Devdutt Pattanaik Quotes & Sayings

Every human creates his own imagined version of the world, and of himself. Every human is therefore Brahma, creator of his own aham.Aham Brahmasmi, I am Brahma. Tat tvam asi, so are you. — Devdutt Pattanaik

I have been doodling since childhood. I have a passion for illustrating but cannot paint or colour for that matter. I illustrate what I am trying to communicate through my writing. My images are like drawings in a science text book. — Devdutt Pattanaik

the law clearly stated that a man with a physical defect could not be king. — Devdutt Pattanaik

The notion of the measuring scale is critical in Hindu thought. The value of an object depends on the scale being followed. And since all scales are man-made, all values are artificial. Thus all opinions ultimately are delusions, based on man-made measuring scales. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Rationalists believe Gandhari had only two sons, Duryodhana and Dusshasana, who are the only two of the hundred to play a significant role in the epic. They were probably twins, the 'two-year' pregnancy probably meaning 'twin' pregnancy. — Devdutt Pattanaik

A world created by observation evokes insight, hence affection, for we see the hunger and fear of all beings. Life becomes a performance on a stage (ranga-bhoomi) aimed to nourish and comfort the other, while deriving nourishment and comfort from their delight. Krishna's performance (leela) leads to him being worshipped as Ranga-natha, lord of the stage. He never judges, so he sees no one as a victim. This is how he begins The Gita: — Devdutt Pattanaik

What the person, who knows the truth, will speak, will not be understood by the person who does not know the truth. — Devdutt Pattanaik

What cannot be understood by the human intellect need not be feared because it ultimately comes from God — Devdutt Pattanaik

The elephant goad represents Yama, the god of death and bondage. Ganesha thus acknowledges the life-giving aspect of nature as well as the life-taking aspect of nature. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Brahma splits Brahmanda into three parts: me, mine and what is not mine. This is Tripura, the three worlds. — Devdutt Pattanaik

...many forces that influenced the flow of the tale: boons and curses and manmade laws. There was no hero or villain in the epic, just people struggling with life, responding to crises, making mistakes, repeating mistakes, in innocence or ignorance, while trying to make their lives meaningful and worthwhile. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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. Such is the law of karma. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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. — Devdutt Pattanaik

The world that is perceived through any measuring scale is called maya. — Devdutt Pattanaik

our actions have infinite consequences; we have limitless choices, if we open our mind to them. Thus, a shift in imagination brings about a dramatic shift in identity, meaning, value, assumptions and aspirations. — Devdutt Pattanaik

It is easy to decide between right and wrong but it is difficult to decide between what is right and what is more right — Devdutt Pattanaik

Within there is regard for the law of marriage; without there isn't any. Within, Sita is Rama's wife. Outside, she is a woman for the taking. Ravana knows that if he enters Rama's hut and forces himself on Sita he will be judged by the rules of society. But when he forces himself on Sita outside the Lakshmana-rekha, he will be judged by the laws of the jungle. Within, he will be the villain who disregarded the laws of marriage. Outside, he will be hero, the great trickster. — Devdutt Pattanaik

While Devas,Asuras, Nagas,Yaskhas and Devatas satisfied mundane, everyday needs, they did not answer more primal issues:Why does the world exist? Do we exist? Who are we? There was a need for God who was greater than the gods. There was need for Ishwara, the supreme lord, Mahadeva, the great god who is God, and Bhagavan, the container of all things. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Janaka gave his daughters to the sons of Dashratha, saying, 'I give you Lakshmi, wealth, who will bring you pleasure and prosperity. Grant me Saraswati, wisdom. Let me learn the joy of letting go.' This ritual came to be known as kanya-daan, — Devdutt Pattanaik

God does not interfere with fate; he simply helps man cope with it. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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. — Devdutt Pattanaik

from that of other Tapasvins. Many Asuras and Devas — Devdutt Pattanaik

when a man praises himself, it is intellectual suicide. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Accept that infinite occurrences of the universe cannot be fathomed by the finite human mind. — Devdutt Pattanaik

The intellectual approach to Ganesha is called gyan yoga. The emotional approach to Ganesha is called bhakti yoga. And a mechanical, ritualistic, approach to Ganesha is called karma yoga. Different — Devdutt Pattanaik

