Shloka 8

पुंसां क्रिया-विभागः, संस्काराः, नामकरणम्, विवाहविधानम्

Devanagari script

ततश् च नाम कुर्वीत पितैव दशमे ऽहनि देवपूर्वं नराख्यं हि शर्मवर्मादिसंयुतम्

Transliteration

tataś ca nāma kurvīta pitaiva daśame 'hani devapūrvaṃ narākhyaṃ hi śarmavarmādisaṃyutam

Translation

Thereafter, on the tenth day, the father himself should perform the rite of naming—bestowing a human name preceded by a divine element and completed with an ending such as “śarman,” “varman,” and the like.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'then/thereafter')

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: 'and')

• नाम: a name
• नाम: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुर्वीत: should make; should assign
• कुर्वीत: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पिता: the father
• पिता: कर्ता (Subject/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis: 'indeed/only')

• दशमे: on the tenth
• दशमे: अधिकरण (Time locus)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (masc/neut), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); 'अहनि' विशेषण

• अहनि: day
• अहनि: अधिकरण (Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• देव-पूर्वम्: with a deity-name as the first part
• देव-पूर्वम्: विशेषण (qualifier of name)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: देवपूर्व = 'having a deity-name first'

• नर-आख्यम्: having a human personal name
• नर-आख्यम्: विशेषण (qualifier of name)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: नराख्य = 'having a human-name/man's name'

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (assertion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: 'indeed/for')

• शर्म-वर्म-आदि-संयुतम्: combined with (suffixes) like -śarman, -varman, etc.
• शर्म-वर्म-आदि-संयुतम्: विशेषण (qualifier of name)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + सं-युत (युज् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) 'संयुत' = 'joined with'; समासः: शर्मवर्मादिसंयुत = 'joined with (suffixes) like śarman, varman, etc.'

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Nāmakaraṇa-saṃskāra: timing (tenth day) and the convention of a divine-prefixed human name with varṇa-appropriate suffixes

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Naming is a saṃskāra performed by the father on an auspicious day, shaping social and spiritual identity through a theophoric (deva-prefixed) and well-formed name.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Choose names that carry elevating meaning and reverent remembrance of the divine, supporting character formation and community harmony.

Vishishtadvaita: Theophoric naming embeds remembrance of the Lord into daily address, reflecting devotion expressed through ordinary life (bhakti integrated with karma).

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Father (pitā)
• Saṁskāra (Nāmakaraṇa)

FAQs

What is the significance of the tenth day naming (Nāmakaraṇa) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse states that the father should perform the naming on the tenth day, marking the child’s formal entry into social and dharmic identity through a ritually sanctioned name.

How does Sage Parāśara explain proper name-formation here?

He prescribes a name structure: a divine or god-associated prefix (deva-pūrva) combined with a human name and completed with customary endings like śarman or varman.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even in practical rites like naming, the Purana presents dharma as an ordered life-system ultimately sustained by Vishnu’s cosmic governance, where social identity is harmonized with sacred order.