Episodes

  • Is Money A Myth?

    Is Money A Myth?

     Myth and Culture Podcast, Episode 10
    Jun 27 2019
    Talk of money is in the air, what with demonetisation affecting us all in our daily lives. Devdutt and Jerry use this opportunity to talk about the philosophical, mythical and cultural meaning and significance of money. Money, says Devdutt, is also a myth in which both the giver and receiver have to believe in the value of what is being transacted. But myth is not fiction; it is a reality lived by the people who believe in it.
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    14 mins
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  • Is Liberty A Western Notion?

    Is Liberty A Western Notion?

     Myth and Culture Podcast, Episode 9
    Jun 27 2019
    Is Liberty is primarily a western notion? No, says Devdutt, as he reminds us of the deeply libertarian nature of the Shramanic Parampara or the hermit tradition in Indian philosophy, from which Buddhism and Jainism also originate. But unlike the western notion of absolute liberty, the Indian notion of liberty is counterbalanced by the shravaka or the householder traditions, which emphasize the importance of duties and responsibilities.
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    17 mins
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  • What Is More Important—Equality Or Justice?

    What Is More Important—Equality Or Justice?

     Myth and Culture Podcast, Episode 8
    Jun 27 2019
    What is more important—equality or justice? In this episode, Devdutt tells us that this question itself is a western one. Greek mythology and enlightenment philosophy values justice while Abrahamic mythology and socialism value equality. In India, both equality and justice are important at different times and in different places. While the west has a fixed worldview where everyone must agree to one final truth, India because of its polytheistic beliefs allows for different perspectives and different truths to co-exist together.
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    16 mins
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  • Pride – Supreme Virtue Or Original Sin?

    Pride – Supreme Virtue Or Original Sin?

     Myth and Culture Podcast, Episode 7
    Jun 27 2019
    “Be proud of who you are” is flashed across ads, motivational posters and self-help books. We have all heard of people who claim to be proud of their nation, their gender, their sexuality, their caste, etc. While some of these ideas such as gay pride and dalit pride have led to progressive movements and empowerment, other ideas of identity based pride boost regressive social formations. In this episode, Devdutt Pattanaik and Jerry Johnson explore the different contexts in which the concept of pride can be deployed.
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    21 mins
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  • Patriotism, Nationalism And Populism

    Patriotism, Nationalism And Populism

     Myth and Culture Podcast, Episode 6
    Jun 27 2019
    In this new episode Devdutt Pattanaik speaks to Jerry Johnson about different ways in which people express nationalism. Is patriotism merely one’s love for country? Or does it need to have a more legal and political definition? They discuss the birth of patriotism and nationalism approximately 300 years ago as a means to bind societies together over boundaries and the urgent current need for healthy patriotism.
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    20 mins
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  • Who Is A Hero?

    Who Is A Hero?

     Myth and Culture Podcast, Episode 5
    Jun 27 2019
    We think Bollywood is very hero-centric but Devdutt Pattanaik argues that in Bollywood heroes do not undergo a journey and a transformation in the classic sense, but essentially stay the same (many also mainly play themselves in every film, but that’s another story). In this episode, Devdutt Pattanaik and Jerry Johnson talk about heroes, hermits and martyrs and what makes them who they are.
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    15 mins
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  • How To Live (Without Anger)

    How To Live (Without Anger)

     Myth and Culture Podcast, Episode 4
    Jun 27 2019
    We believe that anger validates us; it helps show us as passionate, involved and even becomes integral to our identity. But to believe that if you do not argue you submit, if you don’t fight then you are indifferent or complacent, is a limited binary worldview that is not reflective of a more complex reality. In this episode Devdutt Pattanaik speaks to Jerry Johnson about how eastern mythology teaches us to accept things as they are rather than constantly attempt to mould them to our expectations.
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    21 mins
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  • What We Lose When We Lose The Feminine Instinct

    What We Lose When We Lose The Feminine Instinct

     Myth and Culture Podcast, Episode 3
    Jun 27 2019
    The feminine and a masculine instinct, the aggressive nature and the nurturing nature have always co-existed and a balance of these two forces is essential for harmony in society. But are masculine instincts becoming more desirable and is femininity seen as a sign of weakness? In this episode, Devdutt Pattanaik and Jerry Johnson talk about the conflicting instincts and the consequent fall-out of male dominance.
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    42 mins
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