origin & meaning of the Bandyopadhyay
I'd like to know the origin & meaning of the surname Bandyopadhyay. It's a common surname in India. I came across this name in the phone book one day, & was wondering about the origin & meaning of it.
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An upadhyaya is an instructor-priest. Bandha are the 'bonds' of Karma. So it means 'He who teaches about the bonds of Karma'. The point is that one can only escape Karma by means of knowledge of Karma (and thus of oneself) making this the most important lesson a Hindu ever learns. I think it was at first bestowed on people as an honorary title.
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