A.K. Ramanujan (1929–1993) was an eminent Indian poet, essayist, and transdisciplinary scholar. From 1962 until his death, he was a professor at the University of Chicago, where he was instrumental in shaping the South Asian Studies program; he also taught at several other U.S. universities. In 1976 the Indian government awarded Ramanujan the Padme Shri, one of its highest civilian awards, for his contributions to Indian literature and linguistics. In 1983, he received a MacArthur Prize Fellowship. (Photograph courtesy of the Estate of A.K. Ramanujan.) [Translation]