Dr. Devdas Menon

Dr Devdas Menon is a writer, spiritual explorer, and teacher. He was formerly Professor and PC Varghese Institute Chair at IIT Madras, engaged in teaching, research and consultancy in structural engineering. He adopts a holistic approach in education, placing an emphasis on inner development and transformation. He was initiated into Advaita Vedanta in his youth by Swami Krishnananda (of Rishikesh) and other teachers. Ever since, his approach to spirituality has been to see the 'formless aware presence', the one Divine, in all manifestation, despite the seeming differences in myriad names and forms and beliefs.

In structural engineering, he has co-authored a popular textbook on 'Reinforced Concrete Design', and has authored textbooks titled 'Structural Analysis' and 'Advanced Structural Analysis'. In the realm of self-improvement and spirituality, he has authored books titled 'The Awakening of Shaunaka', 'The Awakening of Shvetaketu', ‘The Awakening of Nachiketa’ (on the Upanishads) as well as 'Stop sleepwalking through life!' and 'Spirituality at work' (on the Bhagavad Gita), which are texts used for his popular courses on ‘Self-Awareness’ and ‘Integral Karmayoga’ at IIT Madras. He has authored a four-volume series entitled 'Vidura's Mahabharata' — describing the entire Mahabharata from the perspective of Vidura (Vyasa's son). Most recently, he has written a book titled 'Awakening to Divine Play (Inspired by Vidyaranya's Panchadashi).

This brief biography of the author is meant for pragmatic purposes: potential readers may be interested. But the deeper truth is that all notions of individual authorship and doer-ship are delusional, and it is important for the apparent doer to recognise this truth — whatever be the inner calling or the role being enacted (writer, teacher, engineer, etc.) in this game of life.