Trikuta (त्रिकूटा, IAST: Trikūṭā) is a Sanskrit-origin Hindu girl-name meaning “She who has three peaks or three aspects”. From tri (three) and kūṭa (peak, summit, or group), this name evokes Lalitā's threefold sovereignty — over creation, sustenance, and dissolution — as well as her dwelling upon the three-peaked sacred mountain.

Meaning, etymology & significance

Trikūṭā refers both to the mythic Mount Trikūṭa and to the three kūṭas (sections) of the Pañcadaśī mantra: vāgbhava, kāmarāja, and śakti. Lalitā as Trikūṭā is thus the goddess who embodies all three phases of the mantra's sacred power.

This epithet is borne by Śrī Lalitā and also echoes in the famous Devī Māhātmya context of Mount Trikūṭa. The name is pronounced tri-kū-ṭā, with the retroflex ṭ clearly enunciated.

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Scriptural source

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