Boy · Sanskrit · Hindu
Bhishma
भीष्मSay it BHEESH-muh
- Meaning
- Terrible, dreadful; name of the son of Shantanu and Ganga Monier-Williams, p. 758
- Say it
- BHEESH-muh
- Written
- भीष्म
- Other spellings
- Bheeshma, Bhisham
- First sound
- भी · Dhanu rashi
Bhishma
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Bhishma meaning
Bhishma (भीष्म) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin. By its first sound, भी, it is a Dhanu rashi name (Mula nakshatra) in the North Indian table.
Terrible, dreadful; name of the son of Shantanu and Ganga
Bhishma (भीष्म) is the Sanskrit bhīṣma, "terrible, dreadful", and as a neuter noun "horror". As a name it belongs to the great elder of the Mahābhārata, the son of King Śāntanu and the river goddess Gaṅgā. Monier-Williams calls him renowned for his continence, wisdom, bravery and fidelity to his word, and notes that in the great war he sided with Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons. He commands the Kaurava army and is mortally wounded at Kurukṣetra; lying on a bed of arrows, he waits for the sun to begin its northward journey before he dies, and meanwhile teaches on duty and morals in the Śānti Parvan. Name lists give Bhishma as "terrible" or simply name the hero. Bhisham is the Hindi and Punjabi form.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 758 · entry bhīṣma · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, bhīṣma, p. 758 · Britannica, The Pandavas · Britannica, Shanti Parvan · Britannica, Bhisham Sahni
Famous namesakes
- Bhishma, son of Shantanu and Ganga in the Mahabharata
- Bhisham Sahni, Hindi novelist of Tamas (1915–2003)
Fits your syllable
First sound भी
Mula nakshatra, pada 4 · Dhanu rashi
North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Bhishma · Bheeshma · Bhisham