Devdutt Pattanaik Books: Devdutt Pattanaik is an Indian writer, mythologist, and public speaker who focuses on Hindu mythology and its application to contemporary culture. Around 50 of his books have been published, including well-known works like “Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana,” “My Gita,” and “Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata.”
The connection between mythology, religion, and culture is explored in Pattanaik’s writing. To investigate the deeper meanings underlying Hindu rituals, beliefs, and customs, he draws on classical Hindu writings such as the Vedas, the Puranas, and the Epics. Pattanaik is renowned for using diagrams and images to clarify difficult ideas in a straightforward and understandable way.
Devdutt Pattanaik’s Books are useful in understanding the various aspects of Hinduism. However, one might get confused while figuring out which book to start with. Thus, in this article, we provide you with a list of Devdutt Pattanaik Books to help you choose better.
Devdutt Pattanaik Books
A list of the top 10 Devdutt Pattanaik Books is as follows
1) My Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most important and popular Hindu Scripture whose readers and admirers can be found not only in India but all over the world. The first book on our list of Devdutt Pattanaik Books is a retelling of the Bhagavad Gita.
The Gita originally had thousands of verses, and the modern reader lacks the time to read them all. Devdutt Pattanaik addresses this issue by going over the various themes of the Gita in his book. Pattanaik relates the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna and Krishna’s teachings to the modern world. A culture that places an increasing emphasis on the individual must look at the world we live in, recognise that we are not alone here and that finding love, care, and purpose in life is crucial
2) Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata
How invaluable the teachings of the Mahabharata are is well known to everyone. The second book in our list of Devdutt Pattanaik Books is Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata. Pattanaik retells the epic with his own interpretations and descriptions. The depiction by Pattanaik of the different local folktales and tales related to the epic, which have been presented by him in a whole new manner, makes this book a favourite among readers in addition to retelling the interesting portions of the Mahabharata.
In a masterful move, the author preserved the epic’s original shape and style while expanding the plot by integrating lesser-known folklore tales. The book is organised into 108 chapters and includes 250 of Pattanaik’s own straightforward line drawings in addition to vibrant pictures.
3) Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana
As far as the Epic Ramayana is concerned, many writers and commentators have chosen to overlook the character of Goddess Sita. However, the third book on our list of Devdutt Pattanaik Books titled Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana emphasizes the role of Sita.
Being a single mother, Pattanaik considers Sita a crucial character. She experienced a plethora of ups and downs all by herself. Although Sita is depicted as a meek figure in the general tradition, the author has focused on the very fact that she was a lady with enormous strength.
Pattanaik has provided a more thorough depiction of Sita’s early years. Her bond and dialogues with the women in Lanka at the Ashoka Vatika, the thoughts that were expressed among them, Sita’s forest stay with her husband and then her subsequent lone stay, her relationship with her father, King Janaka, who was a very sober and spiritual person. She also shows her attachment to
4) Myth = Mithya: Decoding Hindu Mythology
In the modern era, a scientifically minded person finds it difficult to believe the flying people, talking serpents and multiple-headed humans as depicted in various Hindu Epics. The fourth book in our list of Devdutt Pattanaik Books discusses this precise problem. Pattanaik attributes these as symbolic presentations of thoughts of the message that needs to be conveyed to the people.
The book is divided into three sections, one each for Brahma-Saraswati, Vishnu-Lakshmi, and Shiva-Shakti. The references are taken from the Vedas and Puranas and feature these gods or goddesses in straightforward and lovely prose. That is undoubtedly an incredible compilation for readers.
5) 7 Secrets of Shiva
Shiva is regarded as the destroyer in the Hindu Trinity of Gods. However, there are other aspects of Shiva that go unnoticed by the believers and are untouched by writers and commentators. The fifth book in our list of Devdutt Pattanaik Books fills that gap. He is a monk who covers his body in ashes and wears animal skin. In contrast to his wild personality, he is also seen to have a family, including a lovely wife and two kids. There are numerous other such diverse depictions of Shiva, the two most notable of which are the Linga and the Nataraja.
Pattanaik first introduces the readers to these many features and representations before beginning to interpret them. Together with the symbolism, rituals, and motivations behind Hindu worship, he addresses certain oddities and inconsistencies in religion.
6) My Hanuman Chalisa
It is safe to assume that most people had memorized the Hanuman Chalisa in their Childhood. However, few people understand the meaning of the verses of the Chalisa. In the sixth book in our list of Devdutt Pattanaik Books, titled “My Hanuman Chalisa”, the author describes and explains the meaning of the verses as well as gives anecdotal references about the story being mentioned in the verse. The book is a must-read for all the devotees of Hanuman.
7) Garuda Purana And Other Hindu Ideas Of Death, Rebirth And Immortality
I am sure that you might have heard about the cyclical nature of life and death and rebirths. This is the basic feature of Hinduism. The seventh book on our list of Devdutt Pattanaik Books emphasizes the cycle of life and death as mentioned in the Garuda Purana, along with exploring multiple concepts around the phenomenon of Death.
In addition to that, Pattanaik touches on the various aspects of after-death such as Bhoot, Pishacha, Pret, Aatma, Pitr and Vetal. The book is an extraordinary enquiry into the complex phenomenon of Death.
8) Marriage: 100 Stories Around India’s Favourite Ritual
Marriage is considered a pious alliance between two souls. The eighth book in our list of Devdutt Pattanaik Books, titled Marriage: 100 Stories Around India’s Favourite Ritual, offers a fascinating examination of the Indian marriage system through a selection of 100 tales drawn from Hindu mythology, folklore, and modern culture.
Six sections make up the book, each of which focuses on a different facet of marriage, such as love, family, gender, and tradition. Pattanaik offers an array of stories that touch upon various marriage-related topics in each part.
9) Business Sutra: A Very Indian Approach to Management
The Ninth Book on our list of Devdutt Pattanaik Books– Business Sutra: A Very Indian Approach to Management – offers a radical, nuanced perspective on management, business, and leadership. Devdutt Pattanaik, a best-selling author, leadership expert, and mythologist, demonstrates in this seminal work how, despite its façade of objectivity, contemporary management is founded in Western ideologies and fixated on achieving inflexible goals and raising shareholder profit.
The Indian approach to doing business, which is evident in mythology but is no longer observed in actuality, allows for subjectivity and heterogeneity and provides an inclusive, more compassionate method of success. Darshan, or how we view the world and interact with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, is highly valued. Using tales, symbols, and rituals from Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist mythology, Business Sutra helps readers understand a wide range of business circumstances, from managing a profitable tea shop to developing talent inside a big multinational firm.
10) Shikhandi: And Other Tales They Don’t Tell
In our male dominant society, there is little room for any queer ideas. However, Devdutt Pattanaik shows us that that was not the case in Ancient India, in the last entry of our list of Devdutt Pattanaik Books, Shikhandi: And Other Tales They Don’t Tell. According to Pattanaik, queerness is not just a contemporary, Western, or sexual phenomenon.
You will discover many underappreciated stories in the extensive written and oral traditions of Hinduism, some of which are more than two thousand years old, including those of Shikhandi, who changed into a man to appease her wife; Mahadeva, who changed into a woman to deliver his devotee’s child; Chudala, who changed into a man to enlighten her husband; Samavan, who changed into the wife of his male friend; and numerous others. Comparing these stories to their Mesopotamian, Greek, Chinese, and Biblical equivalents reveals the distinctive Indian manner of seeing queerness. They are playful, moving, and occasionally unsettling.
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