Download or read book Myth Mithya written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2014-07-11 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A decoding of Hindu mythology Hindus have one God. They also have 330 million gods: male gods; female gods; personal gods; family gods; household gods; village gods; gods of space and time; gods for specific castes and particular professions; gods who reside in trees; in animals; in minerals; in geometrical patterns and in man-made objects. Then there are a whole host of demons. But no Devil. In this groundbreaking book Dr Devdutt Pattanaik; one of India’s most popular mythologists; seeks an answer to these apparent paradoxes and unravels an inherited truth about life and death; nature and culture; perfection and possibility. He retells sacred Hindu stories and decodes Hindu symbols and rituals; using a unique style of commentary; illustrations and diagrams. We discover why the villainous Kauravas went to heaven and the virtuous Pandavas (all except Yudhishtira) were sent to hell; why Rama despite abandoning the innocent Sita remains the model king; why the blood-drinking Kali is another form of the milk-giving Gauri; and why Shiva wrenched off the fifth head of Brahma. Constructed over generations; Hindu myths serve as windows to the soul; and provide an understanding of the world around us. The aim is not to outgrow myth; but to be enriched and empowered by its ancient; potent and still relevant language.

Download or read book Handbook of Hindu Mythology written by George M. Williams and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2008-03-27 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unlike many other ancient mythologies, Hinduism thrives in the modern world. One billion followers and countless others have been captivated by its symbolic representations of love, karma, and reincarnation. Handbook of Hindu Mythology offers an informative introduction to this dauntingly complex mythology of multifaceted deities, lengthy heroic tales, and arcane philosophies-all with a 3,000-year history of reinterpretations and adaptations. Williams offers a number of pathways by which to approach Hinduism's ever-changing gods and goddesses (e.g., Brahma, Vishnu, Siva), spiritual verses (such as the vedas), secular epics (including the Ramayana and the Mahabharata), myths within myths, devotional and esoteric traditions, psychic and yogic disciplines, and magical practices. With this handbook, readers can explore the history of Hindu mythology, follow a detailed timeline of key episodes and historical events, and look up specific elements of historical or contemporary Hinduism in a beautifully illustrated reference work. It is the ideal introduction to the origins of Hinduism, the culture that shaped it from antiquity to the present, and the age-old stories, ideas, and traditions that speak to the human condition as eloquently today as ever. Including annotated bibliographies, a glossary of cultural and mythological terms, and numerous illustrations, here is a gold mine of information on Hindu mythology. "

Download or read book The Pregnant King written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Penguin Books India. This book was released on 2008 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Among the many characters who inhabit the Mahabharata, the world's greatest epic and the oldest, sometimes other stories unravelled from it, such as Shilavati, who cannot be king because she is a woman.

Download or read book 7 Secrets From Hindu Calendar Art written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Westland. This book was released on 2023-08-16 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: About the Book A DEEP-DIVE INTO THE FASCINATING WORLD OF THE MYTHOLOGICAL IMAGES THAT ARE FOUND IN ALL OUR HOMES AND THE STORIES BEHIND THEM Hindu mythology abounds with fascinating gods, goddesses and characters whose visual representations — through calendar art — are equally colourful. Hindu calendar art may seem fantastic and kitsch, but it is in fact the most democratic expression of a mythic imagery that was once restricted to temple walls and palm leaf manuscripts. These portraits of the Hindu pantheon of gods and the stories that surround them can be found on the walls and puja rooms of almost every Hindu household in India. Rich in symbols, each image is a piece of an ancient metaphysical jigsaw puzzle. In this book, Dr Devdutt Pattanaik, India’s renowned mythologist, decodes these symbols to reveal a wisdom that has nourished India for thousands of years.

Download or read book Hindu Mythology Vedic and Pur nic Illustrated written by William Joseph Wilkins and published by . This book was released on 1882 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Jaya written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2010-08-16 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: High above the sky stands Swarga, paradise, abode of the gods. Still above is Vaikuntha, heaven, abode of God. The doorkeepers of Vaikuntha are the twins, Jaya and Vijaya, both whose names mean ‘victory’. One keeps you in Swarga; the other raises you into Vaikuntha. In Vaikuntha there is bliss forever, in Swarga there is pleasure for only as long as you deserve. What is the difference between Jaya and Vijaya? Solve this puzzle and you will solve the mystery of the Mahabharata. In this enthralling retelling of India’s greatest epic, the Mahabharata, originally known as Jaya, Devdutt Pattanaik seamlessly weaves into a single narrative plots from the Sanskrit classic as well as its many folk and regional variants, including the Pandavani of Chattisgarh, Gondhal of Maharashtra, Terukkuttu of Tamil Nadu, and Yakshagana of Karnataka. Richly illustrated with over 250 line drawings by the author, the 108 chapters abound with little-known details such as the names of the hundred Kauravas, the worship of Draupadi as a goddess in Tamil Nadu, the stories of Astika, Madhavi, Jaimini, Aravan and Barbareek, the Mahabharata version of the Shakuntalam and the Ramayana, and the dating of the war based on astronomical data. With clarity and simplicity, the tales in this elegant volume reveal the eternal relevance of the Mahabharata, the complex and disturbing meditation on the human condition that has shaped Indian thought for over 3000 years.

