As a deity name
Name 318 of the Narasimha Sahasranāma — Brahmanda Purana / Narasimha Purana, as taught by Sages to Assembly of Devotees
Name 603 of the Shiva Sahasranāma — Mahabharata (Anushasana Parva), as taught by Sage Tandi to Sage Upamanyu
As a Hindi name
No reading on this path — this spelling has no entry in our Hindi sources, and no near neighbour is attested there either. We say so rather than invent one.
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
‘the gr˚ deity’, N. of Rudra or Śiva or one of his attendant deities, &c. &c.
Scripturally attested Verified split — attested membersMultiple readings (6)Why this matches what you typed
M1 · same meaning "mahādevāya" is the dative of "mahādeva" — the same word in a different grammatical case.
Dictionary citations
mahā—deva m. ‘the gr˚ deity’, N. of Rudra or Śiva or one of his attendant deities, AV. &c. &c.
of one of the 8 forms of R˚ or Ś˚, Pur.
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