''Prabhu'' means master or the Prince in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...

and many of the Indian languages; it is a name sometimes applied to

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

. The term is also used by devotees of the Hindu God Lord

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within ...

as a title and form of address. It is also appended after a devotee's name, for example "Madhava Prabhu". In

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, especially in

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

nese, Javanese, and Sundanese culture, the term "Prabu" is used as a part of royal titles, especially to address Kings such as Prabhu Siliwangi, Prabu Kiansantang (the son of Prabu Siliwangi), etc.

As a surname

A common surname among people across the Konkan Coast in

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

, from

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Kar ...

, Maharashtra to Goa and.

As a title

"Prabhu" is a Sanskrit word, it is predominantly used to refer to a supreme being or god. My Indian languages associate the word for someone they have devotion for especially for Hindu gods like Lord Krishna and Rama. According to historian Anant Ramkrishna Sinai Dhume, Prabhu was a title accorded to the representative of the main village of the ''

taluka A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

'' (district) committee. The Prabhus may have also occupied official posts in the central administration, without prejudice to their original posts which were hereditary. Traditionally, a Prabhu was a village chief, Ministers, Zamindars, administrators, landlord and as such a master to the many agricultural labourers that were needed to cultivate his lands. "Prabhu" as a title is mainly found among Saraswat Brahmins,

Karhade Brahmin Karhaḍe Brahmins (also spelled as Karada Brahmins or Karad Brahmins) are a Hindu Brahmin sub-caste mainly from the Indian state of Maharashtra, but are also distributed in states of Goa, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. Classification Along ...

s and Prabhu communities in Maharashtra and Goa. In

, ''rajas'' (kings) are given the title "Prabhu", such as Prabhu Siliwangi king of the

Sunda Kingdom The Sunda Kingdom ( su, , Karajaan Sunda, ) was a Sundanese Hindu kingdom located in the western portion of the island of Java from 669 to around 1579, covering the area of present-day Banten, Jakarta, West Java, and the western part of Cen ...

Prabu Kiansantang ''Prabhu'' means master or the Prince in Sanskrit and many of the Indian languages; it is a name sometimes applied to God. The term is also used by devotees of the Hindu God Lord Krishna/Vishnu as a title and form of address. It is also appended ...

(son of Prabhu Siliwangi), Prabhu Bratasenna king of

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...

who ruled in the

8th century The 8th century is the period from 701 ( DCCI) through 800 ( DCCC) in accordance with the Julian Calendar. The coast of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula quickly came under Islamic Arab domination. The westward expansion of the Umayyad E ...

, and other numerous kings.

Notable people

* Prabhu Dasamuka, Indonesian ( Javanese and

nese) name addressed for

Ravana Ravana (; , , ) is a rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' and its adaptations. In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described to be the eldest son of sage Vishrava and rakshasi Kaikesi. ...

which means "The king with ten heads"

First name

Prabhu (actor) Prabhu Ganesan (born 25 December 1956), known professionally as Prabhu, is an Indian actor, businessman and film producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan. He is popularly known as ''Ilaya Th ...

(born 1956), Indian actor * Prabhu B. Patil, Indian bacterial geneticist *

Prabhu Chauhan Prabhu Bamala Chauhan (born 6 July 1969) is an Indian politician who is the current Minister of State for Animal Husbandry Department of Karnataka from 20 August 2019 in B.S.Yediyurappa cabinet. Later he has also sworn in as cabinet minister on ...

(born 1969) *

Prabhu Chawla Prabhu Chawla (born 2 October 1946) is an Indian journalist. He was born in Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, British India. He is alumni of Deshbandhu college University of Delhi. He started his career as an economics lecturer in Delhi University. He ...

(born 1946), Indian journalist *

Prabhu Dayal Balmiki Prabhu Dayal Balmiki ( hi, प्रभु दयाल बाल्मीकि) is an Indian politician and a member of the 16th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh of India. He represented the Hastinapur constituency of Uttar Pradesh and ...

(born 1963), Indian politician *

Prabhu Dayal Himatsingka Prabhu Dayal Himatsingka (16 August 1889 – 2 June 1991) was an Indian politician. He was elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India, from Godda, Bihar as a member of the Indian National Congress. References {{r ...

