Once, an ascetic found a lotus flower larger than its actual size. He had a doubt that something was in the flower. He found a baby in a lotus flower. The ascetic tended her as his daughter. She became very beautiful over the years. Rumours of her beauty spread far. A king came to seek her hand from the ascetic. The ascetic said, “You can marry her if you can guess her name.” The ascetic had named her Ashanka, meaning doubt, as he was not sure what was in the lotus flower. The king agreed. From that day, he kept thinking about the girl’s name. One day, the girl gave him a hint but the king could still not get the answer. Many years passed by. The king was almost going to give up when the girl again gave him a hint. This time the king guessed the name. He told the ascetic, “Her name is Ashanka.” The ascetic gave away his daughter as promised to the king.
Guessing the Name
