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Ganesha's Secret: Food alone does not satisfy hunger
On this Ganesh Chathurti or Ganpati, as the festival is popularly known in Maharashtra, Devdutt Pattanaik in this extract from 7 Secrets of Shiva , narrates several stories about Ganesha’s birth -- the one in which Shiva beheads him; when Shiva and Shakti make love taking the form of elephants; when Shiva creates a child of his own image for His wife’s pleasure but since he looks too much like the father, Shakti replaces his head with that of an elephant. A perfect obeisance to a God who is worshipped across India as the ‘remover of obstacles’ during the ten-day festival which is celebrated with much gusto.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 18, 2017
152 people are currently reading
481 people want to read
About the author
Devdutt Pattanaik
287 books3,327 followersDr. 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
December 29, 2017
Short and insightful.
I never knew that the photos I see in temples, art, magazines, books of Ganesha has a meaning behind it. Every photo of Lord Ganesha has a secret behind it. So the title "Ganesha's Secret".
And I loved the message this book gave about food and hunger.
“Animals never overeat. Humans, because of imagined and amplified fears, end up spending their lives gathering food like the Yakshas and forget to reflect on the meaning of food. By replacing the human head with an elephant head, Shiva draws attention to human greed that is rooted in fear and that prevents humanity from discovering bliss. With the head of an animal that knows neither scarcity nor predator, Ganesha becomes the symbol of contentment and wisdom.”
True🙂
I never knew that the photos I see in temples, art, magazines, books of Ganesha has a meaning behind it. Every photo of Lord Ganesha has a secret behind it. So the title "Ganesha's Secret".
And I loved the message this book gave about food and hunger.
“Animals never overeat. Humans, because of imagined and amplified fears, end up spending their lives gathering food like the Yakshas and forget to reflect on the meaning of food. By replacing the human head with an elephant head, Shiva draws attention to human greed that is rooted in fear and that prevents humanity from discovering bliss. With the head of an animal that knows neither scarcity nor predator, Ganesha becomes the symbol of contentment and wisdom.”
True🙂
June 18, 2019
This is my first book by Devdutt Pattanaik and I couldn't agree more that he stands as a fantastic weaver of Indian mythology. Ganesha's Secret is a brief account of the mythology behind Lord Ganesha who represents abundance mindset. Several theories behind his birth are put forth lucidly. The book deals with the lesser-known facts about Ganesha and the reasons behind him being called Vinayaka and Ganapati. How does Ganesha's presence relate to the knowledge and wealth are also described well. I loved each thing discussed here thoroughly. Right from Lord Shiva's act of beheading Ganesha to Ganesha trying his best to not let the Shiva Lingas be placed in Lanka, everything was mesmerizing. One should definitely read the author's work to get an idea behind the prominent notions regarding our mythology. What would intrigue you as a reader will be the narrative's uniqueness of content as well its sheer simplicity!
June 22, 2024
This is a gentle homage to a beloved God. In it, various mythical stories associated with Ganesha as the son of Shiva are analysed to explain the philosophical concepts lying behind his idea.
Very lucid writing, well-supported by illustrations.
Recommended.
Very lucid writing, well-supported by illustrations.
Recommended.
May 18, 2019
Ganapati Bappa Maurya!
November 13, 2017
Review at A Bookworm's Musing
I love how Devdutt approaches mythology, and was happy to discover this book on Kindle Unlimited. It had few parts to Ganesha's stories that I was unaware of, and was nice to read the logic behind the mythology too. Even the illustrations that were in the book added to the book quite beautifully.
I love how Devdutt approaches mythology, and was happy to discover this book on Kindle Unlimited. It had few parts to Ganesha's stories that I was unaware of, and was nice to read the logic behind the mythology too. Even the illustrations that were in the book added to the book quite beautifully.
January 2, 2019
This book is an excerpt from 'The 7 secretes of Shiva' so I had already read it once as part of that book, but nevertheless wanted to start the new year by (re)reading about the first among the gods- Ganesha.
I gained some new insights. Lately I have been thinking a lot about the two meta-traits of personality : Stability (alpha) and Plasticity (beta). I also read recently Scott Barry Kaufman's excellent article linking these traits to Maslow's Deficit needs and Growth needs respectively. What does all this have to do with this short mythology book?
