Change of names at the time of initiation is essential

Expressions researched:
"change of names at the time of initiation is essential" |"After being initiated, the devotees in the Krsna consciousness movement change their names" |"change his name after initiation" |"During the time of initiation we change the name" |"change the name"

SB Canto 6

If at the time of death the devotee can remember his own name, such as Kṛṣṇadāsa or Govinda dāsa, he can be saved from the greatest danger. Therefore the change of names at the time of initiation is essential. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so meticulous that it gives one a good opportunity to remember Kṛṣṇa somehow or other.

SB 6.2.32, Purport: As stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.54):

'sādhu-saṅga', 'sādhu-saṅga'—sarva-śāstre kaya

lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya

"Association with devotees is recommended by all the śāstras because by even a moment of such association one can receive the seed for all perfection." In the beginning of his life Ajāmila was certainly very pure, and he associated with devotees and brāhmaṇas; because of that pious activity, even though he was fallen, he was inspired to name his son Nārāyaṇa. Certainly this was due to good counsel given from within by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: "I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." The Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart, is so kind that if one has ever rendered service to Him, the Lord never forgets him. Thus the Lord, from within, gave Ajāmila the opportunity to name his youngest son Nārāyaṇa so that in affection he would constantly call "Nārāyaṇa! Nārāyaṇa!" and thus be saved from the most fearful and dangerous condition at the time of his death. Such is the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja: [Cc. Madhya 19.151] by the mercy of the guru and Kṛṣṇa, one receives the seed of bhakti. This association saves a devotee from the greatest fear. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we therefore change a devotee's name to a form that reminds him of Viṣṇu. If at the time of death the devotee can remember his own name, such as Kṛṣṇadāsa or Govinda dāsa, he can be saved from the greatest danger. Therefore the change of names at the time of initiation is essential. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so meticulous that it gives one a good opportunity to remember Kṛṣṇa somehow or other.

CC Madhya-lila

It is to be understood from this that it is essential for a disciple to change his name after initiation. If a person does not change his name after initiation, it is to be understood that he will continue in his bodily conception of life.

CC Madhya 1.208, Translation and Purport: “My dear Sākara Mallika, from this day your names will be changed to Śrīla Rūpa and Śrīla Sanātana. Now please abandon your humility, for My heart is breaking to see you so humble.

Actually this is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s initiation of Dabira Khāsa and Sākara Mallika. They approached the Lord with all humility, and the Lord accepted them as old servants, as eternal servants, and He changed their names. It is to be understood from this that it is essential for a disciple to change his name after initiation.

śaṅkha-cakrādy-ūrdhva-puṇḍra-

dhāraṇādy-ātma-lakṣaṇam

tan nāma-karaṇaṁ caiva

vaiṣṇavatvam ihocyate

“After initiation, the disciple’s name must be changed to indicate that he is a servant of Lord Viṣṇu. The disciple should also immediately begin marking his body with tilaka (ūrdhva-puṇḍra), especially his forehead. These are spiritual marks, symptoms of a perfect Vaiṣṇava.” This is a verse from the Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa. A member of the sahajiyā-sampradāya does not change his name; therefore he cannot be accepted as a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava. If a person does not change his name after initiation, it is to be understood that he will continue in his bodily conception of life.

After being initiated, the devotees in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement change their names.

CC Madhya 18.207, Translation and Purport: In this way Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly initiated the saintly Muslim by advising him to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. The Muslim’s name was changed to Rāmadāsa. Another Pāṭhāna Muslim present there was named Vijulī Khān. After being initiated, the devotees in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement change their names. Whenever a person in the Western world becomes interested in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he is initiated by this process. In India we are falsely accused of converting mlecchas and yavanas to the Hindu religion. In India there are many Māyāvādī sannyāsīs known as jagad-guru, although they have hardly visited the whole world. Some are not even sufficiently educated, yet they make accusations against our movement and accuse us of destroying the principles of the Hindu religion by accepting Muslims and yavanas as Vaiṣṇavas. Such people are simply envious. We are not spoiling the Hindu system of religion but are simply following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by traveling all over the world and accepting those who are interested in understanding Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇadāsa or Rāmadāsa. By the process of a bona fide initiation, their names are changed.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

We change the name that "Now, from this point of initiation, you accept that you are Kṛṣṇa dāsa. You are trying to become master of the world. That is nonsense. You try to become Kṛṣṇa dāsa."

Lecture on SB 7.9.53 -- Vrndavana, April 8, 1976: You cannot see Kṛṣṇa. You may have your eyes, big, big eyes, but you cannot see Kṛṣṇa. You have to please Him. That pleasing activity is bhakti. Bhakti. And bhakti means the activities which will please Kṛṣṇa. Without that bhakti, means sitting down silently... No. "No, no. I am chanting. I do not want to go out. I am busy." Means excuse. What you will chant? You will think of money and woman, that's all. Just work. Go to sell books and work hard. That is wanted. Therefore we do not give that opportunity. My Guru Mahārāja did not give this opportunity, and we are following the same principle: no opportunity of sitting idle. No. You must work. That will rectify. Yes. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. So in this way, if we... Simply if we accept, this is the... We change the name. Why? We change the name that "Now, from this point of initiation, you accept that you are Kṛṣṇa dāsa. You are trying to become master of the world. That is nonsense. You try to become Kṛṣṇa dāsa." Therefore we add this word, dāsa. This dāsa, that dāsa—everything Kṛṣṇa's name. So we have to accept, Kṛṣṇa dāsa. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109].

Initiation Lectures

During the time of initiation we change the name. A spiritual name is given.

Delhi Initiations -- Delhi, August 31, 1976:

Pradyumna: I'll just do it fast. First nāma-aparādha is (Sanskrit verse) Paramam aparādham The saintly persons who are spreading the glories of the holy name, if we abuse them, if we make offense at the people who are spreading the glories of the holy name, then the holy name will never tolerate that. How can the holy name tolerate the abuse of those who are spreading the glories of the holy name? So we must understand that a saintly person, a sādhu, satām, spreading the glories of Kṛṣṇa, talking about Kṛṣṇa, must never be offended. Must always be very careful. Sādhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. You must know how to associate with the sādhus, to always honor them and worship them and not to make offense. The second offense is that we should not put the..., understand that the names of Śrī Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu-tattva personalities, which are completely spiritual, are the same as the material designations of jīvas like ourselves. There's Viṣṇu-tattva, there is jīva. Viṣṇu-tattva is God; jīva is this ordinary living entity. The name of the Supreme is the same as the Supreme. The name of the jīva is different from the jīva. So we should not confuse these. We should understand the name of Viṣṇu is the same as Viṣṇu. The name of jīva is not the same. So the names of demigods—the demigods are also jīvas—their names are not spiritual. If we call names of some demigods, it will not do us the same spiritual..., it will not give us this spiritual result as calling the name of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Therefore during the time of initiation we change the name. A spiritual name is given. Go on.

Pradyumna: Because that spiritual name has..., because the name of Kṛṣṇa, a name of Hari, has the spiritual potency; therefore we use the name of Hari as much as possible. Haridāsa...

Prabhupāda: Dāsa. Not that name, but the name's servant. Dāsa. When one is named Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa dāsa, he is servant of Kṛṣṇa. Not that Kṛṣṇa. If he thinks, "I have become Kṛṣṇa," that is Māyāvāda. Kṛṣṇa dāsa.