Padma Lakshmi’s pregnancy was anything but conventional. She posed nude for Page 6 Magazine. She still refuses to disclose the identity of the baby’s father. But when it came to naming the baby (a little girl born on February 20), Padma chose a name that is simply divine. Literally.

US Magazine reports that Padma — best known as Top Chef star and model (not to mention author Salman Rushdie’s ex-wife) — named her daughter Krishna Thea.

The magazine explains the choice of “Krishna”:

She intended to choose “a classically Indian Sanskrit name,” and that’s
just what she did. Krishna is a Sanskrit name meaning “black” or “dark
one,” and is commonly heard in India as both a first and last name.

In Hindu tradition, Krishna was the human incarnation of the god
Vishnu, a heroic figure representing love and joy. The familiar “Hare
Krishna” is a chant to this deity.

In addition to meaning “dark complexioned one,” the name also means
“all-attractive.” And while Krishna is usually a boy’s name, it is not
exclusively so. Many girls are also named Krishna (after the male
deity), or Krishnaa (with a long a), which is also one of the names for
the famous Princess Draupadi.

US
picks up on the popularity of Krishna as a girl’s name, adding an
interesting bit of trivia about the name’s popularity in South America:

Although Krishna is associated with a male deity, it is not unusual for
it to be used as a girl’s name. During the past decade it has been
extremely popular in Chile, for example, reaching No. 12 on their
favorite girls’ names list in 2002, and was still in the Top 25 in 2006.

According
to some Hindus, the act of uttering the name Krishna brings
immeasurable spiritual benefit, including liberation from this world.
That’s quite a bonus that Padma (and hundreds of Chilean moms) get–
just for calling out to their kids!  

And in case Padma still
needs an extra endorsement, we’ll sign this post off with some words
from 15th century Vaishnava poet-saint Rupa Goswami:

I do not know how much nectar the two syllables ‘Krish-na’ have
produced. When the holy name of Krishna is chanted, it appears to dance
within my mouth. I then desire many, many mouths. When that name
enters the holes of my ears, I desire many millions of ears. And when
the holy name dances in the courtyard of my heart, it conquers the
activities of my mind, and I become completely stunned.