Extra Reading Notes: Devdutt Pattanaik's Seven Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art, Part E (Vishnu)

• The explanation of why the cow is revered so much by the Hindus makes sense. Cows provide milk which provides sustenance, but one may easily forget the usefulness of their hides and bones.
• I think Vishnu's promise that humans will stop over-exploiting the earth-cow was broken. Humans seem to be exploiting and destroying the earth at an alarming rate more so now than ever.
• So Lakshmi does have a sister, Alakshmi. I encountered her not too long ago in this week's reading (Krishna Krishna) but under the name of Moodevi. Remember that she is misfortune.
• I may have never connected that the continuous growth of Matsya and the eventual destruction of the world be the result of too much kindness and no boundaries.
• Is Vaman the incarnation of Vishnu that is thought to be Buddha? The picture looks like Buddha to me, but it may not be.
• Okay, but the killing of someone for being attracted to somebody else is terrible. Even if a God did this act, it does not make it right. I would say it is totally okay to be attracted to somebody else even if you are already with someone. That is part of human nature. It would be turn bad if this person acted on this attraction. But would that be worth death? Uh... Perhaps the reasonable answer for society is no.
• Krishna does seem to embody love. He seemed to hold a love for many he came across, well, what seems to have been in a lot of cases women. He also provided them changes and chances to be free and be equals.
• Radha was supposedly Krishna's one true love, right? Was she an incarnation of Lakshmi?
• Why is Krishna depicted with peacock feathers?
• Why are fish considered wild and uncivilized? Did they know how fearsome and unpredictable squids could be?

 Vishnu lounging on Shesha with Lakshmi at his feet

Web Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography. "Seven Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art" by Devdutt Pattanaik, link to Part E.