For one, Ganesha is the god of abundance (his pot belly signifying abundance). In this book, Devdutt contrasts Ganesha's abundance mindset with Kuber/Yaksha's deficit or scarcity mindset. The lord Yama and the fear of death due to starvation is of relevance here.
Devdutt also highlights the fact that Pulatsya had two lineages: Yakshas (led by Kuber) and Rakshas (led by Ravana). While Kuber and yakshas are hoarders, Ravana and rakhasas are marked by cancerous growth (Ravana sprouting ten heads). This is my interpretation. Ravana also is an explorer and plans to take shiva linga south to Lanka but his plans are foiled by Ganesha. The lord of Kama will be relevant here.
To me, while Yakshas/Kuber represent a deficit needs driven mindset and maladaptive behavior; And Ganesha appears to be a healthy fulfillment of deficit needs; Ravana/Raksahs represent a cancerous growth and covetous desire, while Kartikeya/ Murugan may be considered a healthy exploratory/ growth needs driven spirit.
Of course in the larger scheme of things these are metaphorical and we inhabit both Ravana and Kuber, Ganesh and Kartikeya within us; and so the exhortation every Dasshehra to burn the Ravana within.
I gained some new insights. Lately I have been thinking a lot about the two meta-traits of personality : Stability (alpha) and Plasticity (beta). I also read recently Scott Barry Kaufman's excellent article linking these traits to Maslow's Deficit needs and Growth needs respectively. What does all this have to do with this short mythology book?
For one, Ganesha is the god of abundance (his pot belly signifying abundance). In this book, Devdutt contrasts Ganesha's abundance mindset with Kuber/Yaksha's deficit or scarcity mindset. The lord Yama and the fear of death due to starvation is of relevance here.
Devdutt also highlights the fact that Pulatsya had two lineages: Yakshas (led by Kuber) and Rakshas (led by Ravana). While Kuber and yakshas are hoarders, Ravana and rakhasas are marked by cancerous growth (Ravana sprouting ten heads). This is my interpretation. Ravana also is an explorer and plans to take shiva linga south to Lanka but his plans are foiled by Ganesha. The lord of Kama will be relevant here.
To me, while Yakshas/Kuber represent a deficit needs driven mindset and maladaptive behavior; And Ganesha appears to be a healthy fulfillment of deficit needs; Ravana/Raksahs represent a cancerous growth and covetous desire, while Kartikeya/ Murugan may be considered a healthy exploratory/ growth needs driven spirit.
Of course in the larger scheme of things these are metaphorical and we inhabit both Ravana and Kuber, Ganesh and Kartikeya within us; and so the exhortation every Dasshehra to burn the Ravana within.
November 28, 2017
Another short, crisp and extremely fascinating offering from the master craftsman of Indian mythology, Devdutt. The author excels in narrating tales out of Indian mythology and makes a lot of sense out of these tales. There are deep philosophical messages as well :" When humanity ignores imagination, there is no growth, no quest to outgrow fear, no desire for spiritual reality. Evolution does not happen. Spirituality remains undiscovered. Only the self matters; others remain invisible. In other words, humans remain animals". How true.
October 10, 2022
The book contains some very interesting information - a mix of philosophy and mythology - in fact the philosophy underlying the mythology. However, this is a very short book and not a complete book. It does have the feel of being taken out of a main book. A whole book on Ganesha might be even better. But the information is still great.
September 30, 2018
GANESHA's secret
Food alone doesn't satisfy hunger
Extracted from seven secrets of shiva
Devdutt Pattanaik
Retelling of Lord GANESHA story & his life (from Vedas right from the beginning of time) via the author's point of view. He elaborates it via his narrative perspective in such a way that it touches the hearts of the readers & perhaps encourages or persuades them to buy his other books.
I liked the way the writer has drawn & collected the illustrations, portrayed the images which form resemblances to real life examples taken from hindu mythology to help the readers understand the various concepts, truths, forms, roles of the gods, goddesses & avatars who lived during the ancient times as mentioned in our epics . Various short stories & instances from the Hindu religion have been drawn to make the readers understand the Hindu religion better via enhancing its principles, traditions, functions & demonstrations.
I also liked the way of storytelling, though it seemed crude & could have been smoother. The instances drawn from many sources with respect to various ideologies, beliefs, myths, cultures & traditions adds another spice to the book.
Narration is smooth & good.
Seemed more like a reference book than a novella.
Nevertheless, I liked the overall spiritual approach, setup & touch that has been provided here.
