To many of my friends from EUROPE and elsewhere, my 6 syllable, 13 letter name is a puzzle.
Two questions are asked frequently:
- What does Parthasarathy mean ?
- What is my first-name/surname (French: prenom/nom , German: Vorname/Name) ?
Here are the answers:
1. What does "Parthasarathy" mean ?
-
The name is derived from a famous episode in Hindu mythology: the
Mahabharata war. Lord Krishna -- an incarnation of
Vishnu -- played the role of a driver (sarathy) of the
chariot of the prince Arjuna (Partha). And, during this
incident, Lord Krishna pronounced the essentials of Hindu philosophy
to Arjuna. Thus, the name literally means: driver of Arjuna (as
depicted in the portrait on your left).
Thus, in Hindu mythology, the name Parthasarathy is associated with images of: a humble driver (sarathy), a dutiful warrior (partha), and the greatest teacher of all times (Parthasarathy).
The sayings of Lord Krishna, compiled under the name: Bhagavatgita (also called as Gita) form the essence of the wisdom which leads and guides millions of Hindus around the world.
Click here for a very fine description of Bhagavatgita.
Click here for: A tale of two drivers.
2. What is my first-name/surname ?
If the semantics of my name is typically Hindu, the syntax of my name is typically South-Indian. I do NOT have a first-name/prenom/Vorname. My name is Parthasarathy which serves both as a first-name and surname. My friends call me Partha (which is only my nickname).Officially, my full name is : S. Parthasarathy . The "S" in front denotes the name of my father: Srinivasan . You guessed it: my name is in two parts. The first part denotes my father, the second part denotes me. This chaining of names continues across generations. My father, Rangachari Srinivasan , carries his fatherīs name (Rangachari) . I am Srinivasan Parthasarathy . My son is Parthasarathy Parishram . His son/daughter would be Parishram ???? . In the case of girls, the first part (fatherīs name) gets replaced by the husbandīs name when they get married. Thus, my daughter: Parthasarathy Prayathna will become xxx Prayathna when she gets married.
In computer science, this arrangement is known as a linked list with backward pointers.
The advantages of this scheme are manifold. It is extremely simple. This method gives every one an individual identity. Come to my home and ask for Srinivasan Parthasarathy, you will have only me answering your call. It is very easy to trace the family tree with this method.
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