Moolam nakshatra baby names: starting letters

By tradition, a baby born in Moolam nakshatra takes a name beginning with: pada 1 "ye" (யே), pada 2 "yo" (யோ), pada 3 "bha" (ப), pada 4 "bhi" (பி).

Moolam: pada and letter

Pada	Tamil letter	Sound	Rasi
1	யே	ye (ये)	Dhanusu
2	யோ	yo (यो)	Dhanusu
3	ப	bha (भ)	Dhanusu
4	பி	bhi (भि)	Dhanusu

All four padas of Moolam fall in Dhanusu rasi.

Source: Yajnavalkya Smriti with the Mitakshara, tr. Srisa Chandra Vidyarnava (Allahabad, 1918), pp. 38-39; Sat Kriya Sara Dipika of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, the naming-ceremony section

Pada 1: names beginning with "ye" (யே)

Very few Tamil names begin with this sound. Ask your family priest whether a nearby sound will do.

Pada 2: names beginning with "yo" (யோ)

Yogeshboy · lord of yoga

Pada 3: names beginning with "bha" (ப)

Bhavanigirl · Parvati
Padmagirl · lotus
Bharathboy · Bharata, Rama's brother
Pazhaniboy · Murugan's hill shrine
Pavithragirl · purity
Paramasivamboy · Shiva, the supreme
Padmanabhanboy · Vishnu, the lotus-navelled
Prakashboy · light
Prabhuboy · lord, master
Pradeepboy · lamp

Pada 4: names beginning with "bhi" (பி)

Priyagirl · beloved
Bindhugirl · a dot, a drop
Pingalagirl · golden-hued one

These are only a few examples. The choice of name is your family's; follow what your family priest or elders advise.

Frequently asked

Which letters suit a Moolam nakshatra baby's name?

By tradition, a baby born in Moolam nakshatraநட்சத்திரம்: One of the 27 star groups the Moon passes through, about one a day. The one at your birth is your birth star. takes a name beginning with: pada 1 "ye" (யே), pada 2 "yo" (யோ), pada 3 "bha" (ப), pada 4 "bhi" (பி).

How do I know the pada?

The pada depends on the minute of birth. Give the date, time and place to this site's baby-name calculator and it gives the star, the pada and the letter. A horoscope also states the pada.

Must the name begin with the star's letter?

It is a family tradition, not a rule. Many families keep the star-letter name for ceremonies and call the child by another. The choice is the family's.