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Madhava (Vishnu)

Epithet of Hindu god Vishnu and Krishna

Epithet of Hindu god Vishnu and Krishna

Madhava (, ) is one of the primary epithets of Vishnu or Krishna. The word Mādhava in Sanskrit is a vṛddhi derivation of the word Madhu (), which means honey. It is a title of Krishna, referring to his lineage as 'he who appeared the Madhu dynasty'.

Vishnu, the bearer of the epithet

In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna addresses Krishna as Madhava (meaning "lord of fortune"; not to confused with a secondary name, Madhusudana, which means "slayer of the demon Madhu").

According to Adi Shankara's commentary on the Vishnu Sahasranama and the Narada Pancharatra, Madhava means the consort (dhava) of the mother (ma), referring to Lakshmi, the goddess called the 'mother of the universe'. Alternatively, it means the 'one who is fit to be known through Madhu-vidya', or can mean the 'one who is the lord of ma, or knowledge.

Literature

In the Skanda Purana, Shiva mentions Madhava as an epithet of Vishnu, described as the one who holds the conch, discus and mace.

In the Garuda Purana, the hymn to Vishnu composed by Markandeya includes the verse, "I crave the mercy of Madhava and of Janardana, what shall Death do unto me?"

In the Harivamsa Purana, during the episode of Krishna's elopement with Princess Rukmini, the epithet is mentioned during his battle against Rukmi:

References

References

  1. www.wisdomlib.org. (2009-04-12). "Madhava, Mādhava, Mādhavā: 29 definitions".
  2. ''[[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi]] on the Bhagavad-Gita, a New Translation and Commentary'', Chapter 1-6. Penguin Books, 1969, p 37 (v 14)
  3. "Narada Pancharatra [relj32kmyvn1]".
  4. www.wisdomlib.org. (2021-04-16). "Greatness of Mādhava [Chapter 299]".
  5. www.wisdomlib.org. (2015-04-16). "The hymn to Vishnu composed by the holy Markandeya [Chapter CCXLIII]".
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