nam vyakti ko unke svayan ke hone ka bodh karata hai, isliye nam ka kisi bhi vyakti ke liye bahut adhik mahattva mana gaya hai. bhir men apne kisi svajan ke gum ho jane par uska nam lekar pukara jata hai. is bhir men is avaj ke prati vahi vyakti akarshit hoga jiska nam pukara gaya hai. anya vyaktiyon par is avaj tatha nam ka kisi prakar ka prabhav nahin parega. nam ke is mahattva ko dekhte huye hi sanbhvtah ise solah sanskaron men ek vishesh sanskar mana gaya hai. samast vishva men nam vyakti ke rup ka sakshatkar karvata hai.
nam ke karan hi vyakti ka parichay prapt hota hai. pranrabh men vyakti apni suvidhanusar nam rakh lete the. iske pashchat devi-devtaon ke adhar par, prachinkal ke suprasiddh rishi-muniyon ke nam par nam rakhe jane lage. kuch samay bad nadiyon tatha janvron ke namane ka upyog nam rakhne men hone laga. kalantar men jyotish ke adhar par namakaran kiye jane lage. isse nam vishesh ke vyakti par kisi grah vishesh ka kya prabhav parega, kis prakar ki samasyayen ayengi aur unka nirakaran kis prakar hoga, in sabhi ke bare men jyotishiyon dvara bhavishya kathan kahe jane lage. is prakar nam ki mahima aur mahattva se koi bhi inkar nahin kar sakta hai.
hamare prachin granthon men bhi nam ke mahattva ka ullekh prapt hota hai. nam ke mahattva ko svikar karte huye devguru brihaspati ne nam ko vishva men kiye jane sabhi vyavharon ke lie kendra kaha hai.
namakhilasya vyavharhetuah shubhavhan karmasu bhagyahetuah. namnaiv kirtin labhte manushyastatah prashastan khalu namakarm.. (virmitroday, sanskaraprakash)
ayurvarcho'bhivriddhishch siddhi vryavhritestatha. namakarmafalan tvetat samuddishtan manishibhiah.. (smritisangrah)
paraskar ke mat se namakaran ka adhikar prapt karne ke lie brahmanon ko bhojan karana avashyak hai. ataev ganpti pujan adi ki samanya pujavidhi ki samapti kar kam se kam tin brahmanon ko bhojan karayane. (samanya vidhi men yah vishesh hai ki nandishraddh yadi jatakarma-sanskar men n karaya ho to namakaran men karayane, donon sanskaron men ek hi bar nandi shraddh hona chahie.) namdevtapujan iske pashchat devtapujan karen. arthat kanse ki thali men chaval failakar un par samathryanusar sone ki shalaka se balak ka vah nam likhen jo rakhna ho. (yadi devta-nam adi rakhne hon to kramshah charon nam likhane)
pashchat sankalp parhen:- ‘‘shishorbahnayushyapraptyarthan namdevtapujnan karishye’’ apne balak ki dirghayu ke lie nam ki adhishthatri devta ka pujan karunga.’’ yah sankalp karke. un manojutirjushtamajyasya brihaspatiryagyamiman tanotu. arishtan yagya n samiman dadhatu vishve devas ih madayantamompratishth. nam supratishthitamastu. is mantra se devta ki pratishtha karane aur un shrishchate lakshmoshch patnayavhoratre pashrve nakshatrani rupamashvinau vyattam. ishnannaishanamumm ishan sarvalokamm ishan. ‘namdevtabhyo namah avahyami asnan samarpayami, ityadi vakya bolakar shodshopchar pujan karen.
namochcharan pashchat mata balak ko god men lekar pita ke dayin or shubhasan par baithe. pita balak ke dahine kan ke samip mukh karke kahe:- he kumar tvan ... kuldevtaya bhakto'si he kumar tvan masnamna .. asi. he kumar tvan nakshatranamna... asi he kumaratvan vyavharnamna .. asi rikt sthanon par devta adike anusar sthir kiya hua nam bolen. yadi ek hi nam rakhna ho to ek bar hi vah nam balak ko sunayen.