Mythologist | Author | Speaker | Illustrator

2018

  • Who is a Hindu? Hindu ship of Theseus

    Who is a Hindu? Hindu ship of Theseus

    Traditions may change every few years, but one school of thought says the essence of Hinduism will remain the same…

  • Ancient incest in the sky

    Ancient incest in the sky

    In the Vedas, long before people knew about gods such as Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, there was a story of how the god of heaven committed incest with the goddess of dawn, his daughter…

  • No definite article in Indic culture

    No definite article in Indic culture

    A word like Satya, does not mean the truth, it means infinite truth. Mithya, doesn’t mean falsehood or interpretations or perceptions, it means limited or finite truth…

  • Who is a Hindu? The forest of sacred stories

    Who is a Hindu? The forest of sacred stories

    Puranas introduce us to the classical Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and their spouses — goddesses Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati…

  • The nymph and the hermit

    The nymph and the hermit

    The most visible form of connecting with the material world is the sexual act…

  • Modern people want to feel liberal, so they construct a past that’s conservative

    Modern people want to feel liberal, so they construct a past that’s conservative

    Published on 27th October, 2018, in Indian Express. The latest edition of the Express Adda …

  • Men and women in Hindu mythology

    Men and women in Hindu mythology

    God cannot exist without Goddess. Goddess cannot exist without God. Indian author Devdutt Pattanaik sheds light on Hindu mythology…

  • Devdutt Pattanaik on Why Indian Mythology Is Relevant in Western Workplaces Too

    Devdutt Pattanaik on Why Indian Mythology Is Relevant in Western Workplaces Too

    In a two-part interview, the author and mythologist unravels the secret to finding balance and purpose…

  • Mountain of Vedas

    Mountain of Vedas

    Through stories of the mountain of Vedas and the blinking gods, Hindus were made aware of the scale of the universe and its wisdom, very different from the finite, closed word of ancient Greeks, inherited by the church…

  • Lessons from Indra’s elephant

    Lessons from Indra’s elephant

    Legend has it that fear of Indian war elephants was one of the reason that prevented Alexander from marching into the subcontinent. By the time of Ashoka, the elephant embodied kingship and so naturally came to be associated with Indra, the celestial king…

  • Exclusive | Verdict rejected value of diversity: Devdutt Pattanaik on Sabarimala

    Exclusive | Verdict rejected value of diversity: Devdutt Pattanaik on Sabarimala

    In an exclusive interview to Thestatesman.com, Devdutt Pattanaik speaks on mythology, Sabarimala, Ram temple, Section 377 and many other subjects…

  • The idea of many religions

    The idea of many religions

    The Europeans believed the only truth was Christianity…

  • Who is a Hindu? Understanding Hindu stories

    Who is a Hindu? Understanding Hindu stories

    A typical Durga image, established collectively, represents the collective power of the village which helps in defeating calamities. This then becomes an anthropological approach in the study of Hindu mythology…

  • View: Power has an inherent interest to keep things secret

    View: Power has an inherent interest to keep things secret

    Published on 6th October, 2018, in The Economic Times. A simple way to harness power …

  • Vedic approach to desire

    Vedic approach to desire

    The Vedic approach was very different. Suffering can be reduced when we pay attention to, and try to satisfy, each other’s desires…

  • Metaphors of the Goddess

    Metaphors of the Goddess

    It is a mystery for many why Hindus, for whom divinity is both male and female, treat women so badly…

  • How sex became unholy

    How sex became unholy

    Today, we equate celibacy with social work. The popular belief is that a person who does not have sex has transcended desire. That such a man is more concerned with the welfare of the larger public world than his personal, private, selfish welfare…

  • Who is a Hindu? The politics of bodily fluids

    Who is a Hindu? The politics of bodily fluids

    By using body physiology to create a spiritual hierarchy, some Hindu orders have placed men above women…