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7 SECRETS
OF VISHNU : DEVDUTT PATTANAIK: WESTLAND LIMITED: PAGES 219 : RS 250/-
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amongst the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, Vishnu’s role is that of
preserving the universe created by Brahma. Mythology writer Pattanayak is an
expert in navigating through the complex web of Gods and Goddesses in the Hindu
religion and presenting a deeply soul-satisfying picture to the common man of
their respective roles. During the Vedic period, ritualism and philosophy
represented by the Vedas and Upanishads remained exclusive to the Brahmins
while the common man had no moors to hold on. Buddhism entered at this stage
and overtook Hinduism with its simplicity sans rituals and addressed the common
man’s problems in an appealing manner. However, it tended towards monasticism
which resulted in a gradual loss of interest in this religion among the common
folks. Back came Hinduism with its rationalization of the roles of Grihastha
and Sanyasa- householder and ascetic through Puranas (stories) which became very
popular with the masses. Wisdom belonging to a select few spread rapidly through
story-telling of the Puranas, firing the imagination of the people. Anointed
with rituals and symbols, these stories of Vishnu and Siva touched a chord in
the common man. The book has seven chapters, each devoted to one of Vishnu’s
incarnation. Starting from Mohini, the author moves on through each chapter to
Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Trivikrama (dwarf), Rama, Krishna and yet to
appear Kalki. The war between Devas and Asuras, the symbolism around Sarawati
and Lakshmi and stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata have been narrated
very well and they are interspersed with pictures of murals, sculptures and
paintings, beautiful handicraft and poster-art images from different parts of
India. Pattanayak’s brilliant story-telling makes the Puranas easier to understand
to the modern generation.
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