The Lord Buddha destigmatizes mental illness.

The authors describe the encounter of Lord Buddha with a greatly mentally disturbed woman named as (literally in : "the shameless" or "the naked" woman). His reception of her in spite of the dislike of the listeners of his discourse, his explanation of her difficulties, and consolation are mentioned. Her elevation as one of the great as "The One with Discipline of the Mind" is an outstanding example of destigmatization of mental illness.

of South India: A psychiatric scanner.

, the other important Hindu tradition besides , gained importance by the movement sprouting from the Tamil land in the 7-9 centuries Common Era and spreading all over the subcontinent, and as preached by the , which is discussed along with the evolution of the Godhead of Lord Vishnu is briefly mentioned. The maternal care of the divine child Sri Krishna by as described by the Alvar, Perialvar, is summarized. The mysticism of and the religious experiences of other two , and , are sketched in this study.

- The Mad Lord: A perspective.

The eccentricities of Lord Shiva, especially His attire, behavior - particularly the midnight dance at the cremation grounds surrounded by various strange beings, fondness to remain naked, and love for strange pets such as snakes and fawn, have attracted the loving and devout attention from His various (devotees). This has resulted in the outpouring of their love for their Lord in the form of and , , , , and . Along with these writings, the background are mentioned.

Homosexuality - leaves from antiquity: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender population: A Tamil perspective.

Homosexuality has been present in human civilization from ancient times, and the condition as it existed in the Tamil land is described along with a reference to the terminology, concepts, and description. Some instances appear in the old Tamil classics and poems. The present legal status of this sexual orientation is also mentioned.

A royal description of madness.

The search for the description of mental illness in the community is an interesting pastime and has been attempted by many psychiatrists. The present writer has described an instance in the Tamil literature of the 2nd century CE in the Tamil Buddhist epic, Manimekalai. Presently, is given another description from the stylus of the Tamil Pallava king, Mahendravarman of the 6th century CE from his farcical drama of Mattavilasa Prahasana.

Manimekalai: The ancient Buddhist Tamil epic, its relevance to psychiatry.

This article refers to materials of psychiatric interest found in the Manimekalai written by the 2(nd) Century CE Buddhist poet Sathanar. From the early description of a wandering psychotic in the streets of Pukar, the ancient maritime capital of the Cholas it is opined that this description fits that of present-day schizophrenia. A drunkard making fun of a Jain monk and a cross-dressed individual are also found in the same streets.

Drinking habits in ancient India.

Consumption of one or other form of intoxicating substances has been present throughout the history of the world. This article traces such use in the Indian subcontinent, both in North and South India. References to the use of intoxicants are to be found in the Vedas, the Great Epics, and the ancient Tamil literature.

Psychiatric morbidity in the Chola royal household.

This article deals with the presence of hysterical astasia abasia in the father, and cyclothymic disturbance in the elder brother of the great Chola emperor and builder of the Big Temple at Thanjavur, Raja Raja.