Mahamaya (महामाया, IAST: Mahāmāyā) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “The great cosmic illusion, supreme wielder of māyā”. From 'mahā' (great) and 'māyā' (the creative power of illusion and cosmic projection), this celebrated name identifies Lalitā as the very source of the universe's apparent multiplicity.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Māyā in Hindu philosophy is not mere deception but the divine creative potency by which the formless Absolute appears as the dazzling world of name and form. As Mahāmāyā, Lalitā is simultaneously the one who veils ultimate reality and the one whose grace alone can lift that veil. The Devī Māhātmya and numerous tantric works exalt this name as central to understanding the Goddess's dual role as both the concealer and the revealer of truth.

Mahāmāyā is shared as an epithet by Lalitā, Durgā, and Kālī, and is one of the most recognizable names of the Great Goddess across all Śākta traditions. Pronounced 'Ma-haa-maa-yaa,' it is well-known and occasionally used as a given name in devotional Hindu families.

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Scriptural source

Mahamaya 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, Mahamaya aligns with the Magha nakshatra, under the Simha rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 9.