Epistles of a Prolific Pontiff

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About the Book "This book is a compilation of English translations of a select series of 21 epistles written in Tamil. by "Srimadh Azhagiyasingar", a renowned religious Acharya, His Holiness, Sri Vedanta Desika Yatheendra (1895-1992 CE), the 44th Pontiff of Sri Ahobila Matham and also popularly known as "Mukkur Swamy.

The epistles cover a broad array of topics of spiritualism, philosophy and social ethics of Sri Vaishnavism, one of the oldest and most authentic Vedantic traditions of India propounded by Sri Ramanujacharya (1017-1137 CE) and further developed through his tutelage of preceptors who came after him in a long lineage starting from the 13th century CE right up to the present day.

Every epistle in this book is a lucid and elegant discourse on profound Sri Vaishnava religious ideas and doctrines as delivered so powerfully by "Mukkur Swamy" to his vast audiences consisting of both the erudite and the layman, and who found them all so appealing.

Sri Vedanta Desika Yatheendra's greatest lifetime accomplishment was as the sponsor, architect and builder of the magnificent "Raja Gopuram" of the Sri Rangam temple (Trichy, Tamil Nadu). It stands today as the tallest temple-tower in the world. The 21 epistles of the pontiff in this book all clearly reveal that the mind and intellect he possessed were truly as tall and majestic too as the "Raja Gopuram" he himself had raised high over the famous temple city of Sri Rangam.

This book is sure to not only whet but also expand the curiosity of all readers wanting to gain a deep and nuanced understanding of Vedantic philosophy, Hindu religion and ethics."

About the Translator M. K. Sudarshan is a graduate of the Madras University from Loyola College, Chennai, and a qualified Chartered Accountant and corporate executive by profession. After a 37 year-long and successful international career in corporate finance, he now lives with his wife in Chennai, pursuing wider interests in Indian philosophy, world history and comparative religious literature, studies, and prolific writing and blogging on a variety of subjects. His related interests are classical South Indian music, the history of Hindu temples in India and travelling worldwide.

Sudarshan is the author of two other published books on Sri Vaishnavism which have earned critical and popular acclaim worldwide: "The Unusual Essays of an Unknown Sri Vaishnava" (2016: Partridge India/2018: Story Mirror/2021: Mainstream Publishers USA/2022) and "The Nondesript God: Abstraction or Paragon?" (2022: BlueRose Publishers). His third book published in July 2023 is on the history of Sri Vaishnavas under the title "A Tale of two cities: the Decline and Fall of the "ubaya-vedantins: A history of the Sri Vaishnavas of Tamil Nadu that was never written". (All the books are available on the Amazon and Flipcart online platforms and in Kindle Editions also).

Sudarshan regards the renowned Sri Vaishnavite scholar and Vedantic exponent, U. Ve. Sri Mukkur Lakshminarasimhachariar (1944-2000CE) as his spiritual mentor.

Acknowledgement The Translator of this book wishes to place on record his deep gratitude to the following institutions for the support extended to its publishing.