2021
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Tying the Knot
Published on 22nd August, 2021, in Mid-day. In Hindu metaphysics, yoga is the practice of untying mental knots. Bhoga is the experience of life that creates these mental knots. When we consume life, we experience hunger, fear, delight, jealousy, attachment,…
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A Brahmin in Kerala
Published on 21st August, 2021, in Economic Times. The Puranas tell the story of an asura king called Mahabali who gave people whatever they desired. Mahabali had thrown out Indra, king of devas, who ruled the skies, and now controlled…
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Shyam, Our Little Krishna
Shyam, Our Little Krishna: Read and Colour. An all-in-one storybook, picture book and colouring book from India’s most-loved mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik introduces the story of Krishna, fondly known as Shyam, to a new generation of readers. Told simply in his…
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Ancestor Gods of Korea
Published on 15th August, 2021, in Mid-day. The Korean peninsula is located in Northeast Asia, jutting out into the sea. To its west is China and to its east is Japan. Both China and Japan have sought to lay claim…
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How Did Tantra Spread from India to Tibet?
Published on 14th August, 2021, in Times of India. Tibetan Buddhism is called Vajrayana Buddhism, which is sometimes also called Tantrik Buddhism. Here, women play an important role, which is why the symbols of Vajrayana Buddhism are a double-sided dagger…
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From Vedas to Puranas
Published on 8th August, 2021, in Mid-day. Vedas were composed 3,000 years ago, while the Puranas were composed 1,500 years ago. In between, came the great epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, after the Vedas, but before the Puranas. The two reflect…
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View: Do Not Consume What You Protect
Published on 6th August, 2021, in Economic Times. Four hundred years ago, the people of Kerala began telling the story of how Kerala emerged from a mysterious past. They spoke of how Parashurama reclaimed land from the sea and gave…
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Mythology In Sikhism
Published on 1st August, 2021, in Mid-day. I am often asked if there is such a thing as mythology in Sikhism. The simple answer is, yes. But this answer often confuses people. For most, mythology continues to be a 19th…
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Were All Hindu Saints Allowed Into Temples?
Published on 31st July, 2021, in Times of India. In Maharashtra, at Pandharpur, outside the temple of Vithala, is a shrine to the poet-saint, Chokhamela, who lived in the 14th Century. The saint was not allowed to enter the temple…
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What the Chinese Saw In India
Published on 25th July, 2021, in Mid-day. Chinese scholars realised the Buddhism they were receiving was in diluted or corrupted form. So, many monks travelled to India by land and sea routes to get the original documents. They translated them…
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Shutting Up a Vampire
Published on A vampire in Indian folktales is known as a vetala. It is unable to cross the river Vaitarni and go to the land of the ancestors. So it lives in the crematorium, inside a corpse, using its tongue…
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Prophets In Islam
Published on 18th July, 2021, in Mid-day. In Islamic lore, Islam is as old as creation. Allah, which is Arabic for ‘the’ God, created 1,24,000 prophets (paigambar), who encouraged all humans to follow the path prescribed by God. Of these,…
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What Was Hinduism Like Before Temples?
Published on 16th July, 2021, in Times of India. Harappan seals indicate that its residents worshipped trees, and holy men who lived in forests. There are were no temples in Harappan cities. The oldest of the Vedic scriptures, the Rig…
