Clarifications of Names

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Satyan, Nagu on Mon, Aug 4, 1997 4:17 PM

Clarifications of Names

bhakti digest

 

I would like to get the clarifications of the names such as Vaishnavi

and nArAyanee. I have seen these names attributed to Lakshmi, and in

some sthothrams attributed to Parvathi. I know a few SV families who

have daughters named Vaishnavi. This question was triggered by a song

in the movie "Navagraha Nayaki". The song has a line as follows

"madhavan sahodari vaishnavi", refering to Parvathi.

 

With my limited knowledge of Sanskrit and etymology, I had thought

Vishnusya pathni vaishnavi. It appears it is vishnosya sahodari

vaishnavi. What is the interpretation by our Acharyas?

 

We are all aware of the traditional sloka "guru brahma guror vishno

guru dEvO mahEshwaraha, guru sAkshAth parabrahma thasmai sri guruvE

namaha." A few years back when we hosted an Advaitha Swami, he taught

us the following additional lines:

 

"eashwarO gururAthmEthi murthi bEda vibhAginE, vyOmavad vyAptha dEhAya

dakshinA murthayE namaha

saranAgatha deenArtha parithrAna parAyanE

sarvasyArthi harE dEvim nArAyanim namOsthuthE"

 

I am now confused which nArAyanee is being refered to. Also, I have

heard the explanation for the name "rAmAnuja" as balarAmsya anujaha

rAmAnuja (meaning Krishna) versus rAmasya anujaha (for lakshmana). It

would appear that the first explanation is more in line with SV

sampradayam of not naming children with names such as Lakshmana,

anantharaman etc.(I do not know the rationale for not naming Lakshmana

if we can name as ramanuja).

 

It appears that there may be dual explanations or interpretations on a

few names. The interpretations may be subjective depending on the

sampradaayam and traditions. The topic of "Names" has always

intrigued me and that is why my input to Sri Sadagopan is to discuss

"What is in a name?"

 

I may be completely off base in my train of thoughts on this subject.

I hope one of you will steer me in the right direction.

 

Nagu Satyan