Namakarana for Aspirant Akash Katir

January 30, 2022

Jai Ganesha!

Recently, at the Siva Murugan Temple in Concord, California, monastic aspirant Akash Katir observed his Namakarana Samskara, officially establishing himself with his new name and formally entering Hinduism. Once his legal name change process has concluded, he will be able to return to Kauai to pursue his monastic path.

The name-giving sacrament can be held at nearly any Hindu temple. Before the namakaraa saskra, the devotee informs family, relatives and close friends of his or her name change and intended entrance into Hinduism. At the sacred name-giving rite, the Hindu name is received, vows are taken and a certificate is signed, documenting the former name and the new name, place of ceremony and signature of the priest and at least three witnesses. This sacrament marks the formal entrance into a particular sect of Hinduism, through the acceptance and blessings of established members and the blessings of Gods and devas invoked through rites performed by an authorized Hindu priest.

Here's a short note from Akash after having had his Namakarana:

"The ceremony was a powerful one and the feeling of energy and peace was alike to that of the homas I attended at Kadavul. Additionally, the experience was not just for me and I think it was an important physical manifestation of my mental and spiritual change that my family and others can look to and say "wow, yea, that happened." Earlier, my mom said she was unsure if she would be able to call me "Akash," but now, after the ceremony, she seems happy to call me by my new name with only the occasional forgetful slip up."

Akash
"Space." The sky. Free, open space. Ether, the fifth and most subtle of the five elements—earth, air, fire, water and ether. Empirically, the rarified space or ethereal fluid plasma that pervades the universes, inner and outer. Esoterically, mind, the superconscious strata holding all that exists and all that potentially exists, wherein all happenings are recorded and can be read by clairvoyants. It is through psychic entry into this transcendental akasha that cosmic knowledge is gathered, and the entire circle of time—past, present and future—can be known. Space, akasha, in this concept is a positive substance, filled with unseen energies and intelligences, in contrast with the Western conception that space is the absence of everything and is therefore nothing in and of itself. The Advayataraka Upanishad (2.1.17) describes five levels of akasha which can be yogically experienced: guna rahita akasha (space devoid of qualities); parama akasha (supreme space), maha akasha (great space), tattva akasha (space of true existence) and surya akasha (space of the sun).

Katir
"Formless light," a name for Lord Murugan

The day starts with a bright California sunrise

Prostrations to Ganesha before this auspicious event!

Akash with his family before the ceremony.

His parents and two sisters haven\

t experienced many events like this one before'

It starts with a Ganesha puja

\"The priest had me say a prayer to supplicate Ganesha, Gurudeva, and Bodhinatha.\"

Akasha offers rice and flowers as the priest chants

Preparations are made for the homa and Akash is led through a long series of Sanskrit chants by the priest

The homa is lit and offerings made to the sacred flame

The arati is brought around to the whole family

Akash then circumambulates the fire three times and prostrates

The Sivacharya then pours a small amount of water from the blessed Siva Kumbha from the homa

\"Everyone present then came up to put water on me as well with some people putting a less reasonable amount of water on me.\"

Then his parents write his new name in a tray of rice

Since a namakarana is usually done for new borns, it includes the parents smelling the child\

s head. A practice that facilitates bonding. See the science'

Akash\

s parents are then instructed to place their hands over his heart'

The priest then leads his father through a series of Sanskrit chants

Some mispronunciations may have ensued

His parents and the Sivacharya then feed him sugar crystals. Again, carried over for new borns, so that the first thing you taste as you come into this world is something sweet.