Guanyin or Guan Yin is an East Asian bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by Mahayana Buddhists. She is commonly known as the "Goddess of Mercy" in English and Gayatri in Hindi. The Chinese name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, meaning "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World".
Guanshiyin was too difficult for Buddhists to pronounce so it was shortened to Guanyin.