākin

armed with the bow or spear Pināka; Rudra-Shiva

Amarakośa 1.1.75

Sthāṇu

standing firmly, motionless (adjective); a name of Shiva

MBh 13.17.30; Amarakośa 1.1.81

Bhava

coming into existence; as a name, a deity attending Rudra, later Shiva

MBh 13.17.30; MBh 13.17.110; Amarakośa 1.1.81

Ugra

fierce, terrible (adjective); a name of Rudra/Shiva

MBh 13.17.97; Amarakośa 1.1.76

Vāmadeva

a form of Shiva (Monier-Williams:); also the name of a Vedic sage

MBh 13.17.68; Amarakośa 1.1.77

Nandīśvara

Monier-Williams: a name of Shiva and chief of his attendants

MBh 13.17.73

Kapardin

wearing braided, knotted hair; Shiva

Amarakośa 1.1.76

Śitikaṇṭha

dark-necked (as Rudra-Shiva)

Amarakośa 1.1.76

Vṛṣadhvaja

bull-bannered; Shiva (Monier-Williams: = vṛṣa-ketana)

Amarakośa 1.1.80

Dhūrjaṭi

having matted locks like a burden; Rudra-Shiva

Amarakośa 1.1.78

Candracūḍa

moon-crested; Shiva

Tripurāri

Monier-Williams: Śiva; analysis: 'enemy of Tripura' (tri-pura + ari)

Sources

  1. Amarasiṃha, Nāmaliṅgānuśāsana (Amarakośa), kāṇḍa 1; GRETIL e-text (Avinash Sathaye, Pramod S. V. Ganesan) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
  2. K. M. Ganguli, The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa translated into English prose (1883-96), Project Gutenberg #15474-15477 ↗ (opens in a new tab)
  3. Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries (local copy sources/cologne/mw.txt) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
  4. Śivasahasranāma (1008 names), Mahābhārata 13.17.30-150 (BORI critical edition), GRETIL e-text mbh_13_u ↗ (opens in a new tab)

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