A Handbook of Hindu Mythology (Price Rs. 250/-)
Hindus have one God.
They also have 330 million gods: male gods, female gods, personal gods, family gods, household gods, village gods, gods of space and time, gods for specific castes and particular professions, gods who reside in trees, in animals, in minerals, in geometrical patterns and in man-made objects.
Then there are a whole host of demons.
But no Devil.
In this groundbreaking book Dr Devdutt Pattanaik, one of India’s most popular mythologists, seeks an answer to these apparent paradoxes and unravels an inherited truth about life and death, nature and culture, perfection and possibility. He retells sacred Hindu stories and decodes Hindu symbols and rituals, using a unique style of commentary, illustrations and diagrams. We discover why the villainous Kauravas went to heaven and the virtuous Pandavas (all except Yudhishtira) were sent to hell; why Rama despite abandoning the innocent Sita remains the model king; why the blood-drinking Kali is another form of the milk-giving Gauri; and why Shiva wrenched off the fifth head of Brahma.
Constructed over generations, Hindu myths serve as windows to the soul, and provide an understanding of the world around us. The aim is not to outgrow myth, but to be enriched and empowered by its ancient, potent and still relevant language.
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Amit Tewary
I have reservations about the way complex Hindu Culture is understood by writers, especially the intellectual snobs who dominate the Indian media today. I should admit that it was with great hesitation that I bought this book at Mumbai airport. But after having gone through this book, I recommend this as a brilliant piece of work, a must read for all Indophiles. This book moves elegantly through the maze of Hindu symbols, siphons relevant information from plethora of ancient texts and makes a beautiful collage. I have learnt a lot from this book ……….
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Nov 01, 2009 @ 8:48 pm
Denim
Must read for all those who want to know deeper meaning behind mythological stories, symbols and rituals. Reminded me of my childhood time with my grandmother.
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Aug 22, 2010 @ 11:14 am
Aashu Madhan
I am completely awed by the book and moreso with the way the ideas are compiled and presented by Dr.Pattanaik. This book is like a modern mans Ready Reckoner to Mythology.
I used to hear these stories from my grandmother (many many years back) and since she passed away (many many years back) there was no one to validate these stories and no hope of reviving the logic attached to these mythological stories.
Dr.Pattanaik has re-told all my grandmothers stories with greater detail (than my grandmother) and with such perfection that i feel there should be some mechanism through which i could email these stories to her (wherever she is). But the brighter side is, i will be in a better position to convey them to my grandchildren. I am sure Brahma, Vishnu, Shiv and Dr.Pattanaik will help me in this mission.
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Sep 02, 2010 @ 8:44 am