DECODING THE ENCODED: INDIAN MYTHOLOGY AND ITS

REALITY IN SELECT WORKS OF

DEVDUTT PATTANAIK

DELHI UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

DECODING THE ENCODED: INDIAN MYTHOLOGY AND ITS REALITY IN

SELECT WORKS OF DEVDUTT PATTANAIK

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

SUBMITTED BY

SANJUKTA CHAKRABORTY

SUBMITTED ON

JUNE 2019
 ABSTRACT

Devdutt Pattanaik, the renowned myth writer, finds his passion for myths while
understanding culture. The truth of the world answers our question about ‘How' but the answer
to the question ‘why' lies deep in the myth and every culture tries to understand and explain
them on its own and comes up with their understanding of life and their customized version of
mythology. Our ancestor’s understandings, of culture, descends to us in the form of stories,
symbols, and rituals, which transform to mythology. Understanding of life shapes our view to
see the rational world where we seek perfection through the window of values, standards, and
beliefs, hence through myth. Behind every myth, the author finds the logical truth and another
human understanding of life in his book Myth = Mithya in which the writer attempts to find
“Mythogic”(myth and logic).

Shiva is the god of destruction. The writer tries to understand why and what does he
destroys in his books: Shiva to Shankara and 7 Secrets of Shiva. Shiva wears snake as ornament
and tiger skin and puts on ashes and challenges the material traditional world. He destroys the
stereotypes to create space for change. When everybody craves the treasure of the earth, Shiva
isolates himself from the world and gives his back to Maya until Shakti directs him to the path
where he finds peace between divine-outside and divine-inside. He hits on every aspect of
nature to reshape culture and eventually transforms from the destructive Shiva to the
benevolent boon-giving Shankara.

Goddess is the primal one in every mythology; let it be Gaia, the earth-mother, in Greek
mythology or Adya in Tantric tradition. But, they are subsided brutally in the consistent theme
of myth. The writer in his book 7 secrets of Goddess attempts to debrief the change in Goddess
position from ancient to modern times. The shift of her importance in mythology suggests a
race between two species, of nature, men and women. It’s the nature of the beast to compete
and dominate; so one sees Kali’s dance as nature's determination to awaken the withdrawn
corpse-like mind embodied by Shiva and others may see Kali standing on Shiva as indicative
of female rage and rebellion. The book depicts the rise and fall of matriarchy through
mythology and also that idea that is Goddess hence God without the gender bias. To sum up,
all these three books demonstrate the path in which Hindu Sanatan Dharma and its culture
unbind the consciousness and establish harmony between the inner and outer world.
 Contents
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 4

MYTH=MITHYA: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE SUBJECTIVE TRUTH

BEHIND THE MYTH........................................................................................................ 6

SHIVA: FREE WILL BEYOND CULTURE AND GENDER ............................................ 8

GODDESS: A PLAYFUL COMPARISON OF INTERCULTURAL AND

INTRACULTURAL MYTHOLOGIES ........................................................................... 10

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................... 12

CONCLUSION ................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

WORKS CITED ............................................................................................................... 14

 INTRODUCTION
In India, we speak several languages. Each language has its base in its culture, myth,
and heritage. English in India is introduced as a “Christian tongue” through the chartered act
1813, but slowly it evolves with history and becomes the language that had its origin in Britain
but finds its roots in India. Though the Indian English writers started writing by following their
British contemporaries the very change begins when they used English as a medium to translate
our cultural stories like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and other mythological stories as
well. It is through translating and expressing thoughts and beliefs of India by Indian English
writings, Indian English finds its root in Indian culture. We no more see it as a colonial
language rather we use it in our accent and terminology. Many Indian English writers translated
epics and other mythological stories and some even mold them according to their imaginations,
but none ever clarifies them. Devdutt Pattanaik collects the various cultural versions of the
same myth to find logic in this immense diverse culture of India in Indian mythology. He has
written over 30 books and 600 columns on the construction of subjective truth or Myth by
defining stories, symbols, and rituals. He is associated with corporations on leadership and
governance and TV channel on mythological serials. His shows include DEVLOK on Epic TV.
His website ‘devdutt.com' has some myth theories where he describes Queer theory in Indian
mythology. The writer got first acquainted with stories of Ramayana in school plays. Later he
did a course on Comparative Mythology from Mumbai University. Whereas, the old definition
of myth is the irrational and the unreasonable, the author approaches myth as subjective truth
expressed in stories, symbols, and rituals.

