Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s20.427

v1.c3.s20.427

Nāman, ‘name,’ is a common word from the Rigveda onwards. The Gṛhya Sūtras¹ give elaborate rules for the formation of the names of children, but more important is the distinction between the secret (*guhya*) and the ordinary name, though the rules as to the secret name are not at all consistent. The secret name is already recognized in the Rigveda,² and is referred to in the Brāhmaṇas,³ one secret name, that of Arjuna for Indra, being given in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa.⁴ It is to be noted that the rule as to giving the designation of a Nakṣatra (lunar asterism) as the secret name or otherwise is not illustrated by a single recorded name of a teacher in the Brāhmaṇas.⁵