When Footnotes Pretend to Be History
Hindu philosophical traditions did not develop in a climate of uninterrupted harmony. Advaitins, Viśiṣṭādvaitins, Dvaitins, Buddhists, Jains, Śaivas, and Mīmāṃsakas often engaged in fierce—and sometimes deeply personal—polemics.
But a sectarian insult is not the whole history of a philosopher. A hostile hagiography is not a neutral biography. And a provocative footnote should not be presented as though it were a major chapter in the history of Indian thought.
From Śaṅkara and Rāmānuja to Vedānta Deśika and Madhva, the record reveals both acrimonious conflict and extraordinary intellectual creativity.
The real danger today is not that these old polemics are discussed. It is that social media detaches them from context, magnifies them, and turns historical trivia into historical truth.
When does a footnote become a distortion of history?
Tag Archives: Kanchipuram
Kicking the Can to Heaven: Why the Supreme Court Will Never Solve the Temples of Tamil Nadu
by M. K. Sudarshan July 1, 2026: Chennai, India “A satirical yet in-depth exploration of the 300-year-old Vadakalai vs. Tenkalai sectarian feud at Kanchipuram’s Varadaraja Perumal Temple and the legal stalemate that keeps it alive.” Introduction If you ever find yourself weary of standard political theater, pack your bags and head to the ancient pilgrimContinue reading “Kicking the Can to Heaven: Why the Supreme Court Will Never Solve the Temples of Tamil Nadu”
Ruins of the “Thanian War”: A Dialogue at Mahabalipuram”
Prologue Mahabalipuram is where the past becomes a touristic afterthought. The Pallava‑era rock cavities, the carved monoliths, the half‑ruined shrines—all stand serene under the coastal sky, admired for their stone, not their sacrament. Visitors pass by, take photographs, sip tea outside the temple, and move on. The devotion that once gave these stones life isContinue reading “Ruins of the “Thanian War”: A Dialogue at Mahabalipuram””
புத்தக விமர்சனம்: “A Tale of Two Cities: The Decline and Fall of the “Ubaya-Vedantins”
புத்தக விமர்சனம்: “A Tale of Two Cities: The Decline and Fall of the “Ubaya-Vedantins” எம். கே. சுதர்ஷனின் “A Tale of Two Cities: The Decline and Fall of the ‘Ubaya-Vedantins’” (இரு நகரங்களின் கதை: ‘உபய-வேதாந்தின்கள்’ வீழ்ச்சி மற்றும் அவசானம்) என்பது, தமிழ்நாட்டில் உள்ள ஸ்ரீவைஷ்ணவ சமுதாயத்தின் ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகளைக் கொண்ட வரலாற்றை 11ஆம் நூற்றாண்டு முதல் இன்றுவரை விரிவாக விவரிக்கும் ஒரு முக்கியமான வரலாற்று நூலாகும்.Continue reading “புத்தக விமர்சனம்: “A Tale of Two Cities: The Decline and Fall of the “Ubaya-Vedantins””
Book Review: “A Tale of Two Cities: The Decline and Fall of the “Ubaya-Vedantins”
Book Review: “A Tale of Two Cities: The Decline and Fall of the “Ubaya-Vedantins” M.K. Sudarshan’s “A Tale of Two Cities: The Decline and Fall of the ‘Ubaya-Vedantins’” offers a sweeping historical narrative that chronicles the thousand-year history of the Sri Vaishnava community in Tamil Nadu, spanning from the 11th century CE to the presentContinue reading “Book Review: “A Tale of Two Cities: The Decline and Fall of the “Ubaya-Vedantins””
If you want to understand why this “Tenkalai – Vadakalai” skirmish happens every year at the Kanchipuram Temple’s Annual “Brahmotsavam”, buy a copy of this book
May 13, 2025: Kanchipuram Vadakalai, Thenkalai sects face off again during Brahmotsavam of Sri Varadharaja Perumal temple The Hindu Bureau CHENNAI Tempers flared between the Vadakalai and Thenkalai sects of Vaishnavites at the annual Brahmotsavam of the Sri Varadharaja Perumal temple, one of the 108 Divya De-sams, in Kancheepuram on Monday. A source in theContinue reading “If you want to understand why this “Tenkalai – Vadakalai” skirmish happens every year at the Kanchipuram Temple’s Annual “Brahmotsavam”, buy a copy of this book”
The sadly never-ending “Tale of Two Cities” that I wrote …. an exercise in futility
https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/tamil-nadu/story/vadakalai-and-thenkalai-sects-argue-during-paarvettai-ritual-in-tamil-nadus-kancheepuram-2665796-2025-01-16 https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Fnm4qi8SR/?mibextid=wwXIfr https://twitter.com/Ravilochanan86/status/1879871741629239431?t=a0nvOrr8Yk-W1JO-HbK1aw&s=08 I wrote my book (see below) two years ago out of anguish and great sadness … Since then, the world of Sri Vaishnavas has not changed . The sectarian bickering and petty-mindedness doesn’t seem to diminish one bit. As a writer of the book, I’m now left nursing a sense of profoundContinue reading “The sadly never-ending “Tale of Two Cities” that I wrote …. an exercise in futility”
My ebook is now available globally through Kindle! Please spread the word today amongst your friends and family .. !