The research proposal seeks to find out the author's hidden intention behind his writings
by collaborating culture, myth, history, art and architecture in the following works:
Myth=Mithya, Shiva to Shankara, 7 Secretes of Shiva, 7 Secrets of the Goddess. In his
approach to mythology, he defines myth as an essential window to the truth; truth can be
represented through distorted mediums like symbols and words which are again part of myth
as anything open to correction is a myth. He also says that stories symbols and rituals are all
languages that are heard, seen and performed and in altogether they construct the truth of a
culture. This outlook gives birth to the curiosity to debrief if he is trying to find the logic behind
cultural beliefs, traditions, rituals and myth stories. In his other approach, he draws attention to
the mythological character which challenges the cultural norms while being with the culture
and history. People outgrow myth and mythology when they fail to respond to their needs; so
the characters of the mythology lose their glory with time but the writer shows this character
does change with different cultural societal perspectives retaining his glory. These perspectives
forces to cross-examine if he is trying to point that Indian mythology evolved with history and
formed classical Hinduism and classical mythological stories and became the part of literature.
The collection of images from ancient history, art and architecture, statues and poster arts in
his books to prove his point gives birth to another query if he believes that these characters not
only existed in culture and tradition but also history. In his approach to myth, he also states the
false beliefs and traditions which do not serve us anymore but we follow as they are part of
mythology. He is pointing the gender politics in the culture behind the traditions. All his
approaches and way of writings put forward two terms as follows: Myth and Logic; with these
two terms, he creates Mythologic to define culture and history. This research is needed to seek
the truth behind Indian culture so that it could also be modified according to the necessity of
modern Indian culture.
 MYTH = MITHYA: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE SUBJECTIVE TRUTH
BEHIND THE MYTH
While defining Indian mythology, Devdutt Pattanaik decodes the truth behind Hindu
Gods and Goddesses ( Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Saraswati, Lakshmi, Gauri) and gods and
goddesses ( local and other gods like gramdevi and varundev). He divides the book into three
sections to elaborate on the real social and cultural structure which is reflected in the
mythology. Any important work cannot be performed by a single person; so the responsibilities
are divided among Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. It is Brahma who creates Brahmanda. For
creation, he needs knowledge which is the part of Shakti, the eternal energy. Shakti exists in
different forms here she is in the form of Goddess Saraswati with Brahma. With her, he
performs Yognas to create peace. It’s very natural when Brahma, the creator, and Saraswati,
the knowledge, unite peace, in three worlds: the personal world, the cultural world, and the
natural world, is created. Their sphere is represented with circle – the complete creation, in this
book. Vishnu, the organizer of the world, takes care of the world; he is associated with Goddess
Lakshmi, who has two forms: Lakshmi the desirable and fertile one and Alakshmi the
undesirable and barren trough of nature, representing two aspects of wealth. Vishnu rests on
coils of serpent resembling stable earth until disorders force him to ride on his eagle to set
things right; eagle's wind sweeping large wings represent wind of change and revolution that
brings back hope and peace. Their sphere is represented by a square. Shiva, the destroyer,
destroys to create space for new. Goddess Shakti is his equal half in the form of
“Ardhanareshwara" which represents the unification of divine inside and divine outside, the
subjective truth and the objective truth. Shiva and Shakti separate for self-realization and when
it happens the two souls dissolve in one. In the form of Uma-Maheswar also they validate each
other’s existence. They are associated with a ‘Dot’, in the book, representing the soul and the
formless divine within us.

