Description
Choose this option if you have two or more names and would like me to comment in detail on the name from a Sanskrit perspective. The charges are ₹ 1,001 for one name and ₹ 1,000 per additional name. The commentary will be in English or Hindi (your choice) and will include the validation of one or more spellings, etymology/etymologies (if a valid Sanskrit word), meaning/meanings (if meanings exist), and scriptural citations (if found).
Two sample name commentaries for the names Ritvi (for a girl) and Adhrit (for a boy) follow below.
(1) Ritvi
There are six options—‘ritvi’ (रित्वि), ‘ritvī’ (रित्वी), ‘rītvi’ (रीत्वि), ‘rītvī’ (रीत्वी), ‘ṛtvi’ (ऋत्वि) and ‘ṛtvī’ (ऋत्वी). None of these four words is listed any major traditional or modern Sanskrit dictionary, including Amarakosha, Shabda sagara, Capeller, Yates, Wilson, Apte, Monier Williams, Macdonnel, Benfey, Shabdakalpadruma, Vachaspatyam, Grassman, Burnouf, Böhtlingk and Roth, and Stchoupak dictionary. I am not aware of any Sanskrit work which has any of the above six words. None of these six words in present in any of the sahasranāmas in my collection. The conclusion is that Ritvi is not a Sanskrit name and has no meaning in Sanskrit. Many name websites claim that Ritvi is a Sanskrit name meaning “female priest, scholar, etc.” Such claims are bogus and not backed by any authentic Sanskrit dictionary.
There is a name Ritvik, which corresponds to the Sanskrit word ‘ṛtvik’ (ऋत्विक्), which is the nominative singular form of the word ‘ṛtvij’ (ऋत्विज्). This word does mean “priest”. However, there is no known feminine form of this word. The word is listed in almost all major traditional or modern Sanskrit dictionaries (see the list above), but none of the dictionaries lists a feminine form of the word.
Recommendation: Do not use the name, not a valid word in Sanskrit.
Similar names: There are two similar-sounding names for girls which you can use. Both of these are Sanskrit names and you may use any of them.
(1a) Rijvi/Rujvi (ṛjvī, ऋज्वी)
There is a word ‘ṛju’ in Sanskrit which comes from the root √‘ṛj’ = “to go” and the suffix ‘[k]u’. The word has the following meanings as per the Apte dictionary: (1) straight (figurative also)”, (2) “upright, honest, straight-forward” (3) “simple-minded, plain” (4) “favourable, beneficial, good”. The masculine form of the word is ‘ṛju’ and the feminine form is either ‘ṛju’ (the same) or ‘ṛjvī’ (ऋज्वी). This is confirmed by the Apte dictionary which says “ऋजु or ऋज्वी feminine”. Thus, the word ‘ṛjvī’ (ऋज्वी) means “she who is straight, right, honest, favourable”.
The name ‘ṛjvī’ is a name of Gāyatrī. It comes in the Gāyatrī-sahasranāma of the Devībhāgavata-Purāṇa (name #98, verse 12.6.25: “ṛgvedanilayā ṛjvī luptadharmapravartinī” or ऋग्वेदनिलया ऋज्वी लुप्तधर्मप्रवर्तिनी). Commenting on this name, the Gita Press Hindi translation of the Devībhāgavata-Purāṇa explains the name as “सरल स्वभाववाली” (i.e., “she who has a simple or down-to-earth nature”). You can see the translation here.
(1b) Kritvi (Kṛtvī, कृत्वी)
This feminine word and name comes from the root √‘kṛ’ which means “to do”. The word literally means “she who does or performs or causes [welfare]”.
The name ‘kṛtvī’ is found in Purāṇic works. As per the Śrīmadbhāgavata Purāṇa verse 9.21.25, Kṛtvī was the name of a queen who was the daughter of Śuka and the wife of King Nīpa. Kṛtvī gave birth to a son named Brahmadatta. As per the Matsya-Purāṇa verse 15.8 to 15.10, Kṛtvī was a ‘yoginī’. She was the daughter of sage Śuka (son of Vyāsa) and Pīvarī. She married married a king of Pāñcāla (who is not named here) and gave birth to a son named Brahmadatta. Once again, as per the Matsya-Purāṇa verse 49.57, Kṛtvī was the wife of King Aṇuha and the mother of Brahmadatta.
