Showing results by author "Devdutt Pattanaik" in All Categories

More than 500 years after the Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi wrote his epic poem Padmavat, the story of Padmavati, princess of Simhal, and her lover and husband, Ratansen, the king of Chittor, continues to capture the imagination of listeners everywhere. In Padmavat, we meet Padmavati’s friend, philosopher and guide - Hiraman - a parrot, as well as Nagmati - Ratansen’s first wife, and the brave Rajput warriors Gora and Badal.

Hindu mythology is full of tales in which animals play important roles. Some animals are looked upon with fear and dread while some are worshiped 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?

Audible presents Ravana 360 Degrees, an Audible Original. Ravana 360 Degrees is a deep dive into the story of Ravana. By exploring him as a son, a brother, a father, a king, a husband, a devotee and an enemy, as expressed in various stories and images about him, we hope to gain a deeper insight into Hindu philosophy.

In this audiobook, mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik explores the ancient Greek tales, opening us to a whole new world of stories. This audiobook toys with the idea of whether there was a connection between the Greek and Hindu mythologies. Could it have something to do with a common Indo-European root? Or were ideas exchanged when Greek emissaries travelled to the kingdoms of Mathura and Magadha?

The Bhagavata is the story of Krishna, known as Shyam to those who find beauty, wisdom, and love in his dark complexion. It is the third great Hindu epic after the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. However, this narration was composed in fragments over thousands of years, first as the Harivamsa, then as the Bhagavata Purana, and finally as the passionate songs of poet-sages in various regional languages.

One of the three Gods of Trinity in Hinduism is Lord Vishnu, also called the Lord of the world. In mythological texts, Vishnu is considered as the 10 incarnations of Dashavtar. Shri Ram and Shri Krishna are his most important incarnations. Vishnu's residence is in two different places: in the world, in Baikunth, and second, in the Kshir-Sagar, where he is seated on the eternal balance. In Bhagavad Gita, Vishnu has been considered as Vishwaroop or Virat Purusha. This book attempts to unlock the seven secrets of Vishnu that are relevant even in modern times.

We tend to tiptoe around the role of power in management and fail to openly acknowledge how the animal desire to dominate often destroys the best of organizations. Critics tend to see power as a negative thing. But power is a critical tool that affects the implementation of any idea. Any attempt to restrain it with rules results in domestication and resentment and fails to energize the organization. Leaders often equate themselves with lions and indulge their desire to dominate when, in fact, the point of leadership is to be secure enough to outgrow the lion within us.

Artha-shastra is about generating food, i.e. wealth, by creating goods and services; Kama-shastra is about indulging our hungers with this food. Dharma-shastra insists we consider the hunger of others, while Moksha-shastra is about outgrowing our hungers, in order to be detached and generous. Together, these four Hindu shastras provide a framework within which human action, its purposes and consequences, can be defined; together, they validate human existence and give it meaning.

Why are Hindus so ritualistic? Why do they worship idols? Are Hindus supposed to be vegetarian? Why is a Hindu prayer different from a Muslim or Christian prayer? Did the arrival of Muslim invaders a thousand years ago destroy Hindu culture? Answering key questions on Hindu philosophy and associated Indian history in simple, lucid, engaging ways, and exploring the often curious customs and beliefs that are an intrinsic part of the Hindu faith, this Hindi translation of Devdutt Pattanaik's bestseller is a treasure house of information on the complex tenets of Hinduism.

Queerness isn’t only modern, Western, or sexual, says mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik. Take a close look at the vast written and oral traditions in Hinduism, some over 2,000 years old, and you will find tales of Shikhandi, who became a man to satisfy her wife, Mahadeva, who became a woman to deliver a devotee’s child, Chudala, who became a man to enlighten her husband, Samavan, who became the wife of his male friend, and many more....

