Meaning of

[Anand Hudli]

 Vivek Anand Ganesan wrote:

>
>   On an allied note, I would like to know the meaning of the word
>"Shankara".  I have heard it used as one of the names of Lord Shiva.
>Is there a philosophical meaning for this word?  I have also seen it
>written as "Shamkara".  Is this proper?
>

 Shankara is usually analyzed as "shaM sukhaM karoti iti
 shankaraH" meaning, Shankara is one who bestows sukha or
 happiness. The significance of the name Shankara is that it
 occurs in the heart of the Yajur Vedic hymn known as the
 Shrii Rudra Prashna. The basic five-syllabled mantra of the
 Lord Shiva, "namaH shivaaya" occurs in the same stanza of the
 hymn. By the very fact that Shankara is mentioned in a very
 significant Vedic hymn makes it important. There are other ways
 of explaining the term Shankara.

 Writing Shamkara instead of Shankara is just a difference in
 transliteration conventions, but the pronounciation should be
 the same.

 Anand





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