Today was very auspicious as two new born souls have entered our Saivite Hindu faith. Twins, a boy and girl: Bodhisiva Sankara Param and Bela Sundari Param….

“The namakarana occurs in the temple or home, eleven to forty-one days after birth. The baby’s name, astrologically chosen, is whispered in the right ear by the father, marking the formal entry into Hinduism.”

Bodhinatha signs the official Namakarana Certificates at the end of the ceremony.

The ceremony was held this morning in the temple with a homa. Chandra and Sahanadevi Param are the proud mother and father who were joined by grandpa Kulapati Easvan Param and the twins’ older brother Bhajana who had all flown from California for the ceremony.

The home proceeds and the two little ones were well behaved, alternately mesmerized by the fire and then retreating into the inner worlds….

The father declares three times aloud to the entire group satsanga…

“Oh Divine Ones, we beseech your blessings, In the sacramental name-giving of this Saivite Hindu soul. We vow to raise this child according To the principles of the Sanatana Dharma.

“Please bless this child, whose family name is Param
and whose given name is Bodhisiva Sankara.”

and the congregation responds aloud:

Tad Astu! Let it be so!

Then he whispers the name into the right ear of the child.

This photo taken through flames…

then again for the little baby girl:

“Oh Divine Ones, we beseech your blessings, In the sacramental name-giving of this Saivite Hindu soul. We vow to raise this child according To the principles of the Sanatana Dharma.

“Please bless this child, whose family name is Param
and whose given name is Bela Sundari.”

The names of the babies are written on a large tray of rice.

Then Bodhinatha offers it to the fire….

The certificate provides an official record of the name giving:

“Having been born into the Hindu religion to devout Hindu parents, who hereby declare they will raise this child according to the principles of the Sanatana Dharma, now bring forth this child to formally receive a Hindu name and to sanctify this irrevocable entrance into Saivite Hinduism.

“It is Hereby Certified that this devotee [birth date and place here] was duly given a Hindu name in accordance with the traditions of Hinduism before the Deity, the Mahadevas and the devas. Bodhisiva Sankara Param (and on the other one) Bela Sundara Param, is thus bound eternally and immutably to the Hindu religion as a member of this most ancient faith with full rights of access to all public Hindu temples, shrines and institutions throughout the world from this day onward.”

— Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami
— Saiva Siddhanta Church

Witnesses from the group also sign…

This afternoon we took the family out to the temple site…

And the young family, now of four children, met Sthapati…

We are also really happy to have Kulapati Iraja and Kulamata Nilani Sivadas here from California. They faithfully fulled their Gurudeva instructions to take personal care of Iraja’s mother through the final years of her life.

She recently moved on to inner worlds and Nilani and Iraja have made this pilgrimage to Kauai. Nilani has been away a loooong time and is only now seeing things like the giant Dakshinmurthi….