Devi Bhagwatam

Being a millennial, and having grown up watching action series, cartoons and anime, it was quite a surprise for me to discover that I could see even the Puranas in the same light.

Devi Bhagwatam and such other puranas are sagas which are replete with stories, philosophy, knowledge of astrology and mantras and other esoteric secrets often told in symbolic or metaphorical way. Even while learning astrology myself I have found both Puranas and other such texts to be interconnected to the science and art of Jyotish.

However I want to share about how I enjoyed reading it in a different way. Consider this:

Devi Maa and a demon are fighting a battle . They are hovering in air among the mountain ranges with all kinds of esoteric weapons in their hands. In the middle of air, a clash is seen and heard. At lighting speed they fight, retaliate and rebound to different points in space. The mighty demon tries to hurl wounds at her and with fierceness the Devi strikes and blocks his attack. The fight goes on and on for thousand of years, ultimately leading to the death of the demon. No one messes with Jaganmata Bhagvati of Thousand arms.

Bhagwatam has many interesting stories which  have symbolism and inherent meaning to them. And the fights that are described are very fascinating and enjoyable. For example, the popular story of the peculiar demon Raktabeej which symbolizes desires inherent in all of us and  the fight of Khsumbha/Nishumbha with Bhagwaan Vishnu .

I think millennials and others if they read Puranas will find them interesting even if they stay with the literal prose. Some background and understanding of the context, coupled with some imagination, Bhagwatam can become an interesting  and deep affair. I really believe Puranas can also turn into great comics, graphic novels and web series.