My ebook is now available globally through Kindle. Spread the word today amongst your friends and family! Hello READERS , My ebook is now available globally through Kindle. Spread the word today amongst your friends and family!Amazon.inhttps://www.amazon.in/dp/B0DM37BTM4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZjwjRUYFYeOWOwfAssXmVA.4jWmarphYM1vYaJVZSk5lt6lI5T8cJNork3c9XowcFA&qid=1730969807&sr=8-1Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com/Tale-Two-Cities-Ubaya-Vedantins-Vaishnavas-ebook/dp/B0DM37BTM4/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HjA9q5C7lrNaP-1UANdf7Q.WQQcrd1ygk_QZU0sprpVcyTi0GVApCI8CwH7AMUap_s&dib_tag=se&keywords=9789364524612&qid=1730969876&s=books&sr=1-1Amazon.co.ukhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DM37BTM4/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HjA9q5C7lrNaP-1UANdf7Q.wSHRHeu5JrhS_1JXAp6-Oif7Wtdb8iwGBAvfaO323zc&dib_tag=se&keywords=9789364524612&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1730969892&s=books&sr=1-1Amazon.dehttps://www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/B0DM37BTM4/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HjA9q5C7lrNaP-1UANdf7Q.r1fN_bZ-vtMETGBV3aWazvIPPC8m6bxrHV0T1LhX6e0&dib_tag=se&keywords=9789364524612&qid=1730969906&sr=8-1Amazon.fr https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0DM37BTM4/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HjA9q5C7lrNaP-1UANdf7Q.K7V6yXzifx8cj57ecL7UTNIeYcM_dpaxjPnoZS5ODUE&dib_tag=se&keywords=9789364524612&qid=1730969920&sr=8-1Amazon.es https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0DM37BTM4/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_es_ES=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=214225K8DFD2P&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HjA9q5C7lrNaP-1UANdf7Q.YKZfASBbsvpNzI_3ikNRzAzF5pOZz6rBlzNT3LPwfFc&dib_tag=se&keywords=9789364524612&qid=1730969939&sprefix=9789364524612%2Caps%2C549&sr=8-1Amazon.it https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0DM37BTM4/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_it_IT=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HjA9q5C7lrNaP-1UANdf7Q.glxIpfvHza6QkO5GuCp7GEGOviEJwDSz7IWe-fubJ_Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=9789364524612&qid=1730969955&s=books&sr=1-1 Amazon.co.jphttps://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/M-K-Sudarshan-ebook/dp/B0DM37BTM4/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HjA9q5C7lrNaP-1UANdf7Q.3Pb7unxnqr0aDQpJ-Fx4bfGlLO05Chck12WPDsjno1g&dib_tag=se&keywords=9789364524612&qid=1730969972&s=english-books&sr=1-1]Amazon.ca\https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=9781739926670&ref=nb_sb_noss# Sudarshan Madabushi
The new updated second edition 2024 of my book, “A Tale of Two Cities: The Decline and Fall of the “Ubaya-Vedantins” is now available globally on Google Play Books. (E-book Price : ₹.250/ only/ paperback)
FOR THE UPCOMING 2024 DEEPAVALI SEASON, AND THE NEW YEAR THEREAFTER, THIS BOOK IS THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE TO YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEAR AND DEAR ONES ! Click the link below to place your Order ! Download, read ! And leave a review of the book on the page ! https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=QMcpEQAAQBAJ Sudarshan Madabushi
THE GENTLE BUT POINTED HUMOUR OF HH SRIMAD NARAYANA YATHINDRA MAHADESIKAN , the 45th AZHAGIYASINGAR of SRI AHOBILA MUTT: On Kanchipuram and Sri Rangam
The video-clip is dated excerpt from a Tiruppaavai “upannyaasam” by Srimad Azhagiyasingar explicating at great length the beautiful Tamizh expression : “etra kalangal edhir pongi meedhalippa…” in one of the “paasurams” (stanzas) . Apart from the profundity and narrative skill that anyone listening to him can appreciate in the Acharya’s discourse, I for one alsoContinue reading “THE GENTLE BUT POINTED HUMOUR OF HH SRIMAD NARAYANA YATHINDRA MAHADESIKAN , the 45th AZHAGIYASINGAR of SRI AHOBILA MUTT: On Kanchipuram and Sri Rangam”