Shadanana (षडानना, IAST: Ṣaḍānanā) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “She who has six faces”. From 'ṣaṭ' (six) and 'ānanā' (face, visage), this name describes the Goddess as the six-faced divine sovereign whose multiple countenances preside over the six directions and the six dimensions of sacred sound.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Six faces are classically associated with Kārttikeya (Skanda/Murugan), but in the context of the Lalitā Sahasranāma this attribute is bestowed upon the Devī in her manifestation at the Ājñā chakra, where the six faces may correspond to the six petals or aspects of that center's energy. The multiplicity of faces conveys omnidirectional awareness — the Goddess sees and blesses all at once, leaving no direction uncovered by her grace.

This epithet of Lalitā Mahātripurasundarī underscores her all-encompassing vision and her identity with the full spectrum of cosmic awareness. 'Shadanana' or 'Shaḍānanā' is occasionally used as a devotional name for girls, evoking divine completeness.

Advertisement

Scriptural source

Shadanana 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, Shadanana aligns with the Hasta nakshatra, under the Kanya rashi (Moon sign). Its Chaldean name-number is 8.