Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata

Enthralling!
The beauty of mythological stories is that they are open to interpretation. The exact reality of these stories is unknown. One can only estimate how, when, and why such events took place. The narratives written by various authors are read by people and interpreted with their own understanding. As cultures and regions change, narrations are modified, although the basic essence remains the same. There are no right or wrong sides to the story, only the way these facts/myths are presented.Rishi Ved Vyas wrote the original Mahabharata. It is a possibility that he might have had his own prejudices while writing the same and in the presentation of the different characters of the epic. The original text has been interpreted and translated by different authors containing their own prejudices. This has shaped the Mahabharata as we know it.I enjoy Mythology. I have read a few different versions of Mahabharata and Ramayana, including the Jain versions of both these epics. Each time reading a version of any of these only adds to my curiosity of reading more literature about them.So was the effect of Devdutt Pattnaik’s retelling of Mahabharata titled ‘Jaya’.This narration is a straightforward abridged version of the Sanskrit Mahabharata written by Ved Vyas which was originally titled ‘Jaya’. Seamless storytelling by Pattnaik makes this retelling enthralling for the reader, and difficult to put down as the story invokes curiosity about what happens next, even for someone who knows it beforehand.“There was no hero or villain in the epic, just people struggling with life, responding to crisis, making mistakes, repeating mistakes, in innocence or ignorance, while trying to make their lives meaningful and worthwhile.”These lines from the epilogue give an indication of the unbiased approach the author has taken in writing the book.True to its description, ‘illustrated retelling’, the book is opulent with brilliantly imagined illustrations of the scenes from the epic by the author himself.The highlight for me was the commentary by the author at the end of each chapter which not only gave insights into the related folk tales and practices in different regions in and outside India but also shines some light on what the story teaches about life and circumstances through relevant short stories. It compels the reader to think about how similar and different was the shape of society from today’s world.As a bonus, Pattnaik has added timelines of the war, the family structure of the Kurus and Yadavas, and even the names of all of the one hundred Kauravas.Quite informative and well-researched in its category, I recommend you to read this book to gain an understanding of what went behind the war which shaped the beginning of Kaliyuga. Even if you have read Mahabharata before or watched it on television, this book is worth reading!

Simple and unique writing
Really I’ve become a fan of devdutt sir his writing is soo good and simple it is easy to understand for the beginners and illustrations are really a bonus for us readers. I’ve read many mythological books but this is different and really is worth your time . if anyone wants to start Mahabharata I’d surely recommend this book

Si buena lectura y sus ricoscomentarios.

love this book; started off with My Gita and then ended up reading this book. I admire the author’s deep research on the subject and he has made it clear that the story is 5000 years old and hence lot of it is based on folklore and myths. Author has left it to each reader on how to interpret the stories within the Mahabharata — but has done an excellent job at the end of each chapter to provide a summary and his take on the topic. Love the details and how he has provided extra tit bits on how cultures/practices in different parts of India have different perspective on the contents. This has formed the basis of many of our religious views/edicts/practices/beliefs in different regions of India. I also am wonder struck at how open the author is to topic such a polygamy; alternate life styles etc. He has also given apt references on how Hinduism is very different to the 3 Abrahamic Religions (Judaism; Islam and Christianity). To top it all the illustrations are superb and personally created by the author himself — it is very clear he comes from a medical background and his display of the human bodies symmetries/depiction in the drawings are very stark. Great work — so relevant in todays world — the same old lessons human need to be reminded on stay away from greed; excesses; get along with all and how material aspirations can turn to evil deeds. I never knew the difference between ‘heavan’ (abode of Indra and other Gods) and ‘vaikuntha’ (abode of Sri Vishnu) or that not all Vijayas (victories) are the same — that the only Vijaya that real matters is Jaya (victory over ones own desires)….hence the title of the book Jaya. Look forward to other books by Devdutt Patnaik — love his shows on Epic TV Channel. Need more of it on Youtube for all worldwide readers to see. Unique Interpretation on a very old/enriched subject.

This book is great. Easy and deep understanding of the Mahabharata. I’ve read some other versions and each one of them is important somehow.This version has some notes at the end of each chapter that make you comprehend a little bit more what you’ve read.