Sahasranama position 325 of the 1,000 names

Nabhase

नभसे

Nabhase

What Nabhase means

Nabhase is name 325 in the Kalabhairava Sahasranama, the 1,000-name devotional text to Kalabhairava. Salutations To The one who is the vast, ethereal sky and space.

Also spelled

  • Source transliteration: NABHASE

Sanskrit names travel into English in several romanizations. This page keeps the common spelling, the IAST form, and the source transliteration together so the same name is discoverable under each spelling readers use.

Meaning and elaboration

Meaning: Salutations To The one who is the vast, ethereal sky and space.

Elaboration

The name Nabhase is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nabhas,' which means 'sky,' 'atmosphere,' 'firmament,' or 'space.' This name encapsulates Kalabhairava's omnipresence, boundlessness, and ultimate formlessness, drawing parallels with the vast and all-encompassing nature of space itself.

Symbol of Boundlessness Just as the sky has no apparent beginning or end, Nabhase symbolizes Kalabhairava's infinite and eternal nature. He is without limits, beyond perception, and encompasses everything within his vastness. This aspect signifies his role as the ultimate substratum on which all creation, preservation, and dissolution unfold.

The Ethereal Element (Akasha) Nabhas is often associated with Akasha, the fifth and most subtle of the five primordial elements (Pancha Bhootas). Akasha is the space where everything exists, the medium for sound (Shabda), and the pure, undifferentiated potential from which all other elements arise. By being Nabhase, Kalabhairava is identified with this all-pervasive, subtle, and foundational element, indicating his fundamental presence in every atom of existence.

Witness Consciousness Like the sky, which witnesses all events, phenomena, and changes without being affected by them, Nabhase represents Kalabhairava as the pure, detached, and unwavering witness consciousness (Sakshi Chaitanya). He observes the cosmic drama of creation and destruction from a state of absolute neutrality and transcendence.

The Unmanifested and Manifested Before manifestation, all existence is unmanifested potential, like the empty vastness of space. Nabhase thus points to Kalabhairava as the source of both the unmanifest (avyakta) and the manifest (vyakta) universes. He is the void from which all forms emerge and to which they eventually return.

Cosmic Grandeur This name invokes a sense of cosmic grandeur and the awe-inspiring scale of the Divine. It reminds us that Kalabhairava is not confined to any specific form or location but is the very fabric of existence, encompassing galaxies, stars, and the infinite expanse beyond human comprehension.

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Text and sources

The name list follows the Kalabhairava Sahasranama as compiled for this project. The English meaning and elaboration are interpretive notes for devotional study, not a translation of a single critical edition.

Read the editorial method and source notes →

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