Prāṇeśvarī (प्राणेश्वरी, IAST: Prāṇeśvarī) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “She who is the sovereign ruler of all life-breath”. From prāṇa ('life-breath, vital force') + īśvarī ('sovereign goddess'), Prāṇeśvarī names Lalitā as the supreme mistress of the prāṇic energy that animates every living being.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Prāṇa, the sacred life-breath described throughout the Upaniṣads and yogic texts as the subtle force underlying all vitality, is here placed entirely under the sovereignty of the Goddess. As Prāṇeśvarī, she is not only the giver of breath but its very essence and governing principle — to honor her is to honor the living current running through every heartbeat and every breath. The title īśvarī (feminine of īśvara) affirms her absolute queenly authority over this most intimate of divine gifts.

Prāṇeśvarī is a beloved name of the Divine Mother across several traditions, appearing both in the Lalitā Sahasranāma and in regional goddess worship, where she is propitiated for health, vitality, and long life. Pronounced prā-ṇeś-va-rī, the name is warmly usable as a given name and may be affectionately shortened to Prāṇī or Eśvarī.

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Scriptural source

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