Bhairavaikakapalad-hrik (भैरवैककपालधृक्, IAST: Bhairavaikākapāladhṛk) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu boy-name meaning “Bearer of the single skull-cup in Bhairava form”. This compound unites bhairava (the terrible, awe-inspiring aspect of Śiva), eka (one, singular), kapāla (skull, skull-cup), and dhṛk (bearer, holder), presenting Vishnu as the cosmic witness who holds even the most fearsome tantric symbol of Bhairava.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Bhairava is the terrifying manifestation of Śiva associated with the transgression of cosmic limits, and his iconic emblem is the kapāla or skull-cup. That Vishnu is named Bhairavaikākapāladhṛk in the Sahasranāma reveals His absolute sovereignty over all cosmic forms, including the most awesome. This is a deeply esoteric epithet, affirming that the serene Preserver and the fearsome Destroyer are ultimately one consciousness.

This name is too complex and multi-word to serve comfortably as a given name, but it holds immense value as a meditative epithet for scholars and initiates of tantric Vaiṣṇavism. Pronounced bhai-ra-vai-ka-ka-paa-la-dhrik, it is best reserved for liturgical recitation rather than everyday use.

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Scriptural source

Bhairavaikakapalad-hrik 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, Bhairavaikakapalad-hrik aligns with the Mula nakshatra, under the Dhanu rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 8.