Quotes from Devdutt Pattanaik

while we believe our problems are the greatest and our misfortunes the worst, there is always someone out there who has suffered more. And just as they survived and triumphed over their suffering, we must too.

To be a good spouse, wife or husband, the wilfulness of Ganga needs to be balanced with the serenity of Shiva. Only then will the river of marriage create fertile riverbanks

Animals take decisions all the time. Only humans have the option not to take decisions.

What is the most amazing thing about the world? 'Every day creatures die, yet the rest live as if immortal.

Control creates domesticated animals. The purpose of society is to inspire humanity, not tame them,' said Ram.

Ram is her husband, not her master. As his wife, she has duties towards him but he has no rights over her.

For Krishna, there can be no dharma without the spirit of generosity. Without genuine love, laws and rules are worthless.

we cling to 'me' and 'mine' and are wary of what is 'not mine'. We call this love, but it is in fact attachment as they give us identity and meaning.

I am the creator of my world and so are you. We can widen our world by breaking free from the maze of expectations. We can shrink our world by entrapping ourselves with expectations.

Yama states that the body has two parts: soul and flesh, atma and sharira. The atma is immortal. Only the sharira can die. The soul is surrounded by three shariras: Sthula-sharira or the flesh Sukshma-sharira or the mind Karana-sharira or the causal body, memory of deeds

Like animals that seek food for their survival, humans yearn for meaning for their sanity: what is our value, our purpose and our identity in this world? As long as we seek validation from the world around us, we are entrapped by aham. As soon as we realize that all meaning comes from within, that it is we who make the world meaningful, we are liberated by atma.

A society that does not make room for imperfection can never be a happy society.

A yajaman is a karta too; but all kartas are not yajamans.

those who live by the law of the jungle must be ready to die by the law of the jungle.

The episode of Sita's clothes being in disarray and the conversation between Ram and Lakshman comes from the Marathi Ramayana written by Eknath called Bhavarth Ramayana, or the emotional Ramayana.

Dhruva embodies the Pole Star, a child who wants to sit on Vishnu's lap, the only seat from which no one can pull him down, so that he can enjoy forever the affection of his divine father. Niti

The gap between 'what is mine' and 'what is not mine' is an artificial construct, not a natural phenomenon that is created and can be destroyed by the human mind. The

the chant 'Shanti, Shanti, Shanti-hi' does not mean 'Let there be peace, peace, peace'. It means: 'Let me come to terms with the limitations of me, mine and not mine.' This is the ultimate goal of Hinduism: to outgrow aham and realize atma.

Unless there is empathy and inclusion, dharma cannot be established. Bhima

Christian church, a Muslim mosque, a Buddhist monastery or a Sikh gurudwara are spaces designed to bring the community together and focus on a common goal—confess sins, reaffirm submission, awaken to desires and delusions and learn from the songs of the sages, as the case may be. But a Hindu temple is the house of a deity. We go to see them and be seen by them,

Puja makes gods more personal. There are Ishta-devatas or personal gods, Kula-devatas or family gods, Graha-devatas or household gods, and Grama-devatas or village gods.

Ram is renowned as maryada purushottam, one who always follows the rules. That he breaks the bow he is meant to bend and string is not insignificant. It indicates a wavering of the mind, or perhaps a momentary loss of balance. That he breaks the bow of Shiva, who is associated with detachment, perhaps indicates a moment of attachment to Sita. This makes exile a necessity, for in the forest the prince shall learn about detachment before he is ready to be king.

All information is incomplete, and all readings distorted by personal prejudice. And yet we have to take decisions all the time and hope the results favour us.

Sudarshan means a positive outlook. The chakra's whirring round God's right index finger is indicative of rhythmic order.