An apology, several digressions, and a proposal for Mythoscopy Let me start with an apology. This one is mine. For being long-winded.For sometimes being opaque when clarity was within reach.For circling ideas instead of charging straight at them. But I have learnt, slowly, that some ideas don’t survive being charged at. They need to be … Continue reading From Facts to Myths
The human brain has one thing in abundance that brains of most other species do not have at all. That is the power to dream! And one of the most fantastical things we dream of is that given enough data and enough amount of thinking and more than enough amount of jargon we can solve … Continue reading The Fantastical Human Brain
The post explores the concept of "mythoscopy," which examines how traditional stories evolve over time, using the tales of Rāma and Krishna as focal points. It highlights Shabari's story within the Rāmāyana, showcasing its transformation from simple devotion to a powerful symbol of equality. This adaptability is crucial for enduring narratives.
The village clearing buzzed with murmurs as Bhaskar, the farmer, arrived, hefting his worn hoe over his shoulder. Thick-set and sun-darkened, he looked every bit the weathered laborer, whose strength and weariness were born of the soil. He was already tired of what he expected tonight—a ritual of tales and chants too fantastic for his … Continue reading Of Desire and the Ordinary: Tale of Vena and Prithu
Beneath the vast canopy of the banyan tree, Ratnakar stood with a grin, his friends crowding around him. They had watched him recast history as he saw fit, now catching a glimpse of the grandiose story he envisioned. “So, let me get this right,” said Arjun, chuckling. “Rama’s campaign across the Dakshina Desha will be … Continue reading The Making of a Legend
In the bustling courtyard of the Vishwanath Temple in Kashi, pilgrims and scholars gathered, their voices mixing in a vibrant cacophony. Aniruddha, a young monk in ochre robes, stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with conviction. “Shankaracharya teaches us that the world is an illusion!” he proclaimed. “Our true nature is one with Brahman!” Vidyadhar, a … Continue reading The Discourse at Kashi: Heretic or Saint
In the dimly lit scriptorium, a hush fell over a group of scribes gathered around palm leaves and pots of ink. The head scribe, Kumaraswami, held up his quill, his gaze drifting thoughtfully as he prepared to lead the transcription of Valmiki’s Ramayana. Yet tonight’s work held an unusual burden: recent orders from the court … Continue reading This May Not Be True
A quick piece on partisanship with an extremely opinionated and shallowly researched hypothesis, informed by reading comic books, history books and WhatsApp messages of smarter, surer batchmates of mine | Do read, comment and discuss. Share but beware! | Word Count: 1503 | Flesch Kincaid Grade Level: 5.7 |
Is mythology only about gods, goddesses, kings, queens and monsters? Ok... elves, dwarves, unicorns and fairies? What about textbooks? An experiment in academic mythoscopy. | Do read, comment and discuss. Share but beware! | Word Count: 1251 | Flesch Kincaid Grade Level: 4.3 |
After a few days of stalking the inter-web, a middle-aged person decided to speak up about a phenomenon. The phenomenon of "militant" methods of convincing. The phenomenon of increasing sightings of logical fallacy examples, in the wild. An arbitrarily long list of fallacies was drawn up with some dense language pasted for company. Under the able guidance of a more culturally clued-in friend examples were teased out of Bollywood. Click links for off-sever multi-media experience (Google and Youtube - Content not owned by us!) | Do read, comment and discuss. Share but beware! | Word Count: 5202 | Flesch Kincaid Grade Level: 7.1 |
Random Mythoscopy 