Up in Arms!!!Yeah!!!a big armed hug!

[Guest guest]

Om Amrtesvaryai Namah!

 

Namaste!

 

While i understand what you are saying, Mani in reference to the

using of names given you by your parents, since you do not have a

"Guru" Who has given you a name, perhaps, your opinion is just that

an opinion.

in all traditions when one takes up the spiritual life, and

receives diksha of whatever kind from a teacher or Guru, one often

will also take up a new spiritual name to remind one self of the

Goal...of who one really is. This alone is a valid reason for using

one's "spiritual" name as much as possible.

on another front, i was given my spiritual name by my Own Guru,

Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Who to me, is not only Guru but Divine

Mother, as you already know...and before Her i am Her little child of

perhaps 2 years old...So when She calls me visvanathan, after an hour

of me sitting behind Her in bliss, watching Amma giving all Her Love

to Her darling children, one by one, and then She turns to look at me,

before telling Brahmachari Dayamrita Chaitanya my name, i believe

that this name fulfills the requirements of your question...the name

given to me as a child by my REAL Mother, the Divine Mother, is my

real name....the other name is the body's name, but visvanathan is WHO

i REALLY am...and so i use this name always in a spiritual

context..because that is who i am!!!With Sani atmakaraka, this should

be obvious to you...Sani is Siva Mahadeva, and who else is

Visvanathan, than Siva Mahadeva!!!! i do not consider this a vedic

"secret" name for just God and me...it's for everyone, because as i

said that's Who i really am!!!(and i don't mean in an egoic sense,

but rather the "Atmic" sense). As well this name represents the goal

of my being.and my sadhana....much love to you....

i rest my case.

Saluting the Divine Mother

in You

i am

Your Own Self

 

visvanathan

 

Om Amrtesvaryai Namah!

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

Re-reading my letter re names I find I have written some nonsense!!! I had just

then been reading something in that direction and shot off without thinking

clearly. What I meant was:

 

1. The name one gets called by as a child vibrates best usually with the

personality.

2. A vedic name given by a guru or father at the initiation ceremony like

Upanayana is not meant for daily or open use. It is the name of a deity or a

principle on which one is supposed to meditate, it is whispered to the priest at

temples when he performs archana or arathi in one´s name. I know only the name

of my father, but not of any of my brothers´, except one by chance. When

offering prayers we announce this name silently as introduction. It goes in a

formula, giving gothra etc. When we meet a very venerable person we repeat this,

but whisper the name to the person.

3. Any adopted name, or one given as an appellation by a guru - not ritually

given - is commonly used openly.

 

All this may be a South Indian custom only. Please do not take offence!

 

Begging your pardon,

Namaste

Mani