Maheshi (महेशी, IAST: Maheśī) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “She who is the great sovereign, consort of Maheshvara”. Maheśī is the feminine form of Maheśa (great lord — mahā + īśa), meaning 'the great sovereigness' and also the divine consort and Śakti of Maheśvara (Śiva), affirming that Lalitā is not merely great but is the very power of the Supreme Lord, inseparable from Him.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Maheśa combines mahā (great) and īśa (lord, ruler — from the root īś, to rule), yielding 'the great lord,' a common name for Śiva. The feminine maheśī therefore means 'the great lady sovereign' and simultaneously 'the Śakti of Maheśa.' In Śākta non-dualism, Lalitā as Maheśī is not subordinate to Śiva but is His equal and inseparable reality — the power without which He cannot act and the consciousness from which He cannot be divided.

Maheśī is used as both an epithet of Lalitā and of Durgā, and is a classic, widely recognised girl's name throughout India. Pronounce it ma-he-śī; common romanised spellings include Maheshi and Maheshee.

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Scriptural source

Maheshi 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, Maheshi aligns with the Magha nakshatra, under the Simha rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 6.