Svatantrā (स्वतन्त्रा, IAST: Svatantrā) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “She who is absolutely self-sovereign and free”. From sva (self) and tantra (governing thread or system), Svatantrā names the Goddess as the one who operates by her own supreme will, bound by no external force.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Svatantrā is derived from the compound sva-tantra, meaning one whose governing principle is entirely her own. In Śākta philosophy, the Goddess's absolute freedom (svātantrya) is her most fundamental attribute — she creates, sustains, and dissolves the cosmos purely through her own sovereign will. No authority stands above her, and no law constrains her.

This is a key theological epithet of Lalitā in the Kashmir Śaivism-influenced reading of the Sahasranāma, where divine freedom is the hallmark of the supreme. Pronounced svah-TAN-traa.

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Scriptural source

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