Why were we named after Gods?

[V.Balasubramani]

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Pranams to all,

Our forefathers named all their offspirings like Narayanan, Sadasivam, Shamugam, Srinivasan, Lakshmi, etc If one goes thro’ the Telephone Directory, the name of Srinivasan, will run to five , six pages i e. in thousands. Similarly, Balasubramani, Vaidhyanathan, Sadasivam, etc. I am talking about the old generation.

Now, names took a modern avatar and we find Ramesh, Suresh, Sathish, Akash, Pranov, Vaibow, Bhargav, etc. etcJ

Just read a story on Ajamila. This Ajamila, a good Brahmin brought up in Vedic regulations turned a bad guy and had illicit relationship with a prostitute. He got more children and while he was breathing his last, he seems to have called his youngest child Narayana. Since the time of his death was approaching the Yamadutas were getting ready to take him. As he chanted the name of Narayana, Vishnudutas, messengers of Lord Vishnu appeared and there seems to be a discussion between the Yamadutas and Vishnutas. Though he was sinful, since he chanted the name of the Lord at the time of his death , he was purified from all these sins.

If this single act of the utterance of a four-syllable word Narayana can make such a difference to life after death, what larger worlds of fullness and majesty he may not conquer by really leading a noble life of Dharma in the memory of the Lord? -- so thought Ajamila. And that very moment he renounced everything to which he was attached, went to Benaras and engaged himself in austerities and meditation and in due time reached the abode of the Lord.

It seems that our forefathers believed that chanting of Gods’ name derive more blessings.


With regards


Source: Wikipedia

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear Balu Sir,

Our ancestors had good intention to name us after Gods / Goddesses.

But often times I have heard some mAmis yell at their children like,

'dEy dhadiyA Krishna / Shiva / Narayana! inga vandhu tholaiyEndA!!' :lol:

 

[sangom]

Pranams to all,

Our forefathers named all their offspirings like Narayanan, Sadasivam, Shamugam, Srinivasan, Lakshmi, etc If one goes thro’ the Telephone Directory, the name of Srinivasan, will run to five , six pages i e. in thousands. Similarly, Balasubramani, Vaidhyanathan, Sadasivam, etc. I am talking about the old generation.

Now, names took a modern avatar and we find Ramesh, Suresh, Sathish, Akash, Pranov, Vaibow, Bhargav, etc. etcJ

Just read a story on Ajamila. This Ajamila, a good Brahmin brought up in Vedic regulations turned a bad guy and had illicit relationship with a prostitute. He got more children and while he was breathing his last, he seems to have called his youngest child Narayana. Since the time of his death was approaching the Yamadutas were getting ready to take him. As he chanted the name of Narayana, Vishnutas, messengers of Lord Vishnu appeared and there seems to be a discussion between the Yamadutas and Vishnutas. Though he was sinful, since he chanted the name of the Lord at the time of his death , he was purified from all these sins.

If this single act of the utterance of a four-syllable word Narayana can make such a difference to life after death, what larger worlds of fullness and majesty he may not conquer by really leading a noble life of Dharma in the memory of the Lord? -- so thought Ajamila. And that very moment he renounced everything to which he was attached, went to Benaras and engaged himself in austerities and meditation and in due time reached the abode of the Lord. It seems that our forefathers believed that chanting of Gods’ name derive more blessings.


With regards


Source: Wikipedia

Shri Balasubramani,

Do anyone of us have any "proof" for the belief that Ajamila obtained heaven simply and purely because he somehow happened to call his son "narayana" and that did all the wonders? Even very reputed pravachanam experts try to 'whitewash' this point by bringing up all kinds of extraneous arguments like Ajamila was a very 'evolved soul' who just missed the vaikuntam admission due to some small deficiency which was made up by this eventual utterance and so on. If your belief or statement is true and people really believe in it then why are they (the Tabras) trying to (forcefully) push their parents into "pitrulokam" (which is inferior to Vaikuntam) though many might have uttered the name of their son/s at the very last moments?

