108 Names of Krishna & Significance

108 Names of Krishna & Significance

Achala : The firm one: Achala means firm, immovable or steadfast. This name is also given to Lord Vishnu who is thought to be untouched by change of any kind and is always eternal. It also symbolizes stability, strength and secures determination.
Achyuta : The perfect companion: Achyuta means one who never falls or the infallible one. It is another name for Lord Vishnu who is said to be completely without sin, and who never degenerates from his divine nature.
Adbhutah : The wonderful one: The word Adbhutah means wonderful, amazing or miraculous. This name has been given in order to represent the god – Lord Vishnu who is believed to be the Lord of the marvels of the universe.
Adideva : Meaning of the term Adideva: Literally, Adideva translates to the Lord of Lords or the supreme Lord. It is one of the titles given to Lord Vishnu who is taken to be the supreme and the sovereign of the universe.
Aditya : Nourishing god: The name Aditya is derived out of the Sanskrit term ‘Aditi’ which means mother, particularly mother of gods. It closely associated with the sun god or Surya who is supposed to son of Aditi.
Ajanma : The unborn one: The word Ajanma signifies unborn, or he who is not born and hence does not die. Basically, this name is attributed to Lord Vishnu as He is considered to be an entity which is timeless, or one which always exists.
Ajaya : Etymologically the name Ajaya is analysed as follows: Ajaya is derived from the Sanskrit term ‘aja’ which means ‘one who cannot be defeated.’ It is another name of Lord Vishnu known as the omnipotent God and who in most stories of divine wars, alway wins the battle against the forces of evil.

Akshara : The last element: it is eternal: the indestructible one. It is frequently employed to denote Lord Vishnu who is supposed to be timeless or, in other words, immutable. The name also point at the fact that the ultimate reality remains eternal and unchanging.
Amrit : This is the elixir of life for gods’ and human beings, amrita is considered to be the ambrosia which upon consuming grants longer life or even deathlessness to anyone. It is named from lord Vishnu who in ancient hindu mythology is believed to be holding the pot of amrit in his hands.
Anand-sagar : One name: Anand-sagar can mean sea of joy or ocean of happiness. It is an epithet given to Lord Vishnu, because he is supposed to shower immeasurable pleasure on his followers.
Ananta : Lingus name Ananta has its origin in the Sanskrit language and the literal translation of the name is the ‘endless’. It is mostly applied to refer to something which is infinite or something one cannot calculate, something that has no limit or has no starting and a non-terminal point.
Anantajeet : The name of the product AnantaJeet has been formed from two Sanskrit words, ‘Ananta’ meaning endless or infinite and ‘Jeet’ meaning victorious. Thus, the name was derived as Anantajeet which literarily translates to ‘the ever-victorious one’.
Ananya : The name Ananya in actuality has its roots in the Sanskrit language and consists of two meanings, unique or incomparable. It is mostly employed to refer to an individual who does not have a counterpart or a better version of himself/herself or a next of kin.
Aniruddha : The end part of the name Aniruddha has two parts Ani which in Sanskrit means not, Ruddha means obstructed. Therefore while indirectly he is known as aniruddha which means one who cannot be obstructed.
Aparajit : The name Aparajit has a Sanskrit origin and the meaning of the word is ‘unconquered’ or ‘invincible’. They also used it to explain a situation where there is strictly no possible way of overcoming the individual in question.