Download or read book Pashu written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2014-11-21 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • A fish saves the world. • A horse flies across the sky. • A king discovers that his beloved wife is actually a frog. Hindu mythology is full of tales in which animals play important roles. Some animals are looked upon with fear and dread, while some are worshipped along with the gods. Some shape the fate of the world, others form everlasting bonds with humans. Where did the animals come from? From Vishnu’s avatars or Shiva’s asanas? How was a deer responsible for the events of the Ramayana? Why is Garuda the sworn enemy of the nagas? How did a mongoose teach Yudhishtira the true meaning of sacrifice? Devdutt Pattanaik answers all these questions and more in this exquisitely illustrated book, retelling numerous animal stories from ancient texts, with his trademark charm and wit.

Download or read book 1962 written by Shiv Kunal Verma and published by Rupa Publications. This book was released on 2016 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Indian politician looks back at her journey and recounts how the going got tougher with her every success, perhaps because she was a woman. Life among the Scorpions recounts the deeply fascinating and often tumultuous events that mark thirty years of Jaya Jaitly's political journey. From arranging relief for victims of the 1984 Sikh riots, to joining politics under firebrand leader George Fernandes, to becoming the president of Samata Party-a key ally in the erstwhile NDA Government, Jaitly's rise in Indian mainstream politics invited both awe and envy. But the going has been far from smooth. Trouble began with George Fernandes sacking Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat in 1998. Jaitly became the target. She was soon hounded by Tehelka's stings-first concerning her son-in-law-to-be Ajay Jadeja and then herself in an alleged bribery case. Eventually, Fernandes had to resign as India's Defence Minister, despite being the best, and Jaitly quit as the Samata Party President. Meanwhile, she spiritedly fought booth capturing in Bihar as well as fellow party men's egos, intervened and ensured the installation of the Samata government in Manipur. All this, even as she continued her parallel fight for the livelihood of craftsmen on the one hand, and conceptualized and ensured establishment of the first Dilli Haat (crafts market place) in 1994 on the other. With all the backstories of major events in Indian politics between 1970-2000, including her experience of dealing with the Commission of Inquiry and courts regarding the Tehelka stings, the story of Jaya Jaitly makes for a riveting read. A powerful narrative on why being a woman in politics was for her akin to being surrounded by scorpions; this hard hitting memoir offers a perspective on the functioning of Indian politics from a woman's point of view.

Download or read book 99 Thoughts on Ganesha written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Jaico Publishing House. This book was released on 2015-01-27 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the game of cricket, having scored 99 runs, when a batsman stands poised on the threshold of that much coveted century, he experiences the moment that is best associated with Ganesha. Fear and uncertainty envelope him; between him and his achievement stand hurdles, both real and imaginary: a possible spin from the bowler can overwhelm him, his own anxiety can paralyze him, cheering fans can distract him. He needs divine intervention then. He needs to focus, get rid of all hurdles, perform, get the final run, and achieve what he so longs for. In other words, he needs to think of Ganapati. This book brings together 99 meditations to better understand the stories, symbols and rituals of that adorable elephantheaded Hindu god who removes hurdles and brings prosperity and peace. Known variously as Ganapati, Gajanana, Vinayaka or Pillayar, he can help all of us score a century in the game called life.

Download or read book 7 Secrets Of The Goddess written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Westland. This book was released on with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: About the Book A CLASSIC GUIDE TO THE LIVES AND LEGENDS OF THE MANY GODDESSES WHO INHABIT THE HINDU IMAGINATION Lakshmi massages Vishnu’s feet. Is this male domination? Kali stands on Shiva’s chest. Is this female domination? Shiva is half a woman. Is this gender quality? Why then is Shakti never half a man? Taken literally, stories, symbols and rituals of Hindu mythology have much to say about gender relationships. Taken symbolically, they reveal many more things about humanity and nature. Which is the correct reading? The third title in the bestselling ‘Hindu Trinity’ series focuses on the Goddess and respected mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik tries to unravel the secrets locked within her stories, symbols and rituals.

Download or read book Devi Diva or She devil written by Sudha Menon and published by Random House India. This book was released on 2017-01-27 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here’s an exploration of the complex issues faced by Indian women at the workplace, such as dealing with family pressures, gender perceptions, the glass ceiling, leadership challenges and bringing up children while also excelling in their careers. With insights from renowned and successful women like film director Farah Khan, food writer Karen Anand, actor Lillette Dubey, boxer M.C. Mary Kom, journalist Sharda Ugra, corporate head honchos Devita Saraf, Nisaba Godrej, Aruna Jayanthi, Manisha Girotra and Mallika Srinivasan, casting director Shanoo Sharma and banker Pankajam Sridevi, among others, this book will help the contemporary Indian woman negotiate the professional world.

