Dikshanama

(“diksha name”) Name given to a
person after receiving initiation
(diksha), as a way of acknowledging and
reinforcing the new identity created by
the act of initiation. Sometimes, as in
the case of ascetic initiation, the
initiate’s former name will be replaced
with the dikshanama. In other cases the
name will be kept secret, as a source of
hidden power.
197
Dikshanama