Advaita, Consciousness and Ramakrishna: A Conversation with Swami Sarvapriyananda
Join Mukunda as we speak with Swami Sarvapriyananda, the Head Monk at the Vedanta Society of New York. Swami Sarvapriyananda is a well-known speaker on […]
Podcast: Regular Episodes
Hinduism, Coloniality and Philosophical Musings: A Conversation with Dr. Deepak Sarma
Join Mukunda as we speak with Dr Deepak Sarma, a tenured professor of Religious Studies at Case Western University. Dr Sarma has written numerous academic […]
Saiva Siddhanta: History, Philosophy and Concepts
A Conversation with Ghorangirasa and PinakasenaJoin Mukunda as he speaks with the men behind the Twitter handles of @Ghorangirasa and @Pinakasena. Both Ghorangirasa and Pinakasena […]
A Convergence of Indian and Western Philosophy: A Conversation with Dr. Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad
Join Mukunda as he speaks with Dr. Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad. Dr. Ram-Prasad is Distinguished Professor of Comparative Religion and Philosophy at Lancaster University. He is the […]
Samkhya, Vedanta and Mahabharata: A Conversation with Dr. T.S. Rukmani
Join Mukunda as he speaks with Dr. T.S. Rukmani. Dr. T.S. Rukmani was a Professor and Chair of Hindu Studies at Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. […]
Sanskrit, Shastras, and Society: A Conversation with Dr. Satyan Sharma
Join Mukunda as he speaks with Dr. Satyan Sharma. Dr. Sharma is a Professor of Sanskrit at the Panjab University in Chandigarh. He specializes in […]
Ancient and Modern Aesthetics: A Dialogue with Dr. Bharat Gupt
Join Mukunda and Krishna as they speak with Dr. Bharat Gupt, a former Associate Professor in English at the University of Delhi, is an Indian […]
Indo-Aryan Origins, Genetics and Pre-History: A Conversation with Ashish Kulkarni
Join Mukunda as he speaks with Ashish Kulkarni, better known on Twitter as @agenetics1, he is an engineer and part of a new wave of […]
Living Traditions and Puranas A Dialogue with Prof. McComas Taylor
Join Mukunda as he speaks with Dr. McComas Taylor, Associate Professor of Sanskrit at Australian National University. In this episode, we discuss a host of […]
Theology Unleashed: A Conversation and Discussion with Arjuna Gallagher
Join Mukunda as he speaks with Arjuna Gallagher of Theology Unleashed Youtube Show. Arjuna belongs to the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition specifically the Hare Krsna and […]
Understanding the Dharma Shastras: A Conversation with Dr. Patrick Olivelle and Dr. Donald Davis
Join Mukunda as he speaks with pre-eminent scholars of the Dharma Shastras: Dr. Patrick Olivelle and Dr. Donald Davis. Dr. Olivelle is a world renowned […]
Introduction to Pancaratra: Vaishnava Agama and Tantra
Join Mukunda as he speaks with Sri Rama Ramanuja Achari, also known as Rami Sivan, of www.srimatham.com. Sri Rama Ramanuja Achari is an Acharya of […]
Mahabharata Unravelled:
A Conversation with Ami Ganatra
Join Mukunda as he speaks to Ami Ganatra, author of Mahabharata Unravelled: Lesser-Known Facets of a Well-Known History. Ami Ganatra is a management professional who […]
Meru Media and Brown Pundits From Ancient Kama to Modern Seduction: A Conversation with Dr. Seema Anand
Join Mukunda and Shahada Hasan of the Brown Pundits, as they speak to Dr. Seema Anand on Kama, the Kama Sutra, Arts of Seduction, Femininity, […]
An Acharya from the West: A Conversation with Sri Rama Ramanuja Achari
Join Mukunda as he speaks with Sri Rama Ramanuja Achari, also known as Rami Sivan, of www.srimatham.com. Sri Rama Ramanuja Achari is an Acharya of […]
The Journey of Translations: A Conversation with Prof. Bibek Debroy
Join Mukunda and Krishna as they speaks to Professor Bibek Debroy. Prof. Debroy is a polymath, polyglot and a man for all seasons. He is currently the Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister of India on the Economic Advisory Council. He is additionally a translator of the Vedas, Puranas, Bhagavad Gita and now the Mahabharata. In this episode, we discuss a host of topics including:
