From the Streets of Brooklyn to the Feet of God.

Frank Morales was born in Brooklyn, New York in August, 1963. Despite being an American by birth, Frank has been both studying and practicing the ancient spiritual tradition of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) for the past 22 years. His interest in Hinduism began when he first read the Bhagavad Gita, the most important scripture of Hinduism, at the tender age of ten. A very philosophically inquisitive child, Frank began collecting and reading a vast number of books relating to the Hindu religion. He also proceeded to practice various forms of yoga, pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation soon after this first encounter with the Gita. At the young age of 14, Frank visited a Hindu temple for the first time. So awed was he with the beauty and power of Hinduism that he encountered in this temple that, on the spot, he decided to devote his life to the path of Hinduism. After living the life of a celibate Hindu monk for six years, Frank was initiated as a brahmana (a Hindu priest) in 1986 and given the name Pranakrishnan Adhikari.

At his present age of 36, Frank remains a committed Hindu to this day. Frank is a follower of the ancient Shri Vaishnava tradition of Ramanuja, which is found predominantly in South India. This tradition stresses complete self-surrender to the loving grace of God, and love and service towards all living beings.

With a Philosophy major and a Theology minor, Frank earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago in 1994. In May of 1999, Frank earned a Master of Arts degree in South Asian Languages and Literature. At present, Frank is a Fellow working on his Ph.D. in Languages and Cultures of Asia at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He specializes in Sanskrit, Hindu Studies, Philosophy of Religion and History of Religion. Frank is currently working on his first book entitled "Bhagavata-sabda-pramana: The Epistemology of Jiva Gosvamin in the Interpretation of Vedanta". He is also an Associate Editor of the Encyclopedia of Hinduism Project.

In addition to his academic responsibilities, Frank has initiated a number of projects designed to educate the public about the profound spiritual insights of Sanatana Dharma. He is the founder and Advisor of the Sanatana Dharma Student Association, the University of Wisconsin’s Hindu student and faculty organization. Frank serves as the Associate Editor of "Samskar", the quarterly journal of the Hindu Students Council. He has given numerous lectures, talks and seminars, as well as written various published articles, on different aspects of Hindu philosophy and history. Dharma Darshan was launched onto the internet by Frank in October of 1998. He recently co-created with Vishal Agarwal a website dedicated to Sri Vaishnava philosophy called the Visista Advaita Vedanta Homepage. Currently, Frank is assisting the board of directors of the soon to be built Hindu Temple of Wisconsin, as well as helping to organize the Madison Hindu Association (MAHA), a local Hindu organization. He is the Vice President of the Madison Area Interfaith Network and the founder of the Sanatana Dharma Network (SDN) one of the largest Dharmic information forwarding agencies in cyberspace.

An engaging and fascinating speaker, Frank is available for talks - either academic or popular - on many aspects of Hinduism. He has spoken before diverse audiences ranging from 5 to 2500 people. If you would like to arrange for Frank to give a presentation to your class, temple or organization, please call him at (608) 288-0266, or e-mail him at: fmorale1@students.wisc.edu