Monday, May 19, 2008
R for Rahul
If you type a word or phrase in the firefox URL box (not in the Google search box) it tries, through Google, to take you to the best possible match with that word or phrase. While typing the URL for my blog, I accidentally hit the enter key after typing rahul and it promptly took me to the Wikipedia entry for Rahul (is there anything for which Wikipedia does not have an entry?) -- here is what it says....
Rahul, a popular male name in India, has a variety of meanings. The earliest meaning found in the Upanishads is "conqueror of all miseries." Later use of the word is attributed to the Buddha, who named his son Rahul as he felt that family ties could be an obstacle in the path to renunciation and nirvana. Most Rahuls belong to the Hindu community. Some Dictionaries also suggest the meaning of Rahul as someone who is "Capable in all works" or "Efficient". Rahul in Sanskrit means "Efficient"
The earliest recorded use of the word Rahul is found in the Mundaka Upanishad, wherein the word is used as a synonym for the moon.
Conqueror of all Miseries, Capable in all works...oh well, I knew it all along :-) :-)
Alas I don't figure in the list of famous Rahul's :-( :-(
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5 comments:
Famous or not, we all still love you...
Yes, Rahul. You share a name with an important set of people, yet do not appear on Wikipedia. This can be easily remedied, however, given that amending a wiki is not as difficult as amending constitutions. Just say the word.
By the way, is it not that your name was originally Raoul, and later modified to its current spelling as India moved away from the western influence post-independence? Of course it is well known that the French Raoul and Indian Rahul are the same name.
[em tcerroc dna nwod poows erutluv erutluc eht hctaw]
While I sympathize that you have not made it to the list of famous Rahul's, you must check out the blog of Rahul Mahajan (not the son of Pramod, but the son of Swadesh) Empire Notes.
Can you please cite the verse in which the word "rahula" appears. I am curious.
Thanks,
Rahul.
Here I am again, after four years. :D (`missingfaktor` here.) I looked through the entire Mundaka Upanishada, and found not a single occurrence of this name, in any form (isolated or as a sandhi).
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