Name is a label and it is no longer the parents' sweet will to name their child in any way they want. The child should not feel kind of inferiority if he goes by some names like Ramalingam, PicchaaNDi, and so on. Again, since this applies only to male names what about daughters?

I earnestly feel that we should keep all these legendary stories in their place and live in the present day world.

There is a saying in Malayalam which goes as : பள்ளி வேறே பாதிரி வேறே meaning that the padre has a life of his own, separate from that of his church duties. This should be our guide.

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Shri Balasubramani,

Do anyone of us have any "proof" for the belief that Ajamila obtained heaven simply and purely because he somehow happened to call his son "narayana" and that did all the wonders? Even very reputed pravachanam experts try to 'whitewash' this point by bringing up all kinds of extraneous arguments like Ajamila was a very 'evolved soul' who just missed the vaikuntam admission due to some small deficiency which was made up by this eventual utterance and so on. If your belief or statement is true and people really believe in it then why are they (the Tabras) trying to (forcefully) push their parents into "pitrulokam" (which is inferior to Vaikuntam) though many might have uttered the name of their son/s at the very last moments?

Name is a label and it is no longer the parents' sweet will to name their child in any way they want. The child should not feel kind of inferiority if he goes by some names like Ramalingam, PicchaaNDi, and so on. Again, since this applies only to male names what about daughters?

I earnestly feel that we should keep all these legendary stories in their place and live in the present day world.

There is a saying in Malayalam which goes as : பள்ளி வேறே பாதிரி வேறே meaning that the padre has a life of his own, separate from that of his church duties. This should be our guide.

Sri Sangom Ji,

Pranams,

The first and foremost thing that I wish to submit is that this is not a court of law to insist for production of proof and evidence for everything that is being uttered. It is a Forum wherein everybody's opinion is discussed and debated.

The story of Ajamila is from the sixth skanda of Srimad Bhagavatam which comes under the category of scripural Texts called the Puranas.

The aim of the Puranas is to impress upon the minds of the masses the teachings of the Vedas and to generate in them devotion to God, through concrete examples, myths, stories, legends, lives of saints, kings and great men, allegories and chronicles of great historical events. Ancient sages used these images to illustrate the eternal principles of the belief system that came to be known as Hinduism. The Ajamila's story advocates Bhakthi.

Lord Krishna Himself emphatically says in the bhagavadgItA (VIII, 5-7):


He that has thought of Me alone, leaving his body comes forth to Me and enters into my Being. Doubt this not. But at the hour of Death, while laying off the body if one thinks of something else, he goes to what he looked for, because he has been in that mood all along. Therefore, Oh Arjuna, at all times, think of Me and fight (mAm anusmara yudhya ca)! Thou too, when your heart and mind are fixed on Me, shall surely come to Me.

It is believed that the utterance of the divine name even in ignorance burns up sins. Such is its power. Just as fire burns up fuel and medicine cures a desease, the name of Lord sanctifies miraculously.

I conclude with the thoughts of Sir Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, one of the most profound philosophers of this century: "If these Upanishads help us to rise above the glamour of the fleshy life, it is because their authors, pure of soul, ever striving towards the divine, and reveal to us their pictures of the splendors of the unseen. The Upanishads are respected not because they are a part of Sruti or revealed literature and so hold a reserved position but because they have inspired generations of Indians with vision and strength by their inexhaustible significance and spiritial power. Indian thought has consitantly turned to these scriptures for fresh illumination and spiritual recovery or recommencement, and not in vain. The fire still burns bright on their altars. Their light is for the Seeing Eye and their message is for the seeker after truth"

It is the principles of belief system.

　

With regards

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Isvarah Sarvabhutanam hriddese tishthati"

 

[prasad1]

Naming trends for baby boys in 2011
Not much has changed since last year. Aarav continues its reign as the most popular boy name in India.


