By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist Bharadvaja is a famous Rishi in ancient Hindu lore, listed as one of the Sapta Rishis, or the seven celestial sages. Bharadvaja is one of the sages that Ram meets on his exile. It was he who asked Indra to give him knowledge of Ayurveda, so…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist The concept of Nava-durga is extremely popular during Navaratri. Navaratri refers to the nine nights that lead to the celebration of Vijayadashami. The Goddess is worshipped in nine forms. The nine forms are Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skanda Mata, Kaatyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri and Siddharaatri. These are…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist About 400 years ago, a Shakta text was composed in Sanskrit language, probably in Bengal. It was called Radha Tantra. It was a response to the rising tide of the Chaitanya Vaishnava movement, where Krishna is the supreme divine being and Radha is the subordinate. From…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist So, the Government has appointed a committee to delve into the “true” history of India, starting from 12,000 years ago, since the Ice Age, which Hindutva historians assume is the “pralaya” of the Puranas. The committee has only “upper” caste men. No one from below the…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist One of the things in the about 4,000-year-old Harappan seals is the value placed on trees. There is the peepal tree and the babool (acacia) tree that have been identified. The peepal tree is identified by its characteristic wide tapering leaves. The babool tree is identified…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist Parasurama is the sixth avatar of Vishnu, also one of the most controversial ones. This is why we do not see many temples dedicated to him. If we do, we find them along the Konkan coast and Karnataka, as a subsidiary shrine, in temples related to…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist The concept of Nava-durga is extremely popular during Navaratri. Navaratri refers to the nine nights that lead to the celebration of Vijayadashami. The Goddess is worshipped in nine forms. The nine forms are Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skanda Mata, Kaatyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri and Siddharaatri. These are…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist One day Vishnu met Shiva, and they both complained about their domestic situation. Shiva said, “Gauri, my wife who I place on my lap, gets annoyed that I prefer my other wife, Ganga who sits on my hand. The two never get along. She gets so…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist On the day of Rama’s coronation, in the middle of the royal court, Lakshman started to laugh. Everyone wondered who was Lakshman laughing at. Was he laughing at Ayodhya, victim of Palace politics who had to bow before a pair of footwear for 14 years? Was…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist Plants play a key role in Hindu mythology. Plants are seen as sacred, sometimes deities by themselves, and sometimes as key offerings in a ritual. It all starts with the veneration of Soma, a mysterious hallucinogenic herb, referred to in the Rig Veda that is simultaneously…