Sadhu (साधु, IAST: Sādhu) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “The virtuous, holy, and spiritually excellent one”. From the root sādh (to accomplish, to lead straight), sādhu denotes one who is righteous, accomplished, and spiritually pure — here indicating Lalitā as the embodiment of all that is holy and good.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Though sādhu is most commonly used for male renunciants in modern usage, in classical Sanskrit it is an adjective meaning 'good, virtuous, excellent' applicable to any gender. As an epithet of Lalitā, it affirms that she is the absolute standard of righteousness and the source from whom all virtue flows into the world.

In the Lalitā Sahasranāma context, Sādhu highlights the Goddess's nature as the upholder of dharma and the exemplar of spiritual excellence; the dative sādhune is notably masculine in grammatical form, and its application here warrants review as it may reflect a scribal variant or a neuter usage. Pronounced SAA-dhoo.

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Scriptural source

Sadhu 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, Sadhu aligns with the Shatabhisha nakshatra, under the Kumbha rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 1.