Mahendra
{{Short description|Sanskrit epithet and masculine name}}
{{distinguish|Mahindra (disambiguation){{!}}Mahindra|Mahendru}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
Mahendra ({{Langx|sa|महेन्द्र|translit=Mahendra}}) is a Sanskrit compound word deriving from mahā (great) and indra (the title of the king of the devas) from Hinduism.{{Cite web |date=2011-12-19 |title=Mahendra, Māhendra, Mahemdra, Maha-indra: 49 definitions |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/mahendra |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=wisdomlib.org |language=en}} It has been used in compound royal styles.
History and politics
= Royalty =
- Mahendra or Mahinda – the son of Emperor Ashoka and a promoter of Buddhism
- Mahendravarman I – (Tamil: மகேந்திரவர்மன் 600–630 CE), Pallava king who ruled the Northern regions of what forms present-day Tamil Nadu in India in the early 7th century.
- Mahindu, 10th century Chahamana king of north-western India
- Mahendra of Nepal – king of Nepal from 1955 to 1972
= Elected office =
- Mahinda Rajapaksa – President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015
- Mahendra Chaudhry – Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party
- Upul Mahendra (born 1971), Sri Lankan politician
- Sang Made Mahendra Jaya – Retired Indonesian National Police Officer, Acting Governor of Bali from 2023 to 2025 and Inspector General of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Indonesia since 2025
- Yusril Ihza Mahendra –Indonesian politician, former leader of the Crescent Star Party and Coordinating Ministry for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correction of Indonesia since 2024.
Entertainment
= Film =
- Balu Mahendra – director of Tamil films
- Y. G. Mahendra – an Indian actor, singer playwright and comedian
= Music =
- Mahendra Kapoor – Bollywood singer
= Sports =
- Mahendra Singh Dhoni – Indian cricketer, former Captain of Indian Cricket Team
- Mahendra Nagamootoo – West Indian cricketer
Business
See also
- Raja Mahendra, royal style; and name