An Essay on the Ontology of Daya, the Lakshmi Tattva, and the Puruṣakāra Doctrine “Does Bhagavan experience the suffering of the jīvas? An exploration of Divine Compassion, the Lakshmi tattva, and the Puruṣakāra doctrine in Vadakalai Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta. By M.K. Sudarshan August 9, 2026: Chennai, India Prologue: The Theological Puzzle The question is deceptively simple,Continue reading ““Does Bhagavan Suffer? The Paradox of Divine Compassion in Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta””
Tag Archives: Unknown Sri Vaishnava
“Why the Rahasyatrayasāram Appeals to the Old”: A Conversation with the Young
The Setting: A quiet courtyard outside the temple hall, late afternoon. The golden light of dusk filters through the ancient banyan tree. Two figures emerge from the kalākṣepam hall — one elderly, silver-haired, standing erect and proud with a dignified bearing; the other young, bright-eyed, clutching a notebook. They have just attended a discourse onContinue reading ““Why the Rahasyatrayasāram Appeals to the Old”: A Conversation with the Young”
“The Threshold of the Infinite”: A Socratic Dialogue in the Ubhaya Vedanta Tradition
by M.K. Sudarshan August 2, 2026 : Chennai, India Here below is an imaginary, freewheeling conversation between a bright young Philosophy major student and the Unknown Sri Vaishnava Characters: Setting:A bright, sunlit stone-pillared pavilion (Mandapam) attached to a historic temple in South India. The warm afternoon light washes over the intricately carved pillars. Scattered palm-leafContinue reading ““The Threshold of the Infinite”: A Socratic Dialogue in the Ubhaya Vedanta Tradition”
“Ekam sath viprah: bahudah vadanti”: is not about Inclusivity but Universality
Arguing that the Rg Veda’s ideal of “Ekam Sath” is not an inclusive one and that it refers only to the various gods mentioned in a specific line of the concerned Rg Veda text is founded on misunderstanding. If the argument is to be accepted then the Universality of the very idea of Dharma upon which the Vedic Faith is founded gets negated!
Vedanta at the Threshold: From “Vichara” to “Vyakhyana”
by M.K. Sudarshan July 12, 2026: Chennai, India A dialogue between two postgraduate students of Indian Philosophy in a university coffee shop The coffee shop on campus was neither elegant nor noisy, which made it ideal for argument. It had enough hum to protect privacy, enough light to encourage thinking, and enough bitter tea andContinue reading “Vedanta at the Threshold: From “Vichara” to “Vyakhyana””
The Postcard Matron of Adyar: Letters, Duty, and Devotion in Post-Independence India (1947–1948)
In Loving Memory of MANI PERUNDEVI(1930 – 2002) aka Mani Krishnaswami
Who, at the tender age of eighteen, gracefully stepped into the shoes of her parents to mother, nurse, and guide her eleven younger brothers and sisters.This volume is dedicated to her enduring legacy of cheerfulness, silent sacrifice, and unyielding equanimity. Over fifty years later, her siblings and descendants carry her memory with boundless, eternal gratitude.“You must rise up by your own merit.”
Reading the short-story “The Choice” (சாய்ஸ்) through a Vedantic Lens … with Indira Parthasarathy and J. Raghunathan
J. Raghunathan’s short story The Choice is compelling not merely because it stages a conflict between patriotic duty and domestic love, but because it leaves the moral structure of that conflict unresolved in a fruitful way. The story’s emotional power lies in the fact that the reader is never allowed the comfort of a simpleContinue reading “Reading the short-story “The Choice” (சாய்ஸ்) through a Vedantic Lens … with Indira Parthasarathy and J. Raghunathan”
II. “Seed, Flower, Fruit”: A Dialogue on Bhakti and Prappati — A Conversation on the Psychological Ground of Bhakti
The human capacity for devotion begins as a pre-religious seed of attachment and longing, flowers as bhakti in religious life, and ripens as prapatti, the fruit of complete surrender.
I.“Seed, Flower, Fruit”: A Dialogue on Bhakti and Prappati — A Conversation on the Psychological Ground of Bhakti
The human capacity for devotion begins as a pre-religious seed of attachment and longing, flowers as bhakti in religious life, and ripens as prapatti, the fruit of complete surrender.
The Cosmic Cul-de-Sac: How Indian Courts Became the Accidental Theologians of Chidambaram and Kanchipuram
By M. K. Sudarshan Both the roads from Chidambaram and Kanchipuram lead to the exact same destination: the Supreme Court of India. It is an expanding, timeless cul-de-sac where litigation goes to be indefinitely preserved in the hope that, one day, the conflict will simply fall asleep. In a previous essay posted the day beforeContinue reading “The Cosmic Cul-de-Sac: How Indian Courts Became the Accidental Theologians of Chidambaram and Kanchipuram”