What a fascinating Infograph indeed on the Freudian stuff that the Dreams of the whole world is about! If you study the map closely, you will not fail to notice that nearly the whole of world populations have either the “Snake” or the “Falling of Teeth“ to be objects appearing as recurring themes in theirContinue reading “Mapping the “Dreams of the World”: Freud, Jung and the Bhagavath Gita”
Category Archives: philosophy
“Brahmins as secret Muslims”: Devdutt Pattnaik’s hodge-podge he tries selling as exotic delicacy
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”
How the mantric “ma” syllable (“म”or “ம”) inspired Andal’s “Tiruppavai” and Vedanta Desikan’s “Paduka Sahasram”
Today’s Tiruppavai “paasuram” is Verse 9 which reads as follows : தூமணி மாடத்து சுற்றும் விளக்கெரியத்* தூமம் கமழத் துயிலணைமேல் கண்வளரும்* மாமான் மகளே மணிக்கதவம் தாழ்திறவாய்* மாமீர் அவளை எழுப்பீரோ உன்மகள்தான்* ஊமையோ அன்றி செவிடோ அனந்தலோ* ஏமப் பெருந்துயில் மந்திரப் பட்டாளோ* மாமாயன் மாதவன் வைகுந்தன் என்றென்று* நாமன் பலவும் நவின்றேலோர் என்பாவாய்! ஆண்டாள் நாச்சியார் In this verse , it is intriguing to see theContinue reading “How the mantric “ma” syllable (“म”or “ம”) inspired Andal’s “Tiruppavai” and Vedanta Desikan’s “Paduka Sahasram””
I love this “anti-library” quote of Nassim Taleb because …
…. Because at any time you visit my private home-library, on the shelves you will find at least half a dozen books lying around gathering a bit of dust, and all still waiting for me to pick them up and finish reading … Amongst them a few would still be smelling of fresh page-unopened print-aromaContinue reading “I love this “anti-library” quote of Nassim Taleb because …”
The SWOT-grid and “ARTHA-PANCHAKA”: (Part 2 of 2 – CONCLUDED)
It is only very late in my life today, and I regret to say it, that I have received the Grace of Bhagavan to embark finally upon a serious study of the Rahasyatrayasaram in the traditional learning mode of “grantha kaalakshepam” under an erudite Sri Vaishnava scholar-Acharya. Because of ageing factor and also the lackContinue reading “The SWOT-grid and “ARTHA-PANCHAKA”: (Part 2 of 2 – CONCLUDED)”
The SWOT-grid and “ARTHA-PANCHAKA” (Part 1 of 2)
What does the Greek derived Biblical word Soteriology mean? It is the branch of theology that studies “salvation”: i.e. what the human problem is, what it means to be saved or liberated, and by what means and conditions that liberation is effected. Generally, in religious studies across the board, soteriology covers doctrines about (a) deliveranceContinue reading “The SWOT-grid and “ARTHA-PANCHAKA” (Part 1 of 2)”
“Is there a case for Religion?”: Well… no, not to India and not in the Western sense
https://open.substack.com/pub/jimpalmerauthor/p/is-there-a-case-for-religion?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email I read the Op-Ed above with amused interest… interest because matters of Religion always have stoked my curiosity; and amused because I’m reminded of two old sayings — “The more things change, the more they remain the same” and “What goes round always comes around”. Religion went out of fashion and favour for theContinue reading ““Is there a case for Religion?”: Well… no, not to India and not in the Western sense”
“Pradaana pratitantra” in Vedanta Desika’s “Rahasya Traya Saaram”: Visishtadvaita and Quantum Physics
What is the fundamental principle of the “Indestructibility“? How is it elucidated in the Metaphysics of Visishtadvaita Vedanta? In the 3rd chapter titled “Pradaana Pratitantra-adhikaaram” in the “Rahasya-Traya-Saaram” (RTS), a seminal work of Swami Vedanta Desikan on Visishtadvaita philosophy, this fascinating question is very briefly alluded to by way of (what one may using aContinue reading ““Pradaana pratitantra” in Vedanta Desika’s “Rahasya Traya Saaram”: Visishtadvaita and Quantum Physics”
ADANI GLOBAL INDOLOGY CONCLAVE 2025 : “Lifetime Achievement Award” conferred on “Veda Vaaridhi” Sri.U.Ve. Sohathur Dr.P. Ramanujacharya (Asthana Vidwan of Sri Ahobila Mutt)
It is a matter of great pride and delight that U. Ve. Sri Sohathur Ramanujacharya Swamin , the renowned ubhaya vedantin scholar has been recognised for his monumental contributions in Sanskrit to preserving and propagating Vedic and Sampradaya knowledge, philosophy, literature and scriptures through the Institute he himself established in Bangalore. The Institute named “ParankushacharContinue reading “ADANI GLOBAL INDOLOGY CONCLAVE 2025 : “Lifetime Achievement Award” conferred on “Veda Vaaridhi” Sri.U.Ve. Sohathur Dr.P. Ramanujacharya (Asthana Vidwan of Sri Ahobila Mutt)”
A Dialogue on the Veda, the self-existent, uncaused revealed scripture un-authored by human agency: the Visishtadvaita “darsana” (Part 2 of 2 CONCLUDED)
The Acharya and his student continued their dialogue as follows: The Swami:Dear one, your question is subtle and worthy of deep reflection. You say that calling the Veda “apauruṣeya” seems like a human attribution, a mental concept applied by human intellect. But hear me out carefully: The Veda is not an object of mere humanContinue reading “A Dialogue on the Veda, the self-existent, uncaused revealed scripture un-authored by human agency: the Visishtadvaita “darsana” (Part 2 of 2 CONCLUDED)”