Baba
Key points on baby naming
Namaskar,
In our Ananda Marga way of life, we spiritualize each and every aspect of our existence - from birth to death: That includes selecting the name of the new-born.
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "The Naming of and First Feeding of Solid Food to an Infant: When an infant is six months old (or any time between six months and one year of age), at least five members of Ananda Marga will gather together on a convenient day, and the infant will be laid before them. The a'ca'rya/a'...will recite the following verse first..." (1)
In His above guideline, Baba is describing the baby naming ceremony (ja'takarma). A key point is that Wts / acaryas should offer or suggest multiple Saḿskrta names for the baby, along with the meaning, whereby the guardians or parents can select which one they like best. This should be done in a convenient manner in the months or weeks or days before the baby naming ceremony. But the main thing is that the final selection of the baby's name is done by the parents / guardians. The acarya's duty is to provide them with a proper selection of names, accompanied by the meaning.
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Should give the family a selection of names
Unfortunately, nowadays, it is quite common for the acarya or Wt to select only one name. And that single name is then presented to the family, with or without the meaning. In that case, the margii parents often feel obligated or compelled to accept that name - and they may not even know what it means. Yet, Baba's guideline is that the immediate family members should always be able to choose a name they like best - based on the suggestions of their acarya. Baba has given a detailed, dynamic system whereby many different names are appropriate for any baby - depending upon the day and time of the child's birth. So there are several options and those acaryas adhering to the system present a wide array of names to the family. Then the family can select the name they prefer.
In contrast, those Wts who are unaware of Baba's system might try and impose one single name as if the acarya's choice is the only option for naming the child. Intentionally or not, the acarya should not take it upon themselves to make the final selection about the name. Those who are reasonable and rational acaryas will always give the family a choice of several names. Throughout that process, the acarya should clearly explain the meaning of the name(s) to the parents so an educated decision can be made by the family. Then the parents will be more inclined to use that name in their day to day life and encourage the child to do the same.
Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, "The Saḿskrta name should be used in all worldly dealings." (2)
The Saḿskrta name given at the time of birth should be what the child is called on a day to day basis. The Saḿskrta name should not be shelved or put in storage, wherein the child is called some silly, worldly nickname instead. This is not the Ananda Marga system. Baba wants the selected Saḿskrta name to be used. And that is most likely to happen when a family fully understands the meaning of that name and its spiritual significance and selects that name for their child. Best is when the Saḿskrta name is highly spiritual in nature and pervasively used in our Ananda Marga scriptures.
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Examples of baby naming gone astray
Nowadays, in some aspects of Indian society, it has become the fashion amongst a small percentage of the population to use rare and obscure Samskrta words, and even made-up words as names. But these names are often devoid of any real spiritual meaning. They might select mundane Saḿskrta words meaning bird, chili (as in spicy pepper), seller etc. This is the trend in various states like Gujurat and other places. With the spread of materialism, this bogus approach is on the rise.
In a different section of society, some educated people select rare Saḿskrta words for names - regardless what the word means. Their intention is to give the baby a unique name which is completely different like Hasanti, meaning laughing or smiling. This is an example of a Saḿskrta verb used as a name. Naming a child Hasanti is highly unusual. It would be similar to an American or westerner naming their child giggling. In our Ananda Marga system, names should be a proper noun with a spiritual meaning.
In certain villages some uneducated people give Saḿskrta names based on plants, spices, or grains etc. And in other places they use names based on dogmatic, mythical gods and goddesses. But again this is approved by Sadguru Baba. The Samskrta names in our Ananda Marga system should be based in bhakti and carry a spiritual meaning - not something mundane or dogmatic. In Bengal they pronounce the words and names differently and thereby distort the original Saḿskrta names. They change Vishvadeva to Bishbadeba, and vivek to bibek, and sanatan to Shanatan. In short they turn v's into b's and the letter "s" into "sh'.