(1889–1991), Indian politicianCongress *

Prabhu Dayal Katheria Prabhu Dayal Katheria (born 22 August 1952) is an Indian politician and agriculturist. He was former member of parliament from Firozabad. References Lok Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh People from Firozabad district 1952 births Living ...

(born 1952), Indian politician and agriculturist *

Prabhu Dayal Nigam Prabhu Dayal Nigam is an Indian interventional cardiologist, medical academic and the founder of the department of cardiology at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi. Holder of multiple master's degrees in medicine, he was a senior consultan ...

, Indian interventional cardiologist *

Prabhu Deva Prabhu Deva (born 3 April 1973) is an Indian dance choreographer, film director, producer and actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada language films. In a career spanning 32 years, he has performed and designed ...

, Indian dance choreographer, film director, producer, and actor * Prabhu Goel (born 1951), an Indian American researcher, entrepreneur and businessman * Prabhu Jagadbandhu (1871–1921), Hindu Saint of Bengal * Prabhu Lal Bhatnagar (1912–1976), Indian mathematician * Prabhu Lal Saini (born 1954), Rajasthani politician * Prabhu Mundkur (born 1988), Indian model and actor * Prabhu Narayan Singh (1855–1931), ruler of the Indian Princely State of Benares State from 1889 to 1931 * Prabhu Siliwangi, the king of the Hindu Sunda kingdom of

from 1482 to 1521 *

Prabhu Solomon Prabhu Solomon (born 7 May 1969) is an Indian film director who has primarily worked on Tamil films. After making his debut in 1999, he had a middling career before rising to prominence with the success of the romantic tragedy film '' Mynaa'' ( ...

(born 1969), Indian film director

Surname

Ajit Prabhu Ajit Prabhu is an Indian entrepreneur who is the Chairman and CEO of Quest Global which he co-founded with Aravind Melligeri in 1997 at Schenectady, New York. He hails from Dharwad city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Early educatio ...

, founder and CEO of QuestGlobal *

Bolanthur Krishna Prabhu Bolanthur Krishna Prabhu was a Konkani Dramatist and Poet. His musical "Chandrahas" in 1912, is believed to be the first Konkani stage musical. Early life Krishna Prabhu born on 13 November 1882 at Bolanthur, Bantwal Taluk in to a Konkani spea ...

(1882–?), wrote ''Chandrahas Natak'' * Gayathri Prabhu (born 1974), Indian novelist *

Ghanasyam Prabhu Ghanasyam Prabhu is an Indian cricket umpire. He has umpired 4 first-class, 18 women's one day and 13 women's Twenty20 matches. Prabhu became a BCCI national-panel umpire in 2015. He umpired his first Ranji Trophy match in March 2022 when he s ...

, an Indian cricket umpire *

H. Boniface Prabhu Harry Boniface Prabhu is an Indian quadriplegic wheelchair tennis player, one of the pioneers of the sport in India and a medal winner at the 1998 World Championships. He was awarded the Padma Shree, the fourth highest civilian award, by the ...

(born 1972), Indian qriplegic wheelchair tennis player * (born 1954), Indian sprinter *

Jaideep Prabhu Jaideep Prabhu (born 12 October 1967 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India) is the Jawaharlal Nehru professor of business and enterprise at the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge, England. The Professorship was established by the Gove ...

(born 1967), professor * K. N. Prabhu (1923–2006) * Lakshman Prabhu, a minister in the court of the Silhara dynasty * Leo Prabhu (born 1933), veteran dramatist, playwright, and novelist *

M. S. Prabhu M. S. Prabhu is an Indian cinematographer who works mainly in the Tamil film industry. He started his career as an assistant to P. C. Sreeram P. C. Sreeram ISC (born 26 January 1956) is an Indian cinematographer and film director who works ...

, on IMDb * Mamta Prabhu (born 1983), table tennis player * Manik Prabhu (1817–1865), Hindu saint, philosopher, poet, mystic, and guru *

Manjiri Prabhu Manjiri Prabhu (born 30 September 1964) is an Indian author, TV producer and filmmaker. She has been hailed as the 'Desi Agatha Christie' (Indian Agatha Christie) by the media and is acknowledged as being the first woman writer of mystery fictio ...

