Written by: Mudra Shah | Edited by: Aditi Sharma and Sithara Naidoo
Usually when a child is named it is as per the parents wishes. In Hinduism, a child’s birth date and the position of the moon in the sky also play a major role in determining their name.
The name Mudra originates from Sanskrit which is a primary language of Hinduism. The name Mudra means coins, money, and currency. When coins came into trend, people, especially in villages, started making neck chokers and belts called Mudra-Bhooshan from these coins. These coins became an important part of people’s lives and the local culture, and consequently Mudra became an important name in India. My parents absolutely loved this name too!
In astrology, birth Rashi is a sign determined from where the moon is located in the sky at the time of your birth. The importance of this Rashi is that it helps predict the personality of that individual, as well as their day to day lives. Every Rashi is ruled by a different space identity. This astrology also connects to zodiac signs. Since my zodiac sign is Cancer I am ruled by the moon. Cancer is also a cardinal water sign and its crab shape symbolizes Cancers ability to exist in both emotional and material realms. The crabs are highly sensitive to their environments and self protective, both of which are traits I see in myself. A person born under a Rashi can gain some of its qualities.
Now, how does this connect to how I got my name? With Zodiac Rashis, there is also a name Rashi, which is based off of the month you were born along with your zodiac sign. These two things determined the first letter of my name. As mentioned my zodiac is Cancer, therefore my letter Rashi is Simha/Sinh which is the letter “Ma '' in terms of naming. Therefore the first letter of my name is “M.” All of these Rashis were determined by old gurus who have written their findings in religious books. This method is not used by everyone but many Hindus still follow the practice upon the birth of their child. Everything is not necessarily true and has to be followed, but having these significant commodities are definitely comforting to me seeing that so much can be related to it.
Although there is a lot of compelling nature behind my name, I wanted to change it when I was younger. I disliked how many people mispronounced it. As kids we don't see how important our name really is to our identity and cultural background— this is especially difficult when your name and the cultural significance behind it isn’t appreciated by other people as well. But, as I grew older I have realized how much my name complements my actual self.
We as individuals are the only ones who place importance on our names, and I am glad I've placed an importance on mine.