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Discussions on the nectarine qualities and pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri-Sri Radha-Krishna. Please don't copy and paste here without starting a discussion.

Sriman Mahaprabhu's namakaran ceremony - Second name or nickname?



Gaurasundara - Fri, 14 Oct 2005 09:25:27 +0530
We all know that the birth-name of Sriman Mahaprabhu was Visvambhara, and he was also referred to as Nimai. We can see how this came about when we read about His namkaran ceremony:

ihAna aneka jyeSTha kanyA-putra nAi
zeSa ye janmaye, tAra nAme se 'nimAi'

[The ladies said:] "Since you have lost many daughters,
this last-born child should be named 'Nimai'."
(CB 1.4.45)

What does 'Nimai' mean? The CB does not seem to give any explanation for this. I had heard that 'Nimai' had something to do with the taste of bitterness? Any further info on that?

Later on in the same lila, we'll find:

ataeva ihAna 'zrI-vizvambhara'-nAma
kula-dIpa koSThiteo likhila ihAna

Therefore this child shall be named Sri
Visvambhara. This name is also given in His horoscope.

'nimAi' ye balilena pati-vratA-gaNa
sei nAma 'dvitIya' dAkibe sarva-jana

The name 'Nimai' as suggested by the chaste women will be
His 'second' name, and He will be called as such by all people.
(CB 1.4.49-50)

Such a sweet lila. In modern parlance, what does "second name" refer to here? Does it mean that 'Nimai' is His nickname or does it mean that it is actually a second name, as in "Visvambhara Nimai"?

sarva-zubha-kSaNa nAma-karaNa-samaye
gIta, bhAgavata, veda brAhmaNa paDaye

The name-giving ceremony was all-auspicious as the
brahmanas recited the Gita, Bhagavata and the Vedas.

smile.gif
Gaurasundara - Thu, 20 Oct 2005 05:57:59 +0530
sarva-lokera karibe ihaG dhAraNa, poSaNa
'vizvambhara' nAma ihAra, - ei ta' kAraNa

This child will protect and maintain all the worlds,
and for this reason He is to be named 'Visvambhara'.
(CC 1.14.19)

The description of this namkaran ceremony in CC briefly follows the narrative in CB except that there is no discussion over the use of 'Nimai'. The first time 'Nimai' is used in this chapter is in verse 10 in reference to a breastfeeding incident. Later, verse 52 references 'Nimai' over the incident where the young Mahaprabhu teased the village girls and urged them to worship Him instead of demigods.
Gaurasundara - Thu, 20 Oct 2005 06:20:28 +0530
QUOTE(Gaurasundara @ Oct 14 2005, 04:55 AM)
What does 'Nimai' mean? The CB does not seem to give any explanation for this. I had heard that 'Nimai' had something to do with the taste of bitterness? Any further info on that?

According to CC 1.13, the name 'Nimai' was gifted to Him by none other than Srimati Sita Thakurani, the wife of Sri Advaita Acharya!

durvA, dhAnya, dila zIrSe, kaila bahu AzISe,
cirajIvI hao dui bhAi
DAkinI-zAGkhinI haite, zaGkA upajila cite,
Dare nAma thuila 'nimAi'

With bountiful blessings, She [Sita Thakurani] placed durva grass
and fresh paddy on the child's head and wished Him a long life.
However, a fearful doubt grew in her mind about the evil influence of
the two brothers, Dakini and Shankhini, and so she named Him 'Nimai'.
(CC 1.13.117)

According to the BBT purport, the reference to Dakini and Shankhini is to two inauspicious ghostly ceatures who are attendants of Shiva. The verse itself as well as the following slokas also do not give any insight into what 'Nimai' means or why it was given. The same purport references the idea as being due to Mahaprabhu's appearance taking place under a Nimba (neem) tree as well as other notes relating to neem's antiseptic properties, but I haven't been able to track this "born under a tree" idea down in any of the original texts. Help?

And surprisingly, this account differs from that given in CB. Here it appears that Mahaprabhu was born and named 'Nimai' by Sita Thakurani, and the official namkaran ceremony takes place later where He is named 'Visvambhara'. The CB relates how 'Nimai' was suggested by the village ladies, and how this name was given as a 'second' nomenclature at the official namkaran ceremony. Which brings up the other question:

QUOTE(Gaurasundara @ Oct 14 2005, 04:55 AM)
In modern parlance, what does "second name" refer to here? Does it mean that 'Nimai' is His nickname or does it mean that it is actually a second name, as in "Visvambhara Nimai"?