A good one time read!
Food alone doesn't satisfy hunger
Extracted from seven secrets of shiva
Devdutt Pattanaik
Retelling of Lord GANESHA story & his life (from Vedas right from the beginning of time) via the author's point of view. He elaborates it via his narrative perspective in such a way that it touches the hearts of the readers & perhaps encourages or persuades them to buy his other books.
I liked the way the writer has drawn & collected the illustrations, portrayed the images which form resemblances to real life examples taken from hindu mythology to help the readers understand the various concepts, truths, forms, roles of the gods, goddesses & avatars who lived during the ancient times as mentioned in our epics . Various short stories & instances from the Hindu religion have been drawn to make the readers understand the Hindu religion better via enhancing its principles, traditions, functions & demonstrations.
I also liked the way of storytelling, though it seemed crude & could have been smoother. The instances drawn from many sources with respect to various ideologies, beliefs, myths, cultures & traditions adds another spice to the book.
Narration is smooth & good.
Seemed more like a reference book than a novella.
Nevertheless, I liked the overall spiritual approach, setup & touch that has been provided here.
A good one time read!
September 5, 2017
This is a quick read, enriched with some secrets or lesser-known beliefs about Ganesha. With interesting extractions from portions of Indian Mythology, this book explains several common stories associated with the deity. The secrets are supported with convincing illustrations, which makes the reader connect better with what the author intends to convey.
September 7, 2017
The deep philosophy behind mythology
Devdutt Pattnaik takes the stories from folklore and ancient Indian scriptures, gets to the bottom of the logical foundation on which they stand and provide you with learnings you can absorb in day to day life. This mini-book is power packed with wisdom.
Devdutt Pattnaik takes the stories from folklore and ancient Indian scriptures, gets to the bottom of the logical foundation on which they stand and provide you with learnings you can absorb in day to day life. This mini-book is power packed with wisdom.
November 11, 2018
Short & Sweet
It's always a pleasure to read Devdutt Pattanaik - how Indian mythology is connected to deeper meaning of life and how our customs and values have been shaped by it.
In this book the focus is on Lord Ganesh and the various stories & meaning associated with him. The use of visuals in his books is always a treat.
It's always a pleasure to read Devdutt Pattanaik - how Indian mythology is connected to deeper meaning of life and how our customs and values have been shaped by it.
In this book the focus is on Lord Ganesh and the various stories & meaning associated with him. The use of visuals in his books is always a treat.
September 11, 2019
Great read and so insightful
Never knew so many secrets about Ganesha. The author has so elegantly shed light and given facts in such an interesting way that once you take the book, you won't keep it until finished. The book tells about the symbolism behind the lord's form, his pet and the things associated with him. A great read.
Never knew so many secrets about Ganesha. The author has so elegantly shed light and given facts in such an interesting way that once you take the book, you won't keep it until finished. The book tells about the symbolism behind the lord's form, his pet and the things associated with him. A great read.
October 27, 2019
Good Primer on Ganesha and his significance
Devdutt Pattanaik aces it with yet another short book, and this time on Ganesha. This, along with the other book on Durga provides a good summary of one of the two popular & important festivals for Hindu. Waiting to read through his other titles too.
Devdutt Pattanaik aces it with yet another short book, and this time on Ganesha. This, along with the other book on Durga provides a good summary of one of the two popular & important festivals for Hindu. Waiting to read through his other titles too.
November 10, 2017
Good summary for the uninitiated on ganeshas qualities and !meaning
Good quick read on mythology and spiritual learning's from the gods and goddesses. More perhaps for those who are not religious
Good quick read on mythology and spiritual learning's from the gods and goddesses. More perhaps for those who are not religious
November 13, 2017
Ganesha is the Best
Nice summary
Very well differentiated between kuber and Ganapati.
There are few things which one may disagree but interpretation of scriptures differs person to person
Nice summary
Very well differentiated between kuber and Ganapati.
There are few things which one may disagree but interpretation of scriptures differs person to person
November 30, 2017
Great info on ganesha
The book is short but it gives immense knowledge on who ganesha is and what his presence specifies. My perspective about ganesha has changed completely after reading this book. Thank you devdutt patniak.
The book is short but it gives immense knowledge on who ganesha is and what his presence specifies. My perspective about ganesha has changed completely after reading this book. Thank you devdutt patniak.
