New Delhi, Oct. 4 -- Namita Devidayal's new book bears the cryptic title Tangerine: How to Read the Upanishads Without Giving up Coffee. Tangerine, it soon becomes apparent, is her preferred alternative to the ubiquitous "saffron", which has become "tainted" by association with Hindutva politics. The allusion to coffee becomes clear only much later, when Devidayal decides to draw a line to her spiritual quest. Contemplating the third stage of the Vedic ashram system, Vanaprastha-the forest stage-she declares: "I had no plans to head to the Himalayan foothills, where I wouldn't last a day without my morning coffee, gluten-free bread and the comforting chatter of my besties."

If this comment sounds fatuous, it's part of the cultivated pitc...