Chitraratha (चित्ररथ, IAST: citraratha) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu boy-name meaning “He of the brilliant, wondrous chariot”. Formed from citra (brilliant, variegated, wondrous) and ratha (chariot), this name evokes the resplendent divine vehicle that bears the Lord through the cosmos in matchless splendor.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Citraratha is a bahuvrīhi compound meaning 'one whose chariot is wondrous or brilliantly adorned.' The word citra spans meanings from 'variegated' to 'astonishing,' while ratha denotes the chariot as both a literal vehicle and a symbol of divine sovereignty and cosmic movement. In the Puranic imagination, the Lord's celestial chariot dazzles the worlds with its luminosity.

Citraratha is also the name of a celebrated Gandharva king in the Mahabharata, lending the name an additional mythic dimension. Pronounced chit-ra-RA-tha, it is a mellifluous traditional name occasionally given to boys in devotional families.

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Scriptural source

Chitraratha 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, Chitraratha aligns with the Revati nakshatra, under the Meena rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 2.