‘Arjuna – Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince’ by Anuja Chandramouli is a healthy if temporary respite from the slew of over-dramatized, barely-researched, ‘so-called’ modern renderings of the Indian classics which have become run-of-the-mill, cash cows for the publishers. Book Stores/ Libraries are inundated with these books and their shelve life, as such is pretty low.
But this book stands out, for the reasons mentioned below:
- Sticks to the story
- Author does not enmesh her fantasy into the basic plot, nor does she try to add more spice
- the book does not excessively demonize/eulogize any character
- A crisp and lucid retelling (much similar to C. Rajagopalachari’s retelling of the epics)
This book is a careful narration, a blow-by-blow account, of the life of the third Pandava – the not quite indisputably, greatest archer ever, Arjuna. The painstaking research of the author shows through the pages as we are transported back to that holy age where Gods deemed it fit to take Avatars to rid the Earth of the demons galore.
We have, of course, vicariously lived the lives of Bhishma, Drona, Arjuna, Yudhisthir, Draupadi, Bhima, Duryodhana, Karna and all the other characters – the many recitals in the lap of our Grandma, Ramanand Sagar’s televised rendition, the various ‘Illustrated Mahabharat for Children’ we read and of course, the philosophical discourse on karma, causality and how difficult is it to be good, being some of the means through which we have kept the legend alive and kicking.
Mahabharat is imbued in the blood stream of all Indians.
Much of the allure that the legend holds is due to the fact that it is imperfect. All characters are flawed and their actions subject to various interpretations. No other legend would have been as much scrutinized or carefully sifted through as this must have been. This book might not have a takeout message (others might say, it has multiple!), but it can be definitely divined through any of the various lens you care to look through. And you can choose not to accept. Gita is not a religious propaganda, it is a philosophical discourse – you either accept it or not, it is upto you.
And Ms. Chandramouli has stayed true to the spirit of Mahabharat. Though she writes about the Gandeeva wielding, champion of Kurukshetra, Arjuna, she by no means lavish tremendous praise on our hero. Even, Arjuna can be conceited; even Arjuna can wallow in the pool of hubris. The author could have easily glossed over the fact, like so many of us Indians like to do (we like Arjuna damn too much to not ignore his failings). But she did not.
I recommend you to read this book to get a well-informed account of Arjuna. It is engaging, entertaining and informative – all at the same time.
P.S.: When I posted this review on Ms. Chandramouli’s email id, this is what she had to say, “Thank you so much Vismay. Really appreciate it!”
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