UNITED STATES, June 7, 2015 (Lassi With Lavina by Lavina Melwani): Recently US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard got married in a Vedic ceremony in Hawaii. A Hindu, she has even taken her congressional oath on the Bhagavad Gita. Her name Tulsi means the Holy Basil which is so central to Hindu belief. Her mother Carol Gabbard was brought up in the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya tradition and named her five children Bhakti (worship), Jai (a Hindu salutation), Aryan (noble one), Tulsi (sacred plant) and Vrindavan (Lord Krishna’s abode).
It got me thinking – what’s in a name and how can one use such a simple device to enhance the spiritual lives of one’s children? It certainly has deeper connotations than naming a child after candy or a jewelry store! Hindus often name their children after Gods, kings and wonderful attributes. The namakarana or naming ceremony is a powerful one where the name of child is whispered to the child by the father or chosen relative after prayers.
For female children there are powerful Mother Goddesses to emulate, from Durga to Kali to Devi to Parvati. Saraswati is the Goddess of Learning and Lakshmi is the Goddess of Wealth. Sita is the incarnation of the perfect woman and Radha, the beloved of Krishna, is also a popular name because she depicts Cosmic Love, the striving of the soul for the Supreme Being.
Great kings and noble attributes are also popular choices