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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
177
Father replied, "Dear son, Man is named only once in life. Moreover how can we change the name which the people are accustomed to call after. Therefore do not pay heed to the remarks of the people.”
Thanthanpal said, “But father, this name does not sound well. I condemn it.”
Father replied, "My dear boy, To other people it might not sound well, but to us it is very sweet. Our heart's overflow with profour joy on hearing your name : Thanthanpal ! Our heart swings with joy. Dear son, all names need not be significant. Someone is named as Kacharo (dust), and the other is named as Punjo (dirt) and some one is named as Bhikho (a beggar). Thus you are also named as Thanthanpal.
Really speaking deed is more important than the name. Good deeds earn a good name. What is the use of merely a good name? "Rushabha' means a bull but “Rushabha" having set in a new age for the human world, postulated religious order for the emancipation of the people after having emancipated himself. Therefore he is adored everywhere as Rushabhadeva (God.) He represents the ideal of millions of people. The names like Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, do not carry agreeable senses, still they are popular because of good deeds they performed. Thus you should better pay heed to your deeds rather than to your name.
But the father's advice did not satisfy the son's mind; whereupon the father asked him to find out some good name he liked.
After a few days Thanthanpal had to go out of the city for some work. There he found an aged woman. Her clothes were torn off, and her body was emaciated with constant toil of the day. Having worked from morning till mid-day, she had filled up a big basket of dry-cow-dung. She said to Thanthanpal, "Brother, just lift up this basket for me to place it over my head.”
Thanthanpal approached her, lifted the basket and asked her "Mother! what is your name?” She replied, "Laxmi (Goddess of prosperity)”. Thanthanpal exclaimed and asked, "Lady, Your name is Laxmi, still you are toiling to amass the cow-dung!”
Laxmi said, “Brother, What is there in a name? In this world big names often bear hollow personalities. I am very poor and I
