Facets of Truth (Collection of Religious Talks of Swami B.P. Yati Maharaj From The Columns of ‘The Hindu’ and ‘Indian Express’)

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Preface

During my. long stay of more than three decades in South which is yet to be said a land of religion and more peaceful and people are more disciplined - I could have the very good privilege of associating myself with the genius of all fields that help one build up a life purposeful in the society. I had close touch with Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Sri C. Rajagopalachari, Sri M. Ananrasayanam Iyengar from whom I learnt how one should lead a simple life. No doubt I was much impressed in observing the simple living of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Sri Morarji Desai, Sri Prabhu Das Patwari, Sri Hanuman Prasad Poddar, Sri B.D. Jatti, Sri Bishwanath Das, Sri Gnani Zail Singh, Sri Comrade Ram Kishan and others when I came in personal contact with them. I having been the General Secretary of All India Vaishnava Samajam (Regd.) could have the best opportunity of associating myself with Vaishnava savants and the Sampradaya Heads of different Vaishnava sects such as H.H. Jeer Swamiji of Ahobila Math of Vadagalai section of Sri Ramanuja sect, H.H. Jeer Swamiji of Vanamamalai Math of Tengalai Section of Sri Ramanuja Sect, H.H. Srimad Andavan Swamiji of Munitraya Math, H.H. Srimad Pejawar Swamiji of Madhva Sampradaya, Udupi, H.H. Srimad Admar Swamiji of Sri Madhva Sampradaya, H.H. Swamiji of Sholele Math, H.H. Srimad Jeer Swami of Melkota of Mysore State and many others of Vallabha and Nimbarka Sampradayas too and gallant scholars of Philosophy and Religion like Sri R.N. Sarma, writer of immortal work of Reign of Realism, Dr. B.N.K. Sharma, profound scholar and writer of many voluminous books of Madhva Philosophy; Dr. P. Nagaraja Rao, Head of the Dept. of Philosophy of Sri Venkateswara University, Dr. T.M.P. Mahadevan, Head of the Dept. of Philosophy of Madras. University, Dr. Sudhindra Chakravarthy of Vishva Bharati University, Dr. Biman Behari Mazumdar of Parna University, Dr. R.N. Sampath, Head of the Dept. of Sanskrit of Presidency. College, Madras, Prof. B.R. Baliga of Madras University, Prof. S. Ramaswami of Madras University, Sri K Srinivasan, M.A., Sri KS. Ramaswami Sastri, Dr. K Varadachariar of Sri Venkateswara University, Dr. TT Tatachari, Vidwan Sri Karpamgadu Swami, Vidwan Sri Veera Raghavachari, Vidwan Kashi Krishnamacharyulu and innumerable such scholars. I had' the occasion to address the Seminars and Religious Conferences in different parts of South India and also I was invited to speak at innumerable colleges, Cultural and Research Institutions as well as in several universities. But my participation at the 'World Hindu Conference' in Ceylon in the year 1982 actually brought me close to the press. My speeches at that world Hindu Religious Conference on "Scientific casteism", "Worship of Srimurty" and ''Hindus are not Idolators" got wide publicity in the Dailies of Sri Lanka as well as of Tamilnadu. And for the first time I was invited for a broadcast by the Sri Lanka Radio. Subsequently different Radio Centres of India and TV brought me in the picture. Now the esteemed Dailies like The Hindu and Indian Express came forward to take notes of my speeches particularly of my Sundays' speeches and published them in the columns of their esteemed papers.

Those days I was not so particular to file those cuttings of the Newspaper reports of my speeches. But some of my colleagues filed some of them. And when on their request, we desired to bring them together in book form we find all of them were not filed, particularly many of them from the Indian Express were missing. No doubt other vernacular papers of Tamil and Telegu also published my speeches; but here we reprint as it is, those speeches of mine reported in The Hindu and Indian Express only, which we could collect as far as possible. We have printed them in the order of dates, starting from the current and going back.

At the end a few of my book reviews and also of my 'letters to the Editor' are included.

The Papers gave wide publicity of our missionary activities with photographs. We consider them to publish in a bigger volume later on.

I am very thankful to the Editors and Reporters of The Hindu and the Indian Express for taking interest in reporting my speeches. But I am sorry that I could not collect all of them and get them printed in this book.

Our affectionate Sri Vaikuntha Brahmachari and Sri V Krishnamurthi, M.A. took keen interest in getting this book published.