June 2024 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--The tale of two names

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Srivatsa Ramaswami

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May 31, 2024, 10:38:07 AM5/31/24

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June 2024 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami– The tale of two names

In May 2024, I completed teaching a 20 day 100 hour Vinyasakrama TT program organized by Atmayogashala in Chennai. It was attended by participants in person and also at the same time on line by several others. The program had two components –a 50 hr segment on Bhagavad Gita for yoga students and another 50 hrs for vinyasa krama yoga asana system. Many thanks to the participants and also for Atmayogashala for organizing the whole program very well.

The tale of two Names

The two Important actors in the great epic Mahabharata are Duryodhana and Arjuna. Is there some significance to the names associated with them?

Duryodhana is yodhana with a prefix Du(r). Yodhana is one who is capable of fighting in a duel or war– a warrior. It is said that the original name was suyodhana, su usually indicates good like in sukha, So Suyodhana would mean a good warrior. But it is said that our warrior wanted to be known as one who is impossible or difficult to be defeated. So he changed his name to Duryodhana, Here dur would mean difficult like in Durga the name of the fierce goddess. Duhkhena gantum yogya iti durga, Durga is a goddess who is difficult to approach, Durg also would mean a fort which is usually difficult to overcome.

As mentioned. in the word duhkha du could mean something that is generally bad. Like durbuddhi, duratma . Duryadhana became a very bad person from childhood, He was very bright strong but developed intense enmity towards his cousins. Even after the kingdom was divided more suitably in his favor he somehow wanted to usurp his cousins’ kingdom. As the story goes he defeated his cousin treacherously in a game of dice--with the dice loaded stealthily in his favor-- and sent the pandava cousins in exile. But he had to return the country back to his Pandava cousins after the stipulated number years in exile, but he refused leading to an inevitable Kuukshetra war, People started interpreting his name Duryodhana as a bad or unethical warrior interpreting the prefix ‘du’ as bad or unethical and not as difficult to conquer warrior as Duryodhana intended.

Our friend Arjuna’s name is usually interpreted as silver or bright as silver. Rajat is silver, But some interpret the name as derived from Rju or straight.Yoga students may be familiar with a niyama called “aarjava” meaning straightforwardness or honesty, a yogi should possess. Arjuna would mean one who possesses straightforwardness.Arjate iti Alrjuna. So Arjuna was a straight shooter as a warrior and as an individual. Arjuna is a very popular name in India but not Duryodhana.

The first chapter of the Gita is known for the depiction of the emotional turmoil felt by Arjuna at the prospect of killing his own kith and kin. What is less emphasized is that by contrast his opponent, his own cousin , Duryodhana was shown as planning the strategy to kill his own kith and kin and win the war as could be seen in the same first chapter of the Gita. The difference in attitudes is enormous.

It was a war in which dharma was on the side of Arjuna and Duryodhana was precipitating a war based on adharma. Just the difference in the mental states of Arjuna and Duryodhana is striking. We see such attitudes run through society even today.