Dakinishvari (डाकिनीश्वरी, IAST: Ḍākinīśvarī) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “Supreme sovereign of the Dakini goddesses”. Uniting 'Ḍākinī,' the tantric sky-going goddess presiding over the muladhara or anahata chakra, with 'īśvarī' (sovereign lady), this name proclaims Lalitā as the supreme ruler over the entire class of fierce initiatory feminine powers.

Meaning, etymology & significance

The Ḍākinīs are a class of tantric yoginī-goddesses who guard the subtle body's energy centers and transmit esoteric wisdom to worthy seekers; their name is often etymologized as 'she who moves in the sky of consciousness.' As Ḍākinīśvarī, the Goddess is not merely one among these powers but their crowned queen, the source from whom all their authority flows. In the Lalitā Sahasranāma's journey through the chakras, She is specifically worshipped as the presiding śakti of the anāhata (heart) center.

Ḍākinīśvarī is venerated in both Śākta and Vajrayāna traditions as the fierce-compassionate guardian of sacred esoteric thresholds. Pronounced 'DAA-ki-nee-shva-ree,' with the initial retroflex 'Ḍ' being the key pronunciation distinction.

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Scriptural source

Dakinishvari appears in the Lalitha Sahasranama, among the sacred names of Lalitha.

Astrology — nakshatra, rashi & numerology

By the standard Vedic correspondence between a name’s first syllable and the lunar mansion, Dakinishvari aligns with the Pushya nakshatra, under the Karka rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 5.