Quotes from Devdutt Pattanaik

It is about realising that in every human being is a frightened beast, seeking survival and significance, and knowing very well that humans can outgrow this beast as they empathise with others. This process of outgrowing the beast is the process of discovering God.

B.R. Ambedkar believed the tale was not so much about Ram's character as it was about the unsustainability of the caste system that needed violence for its enforcement.

Unlike the unenlightened householder, for whom material life is either a burden or an indulgence, Krishna embodies the enlightened householder: he who lives as a householder but thinks like a hermit, is engaged in everything but possessive of nothing.

All Hindu rituals end with the chant 'Shanti, shanti, shanti' because the quest for peace is the ultimate goal of all existence. This peace is not external but internal. It is not about making the world a peaceful place; it is about us being at peace with the world.

There is no evidence of a perfect world, a perfect man or a perfect family anywhere on earth.

The idea of a powerful woman aware of her own desires made people uncomfortable and so she was portrayed as barbaric, even demonic, not in control of her passions.

showing does not guarantee seeing. Telling does not guarantee hearing. Gyana is not vi-gyana.

humility is the true measure of wisdom.

Yayati exploits the rule for his own benefit whereas Dashratha enforces the rule so that royal integrity is never questioned. The rule (obey the father) evokes dharma in Dashratha's case, but not so in Yayati's.

It is difficult to establish where the effects of a boon end and the influence of a curse begins.

When humanity ignores imagination, there is no growth, no quest to outgrow fear, no desire for spiritual reality. Evolution does not happen. Spiritual reality remains undiscovered. Only the self matters; others remain invisible. In other words, humans stay animals.

human can also sense another's hunger and produce food through yagna to satisfy another's hunger. That is also the distinguishing feature of humanity,' said Shakti. 'When tapasya is done without yagna, solitude thrives, no relationships are established and society collapses. You become the destroyer.' Shiva then said, 'When yagna is done without tapasya, we exploit other people's hunger to satisfy our own. Thus a corrupt society comes into being.

The world may be ever-changing and full of uncertainties, but walking away is not the answer. World-rejection, according to the epic, is dangerous and destructive.

No event is spontaneous; it is the result of many past events. This is karma. The events in your life are the result of your past deeds, performed in this lifetime or the ones before. You alone are responsible for it.

Identity based on what we have is aham, not atma.

Do you see me as hero, villain or victim? If yes, then you are not doing darshan. 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.

They have forgotten why dharma was instituted and kingdoms established in the first place: to create extra material resources so that man can look beyond survival and look for meaning.

The notions of creation, preservation and destruction in Hindu mythology thus deal with culture, not nature.

This is the world of Krishna, a world where what matters more than the deed is the thought behind the deed.

I do not need your permission. I am your wife and I am supposed to accompany you, to the throne, into war and to the forest. What you eat, I shall taste. Where you sleep, I shall rest. You are the shaft of the bow that is our marriage; you need the string to complete it. My place is beside you, nowhere else. Fear not, I will be no burden; I can take care of myself. As long as I am beside you and behind you, you will want for nothing.

It's the Indian headshake. It means you are probably right, or probably wrong. Who knows? Varuna has but a thousand eyes, Indra a hundred, you and I only two.

This imagined notion of who we are and how others are supposed to see us, is called aham. Aham constantly seek validation from external world. When that is not forthcoming it becomes insecure. Aham makes humans accumulate things; through things we hope people will look upon us as we imagine ourselves. That is why people display their wealth & their knowledge & their power.Aham yearns to be seen.

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

Dharma is all about helping the helpless.