Hindu Names

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How to Become a Hindu

The Importance of the Hindu Name

Of all the aspects of fully embracing the Hindu religion, the legal changing of

one's name is certainly the most public, requiring adjustment on the part of

friends, relatives, neighbors and even business acquaintances. A few approach

this with trepidation, but the expected negative reaction--particularly from

personal and business acquaintances--seldom materializes. If the immediate

family becomes genuinely concerned, this will be overcome by the obvious love,

sincerity and depth of conviction of the individual.

Having one's name legally changed is not unusual. Women do it all the time, at

marriage. Movie stars rarely use their birth name. Name changes for religious

reasons are almost as common. Heavyweight boxer Casius Clay startled the world

in 1967 by proclaiming his conversion to Islam and changing his name to

Muhammed Ali.

But anyone who has gone through the experience of a religious name change knows

that there are real obstacles. Here are a few:

Grandma's fears that you are rejecting your family traditions. Business

associates: your fears of what they might think. The tendency to use the old

name when you are among your non-Hindu friends. The tendency to use the new

first name and the old last name. Using the name but not having it made legal.

Using the Hindu name with one group and former name with another, a practice of

double standard that erodes one's self-image and by which no one will take you

seriously.

The most ancient and common source of Hindu names is from the names of God and

the Gods. Each child receives a name selected from those of the family's Ishta

Devata, or chosen Deity. Such names are called theophoric. The custom of

choosing a name from the Gods is among the most ancient, with examples in

Persia, Greece, India and the early Indo-European civilizations. In Vedic times

there was a Sanskrit convention for forming patronymics: If Garga was the

father, then Gargi was the son, Gargya the grandson and Gargyayana the

greatgrandson.

Hindu names often indicate caste and sect. Iyer is for a certain caste of South

Indian brahmins. Sharma is for a caste of North Indian brahmins. The God names

Venkatenvara or Krishna indicate a follower of Vishnu. Common names of Saivites

are Nataraja, Mahadevan, Sivalinga, Nilakantha, Subramaniam, Kandiah and Kumara.

Das or Dasa is a frequently used suffix meaning "slave" and is used by all

denominations--hence Sivadas, Kalidas, Haridas. Often the first name is chosen

according to the syllable mystically related to the individual's nakshatra,

birth star. There are 108 different such sounds used to begin a name: four for

each of the twenty-seven nakshatras.

Hindus sometimes change their name during their life as a result of a blessing

at a temple or when a holy man initiates them. Swami Vivekananda--who said,

"Certainly, there is a great deal in a name!"--was originally named

Narendranath Dutt and had several names as a monk. The Tamil Saint

Manikkavasagar was originally named Vathavooran. My satguru, Asan Yogaswami,

gave new names to many of his devotees, and many of those names were made

legal. A good example is myself. Yogaswami gave me the name Subramuniya in

1949. Returning to the United States, I had it made legal in the courts in

1950. Such changes of name in Hinduism are considered sacred moments,

indicative of spiritual changes taking place on the inside.

The change of name, and using it under all circumstances, is an important sign

of religious sincerity to the Hindu community. It shows the willingness to

stand up and be counted as a Hindu. Proceed with confidence. Be a

hundred-percenter. Don't remain on the fence. It is risky to walk down the

middle of the road. Stand up boldly and declare who you are. Realize that if

your guru gave you a Hindu name, he saw something in you, and that is what

attracted you to him. Or if you don't find you hold the basic beliefs of the

other religions named above, then "stand strong for Hinduism."

The following chapter explains what Hinduism is and what is necessary to go

through to become a full Hindu of your chosen sect: Saiva, Vaishnava, Shakta or

Smarta. Remember, no one reaches out to convert anyone to the Sanatana Dharma.

Hinduism is not and never has been a proselytizing religion. For its strength

and that of its devotees, elders, religious leaders and established extended

families rely on the soul of the individual to burst forward. What follows is

the methodology that was developed in personal lives and through the peerless

"wisdom council of elders'' as to how, with the blessings of Hindu priests, the

witness of observers and the sanction of their guru, devotees have irrevocably

and of their own volition turned themselves into full members of the Sanatana

Dharma, the world's oldest religion on planet Earth.

Over the years we have compiled this immense list of names. We hope you find

yours somewhere within its depth.

 

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