by M. K. Sudarshan August 29, 2026: Chennai, India An imaginary 2-act play exploring Aldous Huxley’s “The Doors of Perception,” where his ghost finds final redemption through Ramanuja’s Visishtadvaita Vedanta and the vision of Tirupaan Azhwar at Sri Rangam Temple PROLOGUE (To be spoken by a Narrator in front of a closed, dark velvet curtain.Continue reading ““THE MISTS OF MANIKARNIKAA”: A Drama in Two Acts— featuring Aldous Huxley and Sri.Tiruppaan Azhwar”
Tag Archives: Visishtadvaita
“பாகவத ஷேஷத்வம்”குறித்த உரையாடல்
by M. K. Sudarshan August 17, 2026: Chennai, India இடம்: ஸ்ரீரங்கம் கோயில் வளாகத்தில் ஒரு அமைதியான மூலை, காலை நேரம். தரிசனத்திற்குப் பிறகு இரண்டு பக்தர்கள் கற்களில் அமர்ந்திருக்கிறார்கள். கதாபாத்திரங்கள்: அறியப்படாத ஸ்ரீவைஷ்ணவர் (அஸ்வ) – 70 வயது, பிரபன்னர், ரஹஸ்ய த்ரய சாரத்தை கற்றவர் பாகவதர் (பாக) – 55 வயது, பக்தி உடையவர், ஆனால் இன்னும் பிரபத்தி செய்யாதவர் பாக: ஸ்வாமி, நான் தேசிகனின் ரஹஸ்ய த்ரய சாரத்தை படித்துக்Continue reading ““பாகவத ஷேஷத்வம்”குறித்த உரையாடல்”
ரமணரிடமிருந்து ராமானுஜருக்கு; ஐன்ஸ்டீனிடமிருந்து ஹாக்கிங்கிற்கு: காலமின்மையிலிருந்து கால நிறைவிற்கு
by M.K.Sudarshan July 8, 2026, Chennai, India Disclosure: below is an AI-aided translation in Tamil of my English blog-essay : https://mksudarshans.blog/2026/07/08/from-ramana-to-ramanuja-and-from-einstein-to-hawking-timelessness-to-time-fullness/ சூழல்: ஒரு பல்கலைக்கழக நூலகத்தின் அமைதியான மூலை. மேசையின் மீது ரமண மகரிஷியின் உள்ளது நாற்பது மற்றும் ராமானுஜரின் ஸ்ரீ பாஷ்யம் நூல்கள் இருக்கின்றன. அவை பொதுச் சார்பியல், குவாண்டம் அண்டவியல் மற்றும் வெப்ப இயக்கவியல் தொடர்பான தாள்களுக்கு இடையே புதைந்து கிடக்கின்றன. மாணவர்: ரமண மகரிஷியின்Continue reading “ரமணரிடமிருந்து ராமானுஜருக்கு; ஐன்ஸ்டீனிடமிருந்து ஹாக்கிங்கிற்கு: காலமின்மையிலிருந்து கால நிறைவிற்கு”
From Ramana to Ramanuja; and from Einstein to Hawking: Timelessness to Time-Fullness
by M.K. Sudarshan July 8, 2026 : Chennai, India Setting: A quiet corner of a university library. On the table sit copies of Ramana Maharshi’s Ulladu Narpadu and Ramanuja’s Sri Bhashya, now buried under papers covering general relativity, quantum cosmology, and thermodynamics. Student: Look at this quote from Ramana Maharshi. It’s devastatingly simple: “There isContinue reading “From Ramana to Ramanuja; and from Einstein to Hawking: Timelessness to Time-Fullness”
“Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven” versus the Sri Vaishnava Ideal of “Nitya Kainkarya Praapthi”
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””
Sri Thyagaraja, the undeclared Sri Vaishnava “prapannan”
Like millions of Rasikas all over the world , I too consider myself an ardent Sri Thyagaraja bhakth who loves so many of the saint’s exquisite kritis and often, whenever swept away by the mood, I do sing a few of them in the privacy of my home purely for the delight of my ownContinue reading “Sri Thyagaraja, the undeclared Sri Vaishnava “prapannan””
“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”
“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”
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)”
“The Unusual Essays of an Unknown Sri Vaishnava” — new India Edition 2025! Just out in online bookstores !
The earlier international editions (2016 and 2021) of this popular and critically acclaimed book were priced @₹.5000/+. Now, the new 2025 India Edition at an affordable price of ₹.1000/- is available for sale: The 60 delightful essays penned inside this book include also two short-stories based on imaginative reinterpretations of an episode each from theContinue reading ““The Unusual Essays of an Unknown Sri Vaishnava” — new India Edition 2025! Just out in online bookstores !”