Baba's Storytime - No Names for the Aathma

People should cultivate faith in the Divine. It is the duty of parents to imbue their children with faith in God from childhood. Here is a story to illustrate this need: 

Rithudhvaja and Madhaalasa were a pious couple with intense faith in God. Madhaalasa was a woman of noble character. She excelled every one in virtue, wisdom and sacrifice. She was the embodiment of holiness. The couple had a son, to whom the father wanted to give a name that would be in accordance with his Kshatriya lineage. After considerable cogitation, he gave the boy the name Vikraanth. Madhaalasa burst into laughter when she heard the name. She was unhappy over the excessive interest taken by the king in naming the child. She felt that some name should be given for the physical body for worldly purposes. But to show excessive interest in it was meaningless. 

Later a second son was born, who was named Subaahu (which meant one with fine arms). Madhaalasa again laughed at the naming of the child. The king felt insulted by Madhaalasa's behaviour. Sometime later a third son was born. Rithudhvaja told Madhaalasa: "You don't like the names given by me for our sons. You better name the third son yourself." 

A name has to be given to anyone in the world as a mark of identity. In keeping with this need, Madhaalasa named the son, Alarka. The king was angry on hearing the name. He burst forth: "Is this the name that should be given to the scion of a royal family, a warrior's son and belonging to a line of courageous Kshatriyas? What a shame! I will not call him by this name."  Alarka means a mad dog. The king asked: "Is my son to be called a mad dog? "

Madhaalasa approached the king and said: "A person who does not know his real nature, who has no awareness of his divinity and who does not know his oneness with the Divine is worse than a mad dog. What value should be attached to the names of persons who have not recognised their true nature? What significance can names have for foolish persons who are not aware of the oneness of the universe and who do not contemplate on divinity? The body is human in form. But they are not mere men at all. They are the embodiments of the Aathma, the Formless and Attributeless Self. They are pure and unsullied. It is sheer ignorance to give names to the Aathma." 

In view of this belief, Madhaalasa started teaching her children from an early age their essential spiritual nature and their inherent divinity.

(From the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)