Tarika
Tarika (तारिका) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “Little star; she who carries others across”. Find pronunciation, origin, deity association, popularity and similar Hindu baby names.
Tarika (तारिका) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “Little star; she who carries others across”. Find pronunciation, origin, deity association, popularity and similar Hindu baby names.
Tarika (तारिका, IAST: tārikā) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “Little star; she who carries others across”. From tāra (star, deliverance) with the diminutive feminine ending.
Meaning, etymology & significance
Tarika (तारिका) is built from tāra — meaning both "star" and "that which carries-across" — with the diminutive feminine ending -ikā. The two senses converge beautifully: the little star, like the deliverer-goddess Tara, lights the way and helps others cross.
In Hindu iconography Tara is one of the ten Mahavidyas — the great goddesses of wisdom — and her role is specifically that of saviour, the one who carries the devotee across the ocean of samsara. The diminutive Tarika softens this into "the little Tara" — a name appropriate for a child.
The name is also unambiguously astronomical: the Sanskrit name of every star in the night sky is tārā or tārikā. To name a daughter Tarika is therefore to name her after both the stars overhead and the deliverer-goddess herself.
Pronunciation: taa-REE-kaa. Pair with classical surnames for full effect.
Astrology — nakshatra & rashi
By the standard Vedic correspondence between the first syllable of a name and the lunar mansion (nakshatra), Tarika aligns with the Swati nakshatra, under the Tula rashi (Moon sign).
Similar names
Hindu names with a similar feel or meaning include: Tara, Taraka, Aaradhya. Each is a distinct choice with its own etymology — explore them on their own pages for fuller context.
