7 Secrets of the Goddess

The 7 Secrets #4

by Devdutt Pattanaik

Genres: Mythology, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Hinduism, India, Philosophy

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2014

About the author

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik (born December 11, 1970) is an Indian 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

Reviews

[Shruti Chaturvedi]

7 Secrets of Goddess is the fourth title by Devdutt Pattanaik, of the "7 Secrets" series. In this book, the author unravels some secrets locked within stories, rituals and symbols by our ancestors.
To begin with, this is a fact-book. Facts from our past. Facts of our present. No inferences, no biases. No over-adorning language. Simple, clear and interesting.

In 7 Secrets of Goddess, the author dwells on topics that are highly misinterpreted today, on questions that are extremely wrongly answered today.
I remember approaching a literature professor at my college, who has done immense study in the field of feminism and gender inequality. I asked her if she has any idea why and when exactly did the first humans on the planet began differentiating men and women. What germinated the idea that is so strongly conditioned in us today.
This book has an answer.

The book brings forth some facts that are just more than astonishing. For example, in the ancient time, a virgin was a whore. It is startling that whore is such a derogatory word today. Before the idea of a woman as a property became a conditioned phenomena in human nature, the word simply mean "a woman who was free to go to any man. She was like the earth that accepts seed from all plants freely; she was no field where the farmer controls the sowing and claims the harvest. The shift in the meaning reflects a shift from an older time when women were free to a later time when women were bound."
The author sees the idol of a kali more than we do. He answers the symbolism representation of every organ, every jewel and every accessory, every single observation and interpretation based on facts.
For instance, We've often come across image of Lord Vishnu, resting on a coil of a serpent. The author tells us how this representation indicates the impermanent nature of all the reality and struggle of the human mind to create at least notional stability.
The author answers the swarup of Gauri as culture, swarup of Durga who is a mix of Kali and Gauri- unbound hair revealing that she is as wild as Kali, but a nose-pin indicating she is as domesticated as Gauri. Her restrained weapons exhibit that her affection cannot be taken for granted. She shall not be exploited. Very much a symbolism of nature.

With many such interesting interpretations, the author turns the Goddess we worship into nothing but symbols. Symbols that our ancestors left to us, to understand and value, with a little bit of personification to keep it easy to relate to and interesting.

Like any other book, 7 Secrets of Goddess to comes with some shortcomings that depend on the individual studying the book. After some interval, the book becomes very "bookish". For someone looking for a piece of literature to 'savor', this book will not be my suggestion. The books is a store house of knowledge for someone intrigued by gender studies.

[Ananya Ghosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book to understand the art, rituals and mythology associated with Hindu Goddesses. Though, I feel the chapter on Gaia is quite poorly written. If anyone is interested in mythology associated with Greek goddesses, I would recommend reading Goddesses in Everywoman
by Jean Shinoda Bolen.

[Saravana Sastha Kumar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhere Devdutt makes the mistake of projecting an image of historian rather than an interpreter of Hinduism to the english speaking audience. While I enjoyed reading his many books, I find some of his work increasingly eroticised, boring and condescending. This book is only a shade of what Dev once was.

[Vinay Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, like others in the 7 Secrets Series, is to be read with an open mind. If not, one doesn't get what the author conveys. This isn't a retelling of mythology, or a story from mythology, but an interpretation of it. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn't. And that's okay.

[Anuradha Goyal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too shallow, too not grounded in the scriptures. Writer in a hurry to write too many books https://www.anuradhagoyal.com/7-secre...

[Viju · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is always a sense of fulfilment when you read a book by Devdutt Pattanaik.  He delivers what is promised. Be it Jaya, The Pregnant King or Sita (for the most part), there is a lot of research that has gone into getting the material for the book and it is presented in a way that is easily consumed. While the author’s thoughts and comments on various social practices come as a part of what is presented, it is mostly logical and not forcibly fit into the premise.

Devdutt’s latest book ‘7 Secrets of the Goddess’ is no different either. A wonderfully educative read as his earlier books, but from a different perspective.

[Shagun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this book very boring. It is just a mumble jumble of different mythical stories, hardly invoking any thought process.

[Anamika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never had the opportunity to sit at a grandmother's feet and listen to stories; stories that I would have listened to in wide eyed wonder at the age of 5, stories that I would have listened to rolling my eyes in unbelief at the age of 10 and beyond. Devdutt Pattanaik takes the place of that grandmother in my life. I think he is the only person who can actually get me to sit through a whole book on gods and Gods, goddesses and Goddesses, without waking up that mocking non-believing cynic in me. His books always make me see things from the larger perspective. Nothing is thrust in your face and it is upto you to interpret things the way you want to. And while this book isn't exactly a page turner, it is an extremely interesting read. I wish I had this book in an e format for easy reference because this is a book that I will revisit again and again , maybe to pick up a tidbit to win an argument or just to reread a story so that I can look at some tradition through less judgmental eyes.
The book starts off with Gaia, but that section somehow felt obligatory. It felt like it was just added to make this book more 'inclusive'. But once we move on to 'our' goddesses, it is familiar territory again and the book picks up speed. Again, these are all familiar stories that we've heard over the years, but they are put into neat logical sections. The wild Kali vs the domesticated Gauri. The richposh Lakshmi vs the humble Saraswati. The pure women gods vs Vitthal. The book explores the playful side, the sensual side, the generous side, the benevolent side and the angry side of those women who were created by the gods, those women who married the gods, those women who gave birth to the gods, those women who are the actual gods. The subtext of the whole book is that Goddesses rule. They are the mothers, the consorts, the sisters. They are the ones who keep the Man Gods under control, the Man Gods who come running to them for help in times of trouble.