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Why the suffix “das” should not be used
Still in other places, they append "das" to their name such as Ram Das, Kabir Das, Krsna Das, Bhagavan Das, Shiva Das etc. In this case, Das is not their family name, but rather an optional name. Often people choose the name of gods and goddess and then add -das. But Das itself means "slave." In our Ananda Marga no one is anybody's slave; hence, Baba has specifically told that the -das suffix should not be used. Rather the suffix deva (devii for females) should be used, as deva means divine.
Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, "The word deva should be suffixed to the name...the more the usage of deva as a title, the better it is." (3)
Finally, a name should not just be some sound like in western nations - i.e. sounds that have no meaning like Iko or Keedo.
Calculate using tantric calendar - not western calendar
The day of birth (i.e. Mon, Tues, Wed etc) is key in selecting the correct Saḿskrta name. In our Ananda Marga baby-naming system, we follow the tantric calendar. According to the tantric calendar, the new day begins at sunrise and continues until the next sunrise. This is in stark contrast to the western calendar where the new day starts at midnight. This can lead to a lot of confusion if one is not careful.
For instance, suppose a baby is born before sunrise at 4am on Wednesday. But according to our tantric calendar the baby was born on Tuesday because in the tantric calendar it is still Tuesday.
If by mistake an acarya assigns the baby a name based on Wednesday, then the name for the baby will be entirely wrong. That miscalculation completely changes the baby’s name which will ultimately affect which Ista mantra that child gets when it is initiated into tantra sadhana. The entire course of that child’s spiritual existence is flawed. All because at the time of birth they got the wrong day because they followed the western calendar and not the tantric calendar.
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The below rules should be kept in mind:
1. From sunrise until midnight, the day will be the same whether one is referring to the western or tantric calendar.2. The key difference will be during the hours of midnight and sunrise.3. So every margii family should be vigilant about the time of the birth and use the tantric system for determining the day of the week.
Alert: The main alertness that is needed is when the baby is born between midnight and sunrise.
- For example: a baby is born at 2:30am on Sunday morning of the western calendar.
- Because
2:30am is before sunrise so in the tantric calendar it is still
Saturday. So it will be declared that the baby was born at 2:30am on
Saturday night.
- The selection of names for the baby should be based on the tantric calendar, not the western calendar.
- Every margii family and Wt should be aware about this.
Baby & paincajanya dogma
Baba says the name of the newborn should be calculated based on the tantrika calendar wherein the new day starts at sunrise. Using this system to determine the proper day, the baby naming will be cent-per-cent accurate.
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Unfortunately, there is a misnomer floating around these days. Be aware: When selecting a name for the newborn, some Wts use paincajanya to figure out the day the baby was born. This especially happens in India. But this is absolutely wrong and can lead to choosing the wrong name for the baby. Remember, in some parts of India the sun rises before paincajanya, and in other parts of India the sun rises after paincajanya. So it is wrong to rely on paincajanya for the naming of the baby. Baba’s guideline is very clear: The name of the newborn should be given based on the tantrika calendar wherein the new day starts at sunrise. Then the baby naming will be cent-per-cent accurate.
Ananda Marga ideology guides, “One day in India means sunrise to sunrise. One day in Europe means midnight to midnight. In Europe, the date changes just after midnight, and, in India, the date changes after sunrise.” (4)
Conclusion
The aforementioned circumstances are cases of the baby naming process gone awry. Most are not falling prey to these trends - yet we should all be aware of what is going on and be vigilant to follow the gold-bar standard of Ananda Marga teachings. The name selected for the newborn should be a Saḿskrta name imbibed with a spiritual cum divine meaning. And the parents should have the final say on the selection of the name based on a list of appropriate options presented to them by the acarya.
Depending upon exactly when the baby is born, an entire range of names is available. The exact timing of the birth is also a key aspect in our Ananda Marga system for selecting a name. All in all, the Ananda Marga baby naming system is complete and offers a wide array of selections. So no family should ever think that they have to accept any particular name. Rather they should have a choice from dozens of options given to them by an acarya.
