Sahasranama position 725 of the 1,072 names

Sanatani

सनातनी

Sanātanī

What Sanatani means

Sanatani is name 725 in the Adya Mahakali Sahasranama, the 1,072-name devotional text to Maa Kali. The Eternal, Primordial, and Ageless One, beyond all limitations of time.

Also spelled

  • Source transliteration: SANATANI

Sanskrit names travel into English in several romanizations. This page keeps the common spelling, the IAST form, and the source transliteration together so the same name is discoverable under each spelling readers use.

Meaning and elaboration

Meaning: The Eternal, Primordial, and Ageless One, beyond all limitations of time.

Elaboration

The name Sanatani comes from the Sanskrit word Sanatana, meaning "eternal," "ancient," "everlasting," or "primordial." It points to Kali as the reality that remains before creation, through sustenance, and beyond dissolution.

Transcendence of Time Sanatani shows that Kali is not only the power behind cyclical time (Kala), but also the one who stands beyond it. She is the timeless reality of Brahman, the ground of all being, present before creation begins and after dissolution ends. Though she devours time itself, she is never bound by its movement.

The Primordial Reality (Adi-Shakti) As Sanatani, she is Adi-Shakti, the original power from which all manifestation arises. She is the primal ground of existence, the ultimate source, and the unchanging substratum beneath all passing forms. In this sense, she is the oldest truth and the deepest foundation of the universe.

Unchanging and Immovable In a world marked by change and impermanence, Sanatani names the eternal center that does not shift. She is the steady truth, the witnessing presence, and the final refuge for those who seek freedom from birth and death. Her eternality offers stability amid the constant flux of material life.

Text and sources

The name list follows the Adya Mahakali Sahasranama as compiled for this project. The English meaning and elaboration are interpretive notes for devotional study, not a translation of a single critical edition.

Read the editorial method and source notes →

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