He makes the interpretation easy and understandable
Making mythology easier and exploring its various aspects for the Indian masses, authorDrDevduttPattanaik’s narrations are riveting. A renowned Indian mythologist, speaker, illustrator, and an MBBS graduate, known for his writing on Hindu sacred lore, legends, folklore, fables, and parables, Pattanaik's focus has largely been in the areas of religion, mythology, and management. From books on the relevance of sacred stories, symbols, and rituals in modern times to incorporating the Mahabharata and the Ramayana into human resource management, Pattanaik holds a huge category of work under his belt. So here is a list of books by the author that you can pick to read.
My Gita With a more thematic narration approach and a verse-by-verse explanation, this book presented Gita in a completely different light and more understandable. Unlike the traditional Gita which is a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna during the battle of Kurukshetra in Mahabharat, this book presents a modern outlook on the same topic suited for the contemporary reader. Pattanaik highlights how Krishna nudges Arjuna to rise above all his attachments by carefully understanding them rather than judging them. The perspective offered is rational and relevant.
Jaya: An illustrated retelling of Mahabharata This book byPattanaik takes you through the entire journey of Mahabharata like it has never before. By taking a single narrative from the classic, the author is retelling the whole epic flawlessly. The book follows the path of revelation like in any other DevduttPattanaik works. Jaya is simple, easy to understand and what makes it unique is that it interprets Mahabharata and not just narrates the tale. The interpretation reflects on present-day scenarios. There are 250 line drawings all done by the author.
Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology Through this book, Pattanaik is not only looking for answers but is also putting forward the decoding of the existing paradoxes and truths about life and death, nature and culture, and perfection and possibility. Using his skills of an illustrator, the author narrates the sacred Hindu stories, symbols and rituals in diagrams. This book is an explanation of various mythological stories, like why the Kauravas went to heaven and the Pandavas (all except Yudhishtira) were sent to hell, why Rama despite abandoning Sita remains the king, and why Shiva wrenched off the fifth head of Brahma.
Shikhndi and Other Stories They Don’t Tell You Here in this book, Pattanaik is exploring the history of queerness that comes from the mythological era. There are many works of literature on Hinduism that have many tales overlooked, one of such is of Shikhandi -who became a man to satisfy her wife and Mahadeva who became a woman to deliver his devotee’s child.