Avyukta : The name Avyukta itself is the Sanskrit name and translates literally as ‘very clear’, ‘unambiguous’. It is often used to convey the meaning of clear and easily understandable thing or, easily understandable thought.
Balagopala : From the Sanskrit language the name Balagopala is formed by the two words Bala which means ‘‘child’’ or ‘Young’ and Gopala which means ‘’Protector of cows’. Thus the name, Balagopala indicates the figure of Krishna in child form, the Lord of the cow herds in the Hindu mythology.
Balkrishna : The name Balkrishna is derived from two Sanskrit words namely Bala, which translates to ‘child’ or ‘young’, and Krishna which is one of the major Hindu gods. Thus, in the same way the name Balkrishna can be translated as ‘the child form of Krishna’.
Chaturbhuja : From two Sanskrit words ‘Chatur’ (Four) and ‘Bhuja’ (arms), he got the name Chaturbhuja. Therefore the name ‘Chaturbhuja’ literally translates as ‘four handed’ because Lord Vishnu is often depicted with four arms in Hindu iconography.
Danavendra : Danavendra is coming from two parts Sanskrit where Dana means donating or giving and Vendra mean chief or lord. Thereby the meaning of the name Danavendra is ‘the lord of givers/donor or the giver of boons’. This name is reflected and normally given to the Hindu God Kubera, who presides over wealth and prosperity.
Dayalu : The name Dayalu is given according to Sanskrit and literally it means ‘The source of compassion’. It is sometimes as used to indicate that a certain person is a kind one, a merciful one or simply put a compassionate person.
Dayanidhi : The name Dayanidhi is a compound form of Daya and Nithi where Daya means ‘compassion’ or ‘kindness’ and Nithi meaning treasure or wealth. Hence the name Dayanidhi tests with compassion and the name also indicates that Dayanidhi is the Lord of compassion or the treasury of compassion.

Devadidev : The name is a combination of two Sanskrit words, Deva or the god or deity and Adi for first. The name Devadidev means the ‘lord of lords’ or ‘Supreme god’ especially given to Lord Shiva, one of the trio of great gods of Hindu pantheon.
Devakinandana : The name Devakinandana is compounded from two Sanskrit terms: Devaki, name of the mother of Lord Krishna and Nandana, meaning son or offspring. Accordingly, the name Devakinandana refers to ‘son of Devaki’ and is sometimes given to Lord Krishna who was born to Devaki.
Devesha : The name Devesha has been taken from two characters of Sanskrit language – Deva; it means God or deity and Esha means lord or ruler. Hence, Devesha means ‘the Lord of lords’ or the ruler of the Gods and this name has been associated with Lord Shiva.
Dharmadhyaksha : The name Dharmadhyaksha has been formed from two Sanskrit words: Dharma meaning ‘righteousness’ ‘duty’ and Adhyaksha meaning ‘supervisor’ ‘administrator’. Thus, by interpreting the name Dharmadhyaksha as ‘The Lord of Dharma’ or ‘the supervisor of Righteousness’, one can learn of Lord Vishnu.
Dravin : This name has origins from the Sanskrit language where it translates to ‘the one who does not have enemies’. It can be used to express a man as strong, who can fight or who does not need to fight, and who has no one to fight: no one is his rival.
Dwarkapati : The name Dwarkapati has two parts the first part refering to the name Dwarka which is the name of a city in India and the second part of the word Pati which means lord or ruler. Thus the name Dwarkapati means the ‘Lord of Dwarka’. This term is commonly referred to as Lord Krishna who is said to have been the king of the legendary city of Dwarka in ancient India.

Gopal : The name Gopal is combination of two single word from Sanskrit – Go (Cow) & Pal (Protector/keeper). Thus the name Gopal means ‘the maintainer of cows’ or ‘the protector of cows,’ which name is also attributed to Lord Krishna who was a cowherd boy in his young age.
Gopalpriya : The name Gopal- priya is noun from two terms in Sanskrit Gopal meaning ‘the maintainer of cows’ and Priya meaning ‘Beloved or Loved one’. Thus, the name Gopalpriya is derived from ‘Gopal’ the lover and ‘priya’ the cowherd, which is everything to depict Lord Krishna who was loved by the cowherds in his tender age.
Govinda: Govinda is a Sanskrit name which has two segments; go, which means cows and vind, meaning pleasure giver. As such, it’s a name which literally translates to ‘one who gives pleasure to the cows’. Govinda is also name of Lord Krishna that was a cow herder in his young age and it is also believed that he has special affection for cows. Further, Govinda is described as the seer of the operations of the functions of senses. 

