100 Names of God
AN ETYMOLOGICAL EXPOSITION OF THE VARIOUS NAMES OF GOD
AUM
A:
(from the root Rajri to illuminate, with the prefix vi and suffix
kwip added to it) signifies God, because He illuminates this
multiform universe.
Agni (from the root anchu which signifies gati and worship. Gati
means to know, to move or go, to realize) connotes God, because He is
all-knowledge, Omniscient and worthy of adoration, fit subject to be
known, sought after and realized.
Vishwa (from vish to reside) means God, because all the world and the
worldly objects dwell in Him and He resides in all of them.
U:
Hiranyagarbha (Hiranya - light and garbha - source) means One who is
the source and support of all light and luminous bodies such as the
sun. This is also substantiated by Yajur Veda, which says :-
" In the beginning was Hiranyagarbha - the One Lord of the creation.
He sustains the sun and the earth. We adore Him - the all Blissful
Being." YAJUR VEDA 13: 4.
Vaayu (from the root Va to move, to kill) means One who is the life
and support of the Universe, the cause of its dissolution, mightier
than the mightiest.
Taijas (from Teja to shine or enlighten) is One who is Resplendent
and gives light to the sun and other luminous bodies.
M:
Ishwar (from Ish - power, knowledge) is One whose knowledge and power
are infinite.
A'ditya (from a - not, do - to break, decay) is One who never dies or
decays - is Immortal.
Prajna (from Pre - perfectly and Jna - to know) One whose knowledge
is perfect, Who is Omniscient.
Thus we have briefly described the meanings of the three letters A,
U, M of the word AUM. Besides those already mentioned it also cover
other names of God. Similarly Mitra, Varuna,, and other names
occurring in the mantra quoted at the head of this chapter are all
names of God, because He alone is worthy of homage and adoration, who
is Varuna (good, pure and holy), i.e., superior to others, in nature,
attributes, power and good works.
But God is called Varuna, because He greatest among the great;
Holiest among the holy and purest among the pure. There is no one
equal to Him, nor shall any one ever be. How can then any one be
greater than Him? Neither matter nor soul possesses such infinite
powers and attributes as Truth, Justice, Mercy, Omnipotence,
Omniscience. A thing that is true and real, has nature, attributes
and characteristics also true and real.
It behoves, therefore, all men to worship and adore God and God only,
none besides Him, because, even the men of yore, saints and sinners
as Brahma, Vishnu, Mahaadeva, Daaitya, Daanava, believed in and
worshipped Him and Him only. They adored no other God. We shall take
up this subject in detail in the chapters on 'Divine Worship'
and 'Emancipation'.*
O. The words such like Mitra should be taken to mean friend, etc.,
and the words like Indra, etc., the well-known devas** of this
visible universe.
A.~ No, not here (i.e., in the verses such as above, wherein prayers
are addressed). A man, who is friend to one, is an enemy of another
and indifferent to a third person. Hence Mitra her cannot be taken to
signify an ordinary friend, but it here means God, because He is One
Who is an absolute Friend of all, unfriendly or indifferent to none.
No man can ever be like Him. This is the primary meaning of the word.
But its secondary meaning is an ordinary friend.
Mitra ( from nimid to love) means God, because He loves all and is
worthy of being loved by all.
Varuna (from vri - good or vara - to desire) is One who is best,
holiest of all and desired and sought after by all righteous, pious
and learned men who are seekers after truth and salvation.
Aryama (from re to obtain, to go and ma to respect) is One who
respects oar honors the good and, the just, and punishes the wicked -
The Great Judge who gives souls the fruits of their deeds, good or
evil.
Indra (from Idi - power) is One who is all - powerful.
Vrihaspati ( pa - to correct or govern, Vriha - great) is One who is
greatest among the great, and governs the entire universe.
Vishnu (Vishr - to pervade) is One who pervades all the universe,
animate and inanimate.
Urukramaa ( uru - great, krama - energy) is One who possesses
infinite energy.
Brahma (brih or brihi - to lord) is One who lords over all.
Bhumi is One who is the abode of all and greater than all.
Surya is One who is the life and light of the universe, animate or
inanimate.
A'tma (at - to pervade) is One who pervades the soul as well as the
material universe.
Paramaatmaa ) para - great, aatmaa see above) is One who is holier
than the soul, subtler and more powerful than the soul and matter,
who pervades and controls the soul.
Parameshwar(Param - great, I'shwara - powerful, see No. 7) is One who
is All-powerful among the powerful, Almighty.
Savita (su - to create) is One who is the Creator of the Universe.
Deva (from the root div, which means to operate, desire to win, work,
illuminate, praise, please, punish, sleep, desire and know) is One
who operates in the universe and governs it and does all His works by
His own powers without help from others; Who desires or helps the
good and the righteous to win an is Himself invincible, gives all
power and means to work; Who knows everything and is just and
glorious, illuminates and enlightens all, is worthy of praise, All-
blissful, bestows happiness on others, punishes the wicked and
gladdens the hearts of the good and Himself enjoys perpetual bliss;
who has ordained night for all to sleep and rest, in the indefinable,
imperceptible, primeval elementary matter - prakriti; Whose will is
holy and Whose is desired and sought after by the good, and Who
pervades all and knows all.