Download or read book Hindu Myths written by Wendy Doniger and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2004-06-24 with total page 602 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recorded in sacred Sanskrit texts, including the Rig Veda and the Mahabharata, Hindu Myths are thought to date back as far as the tenth century BCE. Here in these seventy-five seminal myths are the many incarnations of Vishnu, who saves mankind from destruction, and the mischievous child Krishna, alongside stories of the minor gods, demons, rivers and animals including boars, buffalo, serpents and monkeys. Immensely varied and bursting with colour and life, they demonstrate the Hindu belief in the limitless possibilities of the world - from the teeming miracles of creation to the origins of the incarnation of Death who eventually touches them all.

Download or read book Olympus written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Random House India. This book was released on 2016-09-20 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • Olympus is the home of the Greek gods, much like Amravati of the Hindu devas. • Zeus, leader of Olympians, wields a thunderbolt like Indra, and rides an eagle like Vishnu. • The feats of the Greek hero Heracles, known to Romans as Hercules, reminded many of Krishna, as did his name, ‘Hari-kula-esha’ or lord of the Hari clan. • The Greek epic of a husband sailing across the sea with a thousand ships to bring his wife, Helen, back from Troy seems strikingly similar to the story of Ram rescuing Sita from Lanka. Is there a connection between Greek and Hindu mythology then? Does it have something to do with a common Indo-European root? Or maybe an exchange of ideas in the centuries that followed the arrival of Alexander the Great, when Greek emissaries travelled to the kingdoms of Mathura and Magadha? In this book, mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik turns his attention to ancient Greek tales, and explores a new world of stories. Long have Europeans and Americans retold Indic mythologies. It is time for Indians to reverse the gaze.

Download or read book 7 Secrets Of Vishnu written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Westland. This book was released on 2023-08-16 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: About the Book EXAMINING THE DIFFERENT MYTHS AND RITUALS ABOUT LORD VISHNU AND HIS AVATARS, THIS BOOK UNCOVERS THE ANCIENT WISDOM INHERITED OVER GENERATIONS WHICH STILL HOLD RELEVANCE TODAY. For Hindus, Vishnu is God who inspires man to discover humanity by engaging with the world. Artists have visualized him with as curly-haired, dark complexioned man with a smile on his lips and a sparkle in his eyes. Draped in yellow silk, garlanded with forest flowers, bedecked with dolphin-shaped earrings, anointed with sandal paste, he reclines on a thousand-hooded serpent that floats on the ocean of milk and rides a golden hawk bearing in his arms a conch-shell, a wheel, a mace and a lotus. Poets say that when he is awake, the world takes shape; when he is asleep, the world ceases to be. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, follows him wherever he goes. To him is made offerings of rich creamy butter. Sometimes, the upright Ram, he is worshipped across India as Balaji, Shreenathji, Jagannath, Ranganath and Badrinath. Locked in the stories, symbols and rituals of Vishnu is the wisdom of the ancestors, transmitted over hundreds of years. This book attempts to unlock seven secrets that are relevant even in modern times.

Download or read book Shiva to Shankara written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Indus Source. This book was released on 2006 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many modern scholars say Shiva linga is a phallic symbol. Most devotees disagree. Who is right? To make sense of a mythological image one has to align the language heard stories] with the language performed rituals], and the language seen symbols]. This book also looks at the sexual metaphors.

Download or read book My Gita written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Rupa Publications India. This book was released on 2015-11-01 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In My Gita, acclaimed mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik demystifies The Bhagavad Gita for the contemporary reader. His unique approach-thematic rather than verse by verse makes the ancient treatise eminently accessible, combined as it is with his trademark illustrations and simple diagrams. In a world that seems spellbound by argument over dialogue, vivaad over samvaad, Devdutt highlights how Krishna nudges Arjuna to understand rather than judge his relationships. This becomes relevant today when we are increasingly indulging and isolating the self (selfimprovement, selfactualization, selfrealization-even selfies ).We forget that we live in an ecosystem of others, where we can nourish each other with food, love and meaning, even when we fight. So let My Gita inform your Gita.

Download or read book Yoga Mythology written by Devdutt Pattanaik and published by Llewellyn Worldwide. This book was released on 2022-07-08 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deepen Your Yoga Experience with the Origin Stories of 64 Common Asanas Explore the stories from Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain mythology that nurtured the idea of yoga and shaped the development of its most iconic asanas. Learn how svana-asana (dog pose) is connected to Shiva, bhujanga-asana (cobra pose) was inspired by shape-shifting beings who live below the earth, and much more. Many practitioners are unaware of yoga's underlying philosophy, symbols, and rituals because modern teachers often emphasize the physical over the mental and spiritual components. Yoga Mythology brings this overlooked wisdom to light by recounting the lore behind more than sixty asanas, drawing attention to an Indic worldview based on the concepts of eternity, rebirth, liberation, and empathy. With hundreds of photos and playful illustrations, this book makes it easy and enjoyable to connect with yogic principles and expand the mental and spiritual aspects of your practice.