Ancient texts—or Vedas—were written for us to make sense of the universe that we live in. It is, however, believed that that the Vedas are of non-human origin and contain timeless wisdom.
The Vedas acknowledge the existence of ‘jiva’ or soul and that each unique ‘jiva’ contributes to the constant shaping of the universe. But how does that affect us? Are we collectively moving toward a particular destination that has already been determined?
Read on as Devdutt Pattanaik explores these questions and more in The Mythological Evolution of the Universe.
Puja’ is the literal act of worship. With the evolution of Puja during the Vedic age, there came about a slightly different approach to the divine. While men and women still worshipped as a coping mechanism— to realize desires or change destiny—a more personal relationship between humans and their gods was developing.
However, the more personal a relationship, the more dynamic the puja is. How then does an entire sect follow a particular style of workship? How does one pick which god to worship?
In The Significance of Puja, Devdutt Pattanaik explores these questions among others. Read on.
For Hindus, Brahma is the God who creates the world and the world he creates is known as Brahmanda. This Brahmanda makes our very existence possible and yet, one rarely comes across a temple that’s dedicated to Brahma.
For Hindus, there are also certain things, certain occurrences, and phenomena that are considered more sacred than others. But who decides what is sacred? Is it the creator? Or are these rules a result of the creator’s creation?
Read on as Devdutt Pattanaik, the master of mythology, explores Brahma’s role in Hindu mythology in Brahma: the Creator.
“All things queer are not sexual.”
Ancient mythological texts often mention queerness quite openly, and not all of these instances have sexual or romantic undertones.
There are instances where queerness is used as a tool to demonstrate and eventually overcome patriarchal bias. Instances where a god may change genders for their love of dance. Or when friendship and loyalty are so important to some that they will do what it takes—even if it means changing genders—to keep their word.
In Gender & Sexuality in Indian Mythology, Devdutt Pattanaik examines three different perspectives on gender and sexuality in Indian mythology. Read on.
In devotional literature, gods take female forms all the time. Sometimes to serve as ‘go-betweens’ to bring lovers together, sometimes to stand in for a missing wife, and sometimes to nurse a sick devotee.
Not all queer stories are sexual but they do challenge notions of gender. This queering, which is unique to India’s devotional tradition, is worth examining to see how natural queerness was viewed by gods like Vishnu and Shiva.
Read on as Devdutt Pattanaik examines a few of the most interesting instances of queerness in Gender Fluidity in Hindu Mythology.
Mahabharata is a unique epic because even the smallest character and his singular actions have consequences that affect generations. Shikhandi’s arrival seems quite inconsequential at first but it is him that brings about the biggest turning point in the war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
However, outside of the war, what were the circumstances that led to Shikhandi’s actions? Was he the first instance of gender transformation in mythology? If not for Shikhandi, would the Pandavas have lost the war at Kurukshetra?
Read on to find out as Devdutt Pattanaik answers these questions—and more—in The Story of Shikhandi.
“Beware of a land where celibate men decide what good sex is.”
Hindu mythology makes constant references to queerness, questioning the notions of maleness and femaleness. A casual reading of any Indian ancient text reveals as much. Then why do we still tiptoe around discussions about queerness and/or ideas that challenge our traditional understanding of gender and sexuality today?
If these ancient texts from centuries ago could be inclusive of the spectrum of sexuality, what changed over the years? The courts of India have always upheld secularism and human rights. But this courtesy has not been extended to queer people yet. Can our ancient texts hold the answers we’ve been too scared to look for?
Read on as Devdutt Pattanaik, the master of mythology, examines instances of queerness and analyzes what led to the evolution of queer rights in India.
Books not Borders was a project undertaken in the year 2017 to bring together two cultures sundered by history and joined by an immense shared heritage. This is a heritage of pain and loss, but also one of a mutual emotional palette, the same passion for home and hearth and in the quiet places with ordinary people, a recognition of our mirrored identity. Literature has always been a space that finds common ground in that which was discrete, and this collection of Indian and Pakistani authors have come together to create a conversation of the ordinary people that constitute the hearts and minds of these two nations, in the hope that conversation brings understanding, and understanding plants the seed toward growing peace.
Indians are often proud of the ‘Unity in Diversity’ adage that is commonly used to describe the country’s ethos. However, diversity in India has most often brought about an array of conflicts—the most significant between Hindus and Muslims—some of which continues to this day.
‘Hinduism’, the term most commonly associated with India, actually embraces an eclectic range of doctrines and practices, from pantheism to agnosticism and from faith in reincarnation to belief in the caste system. It is a religion without fundamentals. And yet, Hindu fundamentalism is one of the biggest threats that secular India faces today. So how is one to make sense of this country?
Read on as Shashi Tharoor, eminent thinker and writer, analyses the many inconsistencies and idiosyncrasies that make up India in ‘Unity, Diversity, and Other Contradictions’.
‘India is more than the sum of its contradictions. She is a myth and an idea, a dream and a vision, and yet very real and present and pervasive.’
No other country in the world embraces the extraordinary mixture of ethnic groups, the profusion of mutually incomprehensible languages, the varieties of topography and climate, the diversity of religions and cultural practices, and the range of levels of economic development quite like India does.
It truly is a wonder how India has not only managed to survive but thrive in this manner. The country is far from gaining the efficiency of a well-oiled machine, and yet, things always seem to be making some kind of headway. So how does it all work?
Read on as Shashi Tharoor, one of India’s most prolific writers, attempts to answer that question in ‘What is India?’
