Devdutt Pattanaik is an Indian author, illustrator, and speaker recognized for his work in demystifying Indian and global mythology for contemporary audiences. Although medically trained, he transitioned to a full-time writing career, authoring over 50 books and numerous articles. His work often explores the intersection of mythology with management, leadership, and cultural understanding. Pattanaik's approach involves illustrating his own books and presenting complex mythological narratives in accessible ways through television shows and public speaking.

He has significantly impacted popular culture through his television series and consulting for media networks on mythological dramas. Pattanaik's insights extend to business principles, drawing parallels between ancient Indian wisdom and modern organizational challenges. He advocates for a pluralistic understanding of truth, emphasizing that mythology offers diverse interpretations rather than singular, objective realities. His work also touches upon social issues, including sexuality, by exploring queer narratives within Indian lore.

Devdutt Pattanaik views myth as fundamental to societal structure, providing frameworks for morality and understanding the world. He believes mythology is dynamic, shaped by perception and evolving times, and strives to make this knowledge widely accessible. Pattanaik contrasts Western mythology's focus on changing the world with Indic mythology's perspective on the world's inherent, continuous change, independent of human intervention. He notes the absence of clear heroes and villains in Indic narratives, suggesting a more fluid interpretation of reality. Pattanaik acknowledges his subjective viewpoint and embraces his "Indian gaze" in his interpretations.

Pattanaik applies mythological principles to contemporary business and management practices. His work, such as 'Business Sutra,' suggests that organizational harmony arises when individual beliefs align with corporate values, contrasting this with situations where employees are treated as mere resources to be managed. He draws on Indian traditions to offer an alternative approach to leadership and organizational culture. By contextualizing mythology, Pattanaik proposes that myths remain living forces, influenced by how they are perceived and the historical period in which they exist. His aim is to bridge ancient wisdom with modern challenges, particularly in the corporate world.

Devdutt Pattanaik has openly discussed LGBTQ+ themes within Indian mythology, drawing from his personal experiences as well. He has explored how Indian lore includes and sometimes celebrates queer identities. Pattanaik suggests that karmic philosophies can be utilized to affirm the dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals, promoting wisdom through acceptance of the world as it is. His book 'The Man Who Was A Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore' directly addresses these themes, highlighting the presence of diverse sexualities within ancient Indian narratives.

“no society can exist without myth as it creates notions of right and wrong, good and bad, heaven and hell, rights and duties”

“mythology "tells people how they should see the world... Different people will have their own mythology, reframing old ones or creating new ones."”

“to get Saraswati out of the closet. Saraswati belongs everywhere, she has to flow everywhere”

“to make knowledge accessible.”

“Western mythology, according to him, propagates the idea that the world is in need of changing, either by Greek heroes, or by Abrahamic prophets and kings, or by scientists, activists and capitalists. "Indic mythology presents the idea that the world is constantly changing, human intervention notwithstanding. There are no heroes or villains, no oppressor or oppressed, no saviour or martyr, just different ways of looking at reality...I do not claim objectivity; I am comfortable with subjectivity and well aware of my Indian gaze," he says.”