Gyaneshwar: The name-analyis of Gyaneshwar name is derived from Sanskrit language where ‘Gya’ denotes knowledge and ‘eshwar’ denotes Lord or Master. Hence, the name Gyaneshwar may be translated as ‘lord of knowledge’ or ‘master of wisdom’. The name gives an impression of Lord Shiva who is also considered the God of knowledge in the Hindu religion.
Hari: Its Literal meanings are Hari is a sanskrit name which has many importances such as. According to one of the interpretations the name has the meaning “one who can accept all the sorrows and pains”. The second meaning is calmed “Lord of nature”. The name Hari is also used to refer Lord Vishnu who is believed to have powers that can enable him to wipe out all the anguish and sufferings of his devotees. As for Durga, Hari is also said to be the preserver of the universe as is also reflected in the meaning of the word.
Hiranyagarbha: The name Hiranyagarbha is a Sanskrit and it has got two words in it, where the first one hiranya means ‘gold’ and the second one garbha means ‘womb’ or ‘embryo’. Hence, the name translates to “the all powerful creator” or “the golden embryo”. The term Hiranyagarbha is most commonly linked with Lord Brahma who according to the Hindu mythology is the god of creation.
Hrishikesha: Hrishikesha is that it is derived from two root words of Sanskrit namely ‘hrishika’ meaning ‘senses’ and ‘isha’ meaning ‘lord’ or ‘master’. This leads to the meaning of the name – which is ‘lord of the senses’. Hrishikesha is also known as Lord Vishnu who is said to control the sensory organs and also the mind.
Jagadguru: The term ‘Jagadguru’ is a pure Sanskrit term and it consists of two words: ‘jagat’ means ‘world’ or ‘universe’ and ‘guru’ means ‘teacher’ or ‘preceptor’. Therefore the name signifies ‘preceptor of the whole world’. The term Jagadguru is therefore used when referring to great teacher and religious gurus who are considered as the world guides/teachers.

Jagadisha: Jagadisha is an appellative derived from the Sanskrit language and it consists of two parts; the word “jagat” which translates to ‘ World’ or ‘Universe’ and the word “isha” with the meaning of “Lord” or “Master”. Therefore its meaning translates to “protector of the universe”. Jagadisha is linked with lord Shiva as the lord of the universe and is proactively supposed to safeguard the universe and humanity from all sorts of vices.
Jagannath: Jagannath is a sanscrit name which can be dissected into two parts: jagat means world or universe and nath means lord or master. Thus, the meaning of the name is translated as ‘ lord of the universe’. Jagannath is also considered as the Lord Vishnu who is also known as the preserver of the universe.
Janardana: The name Janardana is a Sanskrit derived name, which is formed of two parts – Jan – the short form of the word Jana, which means people or human being.
Jayantah : The name Jayantah itself has its origin from Lord Krishna who is called as ‘Jayanthah’ meaning always victorious. He never faces his enemies and end up thrown out of the ring every time he engages in any fight.
Jyotiraditya : Brightness of the sun Jyotiraditya means the brightness of the sun it can be define as a sunny person. The name is derived from Lord Krishna who is believed to being the source of all light and power in the world.
Kamalnath : They believed that the world Kamalnath meant the Lord of Goddess Lakshmi – the Hindu goddess of wealth. However many devotees pray to Lord Krishna along with his wife Goddess Lakshmi as they are considered as the god and goddess of wealth.
Kamalnayan : One with lotus-shaped eyes The name Kamalnayan has been given as meaning that Lord Krishna had lotus-shaped eyes which are said to be very beautiful. This name has got a divine connection and reflects the actual beauty and grace of Lord Krishna.

