Quotes from Devdutt Pattanaik

When there is faith, there is no fear. Is

How does one know the true path?' 'Not through arguments—they never reach a conclusion; not from teachers— they can only give their opinions; to know the true path one must, in silence and solitude, reflect on one's own life.

The epic constantly reminds us that what is apparently a good deed need not really be a good deed, for every moment is governed by factors that are often beyond human comprehension.

Realization occurs only when samsara is witnessed, not reacted to. This is moksha.

In nature, there is no concept of possession or property hence there is no thief, police, or court of law.

If you can empathize with the fears that make people heroes, villains and victims, then you are doing darshan. For then you look beyond the boundaries that separate you from the rest.

My deha is different from yours. My hungers are different from yours. My assumptions are different from yours. My capabilities are different from yours. My experiences are diferent from yours. My expressions are different from yours.

The Gita itself values subjectivity: after concluding his counsel, Krishna tells Arjuna to reflect on what has been said, and then do as he feels (yatha-ichasi-tatha-kuru). Even

To live in dharma is to act in love. To

In Hindu mythology, there is no one but ourselves to blame for our problems: neither God nor any oppressors. The idea of rebirth aims to evoke acceptance of the present, and responsibility for the future. Our immortal soul is tossed from one life to another as long as our mind refuses to do darshan. This is made most explicit in the story of Karna in the Mahabharata.

And then it begins The search For the fifth head of Brahma His first have us words His second gave us Grammar His third gave us meter His fourth gave us Melody The last one is missing The fifth The head with meaning

Do not surrender to a situation that nurtures the ego. The

Shiva's reluctance to marry is a consistent theme in Shaiva lore. In effect he opposes the birth of the cosmos, preferring the blissful state in which matter is in a state of entropy and the spirit is free of form. Not surprisingly, he is called the god of destruction.

Indian sages avoided the written word as they realized ideas were never definitive; they were transformed depending on the intellectual and emotional abilities of the giver as well as the receiver.

The war is not for you, Arjuna, but for civilized human conduct. Remember,

Mighty brawn is no match for a nimble brain.

Every event in our life is determined by past actions.

To light a fire wood must burn. To feed the cow, the grass must be cut. Until the rakshasas learn to trust us, we will be seen as threats and rivals. Until then there will be violence. They will be hurt. We will also be hurt. What matters is our intention. Eventually relationships will be introduced and affection will prevail.

Lakshmi is Vishnu's bhoga-patni, connecting him with the earthly needs of man. Saraswati is Vishnu's moksha-patni, connecting him with the spiritual needs of man.

Vishnu is the god who sustains and maintains what Brahma creates and what Shiva seeks to destroy. He is also pure consciousness. His name means "pervader." Vishnu pervades and enlivens all things. For devotees of Vishnu, Vishnu's blue color indicates that he is as pervasive and intangible as the sky, while his consort Laxmi's red sari represents earth's all-containing fertility. He is the protector; she is the provider:

Sometimes, you can see more than me, but you pretend to know less so that I don't feel intimidated by you. I do the same for you. We do not feel superior when the other is vulnerable; or inferior when we feel helpless. This is what sustains our relationship.

Outer peace doesn't guarantee inner peace.

Objectivity is obsessed with exactness and tends to be rather intolerant of deviation, almost

In the Ramayana many women are killed or mutilated on the grounds of them being demons. It is difficult to digest that these are simply metaphors for wild, untamed nature. There is clearly an acceptance of male violence against women.