Mythologist | Author | Speaker | Illustrator
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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. …
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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…
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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. …
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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…
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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. …
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Hindu Temples in Cambodia and Thailand
The recent skirmish between Cambodia and Thailand caught Indian attention not because of Buddhist politics but because the fight was over a Hindu temple perched on the border of two Buddhist nations. …
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Articles
Kailasa in Cambodia
A few decades before the Chola king Rajaraja I built the Brihadeeswara Temple in Tamil Nadu, around 1000 AD, a Khmer king called Jayavarman IV had begun building a temple to replicate the Kailasa mountain in Cambodia, at Koh Ker, complete with a tank that would replicate the river Ganga. …
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Articles
Abandoned twins: Kripa and Kripi
One day, King Shantanu stumbles upon two abandoned babies on the forest floor: a boy and a girl. He adopts them, names them Kripa and Kripi, and raises them…
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Articles
Why Buddhists Erased a Queen From History
Buddhism is seen today as the religion of social justice. Yet, in ancient and medieval times, the Buddhist monastic discipline spread concepts of misogyny wherever it went…
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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.…
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Articles
Many Forms of the Buddha
Over time, the Buddha images multiplied in form and scale. They were carved seated, standing, reclining, and even walking. They spread from India to Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, China, and Tibet. Giant Buddhas were cut into cliffs along trade routes, reassuring travellers and marking the way…
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Articles
Why is Marxism turning homophobic?
Marxist movements have always aligned with groups seen as oppressed by capitalist regimes. On one side, progressive left voices (e.g., queer activists, gender-fluid theorists) proclaim ‘no binaries, no genders.’ On the other, Marxist solidarity movements justify or ignore homophobia when practiced by anti-capitalist or anti-imperialist groups. Thus, a contradiction emerges: Oppressed peoples are granted the…
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Articles
Three Dharmic Archetypes
Hindu mythology expresses personal transformation of leaders through three archetypes: Indra, Shiva and Vishnu. The worlds they create are Swarga, Kailasa and Vaikuntha…
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Articles
The Buddha and His Impact On Brahminism
Vishnu takes the form of Buddha to save animals from being slaughtered in Vedic rituals. Today, many Hindus get upset when told that Vedic rituals involved animal sacrifice. Clearly, Buddhist influence on Vedic Brahmins has been profound, though always denied…
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Articles
Decoding Invisible Hunger and Fear
Where there is pursuit of food, there is hunger. Where there is hunger there is competition, collaboration, success and failure. …
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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. …