Kamsantak : Kamsantak refers to the demon which was killed to prevent the evil king Kamsa, a cousin of Devaki and step uncle of Lord Krishna from killing him when he was a baby. The name itself connives at bravery of Lord Krishna and the triumph over the evil force.
Kanjalochana : Lotus-eyed one
Kanjalochana is the name which literally translates into ‘the one with lotus eyes’. The name is a 回to the ‘lotus like’ eyes of Lord Krishna, with whom the girls are said to have been abducted.
Keshava : I believe it is Keshi’s enemy, as for the second one I do not recall an exact name, but someone with long beautiful hair.
Keshava refers to the Kaumuda who killed the demon Keshi that was sent by Lord Indra to eliminate Lord Krishna. It also derives from long and beautiful hairs which Lord Krishna is usually depicted with in painting and sculptures.
Krishna : Beautiful one; Dark skinned one
Krishna is a word which translates to the all-tempting one. The name also symbolize Lord Krishna who had dark complexion comparing to the color of the black cloud during the rainy season. The name gives a touch of Lord Krishna’s divine looks and charisma.
Lakshikantam : God of Goddess Lakshmi
Lakshikantam is derived from two words viz. Lakshmi and Kantam and therefore it translate to the Lord of Goddess Lakshmi. It is the name which also holds connotation to Lord Krishna in connection with the Goddess of prosperity and wealth, Lakshmi.
Lokadhyaksha : Lokadhyaksha means the lord of all worlds and of all men and therefore Lord of all worlds. It calls Lord Krishna as the original master and king of all the worlds, both material and spiritual.
Madan : The term of Sanskrit origin, Lord of love Madan also conforms to its literal meaning. There is a concept of love and that belongs Lord Krishna and his love is depicted as unconditional love.
Madhusudana : Slayer of demon Madhu Madhusudana means the slayer of the demon Madhu. In Hindu mythology, Madhu was a powerful demon who was killed by Lord Krishna. The name Madhusudana symbolizes Lord Krishna's victory over evil and his role as a protector of the universe.

Mahendra : Indra Mahendra means Indra’s Lord where Indra is an important God of thunder and rain in Hindu mythology and Mahendra refers to a king. It is because Lord Krishna is described to be Mahendra since it is recognized that he is the god of gods being prayed to by the gods themselves.
Manmohan : The mind-pleasing one Manmohan means the one which gives pleasure to the mind. It is a descriptor for Lord Krishna whose characteristics it is said that are pleasing to capture the hearts and minds of people who come in contact with him.
Manohar : A person who enjoys or makes the mind happy Manohar refers to a person that makes the mind content or happy. It is another version of the name Manmohan in which ‘Arjun’ suggest Lord Krishna’s enchanting powers over the minds of his devotees.
Mayur : Lord, who had a cockade of feathers in his hat similar to the peacock.
Mayur is the lord who has crest which is in the form of a bird called peacock. Mayur can also be interpreted as the name Lord Krishna who is depicted to be wearing peacock feather on his head.
Mohan : All-attractive one
Mohan translates to the all attractive one. It is believed that Lord Krishna had divinity which made him favorable to all the creatures on this earth. This is evident from the name Mohan which stresses on divinity and attractiveness.
Murali : It is very interesting that Lord Murali is essentially the flute playing lord. Lord Krishna is commonly represented holding a flute which is explained to represent his capacity to mesmerize his followers.
Murlidhar : Holder of flute Murlidhar implies that the one who possess the flute is Murlidhar. The name implies the rigid principle which Lord Krishna possesses in the form of a flute and the divine power of attraction that he has in the case with his devotees.
Murlimanohar : The one who satisfies the mind with playing of the flute.
Murlimanohar actually has two parts- Murliman means the one who plays flute and the other ohar means the one who pleases the mind with flute-playing. His music Meera sings has no relation with music although the name refers to Lord Krishna’s flute that enchants the minds of Gopis.

Nandagopala : Nanda Nandagopala: The name Nanda means ‘son of Nanda’. Krishn’s parents are Nanda, a cowherd and Yashoda who is his wife. It depicts him as the son of a god and ties him to the status of a cowherd at the same time.
Nandakumara : Nandakumara is the name which directly means that it is the name of the son of Nanda. This name is almost like that of Nandagopala and refers to Lord Krishna’s divine parentage and contact with the gopas.
Narayana : This means of Narayana as the refuge of all is... Due to the name it can be inferred that Lord Krishna is the supreme master of all the universe as well as protector of all the living beings.
Navaneetha-chor : Navaneetha-chor means the thief of butter while aayi helatha SRI means ‘Oh, Goddess merciful’. Another version of Lord Krishna is that of the naughty child, who loved to steal sweets especially butter from the houses of the cowherd ladies. The name also reflects this idea as to the divine pastimes of the god in question.
Niranjana : Niranjana the name of the girl Unblemished one Niranjana means the unblemished one. It has relation with name of Lord Krishna and means that he was absolutely pure and divine being with no defects.
Nirguna : Nirguna means one without attributes There is only one Person known as Nirguna, that is the one without attributes. Lord Krishna is aholistic God and is known to transcend the four qualities and is thus considered as the ultimate truth. His name by itself conveys the notion of the fact that he is beyond the ordinary people.
Padmahasta : Lotus handed is the term that is used to describe him.
The name Padmahasta is derived from two words the first connotes one whose hands are lotus like. Lotus flowers are also frequently attributed to Lord Krishna and the name reflects Krishna’s relation to it.
Padmanabha : Padmanabha implies one who has a lotus shaped navel. Lord Krishna is represented having been born from the lotus flower situated at the navel and the name underlines this facet of the deity.
Parabrahmana : The supreme absolute truth or Parabrahmana is in fact the supreme absolute truth. Krishna is considered to be supreme being or God and the creator of all existence. The name stresses on his divinity as well as his position above all gods.

