Understanding Sri Vaishnava Soteriology with the aid of Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’. (A) A comparative glance at moksha and salvation in the three Vedānta schools, Christianity, and Islam Across traditions, liberation or salvation — moksha — is conceived as the final release from bondage, suffering, and separation from the divine. But the nature of that release differs remarkably in ontology,Continue reading ““Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven” versus the Sri Vaishnava Ideal of “Nitya Kainkarya Praapthi””
Tag Archives: vedanta
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””
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)”
Now Available for sale in a bookstore near you: “The Epistles of a Prolific Pontiff” (My book of English translations of the Tamil “arul mozhi” of the 44th Azhagiyasingar of Sri Ahobila Mutt)
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””
Belief and Faith: what’s the difference?
“What is the exact Tamil word for faith?”, asked an old ex-colleague and friend of mine who lives now with his children in far away America. It was a casual question but I somehow could not get myself to be anything but serious about it. I replied: Sir, you are the expert …Is it நம்பிக்கை?Continue reading “Belief and Faith: what’s the difference?”
The “thanian” for Sri Vedanta Desikan: a “manthra” in itself.
Swami Sri Desikan’s “thaniyan“ It is customary for all Sri Vaishnavites reciting the Sanskrit hymns of Swami Desikan to commence with a invocatory verse called “thaniyan“, and it runs as follows: “Sriman Venkatanatharya: kavi-tharkika-kesari, Vedhanthacharya-varyome Sannidhatham Sadha-hrdi!” The above ‘thaniyan‘ for Swami Desikan was composed by his son, and one of foremost disciples, Sri. KumaraContinue reading “The “thanian” for Sri Vedanta Desikan: a “manthra” in itself.”
India: “no country for intellectuals”?
https://open.substack.com/pub/thedigitalmeadow/p/the-death-of-the-public-intellectual?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web The above article is an excellent commentary on the subject of the waning vigour of the traditions of intellectualism in public debate within the general life of societies right across the globe. Why is the modern public intellectual a dying species? The above essay traces the cause to many reasons in America. But afterContinue reading “India: “no country for intellectuals”?”
“Naming is not knowing”, says Richard Feymann; but “Naming is the key to knowing”, says the “Purusha Suktam”and “Vishnu Sahasranama” (Part 2 of 2- CONCLUDED).
The Purusha Suktam hymn describes the primordial cosmic creation as a process in which the universe and all its elements emerge from the sacrifice of the Purusha, the Cosmic Being. The hymn details how various aspects of the cosmos—such as the moon, sun, wind, earth, sky, and even the social classes—arise from different parts ofContinue reading ““Naming is not knowing”, says Richard Feymann; but “Naming is the key to knowing”, says the “Purusha Suktam”and “Vishnu Sahasranama” (Part 2 of 2- CONCLUDED).”
“Naming is not knowing”, says Richard Feymann; but “Naming is the key to knowing”, says the “Purusha Suktam”and “Vishnu Sahasranama” (Part 1 of 2).
This morning a very erudite online friend of mine, a retired Judge of the High Court of Telangana, Justice T.N.C. Rangarajan ( https://tshc.gov.in/showFormerJudgeProfile?id=278) forwarded to me for my edification an extremely thought-provoking article on the Richard Feynman. Who is Richard Feynman? Richard Phillips Feynman (May 11, 1918 – February 15, 1988) was an American theoretical physicist. HeContinue reading ““Naming is not knowing”, says Richard Feymann; but “Naming is the key to knowing”, says the “Purusha Suktam”and “Vishnu Sahasranama” (Part 1 of 2).”