Padma

What does Padma mean?

Padma means ‘lotus’, from Sanskrit padma. Wiktionary records the noun and the feminine form padmā, while Monier-Williams identifies Padma as a name of Lakshmi. The flower meaning and goddess association are therefore both documented. The word's deeper etymology remains uncertain, but that does not affect its established lotus sense. The feminine name's long final vowel distinguishes it from the dictionary noun, a difference often left unmarked in Roman spelling.

Source: Wiktionary, पद्म. How we use sources.

Spelling and pronunciation

पद्मा is read pad-maa, in two syllables with a long ending. The dictionary word पद्म has a shorter final vowel. Keep d and m together rather than inserting a vowel between them. The d is made near the teeth, and the Roman spelling Padma does not mark the final length.

Padma in tradition and story

The lotus is associated with Lakshmi, whose names include Padma. It also appears in imagery of Vishnu and Brahma, and across Hindu, Buddhist and Jain art. India's Padma civilian honors take their name from the flower.