Such is the law of karma. Every action, howsoever innocent, has a reaction, that one has to experience if not in this life, then in the next,' said — Devdutt Pattanaik

Soon the heavens will burst and torrential rains will flood the earth. The sea will rise and submerge the land. When this happens collect the seed of every plant and a pair of every animal and wait for me on a boat with your wife.' Realizing this was no ordinary fish, but Vishnu himself, Satyavrata did as he was told. The great fish appeared before him, bigger than before, with a horn on its head. Satyavrata tied his boat to the horn with Adi Sesha as the rope. The fish then towed the boat through the great deluge to the only piece of dry land, the peak of Mount Mandara. There Satyavrata and his wife waited for the waters to recede. With the seed of every plant and a pair of all animals he would establish the new world. (Bhagavata Purana) — Devdutt Pattanaik

If they became possessive and demanded exclusive attention, he disappeared completely, filling them with great misery and longing. They realized that bliss comes when love is shared with all. — Devdutt Pattanaik

In humility, there is faith. When there is faith, there is no fear. — Devdutt Pattanaik

the Kali yuga will dawn. A new age will dawn where nothing will be as it was. Only a quarter of the values instituted by Prithu at the dawn of civilization will survive. Man will live for pleasure, children will abandon responsibility, women will be like men, men like women. Humans will copulate like beasts. Power will be respected, justice abandoned, sacrifice forgotten and love ridiculed. The wise will argue for the law of the jungle. Every victim will, given a chance, turn victimizer. — Devdutt Pattanaik

The ego is the product of imagination. It is how a human being sees himself or herself. It makes humans demand special status in nature and culture. Nature does not care for this self-image of human beings. Culture, which is a man-made creation, attempts to accommodate it. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Mighty brawn is no match for a nimble brain. Let — Devdutt Pattanaik

The aim is to get as close to nature as possible, shattering the tyranny of cultural values and judgements. In the Vedic approach, self-realization has to be achieved by detached adherence to cultural values and judgements, social roles — Devdutt Pattanaik

Seduction No one is obliged to receive what we give. No one is obliged to participate in the exchange. Not everyone needs to be compelled into desirable behaviour; customers and employees can also be charmed. Our enchantments can be a trick, a trap, a manipulation, or an expression of genuine affection that benefits all. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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 equality? Why then is Shakti never half a man? — Devdutt Pattanaik

Ram, taken by surprise at what was happening, rushed to stop his wife, hold her hand and pull her out, but the earth had closed before he could reach her. All that he could clutch were the ends of her hair that turned into blades of grass. Would the pain have been less had she chastised him before she left? Would the pain have been less had they at least spoken before she left? Would the pain have been less had she at least looked at him before she left? But then she was under no obligation. He had liberated her long ago from the burden of being Ram's wife. But he would always be Sita's husband. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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

Neither death nor wisdom has a full stop. There are only commas-no destinations, only waiting rooms. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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: — Devdutt Pattanaik

If you don't have imagination, you stop being human; animals don't have imagination; Alzheimer's is the death of imagination. — Devdutt Pattanaik

There is no such thing as an objective interpretation. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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

The Ramayana has never been a tale of Ram's life. It is a tale of how Ram lived for others. By retelling his tale, storytellers hope to inspire themselves and others to live as Ram did. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Animal fight to defend their bodies. Humans curse to defend their imagination of themselves. — Devdutt Pattanaik

that which deludes you to be unhappy can be overpowered by another delusion that causes greater unhappiness — Devdutt Pattanaik

.. The point of human life is to travel from ignorance to wisdom. In ignorance there is fear. In wisdom there peace and tranquillity. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Often in business we take decisions based on how we interpret the situation, not being sure of whether the call we have taken will work or not. When it works, we are often taken by surprise. But the world at large demands an explanation. — Devdutt Pattanaik

In the karmic worldview, you are queer because of karma, and it may be a boon or curse. In the one-life worldview, you are queer because you choose to be so, to express your individuality or to defy authority (Greek mythology) or God/Devil wills it so (biblical mythology). — Devdutt Pattanaik

