What's (in) a Name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose,

(1) from statusmind.com

By any other name would smell as sweet" (From Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare)

Beautiful lines that go straight to the heart of the matter - inherent quality and / or meaning.

I have quarreled with my name for as long back as I can remember - Priya.  What a common, ordinary name. During my dramatic teens, I would say that I am going to change my name once I turn 18.  I didn't.

However, my dissatisfaction with my name stayed buried somewhere deep.  This I realised now recently when I read something that gave my name a new meaning for me.

"Sarvam priyaabhyugatham dharmamaahurmaneeshinah | 
Pashyaitham lakshanoddhesham dharmodharme Yudhishthira || "

The above lines from the Shanti Parva, Mahabharatha are translated by Chaturvedi Badrinath as follows:

"Whatever one obtains from being agreeable and loving to all is in the opinion of those who know the true nature of things, the distinguishing mark of dharma from what is adharma"

(2) - from statusmind.com

All then I have to do is cultivate my name, 'priyam' (to feel and be loving) more and more to be aligned with dharma. And anyone who knows me beyond a cursory acquaintance would know how relevant this is for me!  I would have previously come across as anything but sweetly loving.  I might even have said at some point earlier in my life, "sweet! uggh!"

I have now made so much peace with my name.  Further I began recollecting names of people, events, situations, and on a whimsical note: I think that the names actually make so much sense and meaning for those respective entities and their journeys.  Deeper into the whimsy, I think that if the name ceases to make meaning, it changes!  It may or may not be an evident change of say, first name, say, from 'priya' to 'anubhuti' or some such.  But some change would occur.  Yes, its quite a fantastic notion, but there it is.

Traditionally, 'sound' has been given so much importance.  And hence, chanting, sweetness of speech, music, and all alike in the realm of sound are given such a primary place in the order of

(3) from pinterest.com

phenomena and meanings.  An entity is obviously known and called by its name.  Consequently, the sound of the name is made repeatedly, and thereby we infuse the entity's space and being with its meaning.  While the naming itself is an important event no doubt, the name is not a full stop.  It is a journey (as most things are).  And so yes, a rose by any other name would still smell sweet, and by the logic of sound and meaning-making, the sound (name) would change according to meaning and / or it would pervade its meaning slowly into the space of the entity.  This is true at least from my experience, because it has been a revelation that all my life the universe has been first and foremost, teaching me how to love.