Bhaktisandesam / What is in a Name ?

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FAMILY

 

The Importance of Hindu Names

 

A proper name is a child's lasting connection to our ancient heritage

by Dr. Amrit Pal Bindra

 

 

It is unfortunate that, not realizing the significance of the name,

many Hindu parents thrust Western names on their beloved children.

Our ancient Hindu sages developed the tradition of selecting names

that sound pleasant and have an auspicious meaning. Frequently they

are names of our Gods or Goddesses. Elaborate naming ceremonies

reinforce the significance of a name. In our everyday life, a name

helps identify an individual and his cultural and religious identity.

From my observations over more than four decades in India as well as

in Australia and the USA, I have perceived the following reasons why

parents choose a name outside our Hindu tradition.

 

1) Ignorance: Some parents are ignorant about the significance of a

name and impulsively give some random name to the child. Many

educated parents in India think it is " cool " to give Western names

to their children. Those of us who understand the significance of

names should teach others that a beautiful and meaningful name leads

to higher self-esteem as well as a pleasant impression of the person

on others. As an extreme example, if someone is referred to as " Mr.

Stupid, " we are likely to form a negative impression before even

meeting the person. In our scriptures the subject is covered in great

detail. In the Ramayana the meanings of names are elaborated at the

time of the naming ceremony for Lord Rama and his brothers, Lakshman,

Bharat and Shatrughan. It is emphasized that these names were chosen

after careful deliberation. We owe it to our children to give some

serious deliberation before sticking them with the name by which they

will be identified for their entire life.

 

2) Persecution: Some parents feel that identification as a Hindu will

lead to persecution. It is amazing that some professionally

successful, first-generation immigrant parents with their traditional

names think that a Hindu name would somehow adversely affect their

children's success in this society! Although this is true in Muslim

countries, it is certainly not the case in North America. In some

rural parts there might be a bias, but that is more often race-based,

and no one can change that. African Americans adopted Christian names

and religion, but that did not end the racial bias against them. On

the other hand, some sacrifice to protect one's heritage is

justified. Generations of Hindus suffered atrocities during Muslim

rule, but most of them refused to surrender their Hindu identity.

Hindus in Bangladesh are still suffering persecution but remain

unwilling to give up their heritage. Compared to those sacrifices,

the disadvantages of Hindu names in North America are marginal and,

hopefully, short-lived.

 

3) Enticement: Some first generation immigrants see a financial gain,

such as free child-care services from close American friends. This is

a question of the value one puts on a tradition. All parents love

their children, and if made aware of the value of a name, most of

them would not be willing to trade naming rights to their children

for a short-term convenience. Education would help in many such

cases, but it would be a daunting task when parents themselves have

been raised in a cultural vacuum where a monetary gain outweighs

everything else. In the story of Lord Rama, it is stated, " Teaching

right and wrong to a very greedy person is like planting seeds in a

dry and rocky ground. "

 

4) Inferiority Complex: Some people subconsciously believe in racial

inequality based on color--for instance, white being superior to

brown, and brown being superior to black. Many deny this, but we all

know that generations of Hindus in Africa did not adopt African

names, but after coming to Western countries embraced Western names.

There is no reason to feel defensive about being a Hindu. From a

historical perspective, the contributions of Hindus to mathematics,

astronomy, medicine, arts, music, philosophy and to the concept of

human rights are unparalleled. From a current perspective, Hindus in

North America are model citizens, the most educated, wealthiest and

law-abiding ethnic group. It is time that we start taking pride not

only in our individual achievements, but also in the achievements of

our entire community. I urge Hindu youths who have been given alien

names to learn about their heritage, take pride in it and adopt

meaningful names to reflect that pride in their heritage.

 

5) Political Ambition: Sometimes people take on meaningless Western

names or nicknames in the hope of winning elections or political

favors. Although it is reasonable to assume that most Americans would

relate better to a Western sounding name, the assumption that it will

translate into greater acceptance is questionable. North America is a

continent of immigrants, and the vast majority of people judge

someone by what one has to offer rather than by the name. People from

every part of the world live on this continent and most people have

difficulty pronouncing names from different parts of Europe, let

alone the rest of the world. Moreover, as stated earlier, Hindus in

America have earned a positive image as being hard working,

intelligent, educated, successful, law-abiding citizens. Therefore,

the advantage of a Hindu name could outweigh the slight disadvantage.

The election of Swati Dandekar to the Iowa State Assembly in 2002 is

a living example that a Hindu does not have to compromise his/her

name to be successful in political life. From another perspective, we

owe it to our rich tradition to overcome any negative bias with our

sincere and hard work, rather than abandoning the Hindu heritage for

some short-term selfish objective.

 

There may be many more reasons why some Hindus in India and abroad

are giving Western names to their children, but the root issue is the

value one puts on the tradition. If a tradition is valued in a

family, then the children are taught that value and the tradition

lives. If little value is placed on a tradition, then children stay

ignorant about it, or accept it as something passed on from

generation to generation but of no particular value. It is

unfortunate that, although Hindu traditions are based on logical and

well-researched concepts, many of us do not put much value on them.

In contrast I have observed Muslims and Christians putting a high

value on their traditions. We seldom come across Muslims giving

Western names to their children.

 

The Vedic heritage is our most valuable asset, and our name is the

most prominent marker of our identification with that heritage.

Preservation and enhancement of a culture needs continuous and

determined effort, just as agriculture needs constant attention to

water, fertilization and weeding. Given a lack of attention, a

fertile field turns into a patch of weeds. Similarly, lack of

attention results in degeneration of a rich culture. Vedic culture

proclaims the whole creation is one family and concludes every

ceremony with the prayer, " May every being be happy. " The loss of

this heritage would be a great loss not only for India, but for the

whole of mankind. We should remember that our names are the most

visible sign of the value that we place on our heritage. It is time

to make a determined bid to maintain and nourish our valuable

heritage, starting with our children's names.

 

 

 

Jai Shree Krishna !