Paramatma : The Supreme Soul : Another meaning that you come across with Paramatma is the supreme soul. Lord Krishna has been considered to be the consolidating figure of consciousness, and is the supreme soul. The first and the last name stress on his divine origin and his function as the giver of life.
Param-purush : The term Param-purusha is sanctified and is taken to mean the highest person or the supreme soul. Lord Krishna is respectively the supreme God and creation itself.
Parthasarathi : Parthasarathi it refers to the charioteer of Partha and Partha is the other name of Arjuna. In the epic of Mahabharata Lord Krishna drove the chariot of Arjuna and it was also he, who advised Arjuna during the battle of Kurukshetra.
Prajapati : Prajapati because it dated from the lord of all beings. Lord Krishna is an avatar of Lord Vishnu and the supreme power of the universe that brings creation of everything including all the beings and living creatures.
Punyah : The meaning of pure one Punyah is the pure one. By the same token Lord Krishna is devoid of any taint or stain of material infection and hence he is viewed as the most pure and spiritual being.
Purushottama : Superior man ; Superior man of men
Purushottama is the best of all the men or it is actually the meaning of the supreme individual. Lord Krishna is believed to be the supreme god and the creator of the universe, walking synonym of supreme divinity.
Ravilochana : The person who has the sun as his eyes Ravilochana therefore means one who has the sun as his eyes. Lord Krishna is portrayed as having the sun as his eyes so that he can symbolize light as a divine figure.

Sahasraakash : Sahasraakash is only a term that interprets thousand-eyed one. Lord Krishna’s ability enables him to pierce through things and hence has numerous eyes as seen in the idiom.
Sahasrajit : Sahasrajit – He who annihilates thousands This means he is one who defeats thousands of enemies. In battles Lord Krishna is believed to be invincible that is why Lord Krishna is depicted as a fighter.
Sakshi : An observer(or called a looker-on, on-looker) is a person who sees everything.
Sakshi is one who sees or witness every thing literally. Lord Krishna himself enjoys omniscience hence why he is often referred to as a witness to all things.
Sanatana : The literal translation of the word sanatana which is used in the Hindi language is the eternal one. Sri Krishna is regarded to be beyond time and space, and thus a clarification to stress that the character represents divine reality.
Sarvajana : It has exactly the same meaning as the previous translation in English: this name is derived from the root ‘Sarv’, meaning ‘all’, and ‘jna’, meaning ‘the knower’, or ‘the knowing one’. Thus, this name evidences Lord Krishna’s capability of seeing everything, first and foremost – everything visible, but also anything hidden from human view as well.
Sarvapalaka : It literally means ‘the sustainer of all. ’ Sarvapalaka is indeed a reflection of Lord Krishna who is a caretaker of the universe.
Sarveshwar : The name is derived from ‘Sarveshwar’ which means that Krishna is the master of all and supreme controller of the universe.
Satyavachana : Satyavachana has a literal sense ‘speaker of truth .’ So it denotes the fact that Lord Krishna is the principle of truth, the divine teacher who enlightens his devotees with spiritual wisdom.
Satyavrata : The meaning of this name is ‘fixated on truth.’ Satyavrata refers to Lord Krishna’s steadfastness in the performance of right deeds.

