Quotes from Devdutt Pattanaik

Our relationship with the other, be it a thing or an organism, and the other's relationship with us, is what determines our humanity. And this is a timeless (sanatana) truth (satya), a discovery of our ancestors,

establish a world where the head is balanced with the heart, wealth with wisdom, and discipline with compassion. Come,

always stay balanced—neither too tight nor too loose—like the bow.

Here the world has no beginning, no end, no value, no purpose. All meaning is created by humans, individually and collectively: the boundaries we establish and fight over.

Certainty comes as you move away from facts.

Dharma is not about winning. It is about empathy and growth. Yudhishtira knows the pain of losing a child. He can empathize with his enemy rather than gloat on their defeat. In empathy, there is wisdom.

Pitr are the ancestors, the dead awaiting rebirth, subjects of Yama. They have no flesh, hence no gender. They have no mind, hence no ego. But they have a soul and a causal body. In this form they stand before Yama. He determines their fate. Before pronouncing his judgement,Yama always consults Chitragupta, his accountant, who meticulously maintains a record of a jiva's actions in its lifetime.

Humanity was blessed with a faculty that enabled it to empathize and exploit. It was this unique faculty that allowed humans to forsake the jungle and establish civilization.

Mythos gave purpose, meaning and validation to existence.

Unless the heart feels secure, the head will never receive new ideas.

realms of devas, asuras, yakshas, rakshasas, nagas, and manavas, some

what cannot be understood by the human intellect need not be feared because it ultimately comes from God.

Our merits create fortune. Our demerits create misfortune. Merits bring us joy. Demerits bring us sorrow. We are thus fettered by karma. Karma binds us to the material world, compels us to be born and compels us to die. No one can change this, except one. That one is God. Pray to God to cope with the fetter of karma.

All the fear that Markandeya experienced now disappears, thanks to the intervention of the child, who is undoubtedly Vishnu. Then

Dharma is more about empathy than ethics, about intent rather than outcome. I

To keep one's word is the fundamental principle of dharma,' said

unlike wealth, knowledge does not outlive death, hence has to be passed on to the living so that it is not lost forever.

Often leaders are so consumed by their personal values and agendas that they expect their followers to be as excited about what matters to them. They get angry with followers who resist or refuse to keep pace. Those who align with their goals are celebrated. The rest are condemned as selfish.

Our social structures depend on the organization. The organization depends on industry, which in turn depends on the market. The market depends on society, which in turn relies on the environment. All

Vajranabhi asked artisans to carve images of Krishna based on descriptions given by Abhimanyu's wife, Uttari. But the description was so grand that each artisan could capture only part of the beauty in each image. These images were lost to the world for centuries and later discovered by holy men who enshrined them in temples. The image of Srinathji at Nathdvara is said to be one such image.

Strength alone is not enough in this world; divine grace is needed. Krishna

Gita are basically giving confidence to a scared man. Anyone can give advice, but a person cannot act, cannot do his karma, unless he is confident.

Because no one wants to see you,' sneered Kama. 'And no one can see you,' retorted Yama.

Vishnu is therefore Shrivatsa, the one whose abode is Lakshmi. Where he is, so is she.