Kurvera (kuvi - to cover or spread) is One who covers all or
overspreads all.
Prithivi (prithu - spread) One who has spread this extensive universe.
Jala (jala - to beat) One who beats or punishes the wicked and beats
the atoms into shape, or beats them asunder in the Creation or
Dissolution of the universe, respectively.
Akaash (kash - to illuminate or enlighten) is One who illuminates or
enlightens the whole world.
Anna and atta ( from ad to eat) is One who eats or absorbs into
Himself or contains the universe, animate and inanimate. As grubs are
born in the inside of a fruit of a fig tree, live and die in the
same, so is the universe born, lives and perishes* in God. TAITREYA
UPANISHAD 2: 10. VEDANT SHASTRA 1: 29.
Vasu ( vas to abide or dwell) is the One who dwells in all things,
and is the abode of all.
Rudir (Rudir - shed tears) is One who makes the wicked and the unjust
shed tears. It is said in the Shatapatha Brahmana "Whatever a man
thinks, he speaks; whatever he speaks, the same he acts; whatever he
acts, he reaps". In other words, a man reaps whatever he sows. When
the wicked suffer pain in consequence of their sins at the hand of
Divine Justice, they wail and weep. He is, therefore, called Rudra
Naaraayana ( Naraa - water and souls, aayana - abode) signifies, God,
because He is the abode of souls and pervades them. MANU 1:10.
Chandra (chadi - to please) is the One who is All-bliss, and gives
pleasure and happiness to others.
Mangala (mang - has the same meanings as gati, see No. 2) is One who
is All-blissful, and showers bliss on the soul.
Budha (budha - know) is One who is All-knowledge and endows souls
with knowledge.
Shukra (shu -to purify) is One who is All-knowledge and endows souls
with knowledge.
Shanaishchara (shanaish - with ease, char - to go, eat) is One who
reaches or gains access to all with ease, and possesses great
fortitude.
Rahu (rah - to avoid, reject) is He Who is one without admixture of
anything else. Who rejects the wicked, and frees others from the
hands of the wicked.
Ketu (kit - to abide or reside and cure disease) is One who is the
abode of the universe, free from death and disease. He frees the
emancipated souls from disease and suffering during the period of
salvation.
Yajna (yaj - to shine, worship, combine, devise and give) is One who
combines the different elements together and evolves this world and
its objects out of them, Who is worthy of being worshipped by all the
sages and seers from Brahma downwards and will always be. He is the
Omnipresent God. "Yajna is the Omnipresent God", says the
Shatapatha
Brahmana.
Hotaa (hu - to give or take) is One who gives all that is worth
giving to souls and takes from them what is worth taking.
Bandhu (bundha - to bind, connect) is One who keeps all the worlds
bound by laws to Himself, and helps to keep them in order so that
they cannot move out of their orbit or the laws of their
constitution. He is like a brother unto all the world and supports,
protects and gives happiness to all.
Pitaa (paa - to protect, rear) One who protects all. Just as a
father, through paternal love and kindness always desires the good of
His children, even so does God -is the Father of all - desire
happiness for all.
Pitaamaha - The father of fathers.
Prapitaamaha - The Great-Grandfather.
Maataa - God is named mata (mother), because He has happiness and
prosperity of all souls at heart just as an earthly mother, out of
extreme love and kindness, desires happiness and prosperity for her
offspring.
A'charya (char - to conduct, move, go and, eat) God is called so
because He is the source of all true knowledge and righteousness. It
is through Him we receive knowledge, and live virtuous lives.
Guru (Gri - to speak) the Teacher of all true knowledge and learning
Who revealed the Word of salvation (Vedas) in the beginning of the
world, the Teacher of eve all the early teachers such as Agni, Vayu,
A'ditya, Angira and Brahma.
He is immortal, says Yogashastra. "He is the Teacher of even the most
ancient teachers. He is Immortal. Time cannot influence Him."
YOGASHASTRA SAMADHI 26.
Aja (aja - to combine, join, manifest or evolve) is One who combines
the elements and atoms properly, and evolves the world out of them;
unites bodies with souls, and brings them out into the world, which
is called their birth. He is Himself never born.
Brahma (brihi - to develop, multiply) is One who has created the
world and multiplies it.
Satya (sat - to exist) is One who is the true embodiment of existence
among all existences.
Jnaana is One who knows all the world, animate and inanimate. "The
Great God is Satya Jnaana and Ananta" - Taitiriya Upanishad.
Ananta is one who has no limitations, boundaries, end or dimensions.
Anaadi is One who has no beginning, nor a first cause.
Ananda is One who is All-blissful and endows happiness on the good
and the righteous.
Sata (asi - to be) is One who exists in all times, the past, the
present and the future, and is not limited by time.
Chit is One who is a truly conscious Being and endows souls with true
knowledge of right and wrong.
Sachidaananda (sata + chit + ananda) is One who is a truly conscious,
blissful being.
Nitya Firm, Immortal, Eternal.
Shudha (shudh - to purify) is One who is Himself pure and purifies
others.