Names inspired by ancient Indian scriptures like the Vedas and the Mahabharata are becoming even more popular, as Atharv, Vedant and Arjun climb several notches higher in the top 20 list this year.


Some names inspired by religion, like Sai and Ishaan, have been knocked a few places down, while names like Mohammed and Dev have emerged on the top 20 list.


Clearly we are a nation that celebrates nature. Names inspired by the sun like Vihaan and Vivaan are charging their way to the top of the list. Aditya which means sun has made an appearance too. Ocean-inspired Arnav still remains popular, while Darsh which means moonlight newly made it to the top 20.


Names beginning with A are still in style. Half the names in the top 20 start with A, perhaps because it is considered auspicious.


There are a few new entrants into the top 20. Names like Mohammed, Aditya, Ayaan, Ryan and Darsh have wriggled their way into the top 20, pushing names like Krishna, Neel, Om, Pranav, Abhinav and Shaurya out of the reckoning.
Top 20 boy baby names
Aarav - Wisdom, musical note
Vivaan - First rays of the sun, full of life
Mohammed - The praised one
Aditya - Sun
Vihaan - Dawn
Arnav - Ocean
Aryan - Illustrious
Arjun - Bright
Atharv - The first Veda, Ganesh
Ayaan - Good luck and destiny
Aadi - Beginning
Aarush -1st ray of sun
Ryan - King
Sai - Divine
Ayush - Long life
Ishaan - Vishnu, bringer of riches
Vedant - One who has complete knowledge
Darsh - Lord Krishna, moonlight
Rudra - Remover of pain
Dev - Divine
Naming trends for baby girls in 2011
Ananya (incomparable) holds on to the no.1 position in India for two years in a row, celebrating the uniqueness of every little girl.


Long and traditional names are well and truly out of fashion. Short names are all the rage these days, with names like Diya, Jiya, Pari and Navya clearly in vogue. And global names like Kyra, Aanya and Anika have also captured the imagination of many a parent.


Yet, names inspired by Hindu goddesses are still very popular. Saanvi, which means Goddess Lakshmi, has climbed up four places to reach no. 2 and Aadya (meaning Goddess Durga) is a new entrant this year.


Last year's no.2, Sara, has crashed out of the top 20, as have Riya, Anushka, Sree, Kavya, Aashi, Ahana and Sahana, giving way to this year's newbies. Aadya, Aarya, Akshara, Angel, Kyra, Sanjana, Shreya and Riddhi have made their way successfully to the top 20 list.


As with boys, names beginning with A are popular for girls too. Nearly half the names in the top 20 begin with A.
Top 20 girl baby names
Ananya - Incomparable
Saanvi - Goddess Lakshmi
Aanya - Unique, Grace (Hebrew)
Diya - Light
Aadya - Goddess Durga
Khushi - Happiness
Aarya - Noble woman
Aditi - Free and unbound
Akshara - Letter, everlasting
Angel - Angel
Navya - Young, new
Kyra - Sun (Greek origins)
Prisha - Beloved, God's gift
Anika - Grace, favour (Hebrew); grain (Sanskrit)
Avani - Earth
Pari - Ethereal, fairy
Jiya - Sweet
Sanjana - Soft and gentle
Shreya - Auspicious
Riddhi - Fortunate


So we are getting away from naming our children after God, and we are moving into meaningful names for the child to grow into. We also see numerology playing a major role is spelling of names, so we see the unusual double letters in the name.

I think Ajamila is not in the minds of parents when they are choosing names.

 

[renuka]

Pranams to all,

Our forefathers named all their offspirings like Narayanan, Sadasivam, Shamugam, Srinivasan, Lakshmi, etc If one goes thro’ the Telephone Directory, the name of Srinivasan, will run to five , six pages i e. in thousands. Similarly, Balasubramani, Vaidhyanathan, Sadasivam, etc. I am talking about the old generation.

Now, names took a modern avatar and we find Ramesh, Suresh, Sathish, Akash, Pranov, Vaibow, Bhargav, etc. etcJ

Dear Sir,

Why do you feel Ramesh,Suresh,etc are names of the modern era?

