Dvividaghn (द्विविदघ्न, IAST: Dvividaghn) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu boy-name meaning “Slayer of the ape-demon Dvivida”. A compound of 'Dvivida,' the vicious ape-demon ally of Narakasura, and 'ghna' (slayer), this name honors Balarama's destruction of that mighty and destructive beast.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Dvivida was an enormous and wicked ape who wreaked havoc on sages, women, and the land, acting as a partisan of Narakasura and an enemy of righteousness. Balarama encountered Dvivida during his pilgrimage and ultimately killed him with his ploughshare weapon, Hala, after a fierce battle described in the Bhagavata Purana's tenth book. The slaying symbolizes the Lord's inexorable destruction of chaos that disguises itself as brute strength.

This name is an epithet of Balarama and signals Vishnu's protective omnipotence through his expansions; it is a descriptive compound not well-suited as a personal name. Pronounced dvi-vi-da-gna, with the 'dv' cluster pronounced as in 'dwell.'

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Scriptural source

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