(2) Adhrit (adhṛta, अधृत)
This is a valid masculine Sanskrit word and name. It comes from the negative prefix ‘a’ (अ) and the word ‘dhṛta’ (धृत), which in turn comes from the root √‘dhṛ’ which means “to hold, to keep, to maintain, to control”. The word ‘dhṛta’ means “held, kept, controlled”. The word ‘adhṛta’ means the opposite, i.e., “unheld, uncontrolled, etc.”. As per various Sanskrit dictionaries (Shabda-Sagara, Yates, Wilson, Apte, Monier-Williams, and Goldstucker), the word ‘adhṛta’ has the following meanings (1) “unheld, undetained, unrestrained” (2) “not held or controlled, uncontrolled” (3) “unquiet, restless” (4) “a name of Viṣṇu”. The third meaning (“unquiet, restless”) is negative, but all the others are positive. There are many words which have both positive and negative meanings, but if such a word is used as names in a sahasranāma, then we can ignore the negative meanings and focus only on the positive meanings. Fortunately, ‘adhṛta’ is a name in a sahasranāma.
The name ‘adhṛta’ is the 842nd name of Viṣṇu in the Viṣṇu-sahasranāma found in the Mahābhārata’s Anuśāsana-parvan (verse 13.149.103: “adhṛtaḥ svadhṛtaḥ svāsyaḥ prāgvaṃśo vaṃśavardhanaḥ”, अधृतः स्वधृतः स्वास्यः प्राग्वंशो वंशवर्धनः). Various commentaries on the Viṣṇu-sahasranāma throw light on this name of Viṣṇu. Following are interepretations of the name as per five different Sanskrit commentaries. Commenting on the name, Ādi Śaṅkara says that Viṣṇu is ‘adhṛta’ because he holds/maintains even those who hold/maintain the earth, etc. and so he is not held/maintained by anybody [else] (पृथिव्यादीनां धारकाणामपि धारकत्वान्न केनचिद्ध्रियत इति अधृतः). Parāśara Bhaṭṭa is his commentary says that he who cannot be bound or restrained by anybody is called ‘adhṛta’ (यश्चानियाम्यः केनापि ह्यधृतः स तु कीर्तितः). Satyasandha Yatirāja says in his commentary that ‘adhṛta’ is one who is not held or borne by anybody (अधृतः केनापि धृतो न भवतीति तथा). Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa says in his commentary that it is not possible for anybody to hold or restrain him, hence Viṣṇu is ‘adhṛta’ and then cites the second half of verse 9.4 of the Bhagavad Gītā in which Lord Kṛṣṇa says “all beings are situated/held in me, but I am not situated/held in them” (केनापि धर्तुमशक्यत्वादधृतः, ‘मत्स्थानि सर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्ववस्थितः’ इति स्मरणात्). Satyadeva Vāsiṣṭha says in his commentary that he is the upholder of everything but is not upheld by anybody hence he is ‘adhṛta’.
In addition, ‘adhṛta’ is also a name of Śiva in the second Śiva-sahasranāma in the Liṅga-purāṇa (verse 1.98.145: “adhṛtaḥ svadhṛtaḥ sādhyaḥ pūrva-mūrti-ryaśodharaḥ”). Commenting on this name, the Śivatoṣiṇī Sanskrit commentary says that Śiva is known as ‘adhṛta’ since he is the one and only foundation or support [for everybody and everything] and is not held or maintained [by anybody else] (न धृतोऽधृतः, अनन्याधार इत्यर्थः).
The word ‘adhṛta’ is used in many Sanskrit works in several meanings. It is used in the Rāmāyaṇa, verse 3. 62.16: “adṛṣṭaguṇadoṣāṇām adhṛtānāṃ ca karmaṇām” in the sense of “not held”. It is used in the epic Kirātārjunīya, verse 6.24: “dhṛtahetir-apy-adhṛta-jihma-matiś-caritair-munīn-adharayañśucibhiḥ”.
Popularity: Uncommon/rare, with only 159 results for a first name search on ‘Adhrit’ on LinkedIn, out of which 115 are in India. These numbers are out more than 100 crore LinkedIn users globally and more than 12 crore LinkedIn users in India as of April 2024.
