Shantanu

In the epics

Shantanu appears in the Mahābhārata as a king: Son of Pratipa. Known as Shantanu because he was born when his father had controlled his senses.

Source: Drimigo Scripture KG (CC BY 4.0). Many characters share a name across the epics — this is one notable figure who bore it, not a claim about the name's only meaning.

Traditional associations

In Hindu tradition, names are sometimes chosen by the baby's rashi (moon sign) or nakshatra (birth star). This is cultural tradition, not a rule.

• Rashi: Mithun
• Nakshatra: Mrigashira
• More names starting with S

Names with a similar meaning

Names that share a word with “Wholesome, one whose touch cures all illness”. Meanings are the common reading rather than a ruling — the same name is often glossed differently by different sources.

• Amogh — Unerring, infallible; one whose aim never misses
• Sparsh — Touch, feeling
• Charankamal — Lotus feet of God, sacred divine touch
• Paras — Philosopher's stone, touch that transforms to gold
• Sparsha — Touch, sensation, feeling

More boys' names of Sanskrit origin

• Aarav — Peaceful sound, wisdom
• Arjun — Bright, shining, silver
• Reyansh — Ray of light, part of God Vishnu
• Vihaan — Dawn, beginning of new era
• Aryan — Noble, of high birth
• Krish — Short form of Krishna, dark, attractive

Other names under Mithun rashi

• Diya — Lamp, divine light
• Yash — Success, glory, fame
• Kavya — Poem, lyric, literature
• Dev — God, divine being
• Jiya — Heart, sweetheart
• Divya — Divine, brilliant, beautiful

Traditional association, recorded because families use it when choosing — see all Mithun names.

Where this comes from

Shantanu has no entry in the classical Sanskrit dictionary we check against, which is common for modern and non-Sanskrit names. Its meaning comes from our compiled name corpus, the least-sourced dataset on this site — we say so plainly on Sources & methodology rather than implying an authority we cannot name.