Nishpapa (निष्पापा, IAST: niṣpāpā) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “She who is entirely free from sin”. From 'niṣ' (without) and 'pāpa' (sin or demerit), this name declares Lalitā's absolute purity, untouched by even the subtlest trace of moral imperfection.

Meaning, etymology & significance

The compound niṣ + pāpa employs the indeclinable prefix 'niṣ' to negate 'pāpa', the Sanskrit term for sin, transgression, or inauspicious karma. Lalitā is thus proclaimed as One whose very nature transcends the possibility of defilement. In the Śākta tradition, the Divine Mother is primordially pure — not merely cleansed but constitutionally sinless, the very ground from which pure consciousness arises.

As an epithet of Śrī Lalitā Mahātripurasundarī, Niṣpāpā is celebrated in the Lalitā Sahasranāma for the solace it offers devotees who seek liberation from accumulated karma. The name is pronounced ni-shpaa-paa, with the retroflex 'ṣ' giving a soft 'sh' sound.

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Scriptural source

Nishpapa 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, Nishpapa aligns with the Anuradha nakshatra, under the Vrischika rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 5.