Extra Reading Note: Devdutt Pattanaik's Seven Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art, Part B (Narayan)

• I have seen reference to the Ocean of Milk many times. Why milk? Is it in reference to the Milky Way? Or is it something to do with cattle in that because the cow is sacred and valuable, so too is the milk in every aspect?
• There is something terrifying about the thought of a god closing his eyes and going to sleep, which then results in the end of the universe.
• But I guess, like said in the videos, it is only terrifying because the I culture I grew up in has always taught this sense of limited time and finality.
• The uncertainty of what happens while Narayan is asleep, the requirement of an observer to allow something to be observed and, therefore, exist: that sounds a lot like Schrodinger's cat. Did the ancient Hindus have uncertainty principles figured out before the West?
• But this makes me wonder if there is any significance to what Narayan dreams of when he sleeps. Or does he just reside in a dreamless state of sleep?
• Do the other Gods and Goddesses experience the lack of awareness of the world while Narayan sleeps? How can they be aware when the world ends and then comes back into being? Is it something like amnesia or dissociation where there are gaps in their memories and experiences?
• Calling Lakshmi a cow at first sounds to me like an insult. I must remind myself that cows are valuable and sacred, and that means cow is more of a complement here. Shame on society for conditioning myself and others to feel this way. It also reminds me of the Greek goddess, Hera, being called "cow-eyed," meaning she has big, beautiful eyes,
• Ooh, Narad and Tumburu, the rival musicians... If I had known about them beforehand, I would have tried to incorporate them into my storybook somehow.
• Narad provokes, causes anger, ignites quarrel, promote jealousy and insecurity.
• A king named Hiranakashipu believes he is immortal. Initially, I hear no loophole in his boon. Ah, but speaking of Schrodinger's cat, Narasimha, a being that is half lion and half human, appears.

Narasimha

Web Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography. "Seven Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art" by Devdutt Pattanaik, link to Guide B.