Devdutt Pattanaik occupies a rare position in contemporary Indian intellectual life: he has transformed mythology from dusty scriptural preserve into boardroom currency, coffee-table conversation, and cultural capital. His prolific output—spanning books, columns, corporate workshops, and social media—has made ancient narratives accessible to millions who might never open a Purana. This is no small achievement. Yet accessibility purchased at the cost of accuracy becomes a different enterprise altogether. In his treatment of Parshuram and claims about Brahmin veneration, Pattanaik commits errors that deserve examination - not to diminish his contributions, but because influential voices require proportional scrutiny. The Incomplete Narrative: Matricide Without Resurrection Pattanaik's retelling emphasizes that Parshuram killed his mother Renuka at his father Jamadagni's command—a shocking detail that never fails to arrest attention. The matricide becomes, in his framework, ...