Sudha Murty, philanthropist and wife of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, revealed the rationale behind spelling her surname as M-U-R-T-Y instead of the conventional M-U-R-T-H-Y, that her husband uses. The reason is deeply embedded in Sanskrit tradition.
Sudha Murty, a staunch believer in the perfection of Sanskrit, explained, "Sanskrit is the perfect language, and for every pronunciation, there is a letter."
Emphasizing the visual imagery associated with the name Murthy, she clarified that 'THY' doesn't align with the Sanskrit spelling. This condition, she revealed, was a crucial aspect of her marriage agreement – a decision rooted in preserving their cultural origins.
“And Murthy in Sanskrit is, you know, Narayana Murty, Vasudeva Murty, this is a kind of name where you can visualize that. Murthy is a statue. So it cannot be ‘THY’,” she shared.
When asked if her husband, Narayana Murthy, had any objections to this distinctive choice, he said he was “open-minded” and “quite modern” about such matters. He stressed the importance of compromise and respecting each other's beliefs, stating, "We should agree to disagree without being disagreeable."
He added: “My belief is I should lead by example. I have tried to lead by example in almost everything that I have done in life. My belief is I should lead by example. So therefore I said if I have to insist on whether T or THY, I thought that is not the right thing.”
Sudha Murty's insistence on 'TY' over 'THY' dates back to her college days when she first encountered the spelling disparity with Narayana Murthy. Even during their marriage, she expressed her reluctance to adopt the conventional 'THY,' citing her belief in the correctness of 'TY.'
In an old interview with The Telegraph, Murty recounted her initial reluctance to embrace 'THY' and her preference for maintaining the independence reflected in 'TY.' Despite her inclination to retain her maiden name, Kulkarni, her father's logic prevailed, leading her to choose 'Murty' over 'Murthy.'
As she said, "It’s not about spellings; it’s about what I believe. If it is legally, ethically right, I feel I should do it."
The couple also said that both their children, Akshata and Rohan, write “Murty” and not “Murthy.”
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