I somehow didn't like the huge font, it made the book seem childish. Also, the pictures on every single facing page seemed a bit distracting. I had to read the text first and then revisit the whole book to study the pictures. It wasn't possible to do both without breaking the flow. Though every single one of those pictures had a whole story of their own to tell, I somehow couldn't multitask. And since there was so much, so many names, stories and references, it did need a bit of concentration to keep up.
And in a country where the Goddess has so many names, so many faces, so many temples, so many forms, this book should be made mandatory reading. And after this book, I have the urge to watch some of those numerous Amman movies that were a thing in Tamil cinema some years ago.

[Aparajita Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wondered when our society went from being equality driven to patriarchal? Ever wondered whether what you've learned about your God/Goddess is even true? Well, this book has the answers.

If you are anything like me, You might wonder how and when did the society which portrays Goddess in form of Shakti (Power), Knowledge, Justice, Food, Wealth, Prosperity, Love, etc. start to treat women as the inferior sex. This book tells you exactly when it started to happen and how. How the tales got twisted and when the symbolism started being ignored.

Hinduism is all about metaphors. All it's stories contain strong metaphorical language. I am a curious person. Since childhood, My mother has explained a lot of metaphors in the Mahabharata and Ramayana. I used to bring those up in conversations with my friends or colleagues and was surprised to see how they never knew about them or how they didn't care. I used to ask my religious friends as to why they used to perform a particular ritual or celebrate a particular festival (some of them I knew answers to, thanks to my mom) and I found it quite preposterous when they used to reply with "I don't know. My parents/family priest told me to do this so I am doing it." I never understood why somebody would not want to know the reason behind something they "have" to do.

Thank God Devdutt Pattnaik is here to rescue me! This book is quite engaging. I was hooked to it, wanting more! It's the first book by Devdutt Pattnaik that I've read and I'm a big fan now! The words are so freely flowing, the transition from one story to another is so subtle, you'd realize the change halfway through the next one.

There were moments when I would stop reading just to remember how I had read or heard a certain story but either it was twisted or I had missed the symbolism.

I would highly recommend it to people seeking answers. This book has all the answers. A great read for all the true feminists out there as well.

[Harish Namboothiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

7 Secrets of Goddess is an important book that brings to forefront the role of Goddess in otherwise male dominated mythology. The book grab eyeballs due to a wealth of picures- calendar arts, paintings, photographs of sculptures and idols, which help the reader to comprehend a explanation rich narrative. What is fantastic is that instead of literally or metaphorically assessing Indian mythology, like Islamic invaders or British colonists or several recent Indologists (who by the way cannot think an inch beyond sex when confronted with a phallus symbol or a naked goddess), Pattanaik goes for a deeper psychological approach. To his credit, he comes out with a convincing portrayal of a culture that had no inhibition in acknowledging the presence of suffering in the world, a culture that could accomodate light and darkness, pleasure and suffering, good and bad, equally.

[Pradeep T · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a knowledge enhancing book. May be it is one of the first books of Devdutt Pattanaik that I didn't liked it much. Not because of its content, but because of its lack in clarity. Devdutt has chosen seven different goddesses to describes the history behind their origin and their relevance in the current society. Juxtaposing this with the European or Greek or Egyptian goddesses is a put off according to me. There's too much information crammed up in single book is what makes it as a not so good to read. Equating every goddesses with the Sexual personification is not at all good. May be it is true but how far it is relevant and how people will be able to grasp the overall book is a big doubt. It is highly difficult to cover all the goddesses in just about 250+ pages. May be the author would've done more research on this book. Anyways, its a one time read and forget kind of book.

[Vibha Hegde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rarely do I find myself asking questions of introspection, however when I do, I end up with amazing people and amazing books.
My mentor suggested this book to me and gave it to answer few of my questions.
There started the journey of the secrets.
On first read I had a lot of questions blasting towards me while reading. The stories that I had heard as a child took different meaning and digesting that was pretty hard and not to mention at times too much for me.
On a piece by piece read the book was so good it was totally worth the time invested and the thoughts that went into writing resounds the similar questions that I had. The perspectives are not overpowering forcing one to read it to believe it. It is left to the reader as a choice and they are the masters of their choices.
A thought provoking read indeed!

