By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik - Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist
In a popular social media short video, a young stand-up comedian says that he bought an iPhone because its greatest feature is that it makes you confident. As soon as he got the iPhone, he felt confident enough to abuse his friends and colleagues who did not have an iPhone. Power that came with the brand was used to acquire even more power by abusing those who did not have the brand. Power thus is a currency that can be bought (through brands) and grabbed (through abuse). It can be given, taken and received, like food. In Hindu mythology, power is embodied by Goddess Shakti, also known as Goddess Durga. But to a keen observer, Shakti is different from Durga. Every God has Shakti within him. Durga is created outside, when the Gods release their inner Shakti. In other words, Shakti is power that is inside us, our inner confidence. Durga is power that is outside us, power that comes to us in the form of praise, recognition, respect, status, brands, tools and weapons. Finding the inner Shakti is difficult so we crave external Durga.
