Jnanamurthi (ज्ञानमूर्ति, IAST: Jñānamūrti) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu boy-name meaning “Embodiment and form of divine knowledge”. From jñāna (transcendent wisdom, self-knowledge) and mūrti (form, embodiment, personification), this name reveals Viṣṇu as the divine being in whom the highest wisdom does not merely reside but is fully and perfectly incarnate.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Jñāna in Advaita and Vaiṣṇava philosophy alike refers to the liberating wisdom that dissolves ignorance and reveals the true nature of Brahman. The word mūrti, far from denoting merely a statue, means a living form or embodiment — a being in whom a quality is perfectly present. As Jñānamūrti, Viṣṇu is understood to be wisdom made manifest, a living icon of the enlightenment that every soul seeks.

This epithet is shared among several deities — Śiva is also praised as Jñānamūrti — but in the Vaiṣṇava context it specifically honors Viṣṇu's nature as the supreme knower of Brahman. Jñānamūrti is a beloved and usable given name throughout India, especially in Tamil Nadu where Gñānamūrti is a common personal name; the initial jñ is pronounced with a soft nasal quality.

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Scriptural source

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