By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist Rats evoke the feeling of disgust. There is something inherently dark, unclean and sinister about them. Think rats and you think garbage, gutter, plague and other diseases. Rats mean destruction of property. Pilferage. Filth. There is nothing adorable or desirable about a rat. So why is…
By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist Vajranabhi, son of Aniruddha, grandson of Pradyumna, and great-grandson of Krishna, was king of Mathura and leader of the Yadava clan. He had heard a lot about Krishna, lovingly called Shyam, and so wondered how his illustrious ancestor actually looked. Sadly, no one he knew in…
By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist While in American families, one is encouraged to verbalise ‘I love you’, in most Indian families you don’t need such overt expressions to feel loved and included. Through silence, many things can be communicated: love, hatred, acceptance, rejection, suffering, understanding. The unmanifest (nirakar) is seen as…
By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist In extremist Christian America, evolution is a bad word. Children are taught Creationism, or Intelligent Design, which insists on the role of God in creating the world. Anyone who opposes them is aligned to the Devil. Likewise, in extremist Hindutva India, and extremist Hindutva America, Aryan…
By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist At the heart of the hysteria over the peacock’s tears is Hinduism’s great discomfort with sex. Ever since the British made fun of Hindus for being sexual, sensual and feminine, Hindus especially have been out to prove them wrong. And, this has led to bizarre, even…
By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist Historians say that Islam started 1,400 years ago, with the rise of the Prophet Muhammad. However, Muslims will say that Islam started when Allah created the world and gave his laws to the first Prophet, Adam. Prophet Muhammad is the last of the long list of…
By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist In the beginning was the forest. Humans domesticated the forest to create culture, a space where they could feel secure. However, as societies around the world are becoming unsafe for immigrants, travellers, minorities, women and queer people, it is time to ask ourselves what is culture?…
By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist I recently heard an Odia song where Lakshmi and Parvati tease each other by mocking each other’s husbands. Lakshmi wonders about the health of Shiva’s mount, Nandi, who she describes as an old weak bull. Parvati retorts by describing Vishnu as a cowherd who should know…
By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist Globally, we are seeing a wave against intellectuals, those whose rationality overthrew the priests of yore, who saw the world through a mathematical prism, and sought to create a fair and just society by redistribution of wealth and power, using logic. In Vedic theory, one can…
By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik -Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist For thousands of years, Indians have followed the jati system. By this system, your birth determines your vocation, hence your status in society, and only members of your jati will share food (roti, in Hindi) with you and give their daughters (beti) to marry into your household. This…
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