Religions
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Can the Ramayana Be Feminist?
Published on 5th June, 2021, in Mumbai Mirror. The Ramayana has been seen differently by different people. It’s a story rooted in Vedic culture that thrived in 1,000 BCE, in the Gangetic plains. But it was put down in writing…
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Hindutva: A Sampradaya, Not a Parampara
Published on 30th May, 2021, in Mid-day. The word Hindutva was invented by Chandranath Basu in Bengal in 1892. He was against the 19th Century reform movement popularly known as Hindu Renaissance led by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, who had…
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Where Do Rishis Come from?
Published on 23rd May, 2021, in Mid-day. Many believe rishis are special beings, who have access to special mantras. They understand the vibrations of the universe. They communicate these mantras through words, chants, and hymns of the Vedas. They play…
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Why Do Hindu Gods Never Give Sermons?
Published on 22nd May, 2021, in Mumbai Mirror. Buddhism speaks of the discourses given by the Buddha to thousands of monks, nuns and lay people at Jetavana. Jainism speaks of samavasaran, when the Tirthankara reveals Jain wisdom to all creatures,…
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Bhairava’s Truth In the Light Of the Funeral Pyre
Published on 17th May, 2021, in Scroll.in . Hindutva is a 19th-century political ideology that proclaims itself to be the defender of Hinduism. Yet it is terrified of truth. The truth of death – of hundreds of bodies floating down…
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Does Krishna Take the Viratrupa In the Gita To Intimidate?
Who is a Hindu? Does Krishna take the Viratrupa in the Gita to intimidate? Published on 9th May, 2021, in Bangalore Mirror. A friend, who works in human resources, once shared his understanding of the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna was trying…
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Kaabah, As Metaphor
Published on 9th May, 2021, in Mid-day. Humans found food in the plant and animal kingdoms. They were first foragers of fruits and roots, and hunters of animals. Then, they became cultivators of the land and herders of goats, pigs,…
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Marriage: 100 Stories Around India’s Favourite Ritual
Marriage, by mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik, brings together stories from Vedic, Puranic, Tamil, and Sanskrit literature, from regional, classical, folk and tribal lore, from oral and textual traditions, across 3000 years of history and 3 million square kilometres of geography, to…
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How Brahma Lost His Position
Published on 25th April, 2021, in Mid-day. In Vedic times, 3,000 years ago, Brahma referred to ‘brahman’, the impersonal divine energy linked to consciousness, spirit and meaning. Gradually, in Puranic times, 2,000 years ago, the idea of a god named…
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Are Brahmins a Single, Homogenous Group?
Who is a Hindu? Are Brahmins a single, homogenous group? Published on 25th April, 2021, in Mumbai Mirror. Brahmins have to be distinguished from rishis, who actually ‘saw’ the mantras and transmitted them in the Vedas. They were different from…
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Tamed by Buddhism
Published on 18th April, 2021, in Mid-day. Buddha taught the sacred lore (dhamma) that would end all suffering. Many of his students renounced society and became monks (bhikku) and nuns (bhikkuni) of his sacred order (sangha). They travelled everywhere spreading…
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Give or Take: Bartering For Better Economics
Published on 15th April, 2021, in Economic Times. The word ‘transaction’ is associated with commerce, business and marketplaces. It is considered the opposite of spirituality, which should be non-transactional. Spirituality presupposes a spiritual entity, with infinite energy, that can give…
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Why Is There No Judgement Day in Hinduism?
Who is a Hindu? Why is there no Judgement Day in Hinduism? Published on 11th April, 2021, in Mumbai Mirror. Hindus believe in rebirth and so greater value is given to debt to the world and liberation from the world,…
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A Forgotten Buddhist Journey
Published on 4th April, 2021, in Mid-day. About 2,500 years ago, Buddha revolutionised the intellectual world with his idea that desire is the cause of suffering. He invented practices that would end desire and so suffering. He established a community…
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To Burn or Bury.
Published on 21st March, 2021, in Mid-day. Hindus are constantly reminded of the cycle of life, in ritual after ritual. In Vedic times, 3,000 years ago, bricks would be gathered to build a fire altar where the gods would be…
