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→Namakarana Samskara in Vedas: adding content
== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==
== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==
As quoted in Viramotrodaya, Brhaspati with a poetic exaggeration remarks about the desirability of naming: <blockquote>नामाखिलस्य व्यवहारहेतुः शुभावहं कर्मसु भाग्यहेतुः ।
As quoted in Viramotrodaya, Brhaspati with a poetic exaggeration remarks about the desirability of naming: <blockquote>नामाखिलस्य व्यवहारहेतुः शुभावहं कर्मसु भाग्यहेतुः । नाम्नैव कीर्ति लभते मनुष्यस्ततः प्रशस्तं खलु नामकर्म ॥ (Viramotrodaya)</blockquote>“Name is the primary means of social intercourse, it brings about merits and it is the root of fortune. From name man attains fame. Therefore, naming ceremony is' very praiseworthy.”
नाम्नैव कीर्ति लभते मनुष्यस्ततः प्रशस्तं खलु नामकर्म ॥ (Viramotrodaya)</blockquote>“Name is the primary means of social intercourse, it brings about merits and it is the root of fortune. From name man attains fame. Therefore, naming ceremony is' very praiseworthy.”
The scope of Namakarana is restricted to ceremonial naming process mentioned in Sanatana dharma. It is generally found that the choice of a name for the child is often connected with religious ideas. The child is frequently named after a devata who seems to be regarded its protector or is named after a saint whose blessings are sought for it. Secular ideas are also responsible for determining names. They denote a particular quality in the person named.<ref name=":12" />
The scope of Namakarana is restricted to ceremonial naming process mentioned in Sanatana dharma. It is generally found that the choice of a name for the child is often connected with religious ideas. The child is frequently named after a devata who seems to be regarded its protector or is named after a saint whose blessings are sought for it. Secular ideas are also responsible for determining names. They denote a particular quality in the person named.<ref name=":12" />
The assuming of a secret name is also found. It involves the personality of a man and is, therefore, withheld from enemies. The child was named according to his Nakshatra secretly during [[Jatakarma (जातकर्म)|Jatakarma]] according to some texts. The adoption of the father’s name is prevalent, which is based on the family attachment and pride. Thus there are so many factors working behind the system of giving name to a person.<ref name=":12" />
The assuming of a secret name is also found. It involves the personality of a man and is, therefore, withheld from enemies. The child was named according to his Nakshatra secretly during [[Jatakarma (जातकर्म)|Jatakarma]] according to some texts. The adoption of the father’s name is prevalent, which is based on the family attachment and pride. Thus there are so many factors working behind the system of giving name to a person.<ref name=":12" />
== Namakarana Samskara in Vedas ==
== Namakarana Samskara in Vaidika Literature ==
In the '''Rigveda''', the word, "Naman" or name is of common occurrence.
In the '''Rigveda''', the word, "Naman" or name is of common occurrence. Names of objects and persons are found in the Vedic literature. However, using the secret name as given in the Sutras is not instanced in the Vedic times. The adoption of a second name is assumed for success and distinction in life. The common fashion was to adopt two names. The one name was the popular one, the other being a 'patronymic' or 'matronymic. For example, Rama was the popular name while "Dasarathi" is his patronymic name after his father. In the name "Brhaduktha Vamneya", the second name is derived form "Vamani" (the name of the mother); in such cases, however, it should be noted that parentage was not necessarily direct. A person could be named even after a remote ancestor. Some local names, although not prescribed by scriptures, are found in the Brahmanas, e.g., Kaushambeya (named after Kosambi), Gangeya (named after Ganga) (Shatapatha Brahmana 8.6.8). We find in Ramayana that Sitadevi is called Mythili (named after Mithila).<ref name=":12" />
In the Grhyasutras, except the Gobhila, do not quote Vedic verses to be recited on this occasion, though they lay down rules for the composition of the name. It seems that the Namakarana was more a custom than a ceremony in the beginning. But being the occasion of a great social importance, it was later on included in the Samskaras.<ref name=":12" />
== Composition of the Name ==
=== Naming a Boy ===
According to the Paraskara Grhyasutra, on the tenth day the father should name the child. The name should be of '''two syllables or of four syllables''', beginning with a sonant, with a semivowel in it, with the long vowel or the Visarga at its end, with a Krt suffix, not with a Taddhita suffix.<ref name=":12" />
दशम्यामुत्थाप्य ब्राह्मणान्भोजयित्वा पिता नाम करोति १ द्व्यक्षरं चतुरक्षरं वा घोषवदाद्यन्तरन्तस्थं दीर्घाभिनिष्ठानं कृतं कुर्यान्न तद्धितम् २ (Para. Grhy. Sutr. 1.17.1-2)<ref>Paraskara Grhyasutras ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D Kanda 1 Adhyaya 17])</ref>
Vasistha restricts the number to two or four syllables and asks to avoid names ending in "ल (''lakara'')" and र (''rakara'').
The Ashvalayana Grhyasutra attaches different kinds of merits to different number of syllables: “One who is desirous of fame, his name should consist of two syllables, one who desires holy lustre, his name should contain four syllables. For boys even number of syllables were prescribed.<ref name=":12" />
=== Naming a Girl ===
The naming of a girl had a different basis. The name of a girl should contain an uneven number of syllables, it should end in अ (akaranta) and should have a Taddhita suffix. According to Baijavapa, त्र्यक्षरमीकारान्तं स्त्रियां - the name of the a girl should contain three syllables and end in इ (ekaranta). Manu gives further qualifications of the name of a girl:
स्त्रीणां सुखोद्यं अक्रूरं विस्पष्टार्थं मनोहरम् । मङ्गल्यं दीर्घवर्णान्तं आशीर्वादाभिधानवत् । । २.३३ (Manu. Smrt. 2.33)
“It should be easy to pronounce, not hard to hear, of clear meaning, charming, auspicious, ending in a long vowel and containing some blessings.’’ She should not be given an awkward name indicating “a constellation, a tree, a river, a mountain, a bird, a servant, and a terror.” Manu forbids to marry girls who were named after these objects.<ref name=":12" />
=== उपयुक्तकालः ॥ Suitable Time of Performance ===
=== उपयुक्तकालः ॥ Suitable Time of Performance ===