Day three of Navaratri :)
I stay in a place where it rains most of the time, even if there is less rain the sky is mostly cloudy, it is a big gift to see a bright and clear morning sky. Day three begins with one such lucky bright clear day. As we stepped into the golden sunlight, I said ‘Bho Surya!’ loudly. My mother came to me and whispered in my ears ‘Aho Surye!’ and gently walked aside. Immediately I was reminded of my aunt, named Suryaa.
As usual me and Amma sat down to chant the Lalita sahasranamam. I suddenly noted that Devi was addressed as Raamaa, usually the word Raamaa [रामा] brings lord Raamah [रामः], the king of Ayodhya to our minds. But here Devi is addressed as Raamaa, why so?
Now comes the beauty of Sanskrit, the Deva-bhasha, where word and meaning are not separate. The language is called “Sanskrit” because it has undergone “samskarana”, samskarana means to purify. The word Raamah is derived from the root Ramu meaning to dwell, he is Raamah because he dwells in the hearts of sages [Ramayati muni hrudaye]. Devi in Lalita sahasranama is also called Muni-Maanasa-hamsika. [The supreme swan in the hearts of sages], in simple words she is Raamaa.
After this, it was like a new experiences with names unfolding right in front of my eyes.
Below are some of the names that generally remind us only of the sacred masculine. The essence of these names, are represented as the sacred masculine or the sacred feminine. This is done in sanskrit using various grammar rules. Thus giving an integrated definitive meaning to these names.
| Masculine | Feminine | Meanings |
| Shivah | Shivaa | Auspicious |
| Brahma | Brahmaa | The creator |
| Mukundah | Mukundaa | The giver of redemption |
| Aprameyah | Aprameyaa | Who cannot be known through any gross means of knowledge, imperceptible. In Vishnu sahasranama, Vishnu is called “Aprameyo hrishikesha….” Here Devi is called “Aprameyaa Swaprakashaa” |
| Veerah | Veeraa | Utmost heroic |
| Bheemah | Bheemaa | Mighty one |
The list can go on...
I was surprised to see this long forgotten integration.
These names emit the sacred vibration of the sounds present in them that reflect the essence of the name itself.
This post is dedicated to all the girls, whose names are Krishnaa, Suryaa, Vedaa, Shivaa etc, who do not have suffixes such as Priyaa, Shree, Valli etc added at the end of their names to make them Suryaprabha, Krishnapriya, Vedavalli, Shivashri etc.
My name is Vedaa, I am pronouncing it to myself with great Joy as I write it here. My essence is rooted in vid - knowledge, in its masculine form it is Vedah and in its feminine form, Vedaa.
It was night and Amma called me Vedaa, my name sounded all the more sweet to me. We were sitting by my fairy lights and I sank into my mother’s lap while she started narrating to me the glorious wedding of Suryaa daughter of Savitr as described in the Vedas.