A Story: An ‘Ethereal’ Solvent
One may call it Mythology, another may call it History. The way I see it—it’s a Story. A collective narrative passed down to us in today’s day and age from eons ago. The most innate human trait is our need to be engaged in a narrative. We spin stories to hold a conversation. Some tell stories to deceive, others to reveal the essence of truth. We build narratives for branding in advertising. We consolidate narratives with “proof” to win court cases. I could go on and on about the nature of stories and how storytelling is deeply embedded in the human psyche. I’ve dedicated most of my adult life to stories. But I write this monograph to highlight one particular character—someone who quite literally plays the best supporting role in one of the most soul-emancipating stories of all time. Hanuman. Anjaneya. Bajrangbali. He’s known by many names, each one echoing a quality, a momentous event, or an association with someone significant in his life. But not many know his true name. Most of his ...