Other than defining tri Gods Devdutt Pattanaik represents Indian mythology, as a
hopeful realm where there is hope even after death, through symbols and rituals. "Putra" or
"Putri" can set free his or her suffering ancestors who are trapped in “Putr” after death by
performing prayers and traditions. Another symbol is Kirtimukha on Shinghdwar of every
temple is a fierce looking head with tongue sticking out often seems irreverent but it reminds
everyone that God can hear the unspoken truth and desires in heart. The character of Kubera,
the king of Yakshas and the treasurer of the Devas, travels on the back of human beings
representing earth’s hidden wealth that every person craves. The writer shows that Indians not
only worship they incorporate and make gods personal as well. So we have Ishta-deva or
personal god, Kula-deva or family god, Griha-deva or household god and grama-deva or village
god. In this way, we have three hundred thirty-three million gods and goddesses who are
integrated into the form of Vishwarupa which states that all these different forms are a single
entity. The understanding that all livings and non-living are the manifestations of a single
divinity makes no room for the notion of “evil”. This form expresses the entire enriched Indian
culture.
 SHIVA: THE FREE WILL BEYOND CULTURE AND GENDER
Gender Scheme theory given by psychologist Sandra Bern in 1981 asserted that
children learn about male and female roles from the culture and the society in which they live.
Culture teaches each gender's dos and don'ts. Mythology and its characters being the
spokesperson of culture and society support the gender scheme theory as well. As in Vishnu
Puran Goddess Lakshmi is the perfect example of women traits; she is the wealth and Vishnu
is the protector. She never fights for herself and Vishnu saves her in various Avtar of Ram,
Krishna, etc. But Shiva, the God of destruction, transcends the cultural norms. He represents
freewill in mythology as well as in the works of Devdutt Pattanaik. He challenges
contemporary and traditional norms of culture and society in his choices of lifestyle, marriage
and even sexual preferences. He is the God of destruction; he protests and destroys the norms
to shape and mold the mind of the culture and its people to change them over time. The author
in his two books Shiva to Shankara and 7 secrets of Shiva collects knowledge from architecture,
paintings, poster art history, etc. to show the revolutionary force of the culture, i.e. Mahakal
who is beyond appropriate and inappropriate rules of society. He is the freewill who changes
with and also against culture, gender, history, tradition, and society.

Shiva accepts his consort as his equal half acknowledging her as the power behind his
masculinity. He even appreciates her being more powerful than him in her form of ‘Kali’ and
doesn’t hesitate to surrender before her defying masculine hegemony. He challenges the Vedic
society by wearing tiger skin and putting on ashes and breaks marriage laws by marrying Sati
against Daksha’s will; whereas he marries Parvati in the form of ‘ Sundareswara’, a perfect
handsome groom, by following Vedic culture and society. Shiva’s changes with time are
drastically visible in the mythical stories. The writer collects stories from Puranas to state that
exceptionals are visible in his choices of sexuality. His sexual spectrum is immensely diverse.
On the one hand, he is monastic by killing Kandarpa or Madandev, the god of sex, love, lust,
on the other hand, he supports marriage and monogamy with his body's left half which is his
consort Shakti. He is a devoted husband with his wife Parvati who sits on his lap while Ganga,
the river Goddess, sits on his head depicting polygamy as well; again, he is sexually ambiguous
when he spills semen at the sight of Mohini, the female form of Vishnu, a male deity. Shiva is
distant and unaffected by society and culture yet his choices state that Shiva changes with them.
The rules accepted by society in one period of history change in another; what is appropriate
once may not be appropriate always and this is the possible reason behind his ambiguous
choices but he always chooses in free will.
 Shiva and his associated symbols also represent discretion beyond culture. The most
powerful symbol of Shiva is Linga which is an erected phallus in the womb indicating arousal
of the mind in the womb which is the ultimate knowledge. The writer collects images in his
book to prove his point one of those images is ‘stonewall carving showing Lakulesh’; it shows
human ability to break-free from worldly enchantments. The writer sees not only Shiva even
his followers, Agamas and Nigamas, change with and some even against society. The statue of
Shiva Ekapada, from a tantric shrine of the sixty-four Yoginis found in Hirapur, Odisha,
describes Shiva appropriately. It has layers of meaning depicting a journey away from casual
fertility to Urdhva Retas and finally responding to the Goddess revealing the transformation of
Shiva to Shankara.
 GODDESS: A PLAYFUL COMPARISON OF INTERCULTURAL AND
INTRACULTURAL MYTHOLOGIES
The stories, symbols, and rituals of Indian mythology have so much to say about gender
relations and many other things regarding humanity and nature. The author has done a playful
comparison of intercultural and intracultural myths to draw attention to the rise and fall of
matriarchy and the rise of patriarchy as well. In this book, the author states through myth how
the thriving competition of nature, culture, and society and their needs give rise to the
matriarchy and the threatening buds of this system give birth to monasticism and then to
patriarchy; even the Gods fight for women revealing the importance of womb and the urge of
reproduction. All the wombs are important as they all can reproduce but one male and just one
sperm are sufficient for many reproductions. As a result, the female becomes the authority to
select only the best male. The brutality arises when they kill the selected males after having
children from them so that they don't rise in power. The writer gives instances from Rig Veda
by stating the story of Urvashi and Pururba who pines for her while she leaves him for the
realm of Gandharvas. A similar story is in Sumerian mythology where Innana mourns for her
lover Dumuzi who comes to her every spring but departs in winter. In ‘Mahabharata' we find
Urvashi who curses Arjun for rejecting her; we find the term ‘Nari-kavach', indicating the male
who uses women as a shield, which is used by a Kshatriya king to survive when Parashurama
vowed to slaughter all Kshatriyas. The author even wonders if the male heads around Kali’s
neck are the heads of men who were killed after they gave a child to the Goddess of the tribe.