രാമന്‍ മര്യാദാപുരുഷോത്തമനാണ്, സാമൂഹിക മൂല്യങ്ങളുടെ സംരക്ഷകനാണ്, രഘുകുല തിലകമാണ്, വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ സപ്താവതാരമാണ്, സൂര്യവംശത്തിലെ തിളങ്ങുന്ന രത്‌നമാണ്. ആരാധനയും അവകാശികളും ചുറ്റും നിറയുമ്പോഴും രാജഭാവത്തില്‍ ആരാധിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന ഒരേയൊരു ഹിന്ദുദൈവമായ രാമന്‍ സദാ പ്രശാന്ത ഗാംഭീര്യത്തോടെ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു. രാമകഥയ്ക്ക് പല പുനരാഖ്യാനങ്ങളിലായി കൂട്ടിച്ചേര്‍ക്കപ്പെട്ട അലങ്കാരങ്ങളും വിശേഷണങ്ങളും അര്‍ത്ഥതലങ്ങളും അടര്‍ത്തിമാറ്റി രാമന്റെ ആധുനികയുഗത്തിലെ പ്രസക്തി എന്താണെന്ന അന്വേഷണമാണ് ഈ പുസ്തകം.

Why are identity cards important, even for gods? How can you tell a Deva from a Manava? How would you find a particular god in a crowd of gods? One day, when Krishna wanted to board an aeroplane, he was not allowed to! All because he did not have an identity card. Then his friends Garuda and Sesha took him to meet Lata-kumari in Guwahati, who told him the story of Anasuya and the Ashwini twins, and why Rishi Chavan made a rule that all gods should carry a dhvaja a flag with each god's very own symbol. Did Krishna get his identity card so he could ride the aeroplane finally?

Why was Indra an unhappy god? What are the many magical things Indra has in paradise? Will Indra ever find happiness? Little Harsha was sad, so a cloud flew him up to Indra's palace, just to show Harsha that the king of gods was sadder than him! There, with his new friends Indra and Airavata, the six-tusked white elephant, Harsha sees so many amazing things a wish-fulfilling tree, a pot of never- ending gold, and a potion that keeps him healthy. Then Indra thinks of a naughty plan to steal Vasishta's cow! When he catches Indra, a very angry Vasishta tells him the secret to being happy.

Chi fa yoga spesso conosce i nomi delle asana più praticate, come Virbhadra-asana, la posizione del guerriero, o Hanuman-asana, la posizione della scimmia, ma non sa che si tratta di nomi che derivano dalla mitologia indiana: Virbhadra, per esempio, era un valoroso guerriero nato da un capello di Shiva, mentre Hanuman-asana rappresenta il grande balzo che portò il dio Hanuman, dalle sembianze di scimmia, dalle coste dell'India meridionale allo Sri Lanka.

This special omnibus edition brings together two best-selling books by Devdutt Pattanaik, India’s most famous and renowned mythologist. My Gita and My Hanuman Chalisa are part of a series where Devdutt does ‘darshan’ of the scriptures, not just gods, and helps listeners navigate through scriptures that seem forbidding (Bhagavad Gita) and simple ones whose sophistication is often overlooked (Hanuman Chalisa).

Derived from Devdutt Pattanaik's influential best seller Business Sutra, this book explores concepts like creativity in the workplace, nurturing talent and the importance of teamwork. It will help employers and managers become more inclusive leaders who are able to carry their teams along with them.

Most human beings hunger after riches and success. There are any number of management books which provide theories and techniques on how to become rich and successful. All of them advise us to chase Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, in order to make her our own. But the Indian approach to prosperity and fulfilment warns against the relentless pursuit of the goddess, writes noted thinker and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik, as it will result in conflict. Rather, we have to give in order to get; we have to satisfy the hunger of others in order to satisfy our own.

Why is the cow useful to everyone? How are the earth and the cow similar? Why is Gauri another name for a cow? Little girl Gauri thinks milk comes from packets, till she meets Sweety the talking cow. Sweety tells Gauri about the first cow on earth, Surabhi, and how she provided so many useful things to man fuel, manure, medicine and shelter. Sweety narrates stories about a king who found good luck because he gifted cows to many people, and how another king was turned into a lizard because he was not careful about who he gave his cows to!

Eden is the garden of happiness that humankind lost when Adam and Eve the first human couple, disobeyed the one true god, i.e., God, and ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. To this garden all humanity shall return if we accept God's love and follow God's law. It represents paradise in Abrahamic lore, which emerged over 4,000 years ago in the Middle East and has since spread to every corner of the world in three forms: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.