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21 " What we possess is temporary, but what we become is permanent. "
― Devdutt Pattanaik , Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana
22 " Be the best you can be, in the worst of circumstances, even when no one is watching. "
23 " Through Karna, Vyasa reiterates that our knowledge of the world is imperfect based on perceptions and false information. We are surrounded by Kuntis who hide the truth in fear. We are surrounded by Karnas, villains who are actually brothers. "
― Devdutt Pattanaik , Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata
24 " Action focussed on intent is better than action focussed on outcome. "
― Devdutt Pattanaik , My Gita
25 " The dog is a loyal, lovable animal but Hindu scriptures do not treat it as an auspicious creature perhaps because loyalty feeds on fear and the purpose of Vedic scriptures is to outgrow fear by expanding the mind. "
26 " The Gita does not speak of changing the world. It speaks of appreciating the world that is always changing. "
27 " Everybody dies—some suddenly, some slowly, some painfully, some peacefully. No one can escape death. The point is to make the most of life—enjoy it, celebrate it, learn from it, make sense of it, share it with fellow human beings—so that when death finally comes, it will not be such a terrible thing. "
28 " human memory is short, and history always repeats itself. "
29 " Janaka told her to bring happiness into marriage, rather than seek happiness from it. "
30 " We are not rational creatures who feel; we are emotional creatures who rationalize. "
31 " Impatience is the enemy of wisdom; it propels us to jump conclusions, judge and condemn, rather than understand "
― Devdutt Pattanaik
32 " The female form lends itself best to represent matter because both create life within themselves. The male form lends itself best to represent soul because both create life outside themselves. "
― Devdutt Pattanaik , The Pregnant King
33 " Krishna replies that nothing is wasted or destroyed in the cosmos. All efforts are recorded and they impact future lives. Knowledge acquired in the past plays a role in the wisdom of future lives. "
34 " That’s unnatural.’ ‘Some would call it a miracle. Careful of the word unnatural. It reeks of arrogance. You are assuming you know the boundaries of nature. You don’t. There is more to life than your eyes can see. More than you can ever imagine. Nature comes from the mind of God. It is infinite. The finite human mind can never fathom it in totality. "
35 " Those who believe in karma do not blame. They do not judge. They accept that humans live in a sea of consequences, over which there is limited control. So they accept every moment as it is supposed to be. They act without expectation. "
36 " when a man praises himself, it is intellectual suicide. "
37 " dharma is not about justice; it is about empathy and wisdom. Dharma is not about defeating others, it is about conquering ourselves. Everybody wins in dharma. "
38 " we believe our problems are the greatest and our misfortunes the worst, there is always someone out there who has suffered more. "
39 " In time, Arjuna tires of mere beauty and hearing tales about the valour of princess Chitrangada, he seeks her out. The princess then reveals her true self to Arjuna. Her words are one of the most beautiful declarations of the angst of a woman, ‘I am not beautifully perfect as the flowers with which I worship. I have many flaws and blemishes. I am a traveller in the great world-path, my garments are dirty, and my feet are bleeding with thorns. Where should I achieve flower-beauty, the unsullied loveliness of a moment’s life? The gift that I proudly bring you is the heart of a woman. Here have all pains and joys gathered, the hopes and fears and shames of a daughter of the dust; here love springs up struggling towards immortal life. Herein lies an imperfection which yet is noble and grand. "
40 " You want the world to behave as you wish. It does not, hence your anger and your grief. "