Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the MahabharataHigh above the sky stands Swarga, paradise, abode of the gods. Still above is Vaikuntha, heaven, abode of God. The doorkeepers of Vaikuntha are the twins, Jaya and Yijaya, both whose names mean 'victory'. One keeps you in Swarga; the other raises you into Vaikuntha. In Vaikuntha there is bliss forever, in Swarga there is please for only as long as you deserve. What is the difference between Jaya and Vijaya? Solve this puzzle and you will solve the mystery of the Mahabharata. In this enthralling retelling of India's greatest epic, the Mahabharata originally known as Jaya, Devdutt Pattanaik seamlessly weaves into a single narrative plots from the Sanskirt classic as well as its many folk and regional varians, including the Pandavani of Chattisgarth, Gondhal of Maharastra, Terukkuttu of Tamil Nade and Yakshagana of Karnataka. Richly illustrated with over 250 line drawings by the author, the 108 chapters abound with little-known details such as the names of the hundred Kauravas, the worship of Draupadi as a goddess in Tamil Nadu, the stories of Astika, Madhavi, Jaimini, Aravan and Barbareek, the Mahabharata version of the Shakuntalam and the Ramayana, and the dating of the war based on astronomical data. With clarity and simplicity, the tales in this elegant volume reveal the eternal relevance of the Mahabharata, the complex and disturbing meditation on the human condition that has shaped Indian thought for over 3000 years. |
What people are saying - Write a review
User ratings
5 stars |
| ||
4 stars |
| ||
3 stars |
| ||
2 stars |
| ||
1 star |
|
LibraryThing Review
User Review - PiyushC - LibraryThingMahabharata is an epic, the longest one in the world. It forms the most important part of Indian mythology and is a cornerstone of Hindu religion. Many of its sub-sects, like the Ramayana (an ... Read full review
User Review - Flag as inappropriate
All 9 reviews »A useless book. I think he had written this book without doing any actual research...he just thinks writing his points in english will be correct always. Real Mahabharat is way better than his rubbish book.
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Abhimanyu archer Arjuna arrows Ashwatthama asked Asuras Balarama battle battlefield Bharata Bhima Bhishma Brahman Brihanalla brothers called chariot child cowherd cows curse Damayanti daughter death demon descendants Devas Devayani dharma Dhritarashtra dice Draupadi Drona Drupada Duryodhana Dushyanta Dusshasana Dwaraka earth elephants epic exile father fear fight forest gambling Gandhari Gandharvas Ganga Ghatotkacha goddess gods Hastina-puri Hidimbi horses human husband Indra Indra-prastha Iravan Janamejaya Jarasandha Jaya Jayadhrata karma Karna Kaurava army Kauravas killed king kingdom Kripa Krishna Kshatriyas Kunti Kuru-kshetra live mace Madri Mahabharata marriage married Mathura Matsya mother Nagas Nakula Nala never palace Pandavas Pandu Parashurama priest Rakshasas realized refused Rishis ritual sage Sahadeva serpent Shakuni Shakuntala Shalya Shantanu Shishupala Shiva side smiled sons story Subhadra Swarga tale told took turned Urvashi Vedic Vichitravirya Vidura Vishnu Vyasa warrior weapons wife woman women Yadavas Yadu yagna Yaksha Yama Yayati Yudhishtira