Those who are comfortable with imagination appreciate metaphors and symbols. Those who are not prefer the literal. Only through metaphors and symbols can one convey the conceptual. Without poetry, you cannot communicate ideas that are not material and measurable, like love, or justice or remarkability. But — Devdutt Pattanaik

To protect her son, Shishupala's mother gets from Krishna a boon that he will forgive a hundred crimes of her son. But she does not bother to warn her son never to commit a crime. Thus Vyasa draws attention to a peculiar human trait of trying to solve a problem through external means without bringing about any internal transformation. — Devdutt Pattanaik

In the absence of conceptual clarity, the dominant emotion is fear, fear of losing opportunities, fear of threats, fear of achievement, fear of abandonment, fear of invalidation. The emotion of fear impacts the way we think and what we believe. It contaminates the filtering of sensations and choice of responses. It creates a vicious cycle where atma is eclipsed by aham, our judgemental self. — Devdutt Pattanaik

We knot our imagination to fear to creat aham. Tapasya and yagna are two tools that can help us unknot the mind, outgrow fear and discover atma, our true self. — Devdutt Pattanaik

we believe our problems are the greatest and our misfortunes the worst, there is always someone out there who has suffered more. — Devdutt Pattanaik

I write on sacred stories, symbols and rituals of all cultures - European, American and Chinese - but my audiences, typically, like me to focus on India. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Prayer earns merit. Merit makes life predictable. Keeps away accidents and surprises. — Devdutt Pattanaik

All will be well if we repent of our sins, accept God's love and demonstrate it by following His law. This — Devdutt Pattanaik

Guna impact not just matter but also the mind. Thus, thought and emotions also display the three tendencies. Therefore some people are lazy followers, some are driven leaders who want to change the world and some decide when to follow and when to lead, and know that the world can be changed only cosmetically with technology, but not in essence, at a psychological level. Tamas guna stops us from thinking, so we follow the trend. Rajas guna stops us from trusting anyone but ourselves. Sattva guna makes us care for those who are frightened, intimidated by the diverse and dynamic reality of the world. — Devdutt Pattanaik

There is great joy in satisfying oneself,' said Hanuman. 'But there is greater joy when we satisfy ourselves by satisfying others. Still greater joy when we do not need satisfaction. And even more joy, when despite not needing satisfaction, we provide satisfaction to others. — Devdutt Pattanaik

For centuries, pilgrims have travelled to Ayodhya identifying it as a birthplace of Ram. But the exact location is a subject of dispute and political turmoil. Ever since colonial times, Hinduism has felt under siege, forced to explain itself using European templates, make itself more tangible, more structured, more homogenous, more historical, more geographical, less psychological, less emotional, to render itself as valid as the major religions of the world like Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The fallout of this pressure is the need to locate matters of faith in a particular spot. What used to be once a matter of faith becomes a territorial war zone where courts have to intervene — Devdutt Pattanaik

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. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Like animals that seek food for their survival, humans yearn for meaning for their sanity: what is our value, our purpose and our identity in this world? As long as we seek validation from the world around us, we are entrapped by aham. As soon as we realize that all meaning comes from within, that it is we who make the world meaningful, we are liberated by atma. — Devdutt Pattanaik

By associating Arjuna and Krishna to Nara and Narayana, Vyasa makes them creatures of destiny. Their birth is not random; they are born for a reason. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Refusal to accept the flow of the world is the root of all misery. — Devdutt Pattanaik

In time, Radha became a goddess in her own right, the symbol of sacrifice, surrender and unconditional love. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Become a master of your intellect as a charioteer masters his horses and you will realize it is not about the war, it is not about fighting or not fighting, it is not about winning or losing, but it is about taking decisions and discovering the truth about yourself. When you do this, there will be no fear, there will be no ego; you will be at peace, even in the midst of what the deluded call war. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Brahmins were essentially transmitters and stewards of Vedic hymns and rituals, not its interpreters or owners. Over time, however, they used their exalted position to dominate society and claim entitlements. It was an irony of history that those who carried knowledge of how to expand the mind failed to expand their own minds, and chose the common path of domination instead. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Dharma must not only domesticate nature, it also needs to ensure there is harmony between nature and culture. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Through her, the Ramayan reminds us that even a victim can be a winner if he or she refuses to surrender to the circumstance. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Within infinite myths lies the Eternal Truth Who sees it all? Varuna has but a thousand eyes Indra, a hundred And I, only two — Devdutt Pattanaik

