What's in a name?

What kind of running actually means walking? – Running out of gas

What can’t be used unless it is broken? – It’s eggs

What two words contain a thousand letters in them? – Post Office

It is greater than god and more evil than the devil. The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you will die.

-         Nothing, nothing is greater than god, nothing is more evil than the devil, the poor have nothing, the rich need nothing and if you eat nothing you will certainly die.

In the 1^st century BC, the emperor of Ujjain was famed for his wisdom, valor and magnanimity.

At the tender age of 5 he went to do austere penance and after 12 years of tapasya he was given a boon, a boon that he and his descendants will rule the kingdom for a 1000yrs.

But before he could ascend the throne he had to show his humility to a vetal, a vetal that gave him 32 riddles to solve, failing which his head was to burst into a 1000 pieces.

I ASK YOU…..What’s in a name?

Why is there so much who-haa when it comes to the naming of a child?

Especially in our country, parents name their children only after consulting with astrologers, numerologists and, in a way, expressing blind faith in their gods.

But, I think, the most important reason is, the hope that the children will in some way emulate, should I dare say, their namesakes.

My name is Vikramaadithya Venkatapuram Reddi, my namesake is the great King of Ujjain, Vikramaaditya

If I were to subscribe to a conventional way of thinking, I should be wandering in a jungle with a ghost on my back, testing me to see if my head would burst into a 1000 pieces.

All this for the promise of a throne.

But I have survived and with time I have understood that my life is who I truly am and not what merely my name suggests.

I was born on Aug 3^rd, 1975, my parents named me V.Vikram, in my 7^th grade they decided, in consultation with astrologers that I would have a better life if my name was changed to V.V Aadithya. Two years later, when I applied for a fresh passport, I had to explain my initials and so once again in consultation with numerologist and astrologers my name was changed to Vikramaadithya Venkatapuram Reddi.

When I turned 18, I left India for the land down under. I was enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program and soaking in everything this new life in a unknown territory had to offer.

In my 7 years in Sydney, a lot had happened, my father abandoned my mother, my 11 yr old sister and me.

I was lucky in a way, far removed & oblivious to the pain of a broken home.

I was working to pay my way through uni and landed a great job when I was 20.

As you can imagine, asking an Australian to say my name ‘Vikramaadithya’ was nothing less than expecting a miracle to happen. So, I made it easy for everyone, I said call me Vik.

I have 709 contacts on my facebook. To them I am known as V.V, Vikram, Adi, Adithya, Reddi, Vik and even Vik Malone….go figure!!

With all this confusion how could I rely on my name to define me, to identify with, which name should I pick?

So I kept looking for something more.

 

As destiny would have it, long long ago in 1977, in a galaxy far far away which we all know as Hollywood, the great George Lucas created Star Wars.

Like fish taking to water, my deepest aspiration was to emulate the character of a Jedi Knight.

The core values of a Jedi knight are, PERFECTION, JUSTICE, LOYALTY, DEFENSE, COURAGE, FAITH, GUIDANCE, DISCIPLINE, FOCUS, TRAINING, LOVE & COMPASSION

About 30 of the 709 contacts in my facebook, are my dearest closest friends. People I love and have known forever.

To this core group, I am known as Master Jedi Obi Wan Kenobi.

So, friends & colleagues, I ask you again, 

WHATS IN A NAME?