Myth = Mithya [Paperback] [Jan 09, 2008] Pattanaik, Devdutt

Pattanaik; Devdutt

ISBN 10: 0143423320 / ISBN 13: 9780143423324

Published by Penguin, 2008

About this Item

Befriedigend/Good: Durchschnittlich erhaltenes Buch bzw. Schutzumschlag mit Gebrauchsspuren, aber vollständigen Seiten. / Describes the average WORN book or dust jacket that has all the pages present.

Seller Inventory # M00143423320-G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Myth = Mithya [Paperback] [Jan 09, 2008] Pattanaik, Devdutt
• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication Date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0143423320
• ISBN 13: 9780143423324
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: good

About this title

Synopsis

A decoding of Hindu mythology Hindus have one God. They also have 330 million gods: male gods; female gods; personal gods; family gods; household gods; village gods; gods of space and time; gods for specific castes and particular professions; gods who reside in trees; in animals; in minerals; in geometrical patterns and in man-made objects. Then there are a whole host of demons. But no Devil. In this groundbreaking book Dr Devdutt Pattanaik; one of Indias most popular mythologists; seeks an answer to these apparent paradoxes and unravels an inherited truth about life and death; nature and culture; perfection and possibility. He retells sacred Hindu stories and decodes Hindu symbols and rituals; using a unique style of commentary; illustrations and diagrams. We discover why the villainous Kauravas went to heaven and the virtuous Pandavas (all except Yudhishtira) were sent to hell; why Rama despite abandoning the innocent Sita remains the model king; why the blood-drinking Kali is another form of the milk-giving Gauri; and why Shiva wrenched off the fifth head of Brahma. Constructed over generations; Hindu myths serve as windows to the soul; and provide an understanding of the world around us. The aim is not to outgrow myth; but to be enriched and empowered by its ancient; potent and still relevant language.

About the Author

Devdutt Pattanaik is a physician who turned his love for Indian mythology into his profession. Other books by this author include The Goddess In India: The Five Faces Of The Eternal Feminine, The Man Who Was A Woman And Other Queer Tales Of Hindu Lore, Indian Mythology: Tales, Symbols, And Rituals From The Heart Of The Subcontinent, and Hanuman: An Introduction. Devdutt Pattanaik was born in 1970 in Mumbai.