As a deity name
Name 613 of the Rama Sahasranāma — Padma Purana / Skanda Purana, as taught by Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati
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
a shell, (esp.) the conch-shell (used for making libations of water or as an ornament for the arms or for the temples of an elephant; a conch-shell perforated at one end is also us…
Scripturally attested Verified split — attested membersMultiple readings (5)Why this matches what you typed
M1 · same meaning "śaṅkhāya" is the dative of "śaṅkha" — the same word in a different grammatical case.
Dictionary citations
śaṅkha m. n. (ifc. f(ā). ) a shell, (esp.) the conch-shell (used for making libations of water or as an ornament for the arms or for the temples of an elephant; a conch-shell perforated at one end is also used as a wind instrument or horn; in the battles of epic poetry, each hero being represented as provided with a conch-shell which serves as his horn or trumpet and often has a name), AV. &c. &c., IW. 403
a partic. high number (said to = a hundred billions or 100, 000 krores), MBh.
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