Mythologist | Author | Speaker | Illustrator
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Articles
The Sage Under the Berry Tree
The name Badrinath carries a quiet ecological memory. Badri means the berry (Ziziphus mauritiana), or jujube tree. Nath means lord. …
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Articles
Jain Saraswati On Goose or Peacock
Sarasvati, goddess of knowledge and speech, has ancient roots in the Vedic river Sarasvati, the cradle of learning and ritual. Over time she evolved from river to goddess, depicted with manuscript, rosary, and water pot — symbols of wisdom. …
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Articles
Karma’s Cosmic Order In Jain Manuscripts
In Jain thought, every action creates a transaction in the cosmic account. Consumption incurs debt. Fasting reduces debt. Charity generates credit. Liberation is achieved when there is no debit or credit left. Those who teach this path are the Tirthankaras, the spiritual fordsmen who help others cross the river of existence…
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Articles
Increase upon Increase
The Sanskrit term for compound interest is chakra-vriddhi, literally ‘wheelgrowth’ or “increase upon increase”. This word occurs in classical Sanskrit lexicons and legal-economic literature, where it denotes interest that accrues on previously accumulated interest, i.e., compound interest…
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Articles
Ashoka’s Afterlife
Historians amplify the rational and secular aspects of Ashoka’s inscriptions, and play down the mythical elements, use of words like paraloka and swarga. These would indicate Ashoka’s need to perform ritual acts to ensure a positive fate in the afterlife…
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Articles
Buddhism, Jainism Within Brahmanism
As per conventional history, Jainism and Buddhism originated in India 2,500 years ago to challenge Vedic ritualism and casteism. Then, a thousand years ago, Buddhism was driven out by Brahmins, with a little help from invading Muslim warlords…
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Articles
Three Dimensions of Greatness
Wisdom prevails only when we listen to each other, find ways to accommodate each other, which is why the Jain community survived despite great hostility in its long history…
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Articles
No Dharma Without Dharma-sankat
Yagna is the primal ritual of the Veda. Mistranslated as sacrifice, it is a ritual of exchange and reciprocity. …
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Articles
Attack of the Intoxicated Elephant
In India, mada refers to temporin, a tar-like liquid that oozes out of the temples of a bull elephant in a state of ‘musth’ or sexual arousal. Such an elephant is dangerous, unstoppable and violent. It fights and kills rivals, it can even kill non-receptive females, and calms down only after it has mated…
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Articles
India is Ram’s Mother, Bharat is Ram’s Brother
Unless we accept the story of Indumati, India is effectively a name by which the outsider saw India…
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Articles
Seventy-Two, Not Just Houri
But in mythology, seventy two is a very exciting number. It is 2 raise the power of 3 (2x2x2) multiplied by 3 raise to the power of 2 (3×3). A perfect symmetry which gives us 8×9 = 72. In ancient times, such numbers had sacred meaning…
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Articles
Krishna’s Sister and the Varying Interpretations Of Her Image
One of the oldest caves (number 27) in Ellora in Maharashtra, has the image of a goddess holding a lotus flower, flanked by two gods…
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Articles
Who are the power-broking landlord monks of Tamil Nadu?
Sengol is a staff of royal authority. We can call the symbol of justice in the spirit of wordplay, when a symbol of monarchy is made the symbol of democracy. …
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Articles
Jain Vaman and Jain Parashuram
Published on 23rd April, 2023, in Mid-day. Jainism thrived in the western part of India, …
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Articles
Forgotten Ballads Of Indian Merchants
Published on 1st April, 2023, in Economic Times. India was famous for trading with Southeast …