These chants relieved vedana, the yearning of the restless human soul, hence became collectively known as the Veda. Those who heard them first came to be known as the Rishis. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Attainment of desirable states brings joy, failure to do so becomes sorrow. — Devdutt Pattanaik

now I know the power of maya: that which deludes you to be unhappy can be overpowered by another delusion that causes greater unhappiness. Oh — Devdutt Pattanaik

The aim of his narrative is to remind all not to judge people without knowing their story. Even the worst of villains has a story that perhaps explains their actions, without condoning them. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Surrender unconditionally, even in the absence of evidence, to the truth of the cosmos. — Devdutt Pattanaik

business is neither a burden to bear nor a battle to win, but a chance to outgrow fear by helping others outgrow theirs. This — Devdutt Pattanaik

In Hinduism, dharma means realizing our potential: changing ourselves into the best we theoretically can be. What is that? Humans — Devdutt Pattanaik

One can argue, why not simply give the solution; why go through the trouble of creating a puzzle? Ancient Hindus believed, wisdom must never be given. It has to be taken. And — Devdutt Pattanaik

Fear is a constant, and faith is a choice. Fear comes from karma, from faith arises dharma. — Devdutt Pattanaik

To live in dharma is to act in love. To — Devdutt Pattanaik

Nobody knows why we're alive; so we all create stories based on our imagination of the world; and as a community, we believe in the same story. In India, every person believes his/ her own mythosphere to be real. Indian thought is obsessed with subjectivity; Greek thought with objectivity. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Shiva becomes the destroyer, acquiring strength and inspiration from his consort Shakti, who is both Gauri, radiant goddess of eroticism, and Kali, dark goddess of extermination. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Myth is truth which is subjective, intuitive, cultural and grounded in faith. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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

Within infinite myths lies an eternal truth Who sees it all? Varuna has but a thousand eyes Indra, a hundred You and I, only two. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Krishna is wisdom. You are action. One without another is useless. All your battles you will win only when you are together. — Devdutt Pattanaik

It is ironical that for all the value we give to the rational, life is primarily governed by the irrational. Love is not rational. Sorrow is not rational. Hatred, ambition, rage and greed are irrational. Even ethics, morals and aesthetics are not rational. They depend on values and standards which are ultimately subjective. What is right, sacred and beautiful to one group of people need not be right, sacred and beautiful to another group of people. — Devdutt Pattanaik

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. — Devdutt Pattanaik

In India, the eldest has the most responsibility and the crown goes to him. The crown could go to a person with the most talent. But how could 'most talent' be determined? So Indian society settled on age. — Devdutt Pattanaik

When there is faith, there is no fear. Is — Devdutt Pattanaik

The Hindu views life as the opportunity to fulfill karmic obligations (dharma), indulge the ego with worldly power (artha), gratify the senses with worldly pleasure (kama), and discover the spirit (moksha). He can either react to samsara or simply witness it. The former fetters, the latter liberates. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Even perfection is a myth. There is no evidence of a perfect world, a perfect man or a perfect family anywhere on earth. Perfection, be it Rama Rajya or Camelot, exists only in mythology. Yet everyone craves for it. This craving inspires art, establishes empires, sparks revolutions and motivates leaders. Such is the power of myth. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Mythology is a vast body of knowledge that has not been tapped. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Mythology is a subjective truth. Every culture imagines life a certain way. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Do not surrender to a situation that nurtures the ego. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Life would continue, with joys and sorrows, triumphs and tragedies rising and falling like the waves of the sea. It was up to him to respond wisely, enjoy simple pleasures unshaken by the inevitable endless turmoil of the world. — Devdutt Pattanaik

Arjuna, fair or unfair, the results of any action depend on five things: the body, the mind, the instruments, the method and divine grace (luck? fate?). Only the ignorant think they alone are responsible for any outcome. - Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 18, verses 13 to 16 (paraphrased). — Devdutt Pattanaik