Shrestha : Shrestha is from the root – Istha meaning ‘the highest one’ and therefore connotes the lord krishna as the highest of the highest.
Shrikanta : This name mim meaning ‘the beautiful one’, Shrikanta refers to Lord Krishna’s beauty as described by those who witnessed Him in this regard.
Shyam : This name means ‘dark complexioned person’, ‘dark as the color of the earth’.Shyam is symbolic to Lord Krishna’s black color which symbolizes His divinity.
Shyamsundar : The meaning of this name is ‘dark and beautiful’. The name Shyamsundar describes Lord Krishna as He is endowed with divine beauty coupled with black skin.
Sumedha : This name of Krishna means ‘intelligent one’. The term is formed by two parts, “Su”, which translates as good or auspicious, and “Medha” that stands for intellect. The wisdom loving lord Krishna is revered as the deity of divine intelligence.
Suresham : This name literally translates as ‘Lord of the demigods’. It consists of two words; the first one ‘Sura’ meaning demigod and the second one ‘Isham’ meaning Lord . According to the Hindu mythology the demigods are the ordinances who are supposed to control the equation of the universe and according to the belief Krishna is the supreme demigod.
Swargapati : This name means ‘The Lord of heavenly planets’. The literal meaning of this word is two-fold, the first is ‘Swarga’ meaning heaven and the second part of the word is ‘Pati’ meaning Lord. Srimati Radharani’s husband is Krishna who is also known as Swargapati since he rules over the heavenly planets where the gods live.
Trivikrama : The numerical value of this name is 9 and it means “the Conqueror of the three worlds”. The first part of the word is ‘Tri’ reflecting the number three; the second part of the word ‘Vikrama’ means to vanquish. In the Hindu mythology, Krishna came in His form of Trivikrama to vanquish the King of the demons Bali, who had occupied all the three worlds.

Upendra : This name is actually the name meaning of ‘Brother of Indra’. It is formed of two syllables: ‘Upa’ refers to the junior or lesser and ‘Indra’ represents the deity who the ruler of demigods. Krishna here is described to be the younger brother of Balarama, so He is also called as Upendra, which means He took His incarnation to take the form of the younger brother of Indra in the dream world.
Vaikunthanath : It signifies as “The Lord of Vaikuntha”. Vaikuntha is said to belong to Lord Vishnu and still Krishna is considered as the Avatara of Vishnu. Hence, the Lord Krishna is also called Vaikunthanath meaning the master of Vaikuntha.
Varshneya : The meaning of this name is ‘offspring of Vrishni’. Vrishni is reckoned one of the very ancient kings of India, whose descendant Krishna was. Hence, Krishna is also called as Varshneya because he is the descendent of Vrishni family.
Vasudeva : This name is known as “Son of Vasudeva”. Krishna was born to Vasudeva. Hence the name Vasudeva is another name for Krishna.
Vishnu : The name has been derived from Sanskrit and its literal translation means ‘The Lord who exists everywhere’. Krishna is a form of Lord Vishnu who is one of the most important gods of Hindu and is the god of preservation. Thus the Lord Krishna is also referred to as Vishnu, the all permeated, infinitely glorious and omnipresent.
Vishwadakshinah : About the name of this dance Vishwadakshinah, Vishwa means the universe and Dakshinah means skilled. Therefore the name Vishwadakshinah may be interpreted to mean the most skilled person in the whole universe.
Vishwakarma : The name Vishwakarma is an effect of two word origins; Vishwa – universe and Karma meaning work. Therefore, the meaning of the name Vishwakarma is the one who creates this world and looks after it.
Vishwamurte : The name Vishwamurte is derived from two other words, that is, Vishwa meaning universe and Murte meaning form. Thus the name Vishwamurte denotes the whole form of the universe.

Yadava : Yadava means the person who is the descendants of Yadu. Yadu was one of the great kings of the ancient India and another great king Krishna was also from the Yadu clan.
Yadavendra : The name which has been used is Yadavendra where Yadava means descendant of Yadu and Indra mean king or lord. Thus the name Yadavendra suggest the king or the lord of the Yadava community.
Yoginampati : The name Yoginampati is the combination of two words; Yogi refers to a performer of Yoga and Pati refers to Lord. That is why we have the name Yoginampati which translates into the Lord of the Yogis.