Devdutt Pattanaik’s recent framing of “Brahmins as secret Muslims” and his analogy between Brahminical and Islamic ways of life rests on several contestable historical, textual, and sociological assumptions that can be systematically challenged. The “secret Muslims” thesis collapses very different histories and concepts into a single polemical frame. A counter‑narrative can be built by takingContinue reading ““Brahmins as secret Muslims”: Devdutt Pattnaik’s hodge-podge he tries selling as exotic delicacy”
Category Archives: Literature and Criticism
சுஜாதாதனது 70ஆவதுபிறந்ததினத்தைப் (2005) பற்றிக்கூறியது…
இன்னொரு வருஷம் இந்தநாள்… நான் 70 கடக்கப் போறேன். இருப்பேன் இல்லையா? சொல்ல முடியாது. அதான் சுஜாதாவோட 70-யோசனை வாட்ஸ்அப்ப்ல வந்ததை இப்பவே சாப்பிட்டு, எழுபது வயசு கிண்டி ஜெலிப்ரேட் (celebrate) பண்ணிட்டேன். சுகம்! அவர் டாப்-10 லிஸ்ட்: பேஸிங்ஸ் சில, பயம் சில, விஷ்கள் சில – எல்லாம் கலந்து. எனக்கு? அதே லிஸ்ட்! 70-திசை சூழ்ந்திருக்கே. ப்ளஸ் ஒன்னு: இறப்ப வரை Nithya Sandhyavandanam-உம் Bhagavath Tiruvaaradanam-உம் தொடரணும். 🙏எம் கே சுதர்ஶன் **********Continue reading “சுஜாதாதனது 70ஆவதுபிறந்ததினத்தைப் (2005) பற்றிக்கூறியது…”
சம்ஸ்கிருதம் – சில கேள்விகள்: A Few Questions about the Sanskrit language
சம்ஸ்கிருதம் – சில கேள்விகள் https://tamilhindu.com/2009/07/sanskrit-few-questions/ The above article written in Tamil contains many detailed historical, cultural, and political arguments supporting the philosophical, linguistic, and cultural integration of Sanskrit and Tamil, refuting claims of Sanskrit as an exclusively Brahmin language or a threat to Tamil. It highlights the coexistence and mutual enrichment of these languages inContinue reading “சம்ஸ்கிருதம் – சில கேள்விகள்: A Few Questions about the Sanskrit language”
Shashi Tharoor, “Eepa”“Iddly” and “Iddly Kadai”…
The renowned, now nonagenarian author, novelist , playwright (winner of Sahitya Akademi and Sangeeth Nataka Awards and Padmashree), and a doyen of classical Tamil literature, Sri. Indira Parthasarathy ( pen name “Eepa”) lives in quiet retirement in his comfortable retreat and Athulya Home for Seniors (they call it “Assisted Living Residence” these days) in aContinue reading “Shashi Tharoor, “Eepa”“Iddly” and “Iddly Kadai”…”
An interesting exchange of views with “Eepa” on which language Hanuman spoke to Sri Rama when they met for the very first time – (Part 2 of 2) CONCLUDED
Eepa’s unique perspective still did not stop me from persisting in the other more pedestrian question for which too I pressed him for an answer: What could have been the language in which Hanuman spoke so impressively that it absolutely captivated Sri Rama ? “யார் கொலோ இச்சொல்வின் செல்வன்?” (“Who is this prince of words?”) InContinue reading “An interesting exchange of views with “Eepa” on which language Hanuman spoke to Sri Rama when they met for the very first time – (Part 2 of 2) CONCLUDED”
An interesting exchange of views with “Eepa” on which language Hanuman spoke to Sri Rama when they met for the very first time
The Tamil literary doyen Sri Indira Parthasarathy — popularly known as Eepa the novelist and playwright who is the only one who won both the Sahitya and Sangitha Nataka Akademi Awards — suddenly asked me this question via a WhatsApp message the following intriguing question. It momentarily baffled me . When Hanuman meets Ram inContinue reading “An interesting exchange of views with “Eepa” on which language Hanuman spoke to Sri Rama when they met for the very first time”
The Rt.Hon’ble Srinivasa Sastri’s memory and legacy… (Part-13): …Lecture#15 of “Lectures on the Ramayana” – 2025 Independence Day special…
In Mylapore, Madras, on July 19th, 1944, Rt. Hon’ble Srinivasa Sastri delivered the fifteenth in his series of thirty sterling “Lectures on the Ramayana” Profoundly insightful observations were made in the course of the passionate speech upon a very wide range of matters, political and philosophical viz.: Patriotism, Treason, Nationalist pride, Democracy, Political Dissent, PoliticalContinue reading “The Rt.Hon’ble Srinivasa Sastri’s memory and legacy… (Part-13): …Lecture#15 of “Lectures on the Ramayana” – 2025 Independence Day special…”
The Rt.Hon’ble Srinivasa Sastri’s memory and legacy… (Part-11): …Living for the love of Valmiki and Shakespeare…
In the sunset years of his life — i.e. the early and mid-1940s — Srinivasa Sastri’s physical and mental health remained beleagured. His angina attacks came upon him suddenly and not infrequently. They caused him excruciating chest-pain and breathlessness. In those days in contrast to the present day, medical research had not yet discovered miracleContinue reading “The Rt.Hon’ble Srinivasa Sastri’s memory and legacy… (Part-11): …Living for the love of Valmiki and Shakespeare…”
The “Tolkappiyam” and Melkote Tirunarayanapuram: sombre thoughts
In 2017 , I had darshan of Lord Narasimha the deity on the sacred hill of Melkote . From the ramparts of the temple I took the opportunity to shoot a video clip of the lush green and vast landscape around Tirunarayana Puram. What a marvellous panoramic breathtaking scenery! In Sri Vaishnava sampradayam we callContinue reading “The “Tolkappiyam” and Melkote Tirunarayanapuram: sombre thoughts”
Yesterday 10 July 2025: Happy 95th Birthday greetings to Sri Indira Parthasarathy (Eepa): My gift to a very dear friendly guide and outstanding doyen of Tamil literature
“The Middlemen of Vedapura”: A Masterful Translation That Transcends the Original By Indira ParthasarathyTranslated by M.K. SudarshanBlueRose Publishers, 2025★★★★★ (5/5 stars) A Translation That Becomes Transformation There’s something audacious about claiming that a translation surpasses its original, yet M.K. Sudarshan’s English rendering of Indira Parthasarathy’s 1995 Tamil novel “Vedapuratthu Vyaabaarigal” achieves precisely this feat. TheContinue reading “Yesterday 10 July 2025: Happy 95th Birthday greetings to Sri Indira Parthasarathy (Eepa): My gift to a very dear friendly guide and outstanding doyen of Tamil literature”