Pitrarpitam naama shareera bodhakam

karmaarjitam naama yasho vivardhanam

Sarvasya chaivaahamiteedam adbhutam

svayam prajaatam sahajam cha naama

"The name given to us by our parents denotes our physical body. The name earned by performing good deeds enhances popularity. There is also another amazing name - "I" which all beings have. This name comes from birth on its own (no one gives this name). No body gives this to us".

This sookti appears very simple and clear. But what is the message it conveys? Is itthe purpose of this sookti to urge us to earn popularity by doing good deeds? If so, what is the necessity of discussing about the "amazing" name - "I"?

To understand this sookti better, let us examine its meaning by way of a conversation.

"The son of a king considers himself to be a king too. The son of the head of a small town thinks that he is also a head. Why are we - the children of the Almighty God - not considering ourselves as God Almighty?"

"The reason is very simple. It is because we haven"t realised that we are the children of the Almighty".

"How is the king"s son able to realise that he is the king"s son?"

"He lives in the palace, eats good food, wears royal robes, has many servants and so on. Also, the king pampers him with his love and affection. Because of all these, the boy can realise that he is the son of the king."

"Even we have a big kingdom - the planet earth. We have our own servants - the sense organs. Above all, our father, the Almighty is pampering us by creating things such as air, water, flowers, trees, grains, fruits etc for us. Can a king create all these for his son? When he can not create them for his son, how can be his father?"

"The son is actually seeing his father. So he knows that he is the father. But I hav never seen the Almighty!"

"A king had to leave for the battle just after his son was born and could not return for fifteen years. The child had not seen his father. Does the boy think that he is not the prince just because he had not seen his father?"

"He may not have seen his father. But he has been, by virtue of being a heir, enjoying all the royal riches and therefore he knows who he is. If we were to be the children of the Almighty, we should be able to enjoy the riches which He possesses. But we do not have the rich virtues which the Almighty possesses - such as omnipresence, omnipotence etc. I am not omnipresent. I am limited to a physical frame of about six feet. I am not all-knowing. My knowledge is limited to a few books only. How then can I be His son?"

"How can you say that you are limited to a physical frame of six feet only?"

"That is the dimension of my body"

"You have inscribed your name on the building you have built in Kashi for use by pilgrims as a rest house. What is the reason behind having your name inscribed?"

"So that my fame spreads"

"Does it mean you can overcome your limitation when your fame spreads?"

"Absurd. What spreads is my name; not me"

"If it is only your name that spreads and not you, what is the use?"

"Because it is my name, I am the beneficiary"

"Does it not mean then, that you have crossed the limits of your physical frame and extended your presence in your name too?"

"I think so"

"Then you can no more say that you are limited to six feet only"

"Agreed. But my pervasion is limited to the my physical body and name. I am not all pervasive like the Almighty"

"Alright. What is your name?"

"Krishna"

"How do you know?"

"My parents told me"

"How do they know?"

"It was they who gave me this name"

"But some people call you as a great philanthropist"

"I got that name because of my donations and charitable works"

"What do you mean by that?"

"It means it is the name given by people"

"How does your son address you? Does he call you Krishna? Does he call you a philanthropist?"

"No. He just calls me "father" "

"What name is it?"

"It is a name which denotes my relationship with him"

"What is your real name? Krishna? A great philanthropist? Father?"

"All the three are my names only. The name Krishna refers to the physical body. The second name signifies my quality. The third name denotes my relationship with my son."

"So, none of your names can completely tell who you really are. Is it not so?"

"So it seems."

"OK. Did your parents give you the name Krishna as soon as you were born?"

"No. I think that it was on the eleventh day after I was born."

"What was your name for the first ten days of your life?"

"I did not have any particular name at that time. I think that I was called a "baby" or a "child" or some other general name."

"You did have feelings such as fear, hunger etc. during that period. Didn"t you?"

"Yes"

"When you experienced such feelings, what did you think? Did you think "this baby is hungry"? or "this child is afraid"?

"No. I think I used to think "I am hungry" or "I am afraid". Though I do not remember what my language was at that time, I can say that I felt the same at that time as I feel now when I say "I" . If there are no feelings such as "I" or "mine", there would not have been such experiences as feeling contented after being fed, or feeling fresh and relaxed after a good nap during those first days"

"So, tell me, what was your name then?"

