Mythologist | Author | Speaker | Illustrator
-
Articles
The Two Faces Of Varuna
Varuna is one of the most ancient gods of the Vedic pantheon. In the Rig Veda, he is majestic, distant, and terrifying. He sits above the world, ruler of the sky and the ocean, guardian of the cosmic law called rta. He sees everything. Nothing escapes him. …
-
Articles
Can There Be a Sanatani Missionary?
A missionary (pracharak, in Hindi) is a relentless salesman. He sells God. He sells God’s message. For centuries there have been Christian missionaries, Muslim missionaries, and Buddhist missionaries. The last century saw the rise of Hindu missionaries. Many of these call themselves sanatani today. But what exactly are these sanatani missionaries selling?…
-
Articles
A Problematic Indra
In Purana, Indra is a luxury loving god who lives in paradise. Stories of this later Indra are not very flattering. He is always scared of losing all that he has…
-
Articles
The Durga of Dalit Mythology
In recent years, there has been a growing clash between ‘Sanatani mythology’ and ‘Dalit mythology’. During the festival season last month, a well-known Dalit activist argued that the worship of Durga is nothing but the celebration of an Aryan invasion of Dravidian lands. In his retelling, Mahishasur, the buffalo demon, represents dark-skinned Dravidians while Durga…
-
Articles
The Cannibal’s Victim
Kaisika Dwadashi, the 12th day of the waxing moon after Diwali, is celebrated in many Vishnu temples of South India. During this time, people are encouraged to visit the temple and hear the story from Varaha Purana of Nampaduvan, a “low” caste singer who was caught by a cannibalistic demon known as Brahma-Rakshasa…
-
Articles
How Many Manus Do You know?
Most people assume that Manu is simply the stern lawgiver of the Manusmriti, son of Brahma, entrusted with the task of framing rules for humankind. But this Manu is only one among many, and a relatively late one at that — emerging around 200 AD. …
-
Articles
What makes the idea of ‘sanatan dharma’ such a contentious issue
What is sanatan dharma? Sanatan dharma can mean: One, faith in eternal things; two, faith in soul and rebirth; three, faith in the caste system; four, faith in the doctrine of purity…
-
Articles
Was Brahma ever Timeless?
The word Sanantan Dharma used by politicians tries to proclaim that Hinduism is unchanging and the only disruption came because of Muslims and British, and their political opponents. But that is not true. …
-
Articles
Why no Diwali and Dussehra in Kerala and Kashmir
Religions are never homogeneous. Hinduism is no exception. A case in point is how Diwali and Dussehra are not celebrated in Kashmir or Kerala with the same gusto seen across North, West and East India…
-
Articles
Pigeon Spirituality
Who funds these monks who promote non-violence and vegetarian food? Those who make money from industries that pollute rivers, seas, and air. India’s biggest industrialists are vegetarians. …
-
Articles
The Non-Brahmin Priests of Hinduism
Hinduism has many groups and communities. Different castes and tribes have different gods. Each of these gods have different priests.…
-
Articles
From ‘makhan-chor’ to rebel icon, MP’s recasting of Krishna echoes Gujarat’s warrior tradition
Many Sanatani Hindus do not like the idea of Krishna, the beloved of women. They prefer Krishna, the warrior, admired by men. Krishna allows such interpretations because we are looking at a deity who has evolved over at least 2,000 years. …
-
Articles
How Is Knowledge Transmitted?
Knowledge can be transmitted orally or in the form of texts. Hindus preferred the oral form…
-
Articles
Why Kubera Is Not Ganesha
While plants and animals seek nourishment and security, humans seek more. Our hunger and fear is amplified infinitely by imagination. But food does not take away imagined hunger. If anything, it amplifies imagined hunger. We seek more resources, more power, more knowledge about resources and power…
-
Articles
Forgotten Mandala Kingdoms
We remember this connection of Hinduism with Southeast Asia only when we realise that the airport in Bangkok is called Suvarnabhumi Airport and it is adorned with images of the churning of the ocean. But the gods and demons look so different — the serpent looks like a Chinese dragon. It has its own character.…