[Indah Jamtani · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the 7 secrets of Shiva opened my eyes about my religion and its roots, this book dwells on the power of female/femininity/women and the slow and gradual changes in the Hindu culture by way of Western influence.
Women, females, feminine values were once thought as powerful and important. Being feminine was not a crime, loving the dances and poems were not considered female values. Transgenders and asexuals were regarded as equals, an in some cultures, superiors. Along the way culture grew and evolved and along the way women became secondary, inferior, no longer equal, no longer a part of One.
As the modern world is in tumult about gender equality and women's right, this book is a gateway to peek into the past to remind us and the world, it was humans who created culture that had ranks placed for all beings.... Nature sees us all as equals and we always forget that.

[Sunil Azad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Hindu must read it

The book is an eye opener for what we think of our religion and what it actually is? This book clarifies how our religion has changed over time just to maintain it's existence. The problem is that we are so much influenced by the westerners that we have in fact changed our religion and beliefs so that they align with them.
I must say this book is really great to understand how our culture has taken turn and what we should do to follow it properly.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some really brilliant interpretations of Indian mythology. I especially enjoyed the metaphors for mind, nature, and society. However, some of the interpretations seemed like a stretch, and I feel like it could have been clearer that these were the author’s interpretations, not universally accepted. Also, “goddess as mother” was not that explored, which was a bit strange.

The artwork was lovely, and it was an overall pleasant read.

[Salonee Sonawane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has done a lot of work - literature survey, visit places, talk to ppl and then write about it. It is all valuable information but it is like reading material for college subject. To be honest, it is hard to remember things written in this book unless you study it the way you did in college.
But for sure it can be considered as one of the book that will give insights into Hinduism and how it evolved over time.

[Neeraj M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book, must read for anyone who wants to understand true Hinduism

The book explores the whole idea of the Goddess through the lens of time, form and ages; and stats true to the source material throughout. Rare to find a book that is able to make a strong impact without peddling an agenda.

[Shalini Gunnasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most informative and accessible. I learned a lot of things which even my parents and grandparents have forgotten.

[Dipa Sanatani · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I've been wondering for a long time why matriarchy and Goddess-worship in India replaced itself with patriarchy and God-worship. This book answers a lot of questions...

[Lunatica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not really like the audible version.
Except that I love the stories.
However nothing new for a Hindu Mytho Junkie I believe.
Gret insights for a starter and a quick refresh for others.

[The Sleepy Nightowl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book introduces us to seven different aspect of the Goddess through seven different secrets of seven different goddesses from Hindu mythology. Each secret forms one chapter where that aspect is explained through various myths. Connections to other mythologies are also made. While very interesting, the chapters are rather short. Thus instead of delving deeper into different ideas, it is more stringing different ideas together without details. I would have loved to have each idea closer examined, more fleshed out, and more connections made between different myths in Hindu mythology and other mythologies as well. However, we immediately move on from each idea to the next. It makes for a brief and easy read that more serves to introduce ideas than anything else. Each double page always has a picture of the art of the relevant myth on the left side and the ideas it relates to on the right side. I liked the idea as it gives something tangible to connect each idea to. All in all, a solid read.

[Kashika Barkakati · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very enlightening! It is a great book which gives a meaningful insight into the representation of women in varoius mythologies of the world, particularly Indian Mythology. It embodies concepts and ideas that enable greater understanding of life, and asks us to look deeper before making a judgment of the things before us. It unravels secrets and mind numbing stories that reveal the truth behind the myths of our culture.

[Bhawana Somaaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devdutt Pattanaik is the master on this subject. And he says that the goddess is nature, goddess is culture, goddess is power and goddess is wealth. You can read the book and know more about the goddess and there’s nobody who does it as beautifully as Devdutt Pattanaik. He is very privileged because he features on my recommendation list quite often. Go give this book a read, I can assure you it will be an enriching experience.

[Sataroopa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book carries the true meaning of the phrase, "pen is mightier than th sword". Devdutt pattanaik was always my favourite author and after read this book i have started to idolise him even more. This book has the power to solve the current conflict of India if the reader is not a staunch believer but has the capability to intake new information and evaluate it with there on wit. Truly a masterpiece. A must read for all irrespective of your personal interests.

[sonia ☀️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

it has to be one of the most beautifully composed text on feminism, patriarchy and history of women through the lense of mythology. . . i am not sure if i have fully understood and digested it and i know i will keep going back to this book periodically. underrated masterpiece, and a must read

[Sagar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book discovers themes of art of religion equality and special place of women in Indian society. devdutt patnayak never fails to amaze me with his religious views and thoughts . reading this in the week of Navratri makes it even special.

[Samanta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book. Easy and light read. Something different. More like a tale of Hindu religious stories. Interesting. Must try.

[Denny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jai Mata di Har Har Mahadev Jai shree Vishnu Jai shree laxmi

Adhbhut , Jai Maa Jai bhola bhandari Jai shree Hari narayana Jai shree Lakshmi Narayan bhaut hi acchi book hai

[Aishwary Mehta (The_Fugitive_Biker) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beauty by Devdutt!!

(Full review soon)

[The Tauriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, I didn't like Lakshmi's interpretation because she was never the wife of Indra as per original scriptures or any other sources of history.