December 12, 2017
Lovely Read on Hoarding and Impermanence
This was a beautiful read and it helps us understand the modern day consumerism and how we have become hoarders! Thanks Devdutt for making my day again!
This was a beautiful read and it helps us understand the modern day consumerism and how we have become hoarders! Thanks Devdutt for making my day again!
February 7, 2018
Excellent choice of words to explain the concept of Ganesha and importance of being in harmony.
Excellent choice of words to explain the concept of Ganesha and importance of being in harmony.
Got to know details and meanings of lot of myths around Ganesha
Excellent choice of words to explain the concept of Ganesha and importance of being in harmony.
Got to know details and meanings of lot of myths around Ganesha
August 2, 2018
Well written.
Missed discussions on Ganesha's trunk positioning. Otherwise, very nice.
Interesting thesis on the change of head, the breaking of tusk etc.
Could have been more in-depth. That's why only 4 stars.
Missed discussions on Ganesha's trunk positioning. Otherwise, very nice.
Interesting thesis on the change of head, the breaking of tusk etc.
Could have been more in-depth. That's why only 4 stars.
December 14, 2018
Adequate knowledge and wisdom about the pot bellied lord Vinayaka
Mesmerizing read! Another brilliant and well researched topic by Devdutt Pattnaik. Must read for all mythology lovers. Hope this reading takes you North _ towards spiritual wisdom
Mesmerizing read! Another brilliant and well researched topic by Devdutt Pattnaik. Must read for all mythology lovers. Hope this reading takes you North _ towards spiritual wisdom
April 9, 2019
Must Read to Know Lord Ganesha...
Details about Lord Ganesha, his birth, his powers and divinity...
He makes us to reflect on hoarding and inspires us towards contentment.
An essence of Humanity first, then comes Eternity...
Details about Lord Ganesha, his birth, his powers and divinity...
He makes us to reflect on hoarding and inspires us towards contentment.
An essence of Humanity first, then comes Eternity...
April 22, 2019
Informative
My first read of D. Pattanaik. Anyone who believes and follows Hinduism, should read this author's books.
A lot of things are cleared and reasoned in my head. Enlightened! Thank you!
My first read of D. Pattanaik. Anyone who believes and follows Hinduism, should read this author's books.
A lot of things are cleared and reasoned in my head. Enlightened! Thank you!
May 5, 2019
India's Favorite God
Ganesha in embodiment of knowledge and power. A will that brings families together. A God so loving whose appetite has no bounds. A God who can give immense peace and harmony to his firm believers.
Ganesha in embodiment of knowledge and power. A will that brings families together. A God so loving whose appetite has no bounds. A God who can give immense peace and harmony to his firm believers.
September 30, 2019
Ganpati bappa mourya
A sweet short collection of takes. Good brief description of Ganesha and stories around shiv. I like the way each and every symbol is explained something nice to tell the next generation.
A sweet short collection of takes. Good brief description of Ganesha and stories around shiv. I like the way each and every symbol is explained something nice to tell the next generation.
April 19, 2020
Interesting & Intelligent!
Very thorough research on such a topic that has always been revered and not logically sought after. Devdutt never disappoints with the insightful remarks and the annotations. Eye-opener indeed!
Very thorough research on such a topic that has always been revered and not logically sought after. Devdutt never disappoints with the insightful remarks and the annotations. Eye-opener indeed!
August 11, 2020
Good book
This book in short gives a lot of information regarding Ganesha and various aspects and theories related to him. Helpful for those who want to know the basics of the Hindu religion(book is focused on Ganesha). Loved it!
This book in short gives a lot of information regarding Ganesha and various aspects and theories related to him. Helpful for those who want to know the basics of the Hindu religion(book is focused on Ganesha). Loved it!
November 8, 2017
Average
Yes, it is an extract as mentioned.
Starting chapters take you to another level but rest chapters are stories. N
Yes, it is an extract as mentioned.
Starting chapters take you to another level but rest chapters are stories. N
November 14, 2017
Short Summary of Learning
Lovely book explaining the significance of Lord Ganesh, and what he stands for, ideal for anyone trying to understand Hindu philosophy
Lovely book explaining the significance of Lord Ganesh, and what he stands for, ideal for anyone trying to understand Hindu philosophy
November 17, 2017
Fast read. Makes you rethink the ideologies that we have hovered so far about food. It alone cannot definitely satisfy hunger. Food for thought!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews