People almost inevitably ask me what my name means. Maitri is the Sanskrit word for friendship or amity. The Buddha was named Maitri or Maitreya as he is seen to be the epitome of frienship. However, there is yet another lesser-known reason for the choice of my name, which stems from decades of Vedantic studies on the part of my parents.

Maitreyi was the wife of Yagnavalkya, a revered sage of ancient India. There are four stages in a Brahmin male’s life – studenthood, marriage, retirement, and renouncement. Yagnavalkya, having reached the renouncement stage of his life, got up to the point where he was to leave his wife (cutting all earthly bonds including marriage) and walk into the forest to spend the rest of his days in meditation, contemplation, and eventual death. (Note: The life expectancy of the average Indian male back then was much shorter than it is today.) Maitreyi was quite put off by this; partially because he was leaving, but mostly at the fact that he hadn’t explained the meaning of life to her before his farewell. So, she sat him down and pestered him with questions on the nature of existence and what life is all about. Following this exchange, Maitreyi, too, decided to up and leave on her very own walk-about.

This Socratic dialogue between Maitreyi and Yagnavalkya is the crux of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, one of the most important Hindu texts ever written, in the context of Vedanta. The nature of existence is examined and explained in a nutshell, while being discovered by a novice. Additionally, it is the first instance of a woman asking questions on par with a man and her playing the role of a renunciate as well. So, I was named for a very strong and curious woman who desired to use her brain to gain understanding and awareness.

My brother, similarly, was named for the warrior hero of the Mahabharatha. The parents had high expectations for us, it seems.