Namakarana ( sa, नामकरण, translit=Nāmakaraṇa, lit=name-giving) is the
naming ceremony
A naming ceremony is a stage at which a person or persons is officially assigned a name. The methods of the practice differ over cultures and religions. The timing at which a name is assigned can vary from some days after birth to several months o ...
in
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
and a
samskara (rite of passage) to name a baby.
[Pandey, R.B. (1962, reprint 2003). ''The Hindu Sacraments (Saṁskāra)'' in S. Radhakrishnan (ed.) ''The Cultural Heritage of India'', Vol.II, Kolkata:The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, , p.392]
Description
According to the
Grhya Sutras
Kalpa ( sa, कल्प) means "proper, fit" and is one of the six disciplines of the Vedānga, or ancillary science connected with the Vedas – the scriptures of Hinduism. This field of study is focused on the procedures and ceremonies associ ...
, ''Namakarana'' ceremony is typically performed on the tenth or the twelfth day after birth. Some texts suggest the naming ceremony be done on the first new moon or full moon day after the 10th day of birth.
[ Alternate opinions range from the tenth day to the first day of the second year.][Pandey, Rajbali (1969, reprint 2006) ''Hindu Saṁskāras: Socio-Religious Study of the Hindu Sacraments'', Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass, , pp.78-89]
On the day of this samskara, the infant is bathed and dressed in new garments.[ Their formal name, selected by the parents, is announced. The naming ritual solemnises the child as an individual, marking the process by which a child is accepted and socialized by people around them. The rite of passage also includes a gathering of friends and relatives of the baby's parents, typically with gifts and for a feast.][Mary McGee (2007), Samskara, in ''The Hindu World'' (Editors: Mittal and Thursby), Routledge, , pages 342-343]
The ancient Sanskrit texts provide numerous and divergent guidelines to the parents for choosing names.[ A boy's name by ancient conventions is typically of two or four syllables, starting with a sonant, a semivowel in the middle, and ending in a visarga. A girl's name is typically an odd number of syllables, ending in a long ''ā'' or ''ī'', resonant and easy to pronounce.][PV Kane]
Samskara, Chapter VI
History of Dharmasastras, Vol II, Part I, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, pages 238-254 Unpleasant, inauspicious, or words that easily transform into bad or evil words must be avoided, state the Gryhasutras, while the preferred names are those affiliated with a deity, virtues, good qualities, lucky stars, constellation, derivatives of the name of the father, or mother, or the place of birth, or beautiful elements of nature (trees, flowers, birds).[
Five names can be given to the new born as per ]rashi
Shlomo Yitzchaki ( he, רבי שלמה יצחקי; la, Salomon Isaacides; french: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (see below), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a compre ...
, nakshatra
Nakshatra ( sa, नक्षत्रम्, translit=Nakṣatram) is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology and Indian Astronomy. A nakshatra is one of 27 (sometimes also 28) sectors along the ecliptic. Their names are related to a ...
, masa
''Masa'' (or ''masa de maíz'') (; ) is a maize dough that comes from ground nixtamalization, nixtamalized corn. It is used for making corn tortillas, ''gorditas'', ''tamales'', ''pupusas'', and many other Latin American cuisine, Latin American d ...
, family deity, and worldly name.
See also
* Barasala
*Twelve Auspicious Rites
The Twelve Auspicious Rites ( my, လောကီမင်္ဂလာဆယ့်နှစ်ပါး, , and ) are a series of worldly rites of passage recognized in traditional Burmese culture, particularly by the Bamar. These are distinct from ...
References
Sources
*
{{Hindu samskaras
Samskaras
Naming ceremonies