Many of the original Hindu scriptures are now widely available on the Internet thanks to the efforts of the British, who brought these granths to libraries which made their translations and printed and online versions possible, says mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik.
Devdutt tries to answer all possible questions related to mythology in modern times in his new book 'Devlok with Devdutt', a collection of easy-going conversations based on the popular television show on EPIC TV channel.
The book, published by Penguin Random House India, covers many relevant topics such as holy trees, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, colour, Shiva, Ganesha and Gita, and is an English translation of the Hindi conversations on the show.
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Written in a Q&A format, the author's responses are simplified versions of mythological tales, taken from various versions found in different scriptures and in folklore.
"Although we criticise the British, it is because of them that the written texts, the granths, were brought into libraries from which translations, commentaries, printed versions became available. Libraries in India, the United States and Europe have put all these on the Internet. As a result, many of our original scriptures are widely available," the author of over 25 books on relevance of mythology in modern times says.
He says it may be surprising but all the original texts of the Vedas, Puranas and the Upanishads, which existed only in the oral tradition until about 2000 years ago, are easily available online.
"Use your phone, computer, type 'sacred texts of India' in Google and search them. We don't realise that there are translations, original formats, scanned material from libraries, etc., all accessible through the Internet," he says.
According to him, poets, rishis and Brahmins of the time thought of ways to integrate spiritual values in everyday life and as a solution, they composed the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which talk about family values.
"These epics are basically property disputes. The Ramayana is about whose son will ascend the throne and the Mahabharata is about a fight between cousins over Kurukshetra. The story of every family! Through Rama in the Ramayana and through Krishna in the Mahabharata, there is discussion over familial issues - how much is to be shared, what is one's own, what belongs to the other, and so on," he argues.
"These stories communicated the knowledge of the Vedas, and that's why they became so popular. These stories came into being almost 2000 years ago and are said to have evolved over 400-500 years.
"In the period between the Maurya (2300 years ago) and
Gupta (1700 years ago) dynasties, these texts were formalised in Sanskrit. Before this, they existed in the oral tradition, and emerged from different places. These stories may be much older. We don't know," he says.
On why Hindu gods and goddesses are always ready for war, armed with weapons though it is said that we should follow the path of nonviolence, Devdutt says when the idols of gods and goddesses were made thousands of years ago, weapons had a different meaning from the one today, when we associate them with violence.
For the primitive man, his weapon was a means for survival, for hunting and gathering food. Seen in that light, weapons are actually instruments or tools, they needed to survive, he argues.
"We gradually moved from a primitive to an agrarian society; we grew crops, built houses, amassed grain and wealth. To safeguard our food from theft, we built granaries and fortresses, and began carrying weapons for our own protection. Weapons and tools are important in any culture. That's why all gods and goddesses have some weapon or the other. Shiva has the trident, Hanuman has the mace, and Vishnu has various weapons," he says.
Speaking about the significance of the colour saffron, Devdutt says these days it is associated with Hinduism.
"The significance of saffron suddenly increased perhaps because the world of the sanyasis, mahants and their maths gained in power over the last 1000 years...
"Saffron is also the tiger's colour and represents power. During the freedom struggle, Lokmanya Tilak gave it importance. Kesari also means tiger, and it is linked with strength and virility. So, saffron is associated with asceticism as well as masculinity. There's another possible reason: turmeric and red pigment are often used in pujas. On mixing, you get orange," he reasons.
Asked about the most interesting concept he finds in the Gita, he says, "For me it is the concept of yog, that is, connections. How human beings connect to each other. In the Mahabharata, there is no hero or villain. They are all human beings, acting out of their insecurities. There are some good actions, some condemnable. But when you think along the concept of yog, connect with them, you will not judge them, rather you will see through their failings. This is the knowledge you gain.
