Mandarakusumapriya (मन्दारकुसुमप्रिया, IAST: Mandārakusumapriyā) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “She who delights in the flowers of the divine mandāra tree”. From mandāra (the celestial coral tree, Erythrina indica), kusuma (flower), and priyā (one who loves), this name reveals Lalitā's cherished love for the blossoms of this heavenly tree.

Meaning, etymology & significance

The mandāra is one of the five celestial trees of Indra's paradise (Svarga), famed for its radiant red-orange blossoms that are believed never to wither and whose fragrance pervades the heavens. Lalitā's love for the mandāra flower connects her directly to the divine plane of existence and signals that her worship is most pleasing when accompanied by offerings of flowers sourced from the realm of the sacred. This name also hints at her quality of eternal freshness — like the mandāra blossom, her beauty and grace are imperishable.

This epithet in the Sahasranāma underscores Lalitā's intimate relationship with celestial flora as expressions of divine joy. The full compound is long for a personal name; Mandārā alone is a lovely alternative; the full name is pronounced mun-DAA-ruh-KU-su-muh-pri-yaa.

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Scriptural source

Mandarakusumapriya 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, Mandarakusumapriya aligns with the Magha nakshatra, under the Simha rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 8.