By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist If you read the Vedas, which are nearly 4000 years old, the word ‘asura’ does not mean demon, or villain, but quite the opposite, a divine being. It’s a title given to Indra, Agni, Rudra, Varuna, and to most Vedic deities. Vritra, the enemy of Indra,…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist In mythology, generally, masculinity refers to the human desire to dominate and be territorial like the proverbial alpha male. In a positive sense it protects, in a negative sense it controls. Femininity is associated with nourishment, with feeding others (in a positive sense) and consuming others…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist In temples like Jagannath Puri and in many South Indian temples, Vishnu is flanked by two forms of Lakshmi: Sridevi and Bhoodevi. What is the difference between the two? Bhoodevi is the Goddess of the earth, from earth comes all our wealth. From within the earth…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist Buddha said that desire is the cause of suffering. Outgrowing desire enables one to experience freedom from suffering. The Vedic approach was very different. Suffering can be reduced when we pay attention to, and try to satisfy, each other’s desires. This gave rise to the ritual…

In the early times, Feng Shui was known as Kanyu, or ‘The Law of Heaven and Earth.’ Later on, it was coined as Feng Shui which literally translates as ‘Wind Water’ during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and this was based on the classic called as ‘Book of Burial.’ At the basic level, Traditional Feng Shui…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist The Garuda Purana is one of the 18 Puranas composed by Ved Vyasa in order to explain Vedic principles. It was in a forest called Naimisha, where the narration happened for the first time. In the story, Vyasa says that the Garuda Purana was narrated by…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist If you travel to Lucknow, it is possible that you will pass a forest known by the name of Naimish-aranya, the forest of King Nimi, on the banks of the river Gomti. This forest is where the stories of the eighteen Mahapuranas, and the epics Mahabharata…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist In the Veda, there is no mention of Bhagavan. The idea of God is explored in various ways, but there is no definitive idea like Bhagavan, which we find in the Puranas. The Vedas are 4,000 years old and the Puranas 2,000 years old. The Vedas…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist Ashtavakra is a famous rishi associated with the Upanishadic period, roughly 2,500 years ago. His conversations with Janaka are very popular, where he draws attention to the connection between the spirit within us and the spirit that is present all around us — the relationship between…