Devdutt Pattanaik
Encyclopedia
Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik is an India
n physician turned leadership consultant, mythologist and author whose works focus largely on the areas of myth, mythology
, and also management. He has written a number of books related to Hindu mythology
, including Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, a novel, The Pregnant King, and Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata (2010).
He is the Chief Belief Officer of Future Group
, one of India’s largest retailers, bringing the wisdom of Indian mythology into Indian business, especifically in human resource management
. He also writes a column for the newspaper MiD DAY.
He has also written a novel based on a tale from the Mahabharata
titled 'The Pregnant King' published by Penguin Books India.
, he spent his childhood and student life in Chembur
, Mumbai. His father was an MBA. He graduated in medicine (M.B.B.S.) from Grant Medical College, Mumbai and subsequently did a course in comparative mythology
from Mumbai University.
He was a speaker at the first TED Conference
in India held in November 2009.
On August 2010, he was invited by the ICCR
to Colombia. He presented a paper at a conference on "Subjective world or Mythology of Identity " to an audience of 400 people including members of the Indian community in Colombia, members of the Association of Friends of India, special guests, and the academic community. The illustrated lecture served to explain the cultural differences between East and West. On 27 August Dr. Pattanaik gave a similar talk at EAFIT university in Medellin.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n physician turned leadership consultant, mythologist and author whose works focus largely on the areas of myth, mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, and also management. He has written a number of books related to Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology
Hindu religious literature is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Nepali and Indian culture...
, including Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, a novel, The Pregnant King, and Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata (2010).
He is the Chief Belief Officer of Future Group
Future Group
Future Group is an Indian privately-held corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores.-Businesses:Future Group has a number of businesses across the retail, financial and service industries. -Clark:...
, one of India’s largest retailers, bringing the wisdom of Indian mythology into Indian business, especifically in human resource management
Human resource management
Human Resource Management is the management of an organization's employees. While human resource management is sometimes referred to as a "soft" management skill, effective practice within an organization requires a strategic focus to ensure that people resources can facilitate the achievement of...
. He also writes a column for the newspaper MiD DAY.
He has also written a novel based on a tale from the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
titled 'The Pregnant King' published by Penguin Books India.
Early life and education
Born and brought up in MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, he spent his childhood and student life in Chembur
Chembur
Chembur is a suburban neighbourhood in eastern Mumbai, India. It is 22 km from downtown Mumbai and 20 km from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport...
, Mumbai. His father was an MBA. He graduated in medicine (M.B.B.S.) from Grant Medical College, Mumbai and subsequently did a course in comparative mythology
Comparative mythology
Comparative mythology is the comparison of myths from different cultures in an attempt to identify shared themes and characteristics. Comparative mythology has served a variety of academic purposes...
from Mumbai University.
Career
He worked in the Pharma and Healthcare industry for 14 years before starting to write books and columns about mythology and delivering lectures on the subject. He worked as a consultant in Ernst and Young and has illustrated most of his own books.He was a speaker at the first TED Conference
TED (conference)
TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
in India held in November 2009.
On August 2010, he was invited by the ICCR
Iccr
ICCR stands for:* Indian Council for Cultural Relations* The Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social Sciences* Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility* International Centre for Classroom Research...
to Colombia. He presented a paper at a conference on "Subjective world or Mythology of Identity " to an audience of 400 people including members of the Indian community in Colombia, members of the Association of Friends of India, special guests, and the academic community. The illustrated lecture served to explain the cultural differences between East and West. On 27 August Dr. Pattanaik gave a similar talk at EAFIT university in Medellin.
Works
- Shiva: an introduction. Vakils, Feffer and Simons Ltd., 1997.
- Vishnu: an introduction. Vakils, Feffer and Simons, 1999. ISBN 81-87111-12-7.
- Devi, the Mother-Goddess: an introduction. Vakils, Feffer, and Simons Ltd., 2000. ISBN 81-87111-45-3.
- The Goddess in India: the five faces of the eternal feminine. Inner Traditions / Bear & Company, 2000. ISBN 0-89281-807-7.
- Hanuman: an introduction. Vakils, Feffer and Simons, 2001. ISBN 81-87111-47-X.
- The Man Who Was A Woman and other queer tales of Hindu lore. Routledge, 2002. ISBN 1-56023-181-5.
- Vināyaka: the first god. Shakti Art and Cutlure Foundation. 2002.
- Indian mythology: tales, symbols, and rituals from the heart of the Subcontinent. Inner Traditions / Bear & Company, 2003. ISBN 0-89281-870-0.
- Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune: an introduction. Vakils, Feffer and Simons, 2003. ISBN 81-87111-58-5
- Book of Kali. with Seema Mohanty. Penguin Books India, 2004.
- Myth=Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology. Penguin, India. 2006. ISBN 978-0-14-309970-3.
- Shiva to Shankara: decoding the phallic symbol. Indus Source, India. 2006. ISBN 81-88569-04-6.
- The Book of Ram. Penguin Group, 2009. ISBN 0-14-306528-9.
- 7 Secrets From Hindu Calendar Art. Westland India, 2009. ISBN 81-89975-67-6.
- Hanuman's Ramayan. Tulika Publishers, 2010. ISBN 81-8146-752-3.
- Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata, Penguin Books, 2010 ISBN 978-0-14-310425-4.
- The Pregnant KingThe Pregnant KingThe Pregnant King is a book written by Devdutt Pattanaik. It follows the story of Yuvanashva, a childless king, who accidentally drinks the magic potion meant to make his queens pregnant...
, Penguin Books, 2008 ISBN 978-1-4306-3472-0
External links
- Devdutt Pattanaik, website
- Devdutt Pattanaik talks at TEDTED (conference)TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
- Videos of Devdutt Pattanaik in Colombia at Asociación Amigos de India