Top 160 Devdutt Pattanaik Quotes (2024 Update)
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51. “All Hindu rituals end with the chant ‘Shanti, shanti, shanti’ because the quest for peace is the ultimate goal of all existence. This peace is not external but internal. It is not about making the world a peaceful place; it is about us being at peace with the world.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

52. “Kali is the forest. She is wild. Gauri is the garden. She is domestic. Kali stays outside the house. Gauri comes inside the house. That is why what is outside is scary and what is inside is not.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

53. “The point of existence in this dynamic, ever-changing world then was not to aspire or achieve, but to introspect.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

54. “Yagna is the outer journey, while yoga is the inner journey that Arjuna has to undertake.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

55. “Thus while Ganesha helps devotees move from south to north, Kartikeya himself moves from north to south for the benefi t of devotees. While as Ganesha tempers materialistic cravings with spiritual insight, Murugan tempers his martial attitude with divine grace and romantic emotions. Thus the Goddess helps Shiva connect with humanity through her two sons.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

56. “Rage needs expression. Dhritarashtra expresses it by crushing the iron effigy of Bhima while Gandhari expresses it by burning Yudhishtira’s toe with a glance. Once expressed, rage dissipates and reason returns. One is advised in many parts of India to eat sugar when angry, just like Gandhari did, so as not to end up cursing the Pandavas.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

57. “Hanuman has no issues being Angad’s follower. This is Hanuman’s personality – always a team player, ever willing to serve, with absolutely no desire to dominate.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

58. “We knot our imagination to fear to creat aham. Tapasya and yagna are two tools that can help us unknot the mind, outgrow fear and discover atma, our true self.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

59. “It is ironical that for all the value we give to the rational, life is primarily governed by the irrational. Love is not rational. Sorrow is not rational. Hatred, ambition, rage and greed are irrational. Even ethics, morals and aesthetics are not rational. They depend on values and standards which are ultimately subjective.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

60. “According to Vedic scriptures, God does not ‘create’ this world. He simply made all creatures aware of it. Awareness leads to discovery. Discovery is creation.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

61. “Destiny and desire, karma and kama, are the two forces that propel the world. Destiny is a reaction, an obligation that follows an action. Desire is an aspiration that forces the world to transform in a particular way. Destiny creates fate. Desire is based on free will. We have the freedom to accept life as it is or to make it the way we want it to be. That is what makes us Manavas or humans.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

62. “As Indra’s wife, Lakshmi is known as Sachi and Indra is known as Sachin.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

63. “Do you see me as hero, villain or victim? If yes, then you are not doing darshan. If you can empathize with the fears that make people heroes, villains and victims, then you are doing darshan. For then you look beyond the boundaries that separate you from the rest.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

64. “Everybody dies – some suddenly, some slowly, some painfully, some peacefully. No one can escape death. The point is to make the most of life – enjoy it, celebrate it, learn from it, make sense of it, share it with fellow human beings – so that when death finally comes, it will not be such a terrible thing.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

65. “Taken psychologically, the idea of rebirth is about having multiple opportunities to break the cycle of fear and find meaning, without ‘consuming’ anyone.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

66. “Identity based on what we have is aham, not atma.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

67. “Krishna replies that nothing is wasted or destroyed in the cosmos. All efforts are recorded and they impact future lives. Knowledge acquired in the past plays a role in the wisdom of future lives.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

68. “Each moment is a fruit of the past and seed of future.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

69. “Remember, it is the nature of the ignorant mind to be drawn towards things that will cause harm and to avoid things that are good. We must remember that what tempts us will in all probability be the cause of our downfall. What we shy away from, what we procrastinate about, probably is what will help us evolve.’ So.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

70. “Janaka told her to bring happiness into marriage, rather than seek happiness from it.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

71. “They have forgotten why dharma was instituted and kingdoms established in the first place: to create extra material resources so that man can look beyond survival and look for meaning.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

72. “Like animals that seek food for their survival, humans yearn for meaning for their sanity: what is our value, our purpose and our identity in this world?”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

73. “The notion of the measuring scale is critical in Hindu thought. The value of an object depends on the scale being followed. And since all scales are man-made, all values are artificial. Thus all opinions ultimately are delusions, based on man-made measuring scales.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

74. “Animal fight to defend their bodies. Humans curse to defend their imagination of themselves.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

75. “Such is the nature of man-made laws: ignorant of the past and insensitive to the present.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

76. “We can never know everything and we can never be sure. All information is incomplete, and all readings distorted by personal prejudice. And yet we have to take decisions all the time and hope the results favour us. Bhartrihari.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

77. “Do not surrender to a situation that nurtures the ego.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

78. “I have been doodling since childhood. I have a passion for illustrating but cannot paint or colour for that matter. I illustrate what I am trying to communicate through my writing. My images are like drawings in a science text book.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

79. “I am Sunday and all holidays,’ said Kama. ‘A day without rules and all fun.’ ‘I am Monday and all workdays,’ said Yama. ‘A day with rules and tasks to do.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

80. “A yajaman is one who does not blame anyone for any situation. He knows that his fortune and misfortune are dependent on many forces. Besides his knowledge, skills, experience and his power of anticipation, a lot depends on the talent of people around him – the market conditions and regulatory environment. He simply takes charge of whatever situation he is in, focusing on what he can do, never letting the anxiety of failure pull him back, or the confidence of success make him smug.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

81. “Treta yuga, when the bull of dharma stands on three legs. Krishna’s story takes place in a later, third quarter of the world, the Dvapara yuga, when the bull of dharma stands on two legs.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

82. “Brahma is God who creates all forms, hence is called the creator; but he has not yet found the perfect form and is still yearning and searching, making him unworthy of worship. Vishnu is God who has realised that no form is perfect and so works with the limited forms. This is why he is called the preserver and is worshipped in various forms. Shiva is God who breaks free from all forms, having found all of them limited, hence he is the destroyer who is worshipped as the linga.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

83. “You want the world to behave as you wish. It does not, hence your anger and your grief.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

84. “Seduction No one is obliged to receive what we give. No one is obliged to participate in the exchange. Not everyone needs to be compelled into desirable behaviour; customers and employees can also be charmed. Our enchantments can be a trick, a trap, a manipulation, or an expression of genuine affection that benefits all.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

85. “The wise want nothing but accept whatever comes their way, letting it pass when it is time to part ways. Ram is.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

86. “Stay true to the idea of dharma. Be the best you can be, in the worst of circumstances, even when no one is watching.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

87. “Accept that nothing happens without a reason. Accept that all experiences have a purpose.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

88. “I do not need your permission. I am your wife and I am supposed to accompany you, to the throne, into war and to the forest. What you eat, I shall taste. Where you sleep, I shall rest. You are the shaft of the bow that is our marriage; you need the string to complete it. My place is beside you, nowhere else. Fear not, I will be no burden; I can take care of myself. As long as I am beside you and behind you, you will want for nothing.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

89. “Flowers make themselves fragrant and offer nectar. Why? To nourish the bees or to get themselves pollinated? Or both? In nature, to get you have to give. There is no charity. There is no exploitation, neither selfishness nor selflessness. One grows by helping others grow. Is that not the perfect society?”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

90. “Cutting off the nose is a metaphor for shame. The notion of locating honor in the women of the household has led to women in India being objectified and denied their freedom and choices. Whether Sita is physically abused or not, Ram’s honor has been stained. Modern notions of justice mock these deep-rooted traditional notions of shame that have been used to justify the violent oppression of women.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

91. “All the things that we value – justice, equality, free speech, human rights – are actually concepts churned out of imagination, just like ideas such as God, heaven, hell, rebirth and immortality. We may classify these ideas as secular or religious, rational or supernatural, value one over the other, but they are essentially creations of humans, by humans, for humans. They are artificial constructions, not natural phenomena. They have no independent existence outside humans.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

92. “Unlike Greek narratives, where achievement is celebrated, and biblical narratives, where submission and discipline are celebrated, in Indic thought understanding is celebrated.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

93. “The journey towards limitless truth expands our mind.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

94. “The Veda says that as long as we do not accept life for what it is, as long as we try to control and change things, there will always be conflict. Conflict ends when we realize that beyond tangible material reality, there is intangible spiritual reality.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

95. “Life is difficult and people are imperfect. Unable to cope with the vagaries of this world, everyone makes mistakes. True love is the ability to love people despite their mistakes.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

96. “History seeks to be everyone’s truth, but is limited by available facts. More often than not, what is passed off as history is mythology, someone’s understanding of truth shaped by memory, feelings and desire, available facts notwithstanding. However, it is never fantasy, or no one’s truth.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

97. “Dharma is more about empathy than ethics, about intent rather than outcome.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

98. “Vratas are not concerned with lofty spiritual goals like moksha. They are concerned with ordinary household material aspirations: marriage, children, health and prosperity.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

99. “Attainment of desirable states brings joy, failure to do so becomes sorrow.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik

100. “The world that is perceived through any measuring scale is called maya.”

— Devdutt Pattanaik