Amaruvi Devanathan is an Indian author, public speaker, and professional banking technologist. He frequently describes himself with the catchphrase “a banker by day and blogger by night,” balancing a corporate career in data architecture with a prominent role in the Tamil and English literary circuits. Professional Background Literary & Public Work Published Books He has written several notable worksContinue reading “Amaruvi Devanathan’s Book Review: “A Tale of Two Cities: the decline and fall of the ‘Ubaya-vedantins” – The History of the Sri Vaishnavas of Tamil Nadu that was never told””
Category Archives: poetry
WhatsApp conversation with “Eepa”(Sri Indira Parthasarathy) on Samuel Beckett’s famous stage-play, “Waiting for Godot”
On the intriguing subject of “finding meaning in life”, last week on a WhatsApp exchange of messages, back and forth, with Sri Eepa (Indira Parthasarathy, now 96 years old, who lives alone in Athulya Assisted Living Home), we had a very interesting conversation which I take the liberty of sharing here with you . Eepa, the doyen of Tamil literature,Continue reading “WhatsApp conversation with “Eepa”(Sri Indira Parthasarathy) on Samuel Beckett’s famous stage-play, “Waiting for Godot””
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””
Musings on “Bhakthi”explained in Swami Vedanta Desikan’s “Rahasya Traya Saaram” as a “virtuous cycle”
ஸ்வாமி வேதாந்த தேசிகரின் “ரஹஸ்ய த்ரய சாரம்” எனும் அபூர்வ கிரந்தத்தில் விளக்கப்படும் பக்தி தத்துவம் குறித்து எழுந்திருக்கும் சிந்தனைகள் — அது ஒரே நேரத்தில் ஆன்மீக உயர்வையும் நற்பெருக்கையும் விளைவிக்கும் ஒரு புனிதச் சுழற்சியாகப் பதிவாகின்றன. எங்கள் ஸ்ரீ வைஷ்ணவ சமூஹத்தின் காவலனாகிய ஸ்ரிமத் வேதாந்த தேசிகரின் “ரஹஸ்யத்திரய ஸாரம்” என்பதின் திவ்யார்த்தங்களை விளக்கும் ஸதாசார்யர் உ.வே. ஸ்ரீ வளையப்பேட்டை இராமாச்சார்ய ஸ்வாமிகள் அவர்கள் ஆவாராந்திரம் ஓவ்வொரு வார இறுதியிலும் அருளும் கலாசேபங்களில், அடியேன் தன்னுடையContinue reading “Musings on “Bhakthi”explained in Swami Vedanta Desikan’s “Rahasya Traya Saaram” as a “virtuous cycle””
September 30, 2025: An Evening to remember forever at Kanchipuram, all due to “Sri Perundevi Thaayaar’s” Grace!
பச்சைமா மலை போல் மேனிபவளவாய் கமலச் செங்கண்அச்சுதா அமரரேறேஆயர்தம் கொழுந்தே என்னும்இச்சுவை தவிர யான் போய்இந்திரலோகம் ஆளும் அச்சுவை பெறினும் வேண்டேன்அரங்கமா நகருளானே O Achyuta! With a body like a great green mountain, a mouth like coral, with eyes shaped like a red lotus—O Lord of the celestials! O tender sprig of the cowherds! Apart from the pleasure of uttering theseContinue reading “September 30, 2025: An Evening to remember forever at Kanchipuram, all due to “Sri Perundevi Thaayaar’s” Grace!”
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-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…”
சோம்பரை உகத்தி போலும்….” and “lazy bones”: transformation from the Ravanesque to the Rama-like .
For the last couple of years it’s been my privilege and personal delight to be corresponding via WhatsApp messages with the well-known writer, novelist, playwright and scholar, Sri. Indira Parthasarathy (pen name “Eepa”) almost daily while we casually discuss a whole range of subjects of mutual interest — mostly Tamil and English literature but occasionallyContinue reading “சோம்பரை உகத்தி போலும்….” and “lazy bones”: transformation from the Ravanesque to the Rama-like .”
தொல்லை இன்பம் (“thollai inbam”): an oxymoron for Krishna Bhakthi that Peria-Azhwar knew only too well!
Here is a “paasuram” from Peria-Azhwar’s “tirumozhi” that I consider is an utterly enchanting still-portrait of Krishna Leela theme expounded in the Srimadh Bhaagavatham. You must read it with the portrait of Bala Krishnan above etched in your imagination. வெண்ணெய்விழுங்கிவெறுங்கலத்தைவெற்பிடையிட்டு அதனோசைகேட்கும்கண்ணபிரான்கற்றகல்விதன்னைக்காக்ககில்லோம் உன்மகனைக்காவாய் *புண்ணில்புளிப்பெய்தாலொக்கும்தீமைபுரைபுரையால்இவைசெய்யவல்லஅண்ணற்கண்ணானர்மகனைப்பெற்றஅசோதைநங்காய்! உன்மகனைக்கூவாய் —- யெரியாழ்வார் 2.9 “Your little boy ate up all the butterContinue reading “தொல்லை இன்பம் (“thollai inbam”): an oxymoron for Krishna Bhakthi that Peria-Azhwar knew only too well!”