Kaliyamardana (कालियमर्दन, IAST: Kāliyamardana) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu boy-name meaning “Subduer and tamer of the serpent Kāliya”. From Kāliya (the multi-hooded serpent king) and mardana (one who crushes, subdues, tramples), this name exalts Krishna's triumphant dance upon the hoods of the poisonous serpent in the Yamunā river.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Kāliya was a great and venomous nāga whose presence had poisoned the Yamunā, killing birds and animals that came to drink. Krishna dived into the river, subdued the serpent by dancing upon his multiple hoods with sovereign grace, and ultimately showed compassion by exiling rather than destroying Kāliya. Mardana, from the root mṛd (to crush, press, subdue), thus carries both the sense of physical conquest and the gracious restraint that defines divine power. The episode is one of the most celebrated visual motifs in Vaishnava art.

Kāliyamardana is a cherished name in Vaishnava traditions across India and is often depicted in temple sculpture and paintings of Krishna's Vraja pastimes. It is used as a devotional name and is suitable for a boy. Pronounced kaa-li-ya-mar-da-na.

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Scriptural source

Kaliyamardana 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, Kaliyamardana aligns with the Mrigashira nakshatra, under the Mithuna rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 9.