00:01:10 Introduction to Professor Bibek Debroy and his background and how he went from economics to translating a huge corpus of Sanskrit literature
00:18:50 The inspiration and role of Dogs in Vedas and Itihasas, all three of us love dogs and have dogs
00:22:00 Mahabharata and Puranas translation process and inspirations, what is your methodology of translations
00:29:20 Bengali culture and translating of the Mahabharata
00:32:00 Veda Vyasa, Mahabharata and intertextual mesh with the Puranas
00:38:55 How did the translation process change you or your pre-conceived notions
00:41:30 Why is Indian society not very familiar with lifeblood of Hinduism, the Puranas
00:44:50 Story of Rama and the dog in the Ramayana
00:49:15 The Many Gitas of the Mahabharata and Puranas
00:57:15 What role do the Mahabharata and Puranas play in today in modern governance
01:04:20 How do we teach Dharma today, Dharma economic alternative to capitalism and socialism
01:15:30 Final points and love for discovery in the Shastras
Narrative and the Puranas: A Conversation with Prof. Raj Balkaran
Join Mukunda as he speaks to Professor Raj Balkaran, Oxford Centre of Hindu Studies. He is a scholar of the Puranas and Narratives and the author of The Goddess and the King in Indian Myth. He is also the host of an amazing podcast called New Books in Indian Religions. In this episode, we discuss a host of topics including:
00:01:10 Introduction to Professor Balkaran and his background, unique journey into Hinduism and academia
00:20:00 The experience of being Hindu and Brown in the West
00:23:30 The difficultly of defining and teaching Hinduism, A profound diversity and ecosystem
00:34:30 The tapestry of the Shastras, in particular the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, and the nature of violence
00:45:50 The paradox of Dharma, the Dharmic double helix
00:55:40 Narrative and Framing of Shastras, particularly the Puranas
01:00:30 Prof. Balkaran’s spiritual journey
01:12:30 Academia and the Shastras
01:19:00 Discussion on the Devi Mahatmya and the ring narrative
01:30:10 What is Markendaya’s role in the Puranas and Privritti and Nivritti Dharma
01:31:35 The importance of the Azhwars and how the pasurams become the Divya Prabandam
01:41:40 What role do the King and Merchant have in the Devi Mahatmya
01:48:50 Karma, Vasanas, Moksha and living in the world
01:54:40 Back and forth discussion on Free Will vs Karma
02:10:40 The Narrative power of the Shastras
02:16:10 Prof. Balkaran’s upcoming works and courses along with online education
02:21:00 Prof. Balkaran’s closing thoughts
02:23:10 Why the podcast is called Meru Media
Tamil Poetry and the Azhwars: A Conversation with Prof. Archana Venkatesan
Join Mukunda and Krishna as we speak to Professor Archana Venkatesan, Professor of Religious Studies at University of California, Davis. She is an expert and translator of Tamil Bhakti poetry specifically the poetry or pasurams of the Azhwars, a group of saints, poets and mystics from what is now Tamil Nadu from the 6th to 9th centuries of the common era.
Tantra and Abhinavagupta: A Conversation with Professor Sthaneshwar Timalsina (audio podcast version)
Join Mukunda as he speaks to Professor Sthaneshwar Timalsina, Professor of Religious Studies at San Diego State University. He is also a qualified Acharya and has been trained in Sanskrit and Shastras since he was a child. He is an expert on Tantra and Abhinavagupta, a 10th century polymath genius who worked on philosophy, drama, math, music, aesthetics, and other areas. Acharya Sthaneshwar is also Founder of the Vimarsha Foundation, a 501c(3) non-profit that engages in expounding and maintaining the Kashmiri Shaivism tradition.
Sri Vaishnava Dharma, Modernity and an Upanyasaka: A Conversation with Dushyanth Sridhar
Join Mukunda Raghavan and Krishna Parthasarathy as they speak with Dushyanth Sridhar, a Pauranika scholar, public lecturer on Sanatana Dharma and Upanyasakar. He has spoken […]
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