Mythologist | Author | Speaker | Illustrator
-
Articles
When the concept of liberation is closely linked to the concept of debt
Published on 28th June, 2019, in Economic Times One of the key principles in Hindu mythology is the idea of rebirth. It means that no child is born on earth with a clean slate. He comes to the world with debt (rinn). This debt is of various kinds. We owe debt to our ancestors. Because…
-
Articles
The non-violent Ram: Stories from the Jain tradition – and how they differ from the Hindu canon
Published on 12th May, 2019, in Mumbai Mirror Followers of Hindutva believe that Jainism is just a branch of Hinduism, despite the fact that it is deemed a minority religion in India’s Constitution. They often use the phrase Sanatan Dharma as an umbrella term to include both faiths. While there are no doubt many things…
-
Articles
The metaphor of the forest
Published on 21st April, 2019, in Mid-day. To understand Hindu mythology, it is critical to understand the metaphor of forests. Forests represent the default wild world, where might is right, where strong prey on the weak; while culture represents the world, where the forest has been domesticated, where might is no longer right, and the…
-
Articles
Beyond justice and forgiveness
Published on 3rd March, 2019, in Mumbai Mirror. The two ideas may shape our understanding of conflicts, but Hinduism, which is based on karma, is more complex. Whenever we are deeply hurt, a question comes to our mind: do we seek justice through retribution, or do we let go? Justice and forgiveness are two concepts…
-
Articles
So many different Indras
Published on 16th February, 2019, in Mid-day. When we speak of Indra, we must keep in mind that the scriptures refer to six different types of Indra, belonging to different periods of history…
-
Articles
Who is a Hindu? The Curious Case of Brahmins
Published on 17th February, 2019 in Mumbai Mirror. In Hindu scriptures, killing a Brahmin is deemed the worst of sins. It is called Brahma-hatyapaap. And he who kills a Brahmin is considered the greatest sinner…
-
Articles
Who is a Hindu? Making of a Hindu king
The king brings order. But how does one establish himself as a ruler?…
-
Articles
The Five-Headed Hanuman
One of the popular images of Hanuman is one where he has five faces and five pairs of hands. It is known as the Panchmukhi, or five-faced, Hanuman…
-
Articles
Fake news: Was Sita the first victim?
In popular tradition, Ram is called Ramachandra. Though he belongs to the Suryavansh lineage, the solar dynasty, his name contains the word, Chandra or moon, to remind one – as per one folk tale – how his nobility gets eclipsed by the moon in the way he treats Sita…
-
Articles
The gallery of female rogues
Women can be dangerous forces of nature, or hypersexual beings, who take away the power of men, chain them to the material world and prevent them from walking the spiritual path…
-
Articles
Who is a Hindu? The forest of sacred stories
Puranas introduce us to the classical Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and their spouses — goddesses Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati…
-
Articles
How Lord Hanuman can make leaders good human beings
Hanuman is powerful. So he does not have the need to intimidate people…
-
Articles
Who is a Hindu? Why do intellectuals scorn Hindu deities?
Hindus as it doesn’t comply with their preconceived notions of what god and religion should be…
-
Articles
Back to old values of love
By decriminalising gay sex, SC recognises where India’s greatness lies – in inclusion and diversity…
-
Articles
The goddess of sailors
Most images of boats in Indian art are related to ponds and rivers, and not the sea, such as images of Ram and Sita crossing the Ganga, or Krishna and Radha on Yamuna…