Mukta (much - to free) is One who is always free from all sin and
impurity, and frees souls from sin and suffering.
Nitya shudha budha mukta subhaava is One who is Eternal, Holy,
Omniscient and Free.
Niraakaara (nir - no, akar - form) is One who has no form nor body
nor is ever embodied.
Niranjana (Nir -no, anj - form, color, immorality, disorder) is One
who is free from immoral conduct, disorders, etc., nor is He the
object of senses such as the eyes.
Ganapati (Gana -host, pati - Lord) is One who is the Lord of host,
i.e., of all the Material and Spiritual world, which He also protects.
Ganesha (Gana - host, Isha - Lord) Lord of Hosts.
Vishveshwara (Vishwa - universe, Ishwara - Lord), Lord of the
Universe.
Kutastha, is One who pervades all, supports all, and yet Himself
undergoes no transformation.
Devi has the same meanings as the word Deva, which is of Masculine
gender, whilst Devi is of feminine gender. God has names in all the
three genders.
Shakti (shak - power) is One who is powerful enough to create the
world.
Shri (shri - to serve) is One who is served by all saints, sages and
seers.
Lakshmi (Laksh - to see and mark) is One who sees all the universe
and endows it with distinguishing marks or features, as bodies with
eyes, ears, etc.; trees with leaves, fruits and flowers; liquids and
solids with different colors as black, white, red, etc. earth with
dust and rock, etc.; and sees them all. He is the most beautiful
among the beautiful. He is the chief. Source of the Vedas, of the
Yogis and wisemen.
Saraswati (sri - to achieve and know) is One who is possessed of
infinite knowledge of the universe, of words, their objects and their
relations.
Sarvashatimaan, One who does not require the assistance of another in
accomplishing His works, Who by His Own innate power does all His
work.
Niyaayakaari. Niyaaya is what is proved to be true by all the eight
kinds of evidence such as, Direct Cognition, Inference, Analogy. It
is the dispensing of justice without favor or partiality.
Niyaayakaari is One who practices Niyaaya, i.e., truth, justice and
righteousness.
Dayaalu (Daya - to give, take, go, know, protect injure) is One who
makes you fearless knows all, protects the good, and punishes the
wicked.
Advaita is One is only one, and indivisible without any admixture,
either of the same kind ( as man and man are of the same kinds from
man), or made up of different parts. Consequently there is no
relation of whole to its parts, as of body with its parts such as,
eyes, ears.
Nirguna is One who is free from the (distinguishing) properties of
matter such as Satwa, Rajas, Tamas,* color, taste, touch, smell and
of the soul, such as finite power and knowledge, ignorance, passions
and desires, and pain of all kinds. This definition is substantiated
by the authority of Upanishada. "He is free from sound, touch, color,
and such other qualities."
Saguna** is One who possesses such attributes, as perfect knowledge,
perfect bliss, purity, infinite power.
Everything in this universe is Saguna (positive) and Nirguna*
(negative). For instance, the material objects are called Nirguna,
because they are void of the properties and powers of conscious
beings, as will and feelings. Whilst they are also Saguna (positive),
because they possess their own material properties. The same is true
of God. He is Saguna, when He is looked upon as possessed of His own
attributes, as Omniscience, Omnipotence, but He is also Nirguna,
being free from the properties of matter and soul.
Antaryami is One who pervades the animate as well as the inanimate
universe, and controls it.
Dharma Raja is One who is free from sin and evil, and rejoices in
truth, justice and righteousness - The Great Judge.
Yama is One who governs all, administers justice to all and is the
personification of Justice.
Bhagwaan (Bhag - to serve) is One who is possessed of all might and
power, and is worthy of being served and worshipped.
Manu (man - to know) is One who is the true embodiment of knowledge,
and worthy of being known and believed.
Purusha (pri - to fill, sustain) is One who counts and classifies the
material objects and souls.
Vaishwambhara is One who sustains and preserves the world.
Kaala (Kal - to count) is One who counts and classifies the material
objects and souls.
Shesha is One who undergoes no change during Creation or Dissolution.
He is the one Unchangeable Eternal world.
A'pta (aap - to pervade) is One who pervades the universe, is filled
with all true knowledge and righteousness, is the true Teacher of
all, accessible only to the good and the righteous, and free from
such bad attributes, as dishonesty, fraud, etc.
Shankara (sham - good, from kri - to do) is One who is the Benefactor
of all, and Giver of happiness.
Mahaadeva (maha - great + deva) is One who is greatest among the
great, the good, and the learned, and is the Light of the world.
Priya (pri - to please and desire) is One who gladdens the good, the
righteous and the true seekers of salvation, and is worthy of being
sought after - The embodiment of Love.
Swayambhu (swayam - self and bhu - to be) is One who is Self-
existent, Uncreated.
Kavi (ku - word) is One who is all-knowledge and reveals true
knowledge through His Word (The Veda).
Shiva is One who is all Bliss and he Giver of happiness to all.
Swarat - Self-effulgent.
Suparnaa - the Protector and Preserver of the Universe.
Matrishwaa - Powerful like wind.
Garutmaan - Mighty by nature.