Sahasranama positions 466 and 532 of the 1,072 names

Trishna

तृष्णा

Tṛṣṇā

What Trishna means

Trishna is names 466 and 532 in the Adya Mahakali Sahasranama, the 1,072-name devotional text to Maa Kali. The one who thirsts or desires intensely.

Also spelled

  • Trsna
  • Source transliteration: TRIISHHNA

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.

Name 466: TRIISHHNA

Meaning: The one who thirsts or desires intensely.

Elaboration

TRIISHHNA

The name Triishhna (Tṛṣṇā) comes from Sanskrit and means "thirst," "craving," or "intense desire." In relation to Goddess Kali, it does not point only to ordinary wanting. It indicates a deeper philosophical and esoteric principle.

The All-Encompassing Hunger As Triishhna, Kali is the primordial hunger that moves the universe. This is more than human desire; it is the cosmic impulse behind creation, sustenance, and dissolution. She is the power that draws all things toward herself and absorbs them back into her being. Her hunger appears as time itself, ceaselessly consuming, and as the deep urge within existence to know and experience itself.

The Craving for Liberation (Mumukṣutva) Triishhna also points, paradoxically, to a sacred longing. In Buddhist and some Hindu traditions, tṛṣṇā refers to the worldly craving that binds beings to saṃsāra, the cycle of rebirth. In Mahakali, that same force is transformed. She becomes the intensity of spiritual yearning itself, the mumukṣutva that carries a devotee toward liberation. In the seeker, she awakens a burning desire for union with the Divine, for truth, for knowledge (jnana), and for freedom from illusion.

Devouring Illusion Triishhna can also be understood as the fierce hunger that devours ignorance (avidyā), attachment, and every spiritual impurity. Like a blazing fire, she burns through the obstacles that keep the soul from recognizing its true nature. Her hunger is not for personal gain, but for the rapid and unhindered spiritual evolution of her devotees. She is the urgent transformative force that leaves no room for complacency on the path of self-realization.

Name 532: TRISHHNA

Meaning: The One Who Thirsts, signifying an insatiable longing for spiritual realization and ultimate reality.

Elaboration

The name Trishhna comes from the Sanskrit idea of "thirst," "desire," "craving," or "lust." In the context of Mahakali, this name rises above its ordinary sense and points toward a deeper spiritual and philosophical truth.

Insatiable Spiritual Aspiration When applied to Mahakali, Trishhna does not refer to material or worldly craving. It points to an all-consuming thirst for ultimate truth and for the full movement of creation, preservation, and dissolution within the cosmic play. It expresses her living presence within manifestation and transformation. For the devotee, it becomes an intense longing for spiritual realization and union with the Divine, a longing that leaves little room for lesser desires.

The Devourer of Delusion Her "thirst" can also be understood as an unquenchable urge to consume ignorance (avidya), attachment, ego, and delusion. She is the force that seeks out and devours the impurities that hide the true nature of reality. This spiritual hunger is benevolent, because it leads the soul out of the fetters of illusion and toward liberation.

Catalyst for Evolution This divine thirst is the impulse behind cosmic action itself. It is the primal urge that moves the universe through cycles of creation and dissolution. In the devotee, this "thirst" becomes the inner fire (tapas) that fuels spiritual growth and drives one toward liberation. It is the divine longing that draws all beings back to their source and into union with ultimate reality.

Embracing the Unquenchable To worship Trishhna is to recognize and accept this fundamental spiritual longing within oneself. It is to surrender to the divine pull toward higher consciousness and to allow Mahakali to consume all that stands in the way of ultimate union. Her "thirst" reminds the seeker that the spiritual journey is a continuous movement toward the infinite, until all duality is transcended.

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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