As a deity name
Name 508 of the Hanuman Sahasranāma — Rasvin Samhita / Brahmanda Purana, as taught by Lord Ram / Sages
Name 686 of the Narasimha Sahasranāma — Brahmanda Purana / Narasimha Purana, as taught by Sages to Assembly of Devotees
As a Hindi name
भीषण · adj
जो देखने में बहुत भयानक हो । डरावना · जो बहुत दुष्ट या उग्र हो — Śabdasāgara
भीषण · noun · masculine
भयानक रस (साहित्य) · कुँदरू · कबूतर — Śabdasāgara
भीषण · bhīshaṇ · adj.
Horrible, terrific, formidable, awful — Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago, p. 200
भीषण
terrifying, frightening, fearsome
a Hindi word, a tatsama: the Sanskrit word borrowed unchanged into Hindi भीषण — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
“Borrowed from Sanskrit भीषण (bhīṣaṇa).” — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
bhīṣaṇa mf(ā or ī)n. (fr. Caus.) terrifying, frightening, formidable, horrible (with gen. or ifc.), MBh.; Kāv. &c.
= gāḍha, L.
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
the sentiment of horror (in poet. composition), (cf. bhayānaka)
Scripturally attested Verified derivationMultiple readings (3)Why this matches what you typed
M1 · same meaning "bhīṣaṇa" is the vocative of "bhīṣaṇā" — the same word in a different grammatical case.
Gender counterpart
The kosha attests this stem in the feminine, the masculine, and the neuter — the same name serves without alteration.
Dictionary citations
bhīṣaṇa mf(ā or ī)n. (fr. Caus.) terrifying, frightening, formidable, horrible (with gen. or ifc.), MBh.; Kāv. &c.
= gāḍha, L.
bhīṣaṇa m. (scil. rasa) the sentiment of horror (in poet. composition), W. (cf. bhayānaka)
N. of Śiva, L.
a form of Bhairava (= Yama), Cat.
bhīṣaṇā f. N. of a goddess (= Nirṛti), VarYogay.
Alternative readings
More than one analysis survives full verification. That ambiguity is real, so we show every reading rather than pick one silently.
Caveats
Sources contain errors and engines have limits; every claim above carries its citation so you can verify it. This is guidance about names and their sources — not religious or astrological consultation. How we work · Our sources