Madhava (Vishnu)

Madhava (Sanskrit: माधव, IAST: Mādhava) is one of the primary epithets of Vishnu and Krishna. The word Mādhava in Sanskrit is a vṛddhi derivation of the word Madhu (Sanskrit: मधु), which means honey. It is a title of Krishna, referring to his lineage as 'he who appeared the Madhu dynasty'.^[1]

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").^[2]

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.^[3]

^ www.wisdomlib.org (2009-04-12). "Madhava, Mādhava, Mādhavā: 29 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
^ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita, a New Translation and Commentary, Chapter 1-6. Penguin Books, 1969, p 37 (v 14)
^ "Narada Pancharatra [relj32kmyvn1]". idoc.pub. Retrieved 2022-08-02.

[1] www.wisdomlib.org (2009-04-12). "Madhava, Mādhava, Mādhavā: 29 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-08-02.

[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]". idoc.pub. Retrieved 2022-08-02.

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