Akshaya (अक्षय, IAST: Akṣaya) is an Sanskrit-origin Hindu boy-name meaning “Undecaying, indestructible, eternally undiminished”. From a- (not) and kṣaya (wasting away, decay), Akṣaya points to Vishnu's absolute permanence — He neither decays, diminishes, nor moves toward dissolution in any respect.

Meaning, etymology & significance

The root kṣi means 'to perish,' 'to waste,' or 'to diminish,' and kṣaya is its noun form denoting decay or destruction. Vishnu as Akṣaya is beyond the reach of time's erosion — the eternal substratum upon which all perishable things rest. In popular devotion, Akṣaya Tṛtīyā is celebrated as the day of inexhaustible auspiciousness, taking its name from this very quality of the Divine.

Akṣaya is widely used as a given name across India and is beloved for its association with prosperity and permanence; it is pronounced uhk-SHUY-uh, with the retroflex ṣ.

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Scriptural source

Akshaya appears in the Vishnu Sahasranama, among the sacred names of Vishnu.

Astrology — nakshatra, rashi & numerology

By the standard Vedic correspondence between a name’s first syllable and the lunar mansion, Akshaya aligns with the Krittika nakshatra, under the Mesha rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 5.