The major form of social interaction is through the use of names. Since the dawn of language, mankind has attempted to name objects that they encounter on a daily basis. Not only people, but even gods, use names to identify themselves. With the advancement of social consciousness, persons were also given names, as it was difficult to conduct the business of an educated society without individual names.
Also read about all the sixteen Samskara.
What is Nāmakaraṇa Samskaram?
नामकरण which is the fifth samskara which means “the ceremony of naming the child after birth”. It is also called ‘नामधॆय करणम्’. ‘नाम/Naam’ means ‘name’, and ‘करण/karan’ means ‘to create’, in Sanskrit. A naamkaran ceremony can also be known as ‘पलनरोहण/palanarohan’, which is the process of cradling a child after the ceremony. The Sanskrit word ‘arahan’ means ‘on board’. ‘Palana’ means ‘cradle’ and ‘आरोहण /arohan’ means ‘cradle’. In addition to its religious significance, this function has social and legal implications.
In शङ्ख स्मृति, Sage Shankha concisely states the purpose of the Namakarana as –
कुलदेवतानक्षत्राभिसम्बन्धं पिता कुर्यादन्यो वा कुलव्रुद्ध
kuladevatānakṣatrābhisambandhaṁ pitā kuryādanyo vā kulavruddha
“The father or the elder in the family must initiate the connection (of the child) with the kula, the devatas and the nakshatra”
Timing of the Nāmakaraṇa Samskaram
When it comes to doing the Namakarana samskara, the Smritikaras are very well in agreement. The ceremony must be done on the tenth or twelfth day, according to Manu, Vyasa, and Shankha Smritis.
नामधेयं दशम्यां वा द्वादश्यां वाsस्य कारयेत् | पुण्ये तिथौ मुहूर्ते च नक्षत्रे च गुणान्विते – 2.30। मनुस्मृति
nāmadheyaṁ daśamyāṁ vā dvādaśyāṁ vāssya kārayet | puṇye tithau muhūrte ca nakṣatre ca guṇānvite
“The child must be named on the tenth or twelfth day after birth. Auspicious tithis, muhurta and stars must be chosen for this”
Because it is preferable to perform this ritual after identifying a strong astrological मुहूर्त, Smritis have given the date a lot of freedom. The eleventh, sixteenth, or eighteenth days are also acceptable options.
Namakarana can be performed after a month, 100 days, or even a year after birth depending on the occurrence of emergencies if any.
Choosing an Auspicious Day for Nāmakaraṇa Samskaram
As previously indicated, the auspiciousness of the day chosen for this samskara is quite important. Uttara, Revati, Hasta, Moola, Pushya, Ashwini, Shatabhisha, Shravana, Punarvasu, Swati, Mrigashira, Rohini, and Dhanishta are regarded as auspicious nakshatras. Brihaspati and Shukra (Jupiter and Venus, respectively) must be in a trine from the Lagna. Harsh planets like Kuja, Shani, Rahu, and Ketu should be in one of the third, sixth, or eleventh houses from the Lagna if at all feasible. The Namakarana ceremony must be conducted in the early half of the day, according to the गर्गस्मृति.
Selecting the Name (Nāmakaraṇa)
In Hindu families, the name of a child is determined by Vedic astrology. The first letter of a child’s name is considered particularly auspicious, and there are five general principles for choosing this letter:
- जनं नक्षत्रण – Janam Nakshatranam – calculated using lunar astrology based on the birth star, the position of planets at the time and date of birth, and the moon sign;
- मास नाम – Masa-nama – based on the child’s birth month;
- देवता नाम – Devata-nama – after the family deity;
- राशि नाम – Rashi-nama – according to the child’s Zodiac sign; and
- संसारिक नाम – Samsarika-nama – the worldly name, as an exception to all the above.
It is believed that the letters in a boy’s name should be even-numbered (2, 4, 6, 8), whereas the letters in a girl’s name should be odd-numbered (3, 5, 7, 9), but 11 is considered the most auspicious length for both genders.
The following image shows classification of the names:
Image Source: https://www.indictoday.com/long-reads/namakarana-samskara-rite-naming-a-newborn/
Read about the 4th Samskara: The Pumsavana Samskara
A Vedic astrologer calculates a child’s ‘Nakshatra’ or birth star during the Namkaran, or naming ceremony, before selecting a child’s name.
Flow of the ceremony
The rituals begin with the पुण्याहवाचन/punyahavachana, which cleanses both the venue and the performers. In the presence of the family priest, the mother and father begin the Namkaran ceremony with pranayama, prayers, and mantra chanting. In the absence of the father, the ceremony might be performed by the grandfather or uncle.
The priest prays to the Gods, Agni, the deity of fire, the elements, and the spirits of the ancestors during the ceremony. Rice grains are laid out on a bronze ‘thali,’ or plate, and the father uses a gold stick to write the selected name on it while singing the God’s name. Then he speaks the name four times into the child’s right ear, followed by a prayer.
After the priest, everyone else in the room says a few words to formally adopt the name. The elders’ blessings and presents are then given, and the rite ends with a feast with family and friends. At this ritual, the family astrologer usually also reads the child’s horoscope.
Before the next samskAra (6th) is conducted, another ritual is performed by some people, called, nishkramaNam – the first outing. Typically, this is done during the third month. On a day of auspiciousness, the child is taken out with Vedic chanting. By the father, the child is shown the Sun and the Moon – Surya-Candra-DarSanam – sitting in a decorated place. The Shri Mahamrutunjaya mantra is recited for long life.
