Ajaya

THE MAHABHARATA ENDURES AS THE GREAT EPIC OF INDIA. But while Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra; Ajaya is the narrative of the ÔunconquerableÕ Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man. At the heart of IndiaÕs most powerful empire, a revolution is brewing. Bhishma, the noble patriarch of Hastinapura, is struggling to maintain the unity of his empire. On the throne sits Dhritarashtra, the blind King, and his foreign-born Queen Ð Gandhari. In the shadow of the throne stands Kunti, the Dowager-Queen, burning with ambition to see her firstborn become the ruler, acknowledged by all. And in the wings: Parashurama, the enigmatic Guru of the powerful Southern Confederate, bides his time to take over and impose his will from mountains to ocean. Ekalavya, a young Nishada, yearns to break free of caste restrictions and become a warrior. Karna, son of a humble charioteer, travels to the South to study under the foremost Guru of the day and become the greatest archer in the land. Balarama, the charismatic leader of the Yadavas, dreams of building the perfect city by the sea and seeing his people prosperous and proud once more. Takshaka, guerilla leader of the Nagas, foments a revolution by the downtrodden as he lies in wait in the jungles of India, where survival is the only dharma. Jara, the beggar, and his blind dog Dharma, walk the dusty streets of India, witness to people and events far greater than they, as the Pandavas and the Kauravas confront their searing destinies. Amidst the chaos, Prince Suyodhana, heir of Hastinapura, stands tall, determined to claim his birthright and act according to his conscience. He is the maker of his own destiny Ð or so he believes. While in the corridors of the Hastinapura palace, a foreign Prince plots to destroy India. And the dice fallsÉ

"THE MAHABHARATA ENDURES AS THE GREAT EPIC OF INDIA. While Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra, Ajaya is the tale of the Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man. From the pen of the author who gave voice to Ravana in the national bestseller, ASURA, comes the riveting narrative which compels us to question the truth behind the Mahabharata. THE DARK AGE OF KALI IS RISING and every man and woman must choose between duty and conscience, honour and shame, life and death… o The Pandavas, banished to the forest following the disastrous games of dice, return to Hastinapura. o Draupadi has vowed not to bind her hair till she washes it in the blood of the Kauravas. o Karna must choose between loyalty and gratitude, friend and Guru. o Aswathama undertakes a perilous mission to the mountains of Gandhara, in search of the Evil One. o Kunti must decide between her firstborn and her other sons. o Guru Drona has to stand with either his favourite disciple or his beloved son. o Balarama, having failed to convince his brother about the adharma of violence, walks the streets of Bharatavarsha, spreading the message of peace. o Ekalavya is called to make the ultimate sacrifice to uphold a woman’s honour. o Jara, the beggar, sings of Krishna’s love while his blind dog, Dharma, follows. o Shakuni can almost see the realization of his dream to destroy India. As the Pandavas stake their claim to the Hastinapura throne, the Kaurava Crown Prince, Suyodhana, rises to challenge Krishna. As great minds debate dharma and adharma, power hungry men prepare for an apocalyptic war. The women, highborn and humble, helplessly watch the unfolding disaster with deep foreboding. And greedy merchants and unscrupulous priests lie in wait like vultures. Both sides know that beyond the agony and carnage the winner will take all. But even as gods conspire and men’s destinies unfold, a far greater truth awaits. ***** One of the six most remarkable writers of India. DNA An Amazing read. The WEEK Unique voice of a rebellious author telling the story from the other side, a feat a few have dared or managed so well. Bihar Times"

BHISHMA, THE NOBLE PATRIACH of Hastinapura, is struggling to maintain the unity of his empire, aided by his able Prime Minister, Vidhura. But beyond the Vindhyas, in the deep South, the enigmatic Guru of the powerful Southern Confederacy, bides his time to take over Hastinapura and impose his dark will upon all of India. On the throne sit Dhritarashtra Ð the blind king, and his foreign-born queen Ð Gandhari. A rival queen Ð Kunti, stands in the shadow of the throne, ambition burning in her heart to see her eldest son become King, aided by his four Pandava brothers. An unscrupulous Priest, and a man who wishes to be king-maker, conspire with the Pandavas to ensure Prince Suyodhana, the rightful heir, is denied his legacy. In the dark forests of India, where poverty alone rules, a revolution is brewing; Ekalavya, a young Nishada, yearns for the knowledge of warriors; Karna, a humble charioteer's son, travels the to the South to become the greatest archer in the land; Aswathama, a Brahmin youth, disobeys Drona, his illustrious father, to stand beside his friend and Prince; and Balarama, charismatic leader of the Yadavas, dreams of building the perfect city by the sea. And a beggar and a blind dog walk the dusty streets of India, witness to those far greater than he, become puppets in the hands of their searing destinies. Amidst the chaos, Prince Suyodhana, heir of Hastinapura, stands tall, determined to claim his birthright and act according to his conscience. Neither God nor Man can stop him from doing what he thinks is right. He is the maker of his own destinyÉor so he believes. But in the shadows of the Court, a foreigner gambles Ð his dream to destroy India. And the dice fallsÉ

About the Book: Roll of Dice and Rise of Kali of the Ajaya series now together in this special collector's edition THE MAHABHARATA ENDURES AS THE GREAT EPIC OF INDIA. Every Indian has grown up conditioned to the view that the Pandavas were virtuous and wronged; and the Kauravas were manipulative and evil. On a visit to Malanada Temple, Kerala, national bestselling author of ASURA, Anand Neelakantan, discovered the temple deity to be none other than Duryodhanan, the ostensible 'villain' of the Mahabharata. This astonishing discovery prompted him to delve deep into the narrative of the defeated Crown Prince of Hastinapura, and the Kaurava clan. Ajaya challenges established views and compels us to think again. The book is all about the power of perception. It retells with compelling credibility, the epic events from Duryodhan's (given name: Suryodhana), point of view. While Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra; Ajaya is the narrative of the 'unconquerable' Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man. At the heart of India's most powerful empire, a revolution is brewing. Bhishma, the noble patriarch of Hastinapura, is struggling to maintain the unity of his empire. On the throne sits Dhritarashtra, the blind King, and his foreign-born Queen - Gandhari. In the shadow of the throne stands Kunti, the Dowager-Queen, burning with ambition to see her firstborn become the ruler, acknowledged by all. Amidst the chaos, Prince Suyodhana, heir of Hastinapura, stands tall, determined to claim his birthright and act according to his conscience. He is the maker of his own destiny - or so he believes. While in the corridors of the Hastinapura palace, a foreign Prince plots to destroy India. About the Author: Anand Neelakantan says: Ajaya is an attempt to revisit our mythologies with a modern view and see what the same events look like when observed from the side of the defeated. Were these people branded villains because they were far ahead of their times? There are many books about the Pandavas, about Karna, Draupadi, Kuniti and the other dramatis personae of the Mahabharata. But who speaks for Duryodhana? Growing up in a Kerala village with more temples than necessary, it was small wonder that mythology fascinated Anand early on. Ironically, he was drawn to the anti-heroes. But life called and he went on to become an engineer; joined the Indian Oil Corporation; moved to Bangalore; married Aparna; and welcomed a daughter and a son. But the voices of yore refused to be silenced in his head and he felt impelled to narrate the stories of the vanquished and the dammed; to give life to those silent heroes we have long overlooked in our uncritical acceptance of the conventional renderings of our epics. Ajaya follows the outstanding success of his #1 bestseller, Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished.

Compares the diverse teachings of ancient and modern psychotherapies