Devadanavadurdarsha (देवदानवदुर्दर्श, IAST: Devadānavadurdarśa) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu boy-name meaning “Difficult to behold by both gods and demons”. From 'deva' (gods), 'dānava' (demons), and 'durdarśa' (hard to see, difficult to behold), this name reveals Vishnu's transcendent splendour as a radiance that overwhelms the vision of even the highest beings in creation.

Meaning, etymology & significance

The compound joins 'deva' and 'dānava,' the two great opposing cosmic forces, under the single qualifier 'durdarśa,' derived from 'dur' (difficult) and 'darśa' (sight, vision, from the root 'dṛś'). This name thus spans the entire spectrum of divine and demonic existence to declare that none among them can fully endure or comprehend the vision of Vishnu. It echoes the Bhagavad Gita's description of the universal form that even Arjuna could not bear to behold without divine grace.

This epithet of Lord Vishnu in the Vishnu Sahasranama shares thematic kinship with names like Sudurdarśa, pointing to the blinding splendour of the Absolute. Pronounced 'de-va-daa-na-va-dur-dar-sha,' the name can be meaningfully shortened to Durdarsha as an accessible yet evocative given name.

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Scriptural source

Devadanavadurdarsha 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, Devadanavadurdarsha aligns with the Ashlesha nakshatra, under the Karka rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 8.