Myth = Mithya Quotes

“Within infinite myths lies the eternal truth
Who sees it all?
Varuna has but a thousand eyes,
Indra has a hundred,
You and I, only two.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“Within infinite myths lies the eternal truth
Who sees it all?
Varuna has but a thousand eyes,
Indra has a hundred,
And You and I, only two .”.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“According to Vedic scriptures, God does not ‘create’ this world. He simply made all creatures aware of it. Awareness leads to discovery. Discovery is creation.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“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.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“The purpose of life then is not to change what one did not create. Rather it is to explore this world, experience it, understand it and by doing so discover the truth about oneself.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“Knowledge does not outlive death. Wealth does.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“Myth is truth which is subjective, intuitive, cultural and grounded in faith.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“Religious or secular, all myths make profound sense to one group of people. Not to everyone. They cannot be rationalized beyond a point. In the final analysis, you either accept them or you don’t.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“It is difficult to establish where the effects of a boon end and the influence of a curse begins.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“There is no evidence of a perfect world, a perfect man or a perfect family anywhere on earth.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“Vratas are not concerned with lofty spiritual goals like moksha. They are concerned with ordinary household material aspirations: marriage, children, health and prosperity.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“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, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“Peace comes when one comes to terms with the three worlds: the personal world, the cultural world and the natural world.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“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, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“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, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“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, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“Good and bad are judgements based on human values. Human values ---- critical though they may be to establishing civilized society ---- are based on a limited understanding of the world.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“It is ironical that for all the value we give to the rational, life is primarily governed by the irrational.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: Decoding Hindu Mythology

“Sudarshan means a positive outlook. The chakra’s whirring round God’s right index finger is indicative of rhythmic order.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: Decoding Hindu Mythology

“Rama’s poise and dignity in the face of such pressure and tragedy make him, in the eyes of Hindus, the supreme upholder of social values, maryada purushottam.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: Decoding Hindu Mythology

“those who live by the law of the jungle must be ready to die by the law of the jungle.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: Decoding Hindu Mythology

“Mythos gave purpose, meaning and validation to existence.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: Decoding Hindu Mythology

“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, Myth = Mithya: Decoding Hindu Mythology

“There are different types of action depending on the motivation behind them. The motivation may be self-preservation, self-propagation, self-actualization or self-realization.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“A banyan tree may offer shade and hold the promise of permanence, but it does not let even a blade of grass grow around it, nor does it provide life-sustaining fruit for man. The banana plant offers no shade but its rapid regenerative ability ensures it provides food to sustain the family. Snow may be still but cannot sustain life. To sustain life, it must melt, turn into a river and flow down the plains.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“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, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“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, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“Pitr are the ancestors, the dead awaiting rebirth, subjects of Yama. They have no flesh, hence no gender. They have no mind, hence no ego. But they have a soul and a causal body. In this form they stand before Yama. He determines their fate. Before pronouncing his judgement,Yama always consults Chitragupta, his accountant, who meticulously maintains a record of a jiva’s actions in its lifetime.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“Puja makes gods more personal. There are Ishta-devatas or personal gods, Kula-devatas or family gods, Graha-devatas or household gods, and Grama-devatas or village gods. These gods either protected their worshippers or provided for them.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology

“Serpents are symbols of change and renewal. Like the earth they renew their fertility by replacing old skin with new. Since they could slither above and below the earth, they were considered keepers of the earth’s secrets and hence symbols of occult lore.”
― Devdutt Pattanaik, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology