Why I Love My Name...

When I was a little girl, I used to hate my name because it is a little bit difficult to pronounce and is not a common girl's name. I used to asked my father why didn't he name me after a common girl's name like Lucy or Anna, etc. He always laughed and told me, "One day, when you grow older, you'll like having unusual and unique name." As much as I hate to admit it, he was right! Not only because I have a very meaningful name, but it is one of a kind. There are people who have same name with me, but only partially. There is only one SUKSMA RATRI in this world, and that could not be mistaken with anybody else! It will always be ME!

My father, who studied a little bit of Sanskrit, named me Suksma Ratri. Why? I because I was born in the middle of the night. The word "suksma" or "sukhsma" has several meanings. In Sanskrit it means subtle, delicate, fine or soul, while in Balinese it means grateful, hence they say "matur suksma" to say "thank you". The word "ratri" means night. So, my name means either "delicate & subtle night" or "soul of the night". It's pretty, isn't it?

In Hindu, there is also a Hindu Goddess named Ratri, who is often also called Ratridevi. She is the Goddess of Night in the Vedas and the mythology of India and Hinduism. She is a sister to Ushas, the Vedic Goddess of Dawn. Her name is the common/ordinary word for night time in Indian languages like Kannada , Bengali, Tamil, Telugu.

Another interesting thing about "Ratri" is found as follow:

Real Name: Ratri

Identity/Class: Hindu God

Occupation: Goddess of Love, Goddess of Night

Group Membership: Hindu Gods (Daevas)

Affiliations: Mahdi

Enemies: British Empire

Known Relatives: Dyaus (father), Prathivi (mother, hence why the metaphor of mother earth in Indonesia is Ibu Pertiwi), Indra (God of Storm & Thunder), Vayu (Bayu, in Indonesian, God of Wind), Surya (God of Sun), Agni (in Balinese & Javanese known as Geni which means Fire, hence he is the God of Fire), Tvashtri (brothers), Ushas (sister - Goddess of Dawn), Hanuman (God of White Monkey), Soma, Yama (God of the Dead), Chandra (nephews - God of Moon), Arjuna, Kartikeya (nephews, deceased), Saranyu (niece), Ganga (Goddess of River), Indrani (sisters-in-law), Varuna (grandfather), Gaea (great-grandmother, alias Aditi and also known as the Elder God or Mother Earth), Purusha (also known as Brahma, great-grandfather and God of Creation, Magic & Wisdom)

Aliases: Atri

Base of Operations: Nirvana

First Appearance: Amazing High Adventure#5 (December 1986)

Powers/Abilities: Ratri possesses the conventional attributes of the Hindu Gods including superhuman strength (Class 25), longevity, resistance to injury and several powers mystical in nature.

History: (Hindu Myth) Ratri is one of the ancient Vedic Gods who existed before the Hindu Pantheon. The personification of darkness, she and her sister, Ushas, the Dawn-Goddess, were often pursued by Surya, the Sun-God. Ratri was also perceived as the guardian of law and order in the universe and the waves of time.

"Ratri is generally a benign entity who offers rest and renewed vigor and who was also invoked to ensure safety through hours of darkness. She deposited the gift of morning dew as well as the harbinger of a bleaker aspect of one who brings gloom and barrenness."

In the new Hindu Pantheon, Ratri was relegated to a new position as Goddess of Love replacing Lakshmi-Sri, the wife of Vishnu (God of Heaven & Creation).

(Amazing High Adventure#5/3) (1870's) An Indian rebel called Mahdi, seeking to destroy the British Army, prayed to the Hindu gods, demanding the power to fight the British. In a vision, Yama (God of the Dead), Ratri (Goddess of Night), Agni (God of Fire, two-headed), Maya (Goddess of Dreams), and Kali (also known as Durga, Goddess of Death, Destruction, Life & Creation) granted the Mahdi powers and weapons to fight the British.

From Yama, Mahdi gained a fiery sword, from Ratri the power of "the night's shadows", from Agni sacrificial flame, from Maya the power to drive his enemies to despair with illusions, and from Kali the wheel of destruction. Mahdi then used these powers in battle-only to discover too late that he had offended the Gods by trying to order them around. Mahdi's weapons were only illusions, and he died in battle.

I found the part of the fight with the British Empire is a little bit ironic considering I am engaged to a British man whom I love very much =D

I believe names have influence to the character of a person. Hence, maybe that is why I also always want to create orders in law and never be afraid to walk alone in the middle of the night due to the power possessed by Ratridevi and the personification of it. Hahahaha...

Well, that's about it and I love my name so much because it has meanings, it has powers, it has beauty, it has mystery and there was a story behind it. What about your name....?