(born 1964), Indian author, TV producer and filmmaker * Manohar Prabhu Parrikar (1955–2019), Indian politician * Maya Prabhu, medical doctor * Megha Prabhu, co-founder and CFO

Yes Bank Yes Bank is an Indian bank headquartered in Mumbai, India and was founded by Rana Kapoor and Ashok Kapoor in 2004. It offers wide range of differentiated products for corporate and retail customers through retail banking and asset managemen ...

N. U. Prabhu Narahari Umanath Prabhu (25 April 1924 – 14 October 2022) was an Indian-American mathematician, known for his contributions to operation research, in particular queueing theory. He did not seek a Ph.D., however he guided a number of Ph.Ds. Care ...

(1924–2022), Indian-American mathematician *

Neeraj Prabhu Herefordshire County Cricket Club, in its current form, was formed in 1992, and first competed in the Minor Counties Championship in their founding season. They have appeared in fourteen List A matches, making six NatWest Trophy and eight Chelt ...

(born 1976), Indian-born former English cricketer * Neeshan Prabhoo, chutney musician * Peter Paul Prabhu (1931–2013) * R. Prabhu (born 1947), Indian National Congress member of Parliament in India *

R.S. Prabhu R. S. Prabhu is an Indian film producer and film director in Malayalam. Personal life He was born to Ramachandra Prabhu and Yasodha on 5 May 1930 in Ernakulam, Kerala, India. He is married to Sarada and he has two children. S. Rajagopal, S. Ra ...

(born 1950), Indian film producer and film director * Rakesh Prabhu, Indian cricketer * S. R. Prabhu, Indian film producer * Satyajit Prabhu, music arranger, composer, and multi-instrumentalist * Seetharam Prabhu (born 1964), Indian cricket umpire * Shashi Prabhu (born 1944), Indian architect *

Srinivas Prabhu Srinivasa Prabhu is an Indian actor in the Kannada film industry and a theatre artist in Karnataka, India. Some of the notable films of Srinivasa Prabhu as an actor include ''Bimba - Those 90 Minutes'' (2018), '' Kanooru Heggadithi'' (1999), Hudug ...

, actor *

Sunil Prabhu Sunil Prabhu is an Indian politician belonging to the Shiv Sena. He is a member of the 14th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. He represents the Dindoshi Assembly Constituency. He was the 74th mayor of the city of Mumbai, the capital of the In ...

(born 1969), Indian politician *

Suresh Prabhu Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu (born 11 July 1953) is an Indian politician, India's Sherpa to the G7 anChancellor of Rishihood University who was the Minister of Civil Aviation, Railways, Commerce & Industry in the First Modi ministry. He is a ...

(born 1953), Indian politician * Vasant K. Prabhu, professor *

Vasant Prabhu Vasant Prabhu (19 January 1924– 13 October 1968) was a music composer from Maharashtra who was a prolific composer of nonfilm Marathi songs known as 'bhaav-geete', and also worked in Marathi film industry. He is known for his collaboration with ...

(died 1968) *

Vasundhara Prabhu Vasundhara (Vas) Prabhu is the Director of Education at the Farnsworth Art Museum located in Rockland, Maine. She has over 42 years of experience in museum education where she has worked to increase diversity within the field and has been national ...

, director of education at the Farnsworth Art Museum *

Venkat Prabhu Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaren (born 7 November 1975), better known by his stage name Venkat Prabhu, is an Indian filmmaker, actor and playback singer in Tamil films. After completing his education, he began pursuing an acting career, with his firs ...

(born 1975), Indian filmmaker, actor, director, and playback singer *

Vikram Prabhu Vikram Prabhu is an Indian actor working in Tamil language films who made his debut in Prabhu Solomon's '' Kumki'' (2012). He also played the protagonist in ''Ivan Veramathiri'' (2013) and '' Vellaikaara Durai'' (2014). He is the son of actor P ...

, Indian actor

References