Audiobooks by Devdutt Pattanaik

"Manu said that a woman’s dharma is to be mother, daughter, sister and wife in service of men, regardless of the caste. In modern times we call this patriarchy. In the Veda, the need to control and favour hierarchy, is an expression of an anxious mind.Hindu, Buddhist and Jain lore is full of tales where women do not let men define their dharma. In modern times we call this feminism. In the Veda, the acceptance of a woman's choice is an expression of a wise and secure mind.While in Western myth, patriarchy is traditional and feminism is progressive, in Indian myth both patriarchy and feminism have always co-existed, in eternal tension, through endless cycles of rebirth. Liberation thus is not a foreign idea. It has always been here.You have heard tales of patriarchy. This book tells you the other tales―the ones they don’t tell you."

Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Mala Mangla (Narrator)

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The Book of Ram

"‘Ram’s story as a metaphor for human strengths and weaknesses and as a window to inner divinity’—Tehelka / Ram is maryada purushottam, the supreme upholder of social values, scion of the Raghu clan, jewel of the solar dynasty, seventh avatar of Vishnu. Reviled by feminists, appropriated by politicians, he remains serene in his majesty, the only Hindu deity to be worshipped as a king. Join Devdutt Pattanaik as he explores the relevance of Ram in modern times, peeling back the layers of metaphors and meanings in the many retellings of his tale."

Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Dev J Haldar (Narrator)

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How to Become Rich: 12 Lessons I Learnt from Vedic and Puranic Stories

"Lakshmi is worshipped as the goddess of wealth. Her arrival is considered auspicious, while her departure is bad and inauspicious. In temples, gods are bedecked with jewels; during festivals, our houses are decorated with flowers, lamps and Lakshmi’s footprints. Clearly, she is a much-desired goddess. Yet, some friends and relatives—even gurus—tell us not to be money-minded, or that it is wrong to equate Lakshmi with money because Lakshmi is spiritual and money is material. Why this mockery of money? Why are we driving Lakshmi out of India instead of inviting her lovingly into our lives? How to Become Rich is a simple retelling of the stories of Lakshmi found in the Vedas and Puranas. Devdutt Pattanaik deftly explains what Hinduism says about economics at a personal level as well as at the social level."

Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Lesa Lockford (Narrator)

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Aastha: Hindu Dharm mein 40 Prabodhan

"Why are Hindus so ritualistic? Why do they worship idols? Are Hindus supposed to be vegetarian? Why is a Hindu prayer different from a Muslim or Christian prayer? Did the arrival of Muslim invaders a thousand years ago destroy Hindu culture? Answering key questions on Hindu philosophy and associated Indian history in simple, lucid, engaging ways, and exploring the often curious customs and beliefs that are an intrinsic part of the Hindu faith, this Hindi translation of Devdutt Pattanaik's bestseller is a treasure house of information on the complex tenets of Hinduism. For many a curious reader, Aastha: Hindu Dharm mein 40 Prabodhan will prove to be a delightful and eye-opening introduction to the intricacies of one of the world's most practiced religions."

Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Darain Shahidi (Narrator)

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Yoga Mythology: 64 Asanas & Their Stories

"Deepen Your Yoga Experience with the Origin Stories of sixty-four Common Asanas Explore the stories from Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain mythology that nurtured the idea of yoga and shaped the development of its most iconic asanas. Learn how svana-asana (dog pose) is connected to Shiva, bhujanga-asana (cobra pose) was inspired by shape-shifting beings who live below the earth, and much more. Many practitioners are unaware of yoga's underlying philosophy, symbols, and rituals because modern teachers often emphasize the physical over the mental and spiritual components. Yoga Mythology brings this overlooked wisdom to light by recounting the lore behind more than sixty asanas, drawing attention to an Indic worldview based on the concepts of eternity, rebirth, liberation, and empathy. This book makes it easy and enjoyable to connect with yogic principles and expand the mental and spiritual aspects of your practice."

Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Neil Shah (Narrator)

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Practice of Dharmic leadeship : Who is exchanging?

"Having understood the exchange and what is exchanged, let us understand who participates in the exchange. This is the unique feature of Dharmic Leadership and separates the yagna from other forms of exchange such as barter and contract. In barter, only goods and services are exchanged. Personal beliefs do not matter. In contract, beliefs are either false or true. True beliefs make us respect the law, ethics, and morality. In yagna, inclusion of other people's beliefs allows our beliefs to expand and uncrumple the mind infinitely. As the mind expands, we become generous because we are content and content because we are ambitious. This makes yagna an exercise in transformation unlike contract, which is at best, an exercise in conversion. As belief shifts, so does behavior, and so does business. In Indian mythology, the female form is given to the constituents of the cultural body, that which can be exchanged. The male form is given to the psychological body, that which can transform. Brahma is who we are by default. We consume resources, power and knowledge and, so we chase the goddesses relentlessly. Discontentment makes us Shiva who grows indifferent to the goddess, until he realizes her value. Finally, as Vishnu, we discovers that we are also goddesses, that which can be consumed by others. Here gender is used as a metaphor to convey the complex relationship of mind and matter. We wonder what comes first: hunger or food? This gives rise to the question, who came first: god or goddess? Rig Veda says, 'They gave birth to each other, Daksha to Aditi and Aditi to Daksha.' In this chapter, we will study ambition through stories of Brahma and his sons, contentment through stories of Shiva and generosity through stories of Vishnu."

Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Devdutt Pattanaik (Narrator)

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Theory of Dharmic leadership : Emergence of Exchange

"The theory of Dharmic Leadership is very different from the theory of Modern Management. Modern Management is based on anxiety. We have only one life to achieve greatness, and one life to save the world. There is a sense of urgency in the pursuit of happily ever after. Hence the emphasis on comparison, combat, and competition. Dharmic Leadership is more relaxed. In the Indian scheme of things, history exists before and after us. There will be always people who will be anxious, ambitious, combative, and competitive. We still need to create an ecosystem of collaboration and pleasure, turn rana-bhoomi into ranga-bhoomi, at least around us. In this chapter we will take an anthropological journey and understand how the invention of exchange established human culture, and why exchange in India took the form of yagna."

Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Devdutt Pattanaik (Narrator)

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Theory of Dharmic leadership : History of Dharma

"Having appreciated the anthropology of Dharmic Leadership, we will now venture into the world of history. No idea is static. No idea emerges in perfection. Every idea responds to various geographical realities and historical forces. In this chapter we have to take a historical journey to appreciate how the meanings of dharma, ahimsa and yagna changed from pre-Vedic through Vedic to post-Vedic times."

Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Devdutt Pattanaik (Narrator)

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Theory of Dharmic Leadership : Integrating Dharma Globally

"Having appreciated the anthropology and history of Dharmic Leadership, we will now venture into the world of mythology. Myth is subjective truth of a culture, transmitted over generations through stories, symbols and rituals, that acts as a glue binding people together, while differentiating them from others. This need to bind the in-group and distinguish it from the out-group is why Western myths are different from Chinese myths which are different from Indian myths. Any attempt to force everyone to share the same myth leads to violation and violence. In this chapter we have to take a mythological journey and appreciate how Dharmic Leadership can enable collaboration, rather than competition, between Western, Chinese, and Indian societies even though they have different truths."

Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Devdutt Pattanaik (Narrator)

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EPISODE 2 : What is Exchanged?

"Having understood the exchange, let us understand what is exchanged... In nature, plants and animals seek food in order to survive. Plants and animals also need power, to get food, and not become food. An animal without power will not eat and be soon eaten by others. Animals increase their power by collaborating with each other in herds, packs, and hives. Competition helps the stronger and faster get a greater share of the food. Collaboration helps the group; competition helps the mighty. Culture exists to provide food and power to humans. But for humans, food and power take very complex forms, as hunger and insecurity are fueled by imagination. For humans, that which satisfies human hunger is Lakshmi, the goddess of food and fortune, whose name is derived from the word laksha, or target. She is what we value and hoard the most. Durga is the goddess of security and power. Like Lakshmi, she too can be stored, stolen, and shared. Her name is derived from durg, or the fortress. Then there is Saraswati, goddess of knowledge, who helps humans discover, invent, and innovate new forms of food, and security. In this chapter, we will focus on the goddesses, Lakshmi, Durga, and Saraswati, who embody resources, power, and knowledge that humans exchange in the market."

Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Devdutt Pattanaik (Narrator)

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EPISODE 1 : How to Exchange?

"In the jungle, the big eat the small; no one helps anyone. In dharma, the big help the small. But this can only happen when you feel secure. Most rich, powerful, and knowledgeable people are not secure. This is why they continue to consume, combat, and compete, oblivious of other people's hunger. They fear they will be eaten if they do not eat. They live in a dog-eat-dog world. Their life is an eternal rat race. Full of violence, stress, and arguments. A jungle. A war-room. A Rana-Bhoomi. Dharmic Leaders work towards being secure so that they can be ambitious for others, content for the self, and generous for both. Dharmic Leaders feel successful when they feed others and get others to feed them, voluntarily. They strive to create a pleasure-dome of collaboration, reciprocity, and benevolence. A ranga-Bhoomi. This book seeks to introduce Homo economicus, the rational selfish being favored by modern society, to Homo Dharmicus, the sensitive and compassionate being of ancient Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu lore. A lot depends on how we see the other. Do we see them as opportunities or threats, or do we see them as people, with strengths and weaknesses? In this chapter, we will analyze the act of giving, receiving, and observing."

Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Devdutt Pattanaik (Narrator)

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[Kannada] - Jaya

"Jaya: A Retelling Of The Mahabharata has the whole epic, which was originally known as Jaya, condensed into a tiny capsule in this book. Other than retelling the interesting parts of the Mahabharata, what makes this book a favourite among the readers is Pattanaik rendering of the various local folklores and tales that are associated with the epic, which have been presented in a whole new genre. With a master stroke, the author has elaborated the storyline by including lesser known folklore stories of the epic, while keeping intact its original form and style."

Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Balaji Manohar (Narrator)

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