Ramesh means Lord of Rama(Lakshmi)..that is Lord Vishnu

Suresh means the Lord of the Suras...that is Indra

Pranav..means Pranava..AUM

Bhargava means descendant of Bhirgu.


Sadashivam....means Sada=Always..Shiva=Auspicious..always auspicious

Srinivas..means where Shri(Lakhsmi) resides..meaning Lord Vishnu

Subramaniam ..Subramaniam means promoter of the Brahmana portion of the Vedas a name given to Lord Kartikeya when he took birth as Kumarilla Bhatta to propogate ritualistic portion of the Vedas.

So each Sanskrit name has significant meaning which is neither modern nor ancient.

Everything is Brahman..so all names are His.

BTW none of us really know God's true name.

 

[Govinda]

Parents or their kids dont know the meanings of their own sanskrit names be
it shreyas(excellent/prosperous) or ananya (non-deviating) etc.

So, the best solution is to name them in their native language or english, eventually
the kids will come to know the meanings after they learn the language.

So, name the kids as kind, graceful, obedient, generous, complacent, humble,
sharing, helper etc., [even english is o.k!] so they would atleast develop that one
quality, they were named with! Now, we(India) are seriously deprived of values!

 

[renuka]

Naming trends for baby boys in 2011
Not much has changed since last year. Aarav continues its reign as the most popular boy name in India.


Names inspired by ancient Indian scriptures like the Vedas and the Mahabharata are becoming even more popular, as Atharv, Vedant and Arjun climb several notches higher in the top 20 list this year.


Some names inspired by religion, like Sai and Ishaan, have been knocked a few places down, while names like Mohammed and Dev have emerged on the top 20 list.


Clearly we are a nation that celebrates nature. Names inspired by the sun like Vihaan and Vivaan are charging their way to the top of the list. Aditya which means sun has made an appearance too. Ocean-inspired Arnav still remains popular, while Darsh which means moonlight newly made it to the top 20.


Names beginning with A are still in style. Half the names in the top 20 start with A, perhaps because it is considered auspicious.


There are a few new entrants into the top 20. Names like Mohammed, Aditya, Ayaan, Ryan and Darsh have wriggled their way into the top 20, pushing names like Krishna, Neel, Om, Pranav, Abhinav and Shaurya out of the reckoning.
Top 20 boy baby names
Aarav - Wisdom, musical note
Vivaan - First rays of the sun, full of life
Mohammed - The praised one
Aditya - Sun
Vihaan - Dawn
Arnav - Ocean
Aryan - Illustrious
Arjun - Bright
Atharv - The first Veda, Ganesh
Ayaan - Good luck and destiny
Aadi - Beginning
Aarush -1st ray of sun
Ryan - King
Sai - Divine
Ayush - Long life
Ishaan - Vishnu, bringer of riches
Vedant - One who has complete knowledge
Darsh - Lord Krishna, moonlight
Rudra - Remover of pain
Dev - Divine
Naming trends for baby girls in 2011
Ananya (incomparable) holds on to the no.1 position in India for two years in a row, celebrating the uniqueness of every little girl.


Long and traditional names are well and truly out of fashion. Short names are all the rage these days, with names like Diya, Jiya, Pari and Navya clearly in vogue. And global names like Kyra, Aanya and Anika have also captured the imagination of many a parent.


Yet, names inspired by Hindu goddesses are still very popular. Saanvi, which means Goddess Lakshmi, has climbed up four places to reach no. 2 and Aadya (meaning Goddess Durga) is a new entrant this year.


Last year's no.2, Sara, has crashed out of the top 20, as have Riya, Anushka, Sree, Kavya, Aashi, Ahana and Sahana, giving way to this year's newbies. Aadya, Aarya, Akshara, Angel, Kyra, Sanjana, Shreya and Riddhi have made their way successfully to the top 20 list.


