Boy · Sanskrit · Hindu
Harishankar
हरिशंकरSay it hu-ree-SHUN-kur
- Meaning today
- Vishnu and Shiva combined
- Original meaning
- "Hari and Śaṅkara: Viṣṇu and Śiva together" Monier-Williams, p. 1289
- Say it
- hu-ree-SHUN-kur
- Written
- हरिशंकर
- Other spellings
- Harisankar, Hari Shankar
Harishankar
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Harishankar meaning
Harishankar (हरिशंकर) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin.
Hari and Śaṅkara: Viṣṇu and Śiva together
Also used to mean: Vishnu and Shiva combined
Harishankar (हरिशंकर) puts side by side two names of the great gods: Hari, a name of Vishnu, and Śaṅkara, "the beneficent, bringer of welfare", one of the best-known names of Shiva. It carries the same idea as Harihara, the form in which Vishnu and Shiva are worshipped as one. The joined name is not a dictionary word, but both parts are, so the meaning is clear. A well-known bearer is the Hindi satirist Harishankar Parsai. In Kerala the name is usually spelt Harisankar.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 1289 · entry hari · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, hari, p. 1289 · Monier-Williams, śaṅkara, p. 1054 · Wikipedia, Harishankar Parsai
Famous namesakes
- Harishankar Parsai, Hindi satirist
Fits your syllable
First sound ह
Punarvasu nakshatra, pada 3 · Mithun rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is हा, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Harishankar · Harisankar · Hari Shankar