Showing results by author "Devdutt Pattanaik" in All Categories

It is a popular belief that the Ramayana is idealistic while the Mahabharata is realistic. Yet these two epics have identical building blocks, identical themes, and identical history. In this groundbreaking book, Devdutt Pattanaik, India’s most popular mythologist, explores the similarities and dissimilarities between the two epics in a ‘playful analaysis’. Whether it is the family structure, forest exile, or war, the comparison between the two epics prove a startling point - the Mahabharata is in fact a reaction to the events in the Ramayana.

Jaya: A Retelling Of The Mahabharata has the whole epic, which was originally known as Jaya, condensed into a tiny capsule in this book. Other than retelling the interesting parts of the Mahabharata, what makes this book a favourite among the readers is Pattanaik rendering of the various local...

Manu said that a woman’s dharma is to be mother, daughter, sister and wife in service of men, regardless of the caste. In modern times we call this patriarchy. In the Veda, the need to control and favour hierarchy, is an expression of an anxious mind.Hindu, Buddhist and Jain lore is full of...

More than 500 years after the Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi wrote his epic poem Padmavat, the story of Padmavati, princess of Simhal, and her lover and husband, Ratansen, the king of Chittor, continues to capture the imagination of listeners everywhere. In Padmavat, we meet Padmavati’s friend, philosopher and guide - Hiraman - a parrot, as well as Nagmati - Ratansen’s first wife, and the brave Rajput warriors Gora and Badal.

Artha-shastra is about generating food, i.e. wealth, by creating goods and services; Kama-shastra is about indulging our hungers with this food. Dharma-shastra insists we consider the hunger of others, while Moksha-shastra is about outgrowing our hungers, in order to be detached and generous...

What does the Biblical story of Nathan and David say about effective communication skills? How do you identify the Raja Bhoj, the Gangu Teli and the Shekchilli in your office? What is the corporate equivalent of an Ashwamedha yajna? Drawing from sources as diverse as the Mahabharata and the...

In The Stories We Tell: Mythology to Make Sense of Modern Lives, renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik presents 72 tales from India’s rich treasure of myths and legends. These stories, ranging from folk tales in Andhra Pradesh on Lakshmana to Vedic stories on Indra, urge you to reconsider ideas of good, bad, love, faith and culture.

Revisiting Mahabharata with Devdutt Pattanaik is an exclusive presentation by Audible. Mahabharata is a story that communicates Vedic Ideas such as dharma and karma. It narrates the epic quarrel over property between five brothers (the Pandavas) and their hundred cousins (the Kauravas). The events, if real, may have taken place 3,000 years ago in the Gangetic plains. It was composed orally and transmitted for centuries before it was written down in Sanskrit about 2,000 years ago.

We live in times where people have extreme views. On the one hand, there are scholars who describe Shiva's linga literally as a phallus, and see all metaphoric meaning as embarrassed apology of the uneducated. On the other hand, we have puritanical Hindus who want to strip the Shiva linga of all...

How do myths and stories influence culture? What is the difference between one culture and another, and how did these differences come to be? Are cultures fixed or do they change over time?Devdutt Pattanaik, India's leading mythologist, breaks down the complex maze of stories, symbols and...

Why are Hindus so ritualistic? Why do they worship idols? Are Hindus supposed to be vegetarian? Why is a Hindu prayer different from a Muslim or Christian prayer? Did the arrival of Muslim invaders a thousand years ago destroy Hindu culture? Answering key questions on Hindu philosophy and...

Chi fa yoga spesso conosce i nomi delle asana più praticate, come Virbhadra-asana, la posizione del guerriero, o Hanuman-asana, la posizione della scimmia, ma non sa che si tratta di nomi che derivano dalla mitologia indiana: Virbhadra, per esempio, era un valoroso guerriero nato da un capello di Shiva, mentre Hanuman-asana rappresenta il grande balzo che portò il dio Hanuman, dalle sembianze di scimmia, dalle coste dell'India meridionale allo Sri Lanka.

Artha-shastra is about generating food, i.e. wealth, by creating goods and services; Kama-shastra is about indulging our hungers with this food. Dharma-shastra insists we consider the hunger of others, while Moksha-shastra is about outgrowing our hungers, in order to be detached and generous...

This book brings together 99 meditations to better understand the stories, symbols and rituals of that adorable elephant-headed Hindu god who removes hurdles and brings prosperity and peace. Known variously as Ganapati, Gajanana, Vinayaka or Pillayar, he can help all of us score a century in the game called life.

It is a popular belief that the Ramayana is idealistic while the Mahabharata is realistic. Yet these two epics have identical building blocks, identical themes and identical history. In this groundbreaking book, Devdutt Pattanaik, India’s most popular mythologist, explores the similarities and dissimilarities between the two epics in a ‘playful analysis’. Whether it is the family structure, forest exile or war, the comparison between the two epics proves a startling point - the Mahabharata is in fact a reaction to the events in the Ramayana.

Hindu mythology is full of tales in which animals play important roles. Some animals are looked upon with fear and dread while some are worshiped along with the gods. Some shape the fate of the world, others form everlasting bonds with humans. Where did the animals come from? From Vishnu’s avatars or Shiva’s asanas? How was a deer responsible for the events of the Ramayana? Why is Garuda the sworn enemy of the nagas? How did a mongoose teach Yudhishtira the true meaning of sacrifice?

In this audiobook, mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik explores the ancient Greek tales, opening us to a whole new world of stories. This audiobook toys with the idea of whether there was a connection between the Greek and Hindu mythologies. Could it have something to do with a common Indo-European root? Or were ideas exchanged when Greek emissaries travelled to the kingdoms of Mathura and Magadha?

Many modern scholars say Shiva’s linga is a phallic symbol. Most devotees disagree. Who is right? This book looks at the sexual metaphors associated with Shiva and uncovers the meaning beneath.

Olympus is the home of the Greek gods, much like Amravati of the Hindu devas. Zeus, leader of Olympians, wields a thunderbolt like Indra and rides an eagle like Vishnu. The feats of the Greek hero Heracles, known to Romans as Hercules, reminded many of Krishna, as did his name...

Why is the cow useful to everyone? How are the earth and the cow similar? Why is Gauri another name for a cow? Little girl Gauri thinks milk comes from packets, till she meets Sweety the talking cow. Sweety tells Gauri about the first cow on earth, Surabhi, and how she provided so many useful...