Devdutt Pattanaik, by some standards, is one of mankind’s last great hopes . Through his work on Hindu mythology and its many nuances, he has been building bridges across the respective cultures of the west and the east, enhancing their understanding of each other. Additionally, he works for the Future Group as their Chief Belief Officer. A broad picture of what his work involves can be had at his website here. His most recent book is JAYA -- an illustrated retelling of the Mahabharata.
You have said often that you make sense of the world through stories. What role have stories played in the forming of Indian civilizations as we know it today?
Today’s India is reflected very well in Bollywood. In the 1950s we had the black and white stories of Bimal Roy that spoke of the socialist dream. Then came the era of the License Raj when we had smugglers and cops and angry young men. Now we tell stories of Karan Johar where no one is poor and every one jet sets between New York and London. Thus India is changing and our stories reveal the same.
You have spoken about how people treat mythology as something of a taboo topic. Why do you think that is? What, if anything, can be done to change this?
The British made Indians feel inferior using mythology. They said, “How can you worship a god with four hands and three heads?” They did this in ignorance. But it made Indians feel defensive and apologetic about mythology ever since. That is why even today no university actually teaches mythology or Ramayana or Mahabharata as a course. The left wing blamed mythology for India’s poverty and the right wing attacked them turning mythology into a holy cow. Even the term mythological is political – scholars and religious groups uses it to imply falsehood without realizing how myth is an integral part of shaping cultural discourses and values, in both the secular and spiritual framework.
Mythology is sourced from religion. Has your work with myths brought about a change in your personal religious views?
No, mythology is not sourced only from religion. Where there is culture there is myth. Even the most non-religious and secular organization is steeped in myth. Notions of good and bad, right and wrong, beauty and ugliness cannot exist without a subjective understanding of the world, which is myth.
My work with mythology has only enhanced my respect for Indian thought.
Do you make a distinction between the phrases “Indian mythology” and “Hindu mythology”? If yes, how are they different?
Indian mythology is rooted in the idea of rebirth, which is unique to the Indian subcontinent. This can apply to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Since 80% of India is Hindu, the words are used interchangeably, purely for functional convenience and with no underlying political agenda. I am well aware that India has many religions but for functional ease, Western mythology is a term used to refer to narratives of one-life culture: Judaism, Christianity, Islam as well as Greek ideas. Basically Eastern mythology is broadly divided into Indian and Oriental (Chinese and Japanese).
Your inter-cultural talks have given people in the west as well as the east, a lot to think about. What has the experience taught you?
That people don’t notice the simplest of differences in life.
Your work involves finding meaning. Are these meanings there or do you create them? Have you ever been accused of reading things into the myths you analyze?
Humans are meaning-making animals. We create them and transmit them. Every meaning exists in a context. No has ever accused me reading things into the myths I analyze, but then who knows the true meaning of myths?
Do you think the eastern and western world views – singularity vs. infinity – are somehow reconcilable? How?
Why should they be reconcilable? Why should there be homogeneity. Let differences prevail. Each has its own value.
Given that not a lot of Indian scholarly writing on Mythology is in English, how do you source your material/conduct your research? - Aditya Bidikar (Reader Question)
Mythology is not bound to any language. Mythology is about idea. So long as the idea is retained, all is well. We lose some essence in language but that is ok. There are over 20 languages in India; no one can know all of them.
In this world of corruption and red-tapism, essentially Kaliyuga, how would you connect it to other eras of mythology? Any examples of how the world dealt with corruption back then? - Shaily Shah (Reader Question)
Is Kaliyuga a literal period of time or a metaphorical state of mind? There is no ‘back then’ in mythology, especially Indian mythology. At an emotional level, irrespective of technology, we are no different from our ancestors ten thousand years ago and our descendents will be no different form us. They will be as afraid of death and invalidation as we are.
The following books by Devdutt will be released this year:
- Devlok series (Puffin)
- Ganesha (Jaico)
- Vishnu (Westland)
- Shiva (Westland)
Make sure you watch out for them!
Vijayendra Mohanty blogs here. And you can follow him here.
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