Surname, Caste & Creed, and Self-Pride:

Surname, Caste & Creed, and Self-Pride:

Names and Surnames.

On this earth, where names are born,

A title given, love sworn or scorn,

A mark of place, a seal to bind—

A legacy we leave behind.

Surnames rise like rugged peaks,

Voices of clans, the ancient speaks.

In lines and letters etched with pride,

The world decides, who stands, who hides.

Yet walls of stone these names become,

To guard, to block, to silence some.

These syllables, like swords and shields,

They carve out pain; they build, they yield.

Between the names, a chasm grows,

Of justice lost and honor owed.

For names can burn or mend the soul,

Or lock it in a bounded role.

So rise, unmarked by name or kin,

Beyond the walls that keep us in.

With spirit freed from bonds and claims,

We soar beyond the weight of names.

What’s left is pure—a soul set free,

Beyond the binds of blood to be.

🔯

(English-and-Hindi version:-)

The soul is the eternal essence of a person; when a person dies, it is the body that perishes, not the soul. The soul departs from the body, journeying onward in search of a new vessel (Body).

Like a wanderer on the branches of the timeless Ashwattha tree (Ficus religiosa or sacred fig) of worldly existence, the soul moves endlessly from one branch to another, through the continuous cycles of birth and death.

 In this life, I may be a Brahmin; in the next, I could be a Kshatriya. In one lifetime, I may be human, and in another, I could be divine. This life may see me as an animal, while the next might find me as a celestial being. Therefore, we should not cling to or feel pride in any particular identity or status. 

Instead, we should focus on cultivating virtues such as truth, austerity, compassion, charity, purity, love, devotion, and kindness. These qualities define our essence far more deeply than any label or rank ever could.

The sacred text Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) 7.11.35 reminds us of this profound truth:

यस्य यल्लक्षणं प्रोक्तं पुंसो वर्णाभिव्यञ्जकम्।

यदन्यत्रापि द‍ृश्येत तत्तेनैव विनिर्दिशेत्॥

"Whatever characteristics are described as the signs of a particular varna (social class), if those characteristics are found in another, one should be designated by that same classification."

जीवात्मा संसाररूपी अश्वत्थ वृक्ष की एक शाखा से दूसरी शाखा तक जन्म और मृत्यु के चक्र में अनवरत यात्रा करता रहता है। इसी कारण इस जन्म में मैं ब्राह्मण हूँ, तो अगले जन्म में क्षत्रिय हो सकता हूँ। इस जन्म में मैं मानव हूँ, अगले जन्म में दानव हो सकता हूँ। इस जन्म में मैं पशु हूँ, अगले जन्म में वसु हो सकता हूँ। इसलिए हमें किसी भी पहचान या स्थिति पर गर्व या आसक्ति नहीं रखनी चाहिए, बल्कि सत्य, तप, दया, दान, पवित्रता, प्रेम, भक्ति और करुणा को अपने जीवन में अपनाना चाहिए।

I would like to conclude this article by extending my warm regards, best wishes, love, and gratitude to everyone. Thank you.

Inverted Ficus religiosa or sacred fig

Link🔗Utkala Brahmin : उत्कल ब्राह्मण: ଉତ୍କଳ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ: উৎকল ব্রাহ্মণ:-