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Nobody should feel stuck; if any particular acarya is not being helpful then simply seek help from a different WT or family acarya - or even a senior margii. And the family should make the final selection based on those highly spiritual, Saḿskrta names.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Brahmajyotidhara’
~ In-depth study ~
Why baby cries or laughs without any reason?
When an infant is small they do not feel connected with this world. Their nerves are not developed and their thoughts are mostly related with the memories of their past lives. Baba has described this in-depthly in His discourse: "Cerebral and Extra Cerebral Memory."
Baba tells us that sometimes when an infant of a few months closes its eyes and smiles - and there appears to be no external cause for that smile - the baby is recalling a memory from its past life. Likewise, sometimes a baby is crying and parents cannot figure out what is wrong, then in that circumstance the baby may just be reliving a painful memory from its past life. Similarly, sometimes a toddler says something that appears to be nonsensical to the parents, in that case the young kid may be recalling a scene from its previous life.
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Here the point is that up to the age of 5 or so, babies and young kids are not well adjusted with this present world. A newborn needs to be given a name so it has an identity related with its present life. If it does not receive a name in a timely manner, then there is the possibility for a dual-personality to develop. That means although the baby has a new body its mind is more preoccupied with past life experiences. The child associates more with its past life. If in the past the baby was named Krsna and in this life it has yet to receive a name, then the baby may identify itself more with its previous birth as Krsna. Whereas if the baby quickly receives a name - like Ranjan - for its present life, then the baby will identify more with its present birth. That is why Baba recommends that a name be given within 6 months to help develop a new personality for that new-born. And the baby should be called by that Samskrta name.
References
1. Caryacarya - 1, chapter 1
2. Caryacarya - 1, The Process of Initiation
3. Caryacarya - 1, The Process of Initiation
4. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 2, Keep Company with the Virtuous
== Section: Important Teaching ==
How imaginary gods and goddesses are created
In India, this is the typical way in which imaginary gods and goddesses are created. When the masses are not well-educated, they are prone to superstition. And when superstition sprouts, imaginary gods and goddesses are created to resolve the issues and problems of the common people. This is the classic formula. All such imaginary gods and goddesses were created in this way: Durga, Sarasvati, Vishnu, Laksmii, Ram, Ganesh, Hanuman, Kali, Surya, Jagannath, etc.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "In many cases people are devoted to upadevatás out of fear and sometimes they are worshipped in the hopes of obtaining something. Banabibi [The Lady of the Forest] is there to save one from the grasp of the tiger. Besides her, there is Dakśińa Ráya; out of fear of cholera people worship Olái Cańd́ii; out of fear of smallpox they worship Shiitaládevii; out of fear of snakes, Manasá. These are all upadevatás. The women of a household will sometimes worship Lakśmii year-round to bring happiness in the family; Śet́erá as well as Suvacanii is worshipped in the ritual peace ceremony; Śaśt́hii and Niila are worshipped to bring welfare to one's children; and out of fear of illness Shmashánkálii and Rakśekálii are worshipped. In Sanskrit they are all classified as upadevatás because they are not Parama Puruśa, the object of meditation in the spiritual world. Besides these, there are many other upadevatás such as Mangalacańd́ii, Áshánbibi, Satyapiira, etc. Upadevatás are also called folk [laokik] gods and goddesses. Some of them have dhyána mantras and some do not; some of them also have dhyána mantras in the local or state language and some do not have that either. In many cases the gods and goddesses of the Buddhist and Jain eras came or are coming to be worshipped as upadevatás in the post-Buddhist and post-Jain eras. Those spiritual aspirants who follow the paths of knowledge, action and devotion, of course, do not bow their heads to upadevatás. They practise the sádhaná of the singular Parama Puruśa."
"Some people call ghosts upadevatás out of excessive fear, that is, they accept them as minor gods and goddesses lest they be angered by being called ghosts. In Sanskrit, however, the word upadevatá is not used to mean “ghost” – for ghosts the word apadevatá is used. Upa means “near” and apa means “just opposite”. Apadevatá means “one whose nature is just opposite to that of a god”." (1)
Reference
1. Shabda Cayanika - 2, Discourse 9
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