Nonfiction. "Only a writer who is intimately familiar with the many thousands of Hindu legends could compile this book. Devdutt Pattanaik not only quotes the legends themselves, but also offers his own extensive commentary to place the stories in proper context. Hindu ideas of divine androgyny offer a basis for greater acceptance of gender diversity in the future" -Walter L. Williams, PhD, Professor of Anthropology and Gender Studies, University of Southern California; Editor, International Gay and Lesbian Review.
Nonfiction. "Only a writer who is intimately familiar with the many thousands of Hindu legends could compile this book. Devdutt Pattanaik not only quo...
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 Yijaya, 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 please 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,...
High above the sky stands Swarga, paradise, abode of the gods. Still above is Vaikuntha, heaven, abode of God. The doorkeepers of Vaikuntha are t...
Pattanaik's academic background is in medicine and medical writing, but his specialty has turned out to be mythology and its relevance in modern society. Here he compiles some 60 subversive Indian folk tales and other lore relating to sex and gender. His extensive introduction argues against a norma
Pattanaik's academic background is in medicine and medical writing, but his specialty has turned out to be mythology and its relevance in modern socie...