The author of this work, Dr. Chenni Padmanabhan, M.D., was born in Salem in Tamil Nadu. He is the eldest of nine children born to Smt. Nanjammal and Sri K.R.C Chenni Chettiar. From his school days, he attended with his father the monthly discourses of Bhagwad Gita by Swami Chidbhavananda of RamaKrishna Tapovanam, Tirupparaitturai, Trichy Dist.

   When at Coimbatore, Dr. Chenni Padmanabhan had attended the week-long discourses during the month of Margali in 1972-73, under the auspices of the Sri Satya Sai Organisation. These lectures related to all the major religions and were given by many scholars from morning to evening. The author had also Darsan of Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba During this period.

    One of the discourses was on the Vedas and the Upanishads by Sri Mukkur Lakshminarasimha Achariar. After this introductory lecture, the author attended all the  Tiruppavai discourses of that season by the Achariar at Ramakrishna Kalyana Mandapam, Combatore. This habit continued, and the next year the author attended the  discourses by Sri Santana Gopala Achariar of Hyderabad at the same Kalyana Mandapam.

    As a Professor of Medicine, the author spend a major portion of his service at the Madurai Medical College and Government Hospital. He was promoted Dean of the Tirunelveli Medical College and Hospital and retired from Tamil Nadu Medical Service as Additional Director of Medical Education.

    The idea of translation and commentary of Tiruppavai dawned on the author, when he was Dean and he started work in right earnest when he was in the Directorate, and was on frequent tours all over Tamil Nadu. He has completed the present work with the good wishes and guidance of Acharyas and the Grace of Sri Satya Sai Bhagwan.