The increasing power of womb creates an increasing sense of invalidation in not-so-

good men and fear of death in selected men; these ideas lead to the rise of monastic cults who
bring forward the trend, of rejecting women as they are the reasons behind all sufferings, which
still exists in our society. In the Bible, Samson loses his strength when he succumbs to the
charm of Deliah and regains by rejecting her. In Buddhism, the daughters of Mara, the god of
desire, are associated with decay, disease, and death and Gautama Siddharta rejects them to
find freedom from sufferings. The Tantric tradition argues how semen shed into a womb to
create a son but weakens the father; moreover, if one can achieve Urdhva-Retas or reverse
movement of semen up the spine one can get Shiddhi. So it is all about rejecting women. In the
middle parts of Puranas comes the concept of ‘Pitr' which says without ‘Putra' or ‘Putri' one
cannot get rid of ‘Pitr' or hell; one must have a wife to have a child. But getting a wife is not
easy so they create several types of ‘Vivah' or marriage, like Asura-vivah where women were
bought and Rakshasa-vivah where women were abducted. The concept of marriage and even
forceful marriage suggests the rise of trading communities where a woman is a commodity
whose child belongs to a man. In ‘Mahabharata' Yayati gives his daughter Mamta to a priest,
to fulfill his promise, who passes her on to four kings giving them children in exchange for
horses for the priest. None asks Mamta what she wants.

People have beliefs in all those myths which have a different logical, social and political
truth. The writer defines the two most used words ‘Virgin' and ‘Whore' from a mythological
context. Today virgin is a woman who has never had sex but earlier it refers to every woman
who is between menstruation cycles at the time of ovulation; that is how ‘Draupadi' in
Mahabharata regains her virginity before going to her next husband as per the boon of Shiva.
The term ‘Whore' is meant for the woman who is free to go to any man; she is like the earth
that accepts seeds from all plants. With the change of time virgin becomes a word of praise
while wore becomes an insult. The shift reflects the beginning of patriarchy.
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The researcher, in the forthcoming research, attempts to understand the text with the
theoretical lens of Hermeneutics. The research aims to decode the implied meaning of the myth
in the text of Devdutt. The method of Hermeneutics is usually used to interpret religious and
philosophical texts and bring out the inner meaning behind the surface meaning. The
researcher, in the process of understanding the text uses symbolic and cultural codes hidden in
the text and comes to the new understanding of author’s intention in writing the text in such a
way. The interpretive method employed by the researcher also paves way to a cultural study of
the select works. The researcher attempts to scrutinize the hidden ideologies in the myths and
find out a new meaning to the myths. The ideologies fix the myths into wider context of gender,
politics, culture and social construction of truth. The research feature a cultural study of the
text, which gives understanding from multiple dimension.

The methodology employed by the researcher also attempts to analyse the cultural
representations like gender construction, power, politics, and discursive formations of the era.
The method of Hermeneutic reading of the literary text used by the researcher gives a new
insight to the myth. As a comparative study, the researcher also uses the theoretical
formulations of comparative study such as: influence, parallelism and contrastive analysis. The
researcher holds the hypothesis that, myths are not just myths, there is a real history behind it.
The research is the attempt of the researcher to prove the hypothesis in an effective way that it
may contribute to the existing field of knowledge.

The Research Problem of the present research is encoded meaning of the text. The text is, so
far seen as a manifestation of imagination. The researcher attempts to thwart the notion of
textual nature of the text and attempts to decode the real meaning behind the text, which gives
hermeneutic interpretation to the text.
 SUMMATION
In the present research proposal, the researcher has delineated the topic of the research, Indian
Mythology and Its Reality in the Works of Devdutt Pattanaik and how the research focuses
on hermeneutic intervention into Indian mythology. The researcher also has explicated the
chapter division of the research with brief outline of every chapter. In the second chapter, the
researcher decodes the subjective myth behind the text and in the third and fourth chapter the
researcher scrutinizes the cultural and gender reorientations of the text. The primary endeavour
behind the research is to decode the historical and cultural subjective truth behind the
mythology in Devdutt’s select works.
WORKS CITED