The Myth of Success: Devdutt Pattanaik on Finding True Happiness

Why are the most “successful” people often unhappy? In this thought-provoking conversation, mythologist and author Devdutt Pattanaik shares insights from his new book Escape the Castle.

He challenges the modern obsession with ambition, endless consumption, and achievement — offering instead the ancient Indian idea of Santosh (contentment) as a path to true fulfillment.

00:00 Intro
01:20 Escape the Bakasura Trap
03:00 How do you grow without chasing
05:55 Do people manage their ambition?
08:16 Process behind Devdutt's writing
11:11 What is hardwork?
17:10 How did Devdutt find contentment

🌟 In this episode, Devdutt explores:

Why wealth and ambition don’t always bring happiness

The difference between aspiration, ambition, and greed

How mythology explains human anxiety and discontent

The Indian idea of debt, credit, and paying it forward

Practical lessons for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone seeking balance

If you’ve ever wondered why success doesn’t always feel satisfying, this conversation will shift your perspective.

👉 Watch till the end for Devdutt’s advice on how to escape the traps of ambition and embrace a more meaningful life.

ABOUT SHRADHA SHARMA:

Shradha Sharma is the Founder & CEO of YourStory. She started YourStory in 2008 to tell stories of entrepreneurs - something that mainstream media was not ready to do in 2008. Since then, Shradha has scaled YourStory to become one of India’s leading digital media platforms covering every aspect of India’s new economy.

She was featured on Fortune’s list of the best 40 under 40 entrepreneurs in India for three years in a row. In 2018, she won the Forbes Power Trailblazers award and was twice featured on LinkedIn’s list of powerful influencers, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and actor Priyanka Chopra.

Follow Shradha on LinkedIn here:   / sharmashradha  


ABOUT YOURSTORY:

YourStory is India’s biggest and definitive platform for startups and entrepreneurs related stories, resources, research reports, and analyses of the startup eco-system, mobile app developers, and more dedicated to promoting the startup ecosystem

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