Namkaran Sanskar: Naming a Child by the Birth Nakshatra

A name is not merely a label. In the Vedic view a name is a subtle imprint of sound that stays with a person for their whole life and shapes their sense of themselves.

Namkaran is the fifth of the sixteen samskaras.

The timing

Tradition places the ceremony on the eleventh or twelfth day after birth, once the period of ritual impurity following childbirth has passed and the household is considered clean.

Some families perform it on the twenty first day or within the first month. Where a family custom exists, it should be followed.

How the syllable is found

This is the astrological heart of the rite.

The sky is divided into twenty seven nakshatras, and each nakshatra has four padas. That gives one hundred and eight padas in total.

Whichever nakshatra and pada the Moon occupied at the moment of birth has an assigned syllable, and that syllable should begin the child's name.

This is called the rashi akshar or nama akshar.

Examples

The four padas of Ashwini give Chu, Che, Cho and La.

Bharani gives Li, Lu, Le and Lo.

Krittika gives A, I, U and E.

Rohini gives O, Va, Vi and Vu.

Pushya gives Hu, He, Ho and Da.

Revati gives De, Do, Cha and Chi.

This is not the complete list, but it shows the method.

Why the sound matters

The reasoning is that the Moon's position at birth establishes the basic structure of the mind. When the sound of the name corresponds to that same nakshatra, name and temperament are in accord.

A person hears their own name thousands of times over a lifetime. Each time, that sound produces a small resonance. Where it agrees with the birth chart, it is held to be supportive.

The practice of two names

Modern families often find that the name formed from the prescribed syllable is not to their liking, or is impractical.

Tradition already provides for this. One name, the rashi name, is chosen by the nakshatra and used in all rituals, ceremonies and sankalpas. A second, everyday name is used socially.

This arrangement is entirely accepted by the texts and is widely followed today.

The sequence

The house is cleaned and the place of worship prepared.

Ganesha is worshipped and the kalash installed, followed by worship of the nine planets.

The sankalpa is taken, naming the parents, the gotra and the place.

A homa is performed and the Ayushya Sukta recited.

At the central moment of the rite, the father or a senior member of the family speaks the name three times into the child's right ear.

The ceremony closes with blessings, the arti, distribution of prasad and charity.

Choosing the name

The meaning should be favourable. Names carrying an unfortunate meaning are avoided.

The pronunciation should be easy, so the child is not burdened with a lifetime of correction.

There are traditional views on the number of syllables, with even numbers held suitable for girls and odd for boys, though authorities differ.

Names of deities are considered auspicious, with the understanding that such a name carries an obligation of its own.

A practical suggestion

It is worth having the child's chart cast before choosing the name. Doing so gives the correct nakshatra syllable, and it also reveals whether any particular condition in the chart would benefit from a simple remedy begun early.

A small measure taken at the beginning tends to help throughout life.