Why Does Arjuna Overshadow Bhima In Epics?

When Draupadi is publicly humiliated, it is Bhima who avenges her, collecting Dushasana’s blood so she can wash her unbound hair; it is Bhima who smashes Kichaka to pulp when Arjuna does nothing to stop her abuser. And still, through all of it, it is Arjuna who remains her favourite. …

Tirthankar: Jain Dharm Par 63 Vichar

by Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Mihir Nilum Jajodia (Translator) …

The Forgotten Women Who Helped Shape Jainism

Jainism follows the path revealed by 24 sages known as Tirthankara, who appear in every …

Anahat Collections

  • From Gulamgiri to The Immortals of Meluha

    From Gulamgiri to The Immortals of Meluha

    Phule’s work is insurgent literature that anticipates evidence from below. Tripathi’s 21st century civilisational literature evades it from above…

  • Civilisations, Time and the Turning Wheel

    Civilisations, Time and the Turning Wheel

    Financial crises, endless wars, political polarisation, demographic decline, climate anxiety and the rise of new global powers have made many wonder whether civilisations can also decline…

  • Mahakala in Baghdad

    Mahakala in Baghdad

    Mughals claimed royal authority very differently, directly from God, almost like Sufi mystics without the Caliph’s intervention. This little detail is often missed. And this shift has to do with Buddhism. Specifically, Tantrik Buddhism of Tibet…

  • How Was Atharva Veda Different?

    How Was Atharva Veda Different?

    The Rigveda praises the gods. The priest composes beautiful hymns, asks for cattle, sons, victory, rain. The relationship is simple: human below, god above, prayer going upward. The Atharva Veda works differently. The priest does not pray. He acts…

  • The Rise of Nava-grahas

    The Rise of Nava-grahas

    In Vedic times, graha meant malevolent spirits who hurt mothers and babies. It had nothing to do with planets. The 3000-year-old Vedic Jyotisha had nothing to do with predicting the future. It was a practical science of timekeeping — fixing solstices, calibrating the lunar calendar, scheduling sacrifices. The Rig Veda mentions no grahas at all.…

  • Did Indra Eat Buffaloes?

    Did Indra Eat Buffaloes?

    We live in times, where people want to ban goat sacrifice during the Muslim observance of Bakra Eid, on grounds of compassion. This overt attack on Islamic rituals is also a covert attack on subaltern Hindu practices — where goddesses are offered fish and meat…

New Books

  • Flower of India: Ways of Seeing the Lotus

    Flower of India: Ways of Seeing the Lotus

    In Flower of India, bestselling author and renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik examines the lotus as one of the most pervasive and resonant symbols of the Indian subcontinent. Through its many avatars—as plant, resource, metaphor, design, and sacred form—he traces how the lotus has shaped India’s cultural imagination across history, religion, art, and everyday life. Concise…

    Amazon
  • Astra Shastra: Weapons of the Hindu Gods

    Astra Shastra: Weapons of the Hindu Gods

    Well-known mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik introduces young readers to the wonderful weapons of Hindu gods with his unique art and easy-to-read text…

    Amazon
  • Escape the Bakasura Trap : Let Contentment Fuel Your Growth

    Escape the Bakasura Trap : Let Contentment Fuel Your Growth

    This book re-discovers this path, first revealed by Hanuman in the Mahabharata. Insightful and inspiring, Escape the Bakasura Trap is another classic from one of our great mythologists and thinkers…

    Amazon
  • लंकेश: रावण संग एक रोमांचक यात्रा

    लंकेश: रावण संग एक रोमांचक यात्रा

    यह पुस्तक भारत के सबसे विख्यात महाकाव्य रामायण और इस कारण भारत के सबसे बड़े खलनायक, रावण, को विस्तार से जानने की राह खोलती है।…

    Amazon

Devdutt Pattanaik writes and speaks on the relevance of mythology in modern times, especially in areas of management, governance, and leadership.