Parijata

Parijata (पारिजाता, IAST: pārijātā) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “The celestial coral tree; flower of paradise”. The pārijāta is one of the five trees of Indra's paradise, brought to earth by Krishna for Satyabhama.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Parijata (पारिजाता) is the Sanskrit name of the pārijāta tree (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) — the night-flowering jasmine whose fragrant white flowers with orange stems bloom only at night and fall fresh at dawn. In Puranic tradition the pārijāta is also the name of one of the five trees of Indra's paradise (the Nandana Garden), and the famous Krishna-Satyabhama episode in the Bhagavata tells how Krishna stole the celestial pārijāta from Indra's garden as a gift for his queen Satyabhama.

The pārijāta is therefore both an everyday tree (whose flowers Indian children pick up at dawn) and a celestial tree (whose blossoms confer eternal youth). To name a daughter Parijata is to give her this entire double resonance — earthly tenderness and celestial association.

The name pairs especially well with classical Sanskrit surnames where the Puranic-poetic depth is welcome.

Pronunciation: paa-ri-JAA-taa. The variant Parijaat or Parijat is the simpler short form.

Astrology — nakshatra & rashi

By the standard Vedic correspondence between the first syllable of a name and the lunar mansion (nakshatra), Parijata aligns with the Uttara phalguni nakshatra, under the Kanya rashi (Moon sign).

Similar names

Hindu names with a similar feel or meaning include: Parijaat, Madhulika, Aaradhya. Each is a distinct choice with its own etymology — explore them on their own pages for fuller context.