As with boys, names beginning with A are popular for girls too. Nearly half the names in the top 20 begin with A.
Top 20 girl baby names
Ananya - Incomparable
Saanvi - Goddess Lakshmi
Aanya - Unique, Grace (Hebrew)
Diya - Light
Aadya - Goddess Durga
Khushi - Happiness
Aarya - Noble woman
Aditi - Free and unbound
Akshara - Letter, everlasting
Angel - Angel
Navya - Young, new
Kyra - Sun (Greek origins)
Prisha - Beloved, God's gift
Anika - Grace, favour (Hebrew); grain (Sanskrit)
Avani - Earth
Pari - Ethereal, fairy
Jiya - Sweet
Sanjana - Soft and gentle
Shreya - Auspicious
Riddhi - Fortunate


So we are getting away from naming our children after God, and we are moving into meaningful names for the child to grow into. We also see numerology playing a major role is spelling of names, so we see the unusual double letters in the name.

I think Ajamila is not in the minds of parents when they are choosing names.

As far as I know the meaning of Sanjana is...to be born or produce (taken from Vaman Apte Dictionary)

It can also mean "to generate".

Rudra is from the word Rud meaning to cry..Rudra means that which makes one cry referring to the context of Lord Shiva during his act of dissolution which makes us weep.

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Dear Sir,

BTW none of us really know God's true name.

Mam,

:clap2:


With regards


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Isvarah Sarvabhutanam hriddese tishthati"

 

[Raji Ram]

.......... So, name the kids as kind, graceful, obedient, generous, complacent, humble,
sharing, helper etc., [even english is o.k!] so they would atleast develop that one
quality, they were named with! Now, we(India) are seriously deprived of values!

This might help Tamil lovers, Govinda Sir!

kind - dhayALan / dhayALu (Mrs. MK's name!)

graceful - vaseegaran/ vaseegari

obedient - keezhpadivOn / keezhpadivOL (?)

generous - dhArALan / dhArALu

complacent - trupthi for both boy and girl

humble - eLiyOn / eLiyOL OR eLimai for both boy and girl

sharing - pagirvOn / pagirvOL

helper - udhavuvOn / udhavuvOL OR udhavi for both boy and girl.


We can have some more unisex names as

anbu; aRivu; inimai; kadamai; nErmai; poRumai; uNmai; vAymai and so on.......... :thumb:

 

[Raji Ram]

............. BTW none of us really know God's true name.

Very true Renu!

We theists call the super power which controls the universe as God / Goddess.

And our ancestors created lots of stories about each of them. So humans are entitled
to call the super power by any name, right? And, no one knows the real name for God!! :decision:

 

[sravna]

Very true Renu!

We theists call the super power which controls the universe as God / Goddess.

And our ancestors created lots of stories about each of them. So humans are entitled
to call the super power by any name, right? And, no one knows the real name for God!! :decision:

Dear Smt.RR,

It is the meaning attributed to these names that is important. So when we utter them it creates the power

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Clearly we are a nation that celebrates nature.

You are right Sir,

“India chose her places of pilgrimages on the top of hills and mountains, by the side of the holy rivers, in the heart of forests and by the shores of the ocean, which along with the sky, is our nearest visible symbol of the vast, the boundless, the infinite and the sublime”
Sir Rabindranath Tagore, Philosopher and a Nobel laureate


With regards


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Isvarah Sarvabhutanam hriddese tishthati"

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Dear Smt.RR,

It is the meaning attributed to these names that is important. So when we utter them it creates the power

Sir,


This is the essence of the OP. Thanks


With regards


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Isvarah Sarvabhutanam hriddese tishthati"

 

[renuka]

You are right Sir,

“India chose her places of pilgrimages on the top of hills and mountains, by the side of the holy rivers, in the heart of forests and by the shores of the ocean, which along with the sky, is our nearest visible symbol of the vast, the boundless, the infinite and the sublime”
Sir Rabindranath Tagore, Philosopher and a Nobel laureate

But the irony is religions that arose from desert and desert like areas have the majority of followers!

