Devdutt Pattanaik
Tracking the tale of Padmasambhava from Odisha to Tibet
The images of Padmasambhava in Tibet depict him in a very Shiva-like manner, with a trident and a string of human heads. The depiction may have a lot to do with the origin of these ideas in India.
Must we refer to caste or gurus when discussing Indian knowledge systems?
The obsession with the guru, who cannot be challenged, is a major stumbling block to growth of knowledge. Once you accept that the guru knows everything, there never will be growth
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Himanta, Muslims & a liberal fallacy
India’s tradition of inclusion acknowledges differences & encourages collaboration. Unlike Western liberalism, it doesn’t confuse inclusion with equality
If Hinduism failed in India, why it would have survived in Southeast Asia
Countries like Vietnam and Cambodia were deeply influenced by Hinduism – a connection that dates to some 2,000 years ago
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
When spitting on someone is considered good luck
Spitting is considered an unhygienic habit, but it has a place in many cultures - including India - as a way of warding off the evil eye.
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
If you are truly Hindu, you can’t hate
In Hinduism’s foundational principles, concepts like chosen ones, villains, victims and oppressors don’t exist. So, hating someone or some group is fundamentally un-Hindu
Why Bhole Babas flourish
Hathras puts godmen back in focus. You can dismiss them as charlatans. But recognise that they connect with those who feel most vulnerable in society. You can’t regulate this
What tale of Kashi Brahmins and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj says about Hindu society
The story of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's coronation, the caste politics around him, and its resolution by the Kashi Brahmins is a lesson for all those who argue Hindu society is conservative and incapable of change
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
How Harappa is viewed differently by Islam and Hinduism
This desire to explain an archaeological site using Hindu mythology as proto-history is a trend also seen in Pakistan
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
How a Brahmin bureaucracy thrived in Islamic kingdoms
How Brahmin bureaucrats thrived even in Islamic kingdoms and why there were rivalries between various Brahmin groups.
How the Kama Gita evolved to become the Kama-sutra
Indian Knowledge Systems are being discussed across schools in India. But they do not include India’s vast exploration of erotic pleasure: the story of Kama.
The sage whose rage dried the Saraswati
Atharva Veda is the collection of hymns containing spells for helping, healing and even hurting, composed by the Rishi who was generally excluded from the list of Seven Sages (Sapta Rishi): Atharva, Angirasa and Bhrigu.
From Vedic Soma to Puranic Amrut
Evolving discoveries surrounding the mystical Indian herb Soma bear testimony to how mythology changes over space and time, and new ideas are shared through the same old stories
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
When did Krishna start playing the flute?
The story of Krishna playing the flute comes to us from the Bhagavata Purana. It was written in the 10th century, a thousand years after the Mahabharata.
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Influx of Islamic ideas
From architecture to kingship, a brief history of Islam's arrival in India and its synthesis with indigenous ideals and ways of life
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Wisdom, love, intellect, emotion, knowledge: What ancient sages can teach modern India
From Vashishta to Vyasa to Shuka, we see a shift in the Vedic world from valuing wisdom to celebrating love, from intellect to emotion, from gyan to bhakti
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
What Modi’s rise tells us about us
Popular acceptance of the idea that a person has the power to change society is very Indian. It’s as valid as Western ideas that privileges institutions or a document or a God/state over any leader
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Maybe Madri did not commit sati in the Mahabharata?
Incongruences in the events of the Mahabharata cast significant doubt on its depiction of sati. In most cases, the heart of the epic had little to do with justifying this cruel practice
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
How Saraswati reached Japan
Benzaiten, the popular lute-holding Japanese goddess likened to Saraswati, bears testimony to how cultural ideas remain immortal through space and time
There’s a Ram for everyone
You can see him as a historical figure. Or as a grand vision endorsed by sages that can influence a nation-state. Or as a metaphor, timeless and unbound by geography, for integrity and grace