By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist To be or not to be celibate is an important concept that emerged in India, and, although it is attributed to Buddha, it is perhaps an older concept that existed even during the Vedic times, when there is reference to narcotic-drinking hermits, who stayed away from…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist The word yoga comes to us from the Vedic period. It basically referred to connecting the cart to the horse or the cart to the ox, ergo, it is about connecting two things. The simplest meaning of yoga is a connection, or more specifically, alignment between…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist How do you validate human existence? Ancient Hindu scriptures say there are four pillars to this: Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha. Dharma is about the responsibility to society at large. Artha is about achievement and success. Kama is about intimacy, about sensual and sexual pleasures. Moksha is…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist We live in times where many people cannot handle the idea of adult women choosing their own husbands. Perhaps it is time to revisit the eloping women in sacred Krishna lore. Krishna is famous for playing the flute at night. On hearing this, the milkmaids of…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist When you think wrestling, Krishna is not the first name that comes to mind. You think Hanuman whose saffron images grace the mud-pits of traditional Indian gymnasiums known as akharas. Young men in loincloth, coated with mustard or sesame oil, can be seen in these places…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist We don’t know if the idea of God existed in the cities of the Indus Valley over 5,000 years ago. The seals with their images and symbols do suggest an awareness of the idea of the sacred. Symbols found such as the bull, the elephant, the…

By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik – Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist Humans domesticated fire around 3,00,000 years ago. We started using tools around that time. But, the human brain evolved to its current size roughly 2,00,000 years ago. We migrated out of Africa into India, 50,000 years ago. So, when do we find the earliest signs of…

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…