"It was "I" "

"Who gave you that name? Or who told that it was your name?"

"Can"t say. I must have named myself"

"OK. This name - "I" was only your name? You mean no one else had that name?"

"No. It is not so. Every being, as soon as it is born, will take that name automatically. Even the animals will assume that name"

"So you mean that all beings take that name immediately after they are born. Don"t you?"

"Yes"

"Is it not strange that all beings should have the same name? But remember! The name "I" has emotional significance. It does not have much of a literal meaning"

"Very strange indeed"

"The three names pertaining to you can only partially convey who you are. Can this name - "I" - comprehensively describe who you are?"

"No! It does not speak of any of my attributes. But it serves as a basis to differentiate between myself and others."

"Well, well. First you said that your existence was limited to six feet. Later you realised that your pervasion extended to your name too. You also realised that each name of yours denoted one of your qualities. You being a cluster of attributes, your names are actually making you small because each name can represent only a part of you. In other words, your names are limiting you. Is it not so?"

"Yes"

"Now, what could be the reason for all the beings naming themselves as "I" ? If a king has six sons, each son will think that he himself is the king. Similarly, because all beings come from the same Almighty, and because the Almighty considers the entire creation to be "I" (i.e., Himself), it is only natural that all the products of His creation should call themselves as "I" ."

"If it is so, then every being should feel "I am the universe". Is it not? "

"The Almighty said " I am the entire Creation". He never named Himself "I". This is where every being errs. When one feels "I am everything", then there will not be any other name. If the entire earth is water, it will not have any other name. On the other hand, if there is some land, some water, some air, some space etc., then water will assume different names such as water, wave, foam etc., etc. . If there are many names, water will take those names and will be called accordingly - like sea, river, lake, pond, well etc etc and will lose its vastness. It fragments itself."

"Does name have so many disadvantages?"

"To point out this fact, the term "Nama" is used in Sanskrit language for name. This term is derived as "Namu pratyahwe shabde cha". The term comes from its root - "Namu" which means "to bend" and "to cause noise". These two meanings seem to be mutually unrelated. But they are not. To bend means to become limited. If an object were to be all pervasive, then there will be no place for it to bend. Also, when an object becomes limited to a certain dimension, and another object can juxtapositions itself along side the first object, there will scope for mutual impingement and thus sound will be produced. Therefore the term "Namu" has these two meanings. The word "nama"(name) which is derived from the root word - "namu" signifies that by virtue of their names, the beings are limiting themselves and are also causing shabda (sound). Here, the word shabda (sound) actually means interaction or transaction. This is the defect that the name brings about."

"How can one overcome this defect?"

"Because name restricts your pervasion, you must stop imposing the names (given by others) on yourself."

"You mean that I must understand that the attributes denoted by those names do not belong to me?"

"Yes. To achieve this, devotion towards God helps you. If you realise that all those attributes came to you because the Almighty gave them, you can easily appreciate that they do not belong to you. When you get over this delusion, you will stop imposing names on yourself"

"But there is another name - a name given by myself!"

"Yes. There is the name - "I". This name is the root cause for all misgivings and faults. Therefore this name has been described as adbhuta (extraordinary) in the above sookti. Because you know that it is a name which all beings assume for themselves, you should get over the delusion that it is only your name"

"Yes. I understand. How can the name which applies to everyone be my name?"

"If you want to overcome this delusion, you will need the grace of the Sadguru. When this name - 'I" goes, all the misgivings that are attached to it will also go. It is this "I" which is the cause for feelings such as "I", "mine", "our" etc. etc. When this goes, you will become limitless. Then your knowledge too becomes limitless"

"You mean that I will be the real heir to all the virtues of the Almighty?"

"Exactly. This can be described in another way also. Because you have overcome differentiation, you will say that you are the Almighty lord - just as the prince says that he himself is the king. Not only saying, you will be able to actually experience it. This is the message of this sookti"

May Lord Dattatreya bless you all so that you will experience this absolute truth very soon.

Jaya Guru Datta.

Sri Swamiji.