नामकरणम्Giving the name
Verse 155
ततोऽङ्के पुत्रमादाय श्रावयेत् दक्षिणश्रुतौ । स्वल्पाक्षरं सुखोच्चार्यं शुभं नाम विचक्षणः ॥ १५५ ॥
tatō’ṅkē putramādāya śrāvayēt dakṣiṇaśrutau | svalpākṣaraṁ sukhōccāryaṁ śubhaṁ nāma vicakṣaṇaḥ || 155 ||
Translation
Then, taking the son on his lap, the discerning one should speak into his right ear a good name, of few syllables and easy to say.
Word by word
- tataḥ
- (tataḥ) then
- aṅkē
- on his lap
- putram
- (putram) the son
- ādāya
- having taken
- śrāvayēt
- should make to hear
- dakṣiṇa
- right
- śrutau
- in the ear
- svalpa
- few
- akṣaraṁ
- of syllables
- sukha
- easy
- uccāryaṁ
- to say
- śubhaṁ
- good
- nāma
- a name
- vicakṣaṇaḥ
- the discerning one
Meaning
The name should be short, easy to pronounce and auspicious, "one that speaks of good" in the ṭīkā's words. Names are usually those of a deity or of a divine quality, so that saying them is itself a remembrance.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
"Tataḥ" and the rest. Then the discerning father, taking his son on his lap (aṅka, kroḍa), should make him hear in his right ear (dakṣiṇa śruti, the right ear) a good name, one that speaks of auspiciousness, with few syllables and easy to pronounce.