Prabhu
Prabhu means master or the supreme lord[1] in Sanskrit and many of the Indian languages; it is a name sometimes applied to God.[2]
The term is also used by male devotees of the Hindu deity Lord Krishna/Vishnu as a title and form of address. If a man sees another male devotee whom he does not know, he will address him as "Prabhu". It is also appended after a devotee's name, for example "Madhava Prabhu". In Indonesia, especially in Javanese and Sundanese culture, the term is used as a part of royal titles, especially to address Kings.
Among Goud Saraswat Brahmins
It is also a common surname among Konkani speaking Saraswat Brahmins across the Konkan Coast in India, from Maharashtra to Kerala. Among the Goud Saraswat Brahmins, feudal lords were called Prabhu.[3] The name is also in use among some Konkani Catholics who trace their ancestry to the Goud Saraswat Brahmins of Goa.[4] According to historian Anant Ramkrishna Sinai Dhume, Prabhu was a title accorded to the representative of the main village of the taluka (district) committee.[5] The Prabhus may have also occupied official posts in the central administration, without prejudice to their original posts which were hereditary.[5] Traditionally, a Prabhu was a landlord and as such a master to the many agricultural labourers that were needed to cultivate his lands.[5]
Prabhu is also a common first name among Tamils in Southern India.
Notable people with the name Prabhu
- Allama Prabhu
- K. N. Prabhu
- Lakshman Prabhu
- Neeraj Prabhu
- Prabhu Chawla
- Prabhu Deva
- Prabhu Ganesan, South Indian actor
- Prabhu Lal Bhatnagar
- R. Prabhu
- Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu
- Vasant K. Prabhu
- Samantha Ruth Prabhu
- Prabu Siliwangi, legendary Sundanese emperor
References
- ^ Bhakti Yoga Dictionary
- ^ The Master's Glossary
- ^ GSB surnames - GSB Kerala.com
- ^ Sarasvati's Children: A History of the Mangalorean Christians (1999), Alan Machado Prabhu, I.J.A. Publications, p. 137
- ^ a b c The Last Prabhu – A Hunt for Roots: DNA, Ancient documents and migration in Goa (2011), Bernardo Elvino de Sousa, Goa 1556, p. 89
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