Puranic

  • The Maleness of Shiva

    The Maleness of Shiva

    This leads to questions if Shiva and Shakti are equal halves or is she the inferior half? Are they talking about men and women, or about mind and body?…

  • The Yugas Came Later

    The Yugas Came Later

    The four yugas of Hindu mythology (Krita, Treta, Dvapara, Kali) are based on the numbers on traditional four-sided dice: four, three, two, one. They refer to the four legs of the bull of dharma…

  • When Did Krishna Start Playing the Flute?

    When Did Krishna Start Playing the Flute?

    The earliest clear undisputed image of Krishna playing the flute comes from the 8th century CE, from Mallikarjuna temple, Pattadakal in Karnataka…

  • Fifth Veda Uses Gender As a Metaphor

    Fifth Veda Uses Gender As a Metaphor

    We need to remember that as per popular lore, the gods created the Puranas as the Fifth Veda to transmit Vedic wisdom to women and lowborn people who did not have access to the mantra and the ritual…

  • The Forest and the Field

    The Forest and the Field

    Increasingly, we find laws that protect forests being cut down, giving way for industries. This brings tribal communities into conflict with the state. …

  • The History of Draupadi’s Vastraharan

    The History of Draupadi’s Vastraharan

    When we study the history of the story, we realise that Draupadi’s disrobing and rerobing by Krishna was never part of the earliest layers of the epic…

  • The Influence of Vikramaditya

    The Influence of Vikramaditya

    Today’s politicians have convinced themselves and their vote bank that they exist to defend Hindu …

  • From Fortune’s Favourite to Mother’s Son

    From Fortune’s Favourite to Mother’s Son

    Indians have visualised India in many different ways. Often through the lens of outsiders. About …

  • Rashtra-Devta Inside a Tree

    Rashtra-Devta Inside a Tree

    A king’s dream about a god in a tree connects Manipur and Sri Lanka with Odisha…

  • Which Game Are You Playing Today?

    Which Game Are You Playing Today?

    Increasingly, modern society is trying to turn every game into a competitive game, where someone has to be defeated to win. The dopamine rush comes only when you triumph over others. This is the value that we are giving people. …

  • Why Puranas Represent a Wider Indian Ethos Than the Vedas

    Why Puranas Represent a Wider Indian Ethos Than the Vedas

    Published on 5th April, 2023, in Times of India. The Puranas are called the fifth …

  • Why the Location of Shiva’s Pillars Has Become So Controversial

    Why the Location of Shiva’s Pillars Has Become So Controversial

    Published on 25th February, 2023, in Times of India. The Assam government’s claim that the …

  • Veda, Vedanga, Vedanta

    Veda, Vedanga, Vedanta

    Published on 19th February, 2023, in Mid-day. Hinduism can be divided into three major eras. …

  • How the Gayatri Mantra, composed by men, heard by men, for a male deity, became embodied as a goddess

    How the Gayatri Mantra, composed by men, heard by men, for a male deity, became embodied as a goddess

    Published on 27th January, 2023, in The Hindu. Mantra is a carefully crafted sound formula …

  • View: Privilege to Saraswati at the cost of Durga & Lakshmi is an old Brahmanical hangover

    View: Privilege to Saraswati at the cost of Durga & Lakshmi is an old Brahmanical hangover

    Published on 21st January, 2023, in Economic Times. In America, the state serves the rich. …

  • Losing and Gaining the Head

    Losing and Gaining the Head

    Published on 1st January, 2023, in Mid-day. We have heard stories of how Shiva beheaded …

  • The Lore of Weavers

    The Lore of Weavers

    Published on 18th December, 2022, in Mid-day. Weaving is a very unique human activity. Animals …

  • Those Who Give Gifts Voluntarily Are Truly Rare and Great

    Those Who Give Gifts Voluntarily Are Truly Rare and Great

    Published on 10th December, 2022, in Economic Times. Many people think the world is unravelling …