Pandu
/P-AA-N-D-UH/
Father of the Pandavas (Javanese wayang) — Pandu (Sanskrit-Javanese, from Sanskrit pāṇḍu 'pale, of fair complexion') is the father of the five Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata, central figure of Javanese wayang shadow-puppet theater. The Pandava lineage takes its collective name from him. In Javanese kakawin tradition, Pandu is the wise-but-cursed king whose abdication shapes the Bhāratayuddha epic.
Get Pandu's full report — nakshatra, rashi & a portrait — freeQuick — what every Hindu parent asks about Pandu:
How well does Pandu fit your family?
This page tells you what Pandu means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against your family & your heritage, and your baby's birth details.
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Six signals — scored for your family & heritage, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Yes — Pandu is a Hindu boy name of Indonesian origin, meaning “Father of the Pandavas (Javanese wayang) — Pandu (Sanskrit-Javanese, from Sanskrit pāṇḍu 'pale, of fair complexion') is the father of the five Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata, central figure of Javanese wayang shadow-puppet theater. The Pandava lineage takes its collective name from him. In Javanese kakawin tradition, Pandu is the wise-but-cursed king whose abdication shapes the Bhāratayuddha epic.”.
Pandu is a boy's name of Indonesian origin, traditionally used in Hindu families. The name means "Father of the Pandavas (Javanese wayang) — Pandu (Sanskrit-Javanese, from Sanskrit pāṇḍu 'pale, of fair complexion') is the father of the five Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata, central figure of Javanese wayang shadow-puppet theater. The Pandava lineage takes its collective name from him. In Javanese kakawin tradition, Pandu is the wise-but-cursed king whose abdication shapes the Bhāratayuddha epic." and belongs to the Nobility cluster — names with regal heritage and dignified bearing.
Common among Indonesian, Javanese, Indian, American, British families, Pandu carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
Pandu's nakshatra & rashi
In Hindu tradition, a baby's name is chosen to harmonise with their nakshatra (birth star) and rashi (moon sign) — most often through an auspicious first syllable. Pandu opens with “Pa”. Whether that's auspicious for your baby depends on their exact date, time and place of birth.
NameRoot works it out for you. Enter your baby's birth details and see exactly which nakshatra and rashi Pandu aligns with — and how strongly it scores.
See Pandu's nakshatra reading →What does Pandu's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Pandu resonates in either tradition.
Pandu's destiny number is 2 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Pandu's full reading →
Does Pandu go with your family's names?
Pandu breaks into 5 sounds: /P-AA-N-D-UH/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Pandu sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Pandu beside your family's names →
Names similar to Pandu
If Pandu resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Hindu boy names, common in Indonesian families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Hindu boy names from the Nobility cluster
Names that sound similar
Hindu boy names that open with the same syllables as Pandu
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Pandu — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Pandu
What does the name Pandu mean?
Pandu means "Father of the Pandavas (Javanese wayang) — Pandu (Sanskrit-Javanese, from Sanskrit pāṇḍu 'pale, of fair complexion') is the father of the five Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata, central figure of Javanese wayang shadow-puppet theater. The Pandava lineage takes its collective name from him. In Javanese kakawin tradition, Pandu is the wise-but-cursed king whose abdication shapes the Bhāratayuddha epic.." It is a boy name of Indonesian origin, traditionally used in Hindu families.
Is Pandu a boy or girl name?
Pandu is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name Pandu?
Pandu is of Indonesian origin, used in Hindu tradition, commonly among Indonesian, Javanese, Indian families.
Is Pandu a Hindu name?
Yes. Pandu is a boy name traditionally used in Hindu families, of Indonesian origin.
What does Pandu mean in Indonesian?
Pandu originates from Indonesian, where it means "Father of the Pandavas (Javanese wayang) — Pandu (Sanskrit-Javanese, from Sanskrit pāṇḍu 'pale, of fair complexion') is the father of the five Pandava brothers in the Mahabharata, central figure of Javanese wayang shadow-puppet theater. The Pandava lineage takes its collective name from him. In Javanese kakawin tradition, Pandu is the wise-but-cursed king whose abdication shapes the Bhāratayuddha epic.."
What is the numerology of Pandu?
Pandu has a Pythagorean destiny number of 2 — harmony and partnership.
What is Pandu's rashi and nakshatra?
By its first syllable "Pa", Pandu falls under the Uttara Phalguni nakshatra and Kanya (Virgo) rashi — its naam-rashi, or name-based moon sign. (A baby's birth nakshatra comes from their date and time of birth; NameRoot matches the two.)
See how Pandu scores for your family
NameRoot is the only baby-name app that scores every name across 6 signals against your specific family context. Download free — Pandu is waiting.
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