Pranada (प्राणदा, IAST: Prāṇadā) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “She who bestows life-breath and vital force”. Prāṇa is the primordial life-force animating every being, and the suffix -dā means giver; this name celebrates Lalitā as the divine source from whom all vitality and breath ultimately flow.

Meaning, etymology & significance

In Vedic physiology prāṇa is not merely physical breath but the five-fold vital energy that sustains cognition, digestion, speech, and movement. As Prāṇadā, the Goddess is acknowledged as the ultimate donor of this living force, without whose grace no creature could draw a single breath. Devotees invoke this name when seeking healing, longevity, and restoration of energy.

Prāṇadā is also an epithet of the Sun and of several river goddesses in the Purāṇas, reflecting the universal reverence for life-giving power; pronounced PRAA-na-daa, all three syllables are given even weight with the first long.

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Scriptural source

Pranada appears in the Lalitha Sahasranama, among the sacred names of Lalitha.