As a deity name
Name 91 of the Surya Sahasranāma — Bhavishya Purana, as taught by Lord Brahma / Sages
Name 471 of the Vishnu Sahasranāma — Mahabharata (Anushasana Parva), as taught by Bhishma to Yudhishthira on his deathbed
As a Hindi name
वत्सल · adj
[वि॰ स्त्री॰ वत्सला] · पुत्र या संतान के प्रति पूर्ण स्नेह से युक्त । बच्चे के प्रेम से भरा हुआ । जैसे,— पुत्रवत्सल पिता, पुत्रवत्सला माता · अपने से छोटों के प्रति अत्यंत स्नेहवान् या कृपालु । जैसे,—प्रजावत्सल राजा — Śabdasāgara
वत्सल · noun · masculine
साहित्य में कुछ लोगों के द्वारा माना हुआ दसवाँ रस । वात्सल्य रस, जिसमें पिता या माता का अपनी संतति के प्रति रतिभाव या प्रेम प्रदर्शित होता है · घास फूस की आग (को॰) · विष्णु का एक नाम (को॰) — Śabdasāgara
वत्सल · vatsal · adj.
(f. -ā), Child-loving; affectionate; kind, loving, tender; fond (of), indulgent, devoted (to) — Platts (1884), digital edition courtesy DSAL, University of Chicago, p. 1180
वत्सल · masculine
a male given name, Vatsal, from Sanskrit
वत्सल
affectionate, loving, fond
a Hindi word, a tatsama: the Sanskrit word borrowed unchanged into Hindi वत्सल — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
“Borrowed from Sanskrit वत्सल (vatsala).” — per Wiktionary’s etymology record
vatsala mf(ā)n. child-loving, affectionate towards offspring (ā f. with or scil. go or dhenu, a cow longing for her calf), MBh.; R.; BhP.
kind, loving, tender, fond of or devoted to (loc. gen. acc. with prati, or comp.), MBh.; Kāv. &c.
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
child-loving, affectionate towards offspring (ā with or scil. go or dhenu, a cow longing for her calf)
Scripturally attested Verified derivationMultiple readings (4)Why this matches what you typed
M3 · meaning shifts "vatsala" is derived from "vatsa" with the lac suffix — a related word whose meaning shifts, so both meanings are shown.
vatsa m. (prob. originally, ‘yearling’, fr. a lost word vatas) a calf, the young of any animal, offspring, child (voc. vatsa often used as a term of endearment = my dear child, my darling), RV. &c. &c.
a son, boy (see bāla-v˚)
vatsala mf(ā)n. child-loving, affectionate towards offspring (ā f. with or scil. go or dhenu, a cow longing for her calf), MBh.; R.; BhP.
kind, loving, tender, fond of or devoted to (loc. gen. acc. with prati, or comp.), MBh.; Kāv. &c.
Gender counterpart
The kosha attests this stem in the feminine, the masculine, and the neuter — the same name serves without alteration.
Dictionary citations
vatsala mf(ā)n. child-loving, affectionate towards offspring (ā f. with or scil. go or dhenu, a cow longing for her calf), MBh.; R.; BhP.
kind, loving, tender, fond of or devoted to (loc. gen. acc. with prati, or comp.), MBh.; Kāv. &c.
vatsala m. (with rasa) the tender sentiment in a poem, Sāh.
a fire fed with grass (i.e. quickly burning away), L.
N. of one of Skanda's attendants, MBh.
vatsa m. (prob. originally, ‘yearling’, fr. a lost word vatas) a calf, the young of any animal, offspring, child (voc. vatsa often used as a term of endearment = my dear child, my darling), RV. &c. &c.
a son, boy (see bāla-v˚)
Alternative readings
More than one analysis survives full verification. That ambiguity is real, so we show every reading rather than pick one silently.
Caveats
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