GOD & GODESSES are no exception to the universal rule!

Illustrator! Well it is as simple as a translator/narrator, and as tall as a social transformer. My introduction to Illustration came with Devdutt Pattanaik, a Doctor by profession for 15 years, who now is the most beloved Illustrator & Mythologist in India, after publishing twenty-five mythological books in short period of time. He has also scripted running mega-tele-serial “Devon ka Dev Mahadev” in India.

Two recent illustrations of Devdutt Pattanaik; I was quite impressed with. Let me share these with you all.

1) Kali, the sovereign Goddess, transforms into the demure Gauri so that she can be Shiva's wife. Shiva transforms from solitary hermit to Shankara, the benevolent householder, so that he can be Gauri's husband. Celibacy is rejected; sexuality is contained. Each has its value. But the opposite is valid too. Both have to transform - give a little, take a little, grab a little, grant a little - to make the marriage work. This is the essence of Shiva Puran.

2) Ram is described as maryada purushottam, not purushottam, meaning 'one who follows rules ideally' not the ideal man. Krishna is described as leela purushottam, not purushottam, meaning 'one who plays games perfectly' not the perfect man. This obsession with the ideal and the perfect is making us an intolerant society. We seek ideal fathers, ideal mothers, ideal brothers, ideal sisters, perfect sons, perfect daughters, perfect bosses, perfect friends, perfect relatives, ideal politicians, ideal bureaucrats, ideal policemen, ideal judges, ideal doctors, perfect husbands, perfect wives, perfect girlfriends, perfect boyfriends, ideal journalists, ideal gods, ideal demons. Idealism and perfection exists only in imagination. We crave it, we fight for it, we kill for it, we argue for it. We imagine others having it. This is the recipe for eternal frustration.

BTW; Ram, Krishna and Shiva are Gods in Hindu mythology. Kali, Gauri are the Goddesses

It means – whatever the Gods & Goddesses appealed us to follow through the holy books, are things which they themselves have followed firmly and that confirmed that even GOD & GODESSES are no exception to the universal rule / law of nature.