ankita_g 's review for:

Myth = Mithya: Decoding Hindu Mythology by Devdutt Pattanaik

4.0

---

Myth=Mithya is about the myths/stories about the Gods and Goddesses that Hindus worship, while also highlighting the metaphysical aspects of possibly the oldest religion on earth. These stories are interesting, but as long as they are just stories, they are palatable. As per these tales, Gods and Goddesses used to behave much like humans and some of their actions were questionable to say the least (Brahma's pursuit of his daughter out of lust/desire made me very uncomfortable, so did the constant resort to 'cursing' whenever someone was offended by the smallest of reasons). I also don't understand how sages achieve enlightenment when they are always full of ego and rage, even while meditating (shouldn't meditation make you feel peaceful and less vindictive?). My idea of God, as a superior being, is an entity who is above human emotions or atleast embodies the best of the human attributes. Thus, it's hard for me, personally, to devote myself to flawed characters.
The stories make for an entertaining read though. And Devdutt Pattanaik's writing is engaging and simplistic.