Rudrāśīrṣaikānūpura (रुद्रशीर्षैकानूपुर, IAST: Rudrāśīrṣaikānūpura) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu boy-name meaning “He who wears Rudra's head as His sole anklet”. From rudra (the fierce, howling god; Shiva), śīrṣa (head), eka (one, sole), and nūpura (anklet, foot ornament), this astounding epithet portrays Vishnu as so supremely vast that Rudra's head serves as a mere ornament at His foot.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Rudra, from the root rud (to howl) or associated with ruc (to shine), is the fierce and powerful Vedic deity who became Shiva; śīrṣa denotes the head as the highest point of a being; nūpura is the jingling anklet worn at the foot. The image of Rudra's head as Vishnu's anklet is a bold Vaishnava theological statement affirming the absolute supremacy of Vishnu even over the formidable Rudra.

This striking epithet of Vishnu in the Sahasranama belongs to a class of names expressing His cosmic vastness through hyperbolic divine imagery; its theological boldness is better suited to devotional recitation and philosophical study than to use as a given name.

Advertisement

Scriptural source

Rudrāśīrṣaikānūpura 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, Rudrāśīrṣaikānūpura aligns with the Swati nakshatra, under the Tula rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 6.