 

[V.Balasubramani]

But the irony is religions that arose from desert and desert like areas have the majority of followers!

Mam,


Desert is also part and parcel of nature and they are our brothers.



With regards



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Isvarah Sarvabhutanam hriddese tishthati"

 

[wrongan]

Generally when one's name begins with A or B he is called first in interview and even in schools their name is on top in attendance registers.In 1960 s when I was a student waiting for final year field practical examination I had to wait in preparedness for 3 days to be called by the examiner where as my friend who is Anantharaman was called on the first day and left for his home on the first day itself.Today mothers are wise to name their wards as Adithya Ananand etc.Than Srinivasan.

 

[vgane]

I have come across some interesting names-Vivek Chandranath, Harsha Vardhan Narayan, Sanjeev Vaidyanathan, Vijkram Sivaraman which is a combination of modern & traditional

 

[renuka]

Generally when one's name begins with A or B he is called first in interview and even in schools their name is on top in attendance registers.In 1960 s when I was a student waiting for final year field practical examination I had to wait in preparedness for 3 days to be called by the examiner where as my friend who is Anantharaman was called on the first day and left for his home on the first day itself.Today mothers are wise to name their wards as Adithya Ananand etc.Than Srinivasan.

What to do? Why did you choose a name that starts with W! Wrongan ji!LOL

 

[renuka]

I have come across some interesting names-Vivek Chandranath, Harsha Vardhan Narayan, Sanjeev Vaidyanathan, Vijkram Sivaraman which is a combination of modern & traditional

Dear Sir,

I still dont get it..why do you feel a name like Vivek Chandranath is a modern traditional combo?

The word Viveka is in the Upanishads....it had been there for a long long time.

 

[renuka]

I still remember one movie where SV Shekar's name will be Shiva Rama Krishna Ganapathy Subramaniam!

 

[vgane]

Dear Sir,

I still dont get it..why do you feel a name like Vivek Chandranath is a modern traditional combo?

The word Viveka is in the Upanishads....it had been there for a long long time.

Dear Renukaji,

I am talking about the Tambrahm tradition where God's names were kept directly...There used to be a plethora of Subramanian's, Vaidyanathan's, Viswanathan's, Siva subramanian's, Sankaran's, Ganesan's, Venkatraman's, Gopalan's, Rajagopalan's, Natarajan's, Rama Subramanian's & Sivaswamy's...Vivek (even Viveka) may be Sanskrit but it is a new addition to the Tam Brahm Iyer lexicon...

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Generally when one's name begins with A or B he is called first in interview and even in schools their name is on top in attendance registers.In 1960 s when I was a student waiting for final year field practical examination I had to wait in preparedness for 3 days to be called by the examiner where as my friend who is Anantharaman was called on the first day and left for his home on the first day itself.Today mothers are wise to name their wards as Adithya Ananand etc.Than Srinivasan.

Sir,

There is another angle to look at this incident. You have got two more days for preparation which is a blessing in deed.


With regards

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Isvarah Sarvabhutanam hriddese tishthati"

 

[Raji Ram]

...... It is the meaning attributed to these names that is important. So when we utter them it creates the power

Dear Sravna Sir,

I know. But when a mAmi adds 'dEy' as prefix to the God's name of her son, it irritates me!

 

[Raji Ram]

Generally when one's name begins with A or B he is called first in interview and even in schools their name is on top in attendance registers.In 1960 s when I was a student waiting for final year field practical examination I had to wait in preparedness for 3 days to be called by the examiner where as my friend who is Anantharaman was called on the first day and left for his home on the first day itself.Today mothers are wise to name their wards as Adithya Ananand etc.Than Srinivasan.

Dear Sir,

The name appearing first in the register is not a big deal. But do you know that if four persons get the same mark in IIT JEE,

the ranking is given in the alphabetical order!! :shocked: Now parents choose names as Aadhit, Aarthi with doubel A. :thumb: