7 Secrets From Hindu Calendar Art
by Devdutt Pattanaik
Chapter 7 -- Brahma's Secret
(Video Part 1 of 2)
Via Video Book on YouTube
~
I'm finally finishing Devdutt Pattanaik's book, 7 Secrets From Hindu Calendar Art!!! After 6 long weeks! It has been so, so, so informative! This new "book medium," YouTube Video! (called "Video Book" format) is free and accessible on YouTube. The chapters have been broken down into chunks, and while quite dense, this chapter has two shorter videos instead.
I cannot stress how informative, useful, and helpful this book (Via Video Book!) has been for me. Each video is chocked full of information, but as I am nearing the end, everything is tying back to the earlier chapters quite well. I can definitely say that the first 1 to 2 chapters were a little overwhelming with information, and they took time to digest. However, now that I am finished!!!, I can actually sense that I have an understanding, a solid base, for Hinduism and what I am seeing when calendar art images are portrayed in the video before me. I truly, truly cannot recommend this book (video series by Epified) enough!
~
Brahma's Secret (Part 1):
- Human Life is an opportunity
- Why is the Creator not given the same status as the Preserver, or the Destroyer?
- "When the word 'creator' is uttered, we take the Bible as the reference point and assume that since God is the creator there, it must be so in the Hindu world as well. But in the Hindu world, creation happens for a reason, and Brahma forgets that reason, which is why he is declared unworthy of worship."
- "Brahma created the world to understand who he was. The world was a woman, his creation, hence his daughter."
- Brahma is unworthy of worship, and Shiva is everything that Brahma is not.
- "The purpose of life is to realize the ego and overpower it — either destroy it as Shiva does or be detached from it as Vishnu is."
Hinduism + Astrology + Geomancy
- "Karma is manifested through nine celestial bodies, the Nava-Grahas, who rule time." [DP then discusses the Vedic art of Jyotish-shastra, the science of light, or astrology.]
"Using gems and certain chants and rituals, one can increase or decrease the influence of a particular Graha in our life. Thus we can influence the future. It is not just fate; there is free will."
 |
| Vastu Parusha pinned down by Oracle 125 |
- "Vastu Purusha was a demon who tried to rise from the earth and block the sky. The various gods pinned him down. Each god is ruler of the point where he still holds down the demon. [North is Kubera, South is Yama, East is Indra, West is Varuna, North-East is Soma, South-West is Surya, North-West is Vayu, South-East is Agni.]
7 Secrets From Hindu Calendar Art
by Devdutt Pattanaik
Chapter 7 -- Brahma's Secret
(Video Part 2 of 2)
Via Video Book on YouTube
Brahma's Secret (Part 2): Human Life Is An Opportunity
- Nagas vs Yakshas (metals and gems), Yakshas reside in the north near himalayas
- Santoshi-maa-vrat: specifically a type of worship performed by women for maternity, end of calamity
- "Seeking a boon and a blessing from a god, a God, a goddess, or a Goddess is considered a good thing, and the best way to overturn the vagaries of fate."
- Tragedies are signposts pointing us to find the purpose of life: of truly finding ourselves, the purpose which existed before Brahma sprouted many heads, the purpose of truly finding oneself, which Brahma forgot
- Hanuman: "Hanuman is called Sankat-mocham, the remover of problems. He is worshipped by people in the hope that he will destroy the problems in their lives the way he solved all of Ram's problems."
"If a monkey can become God, so can man. Thus, there is still hope for Brahma, the unworshipped God."
