Tales From The Mahabharat

How many names does Arjuna have? Why was Yama cursed? What lesson did a little mongoose teach Yudhisthira? The Kurukshetra war, fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas and which forced even the gods to take sides, may be well known, but there are innumerable stories set before, after and during the war that lend the Mahabharata its many varied shades and are largely unheard of. Award-winning author Sudha Murty reintroduces the fascinating world of India’s greatest epic through the extraordinary tales in this collection, each of which is sure to fill you with a sense of wonder and bewilderment.

Which Kaurava was inspired by the birds to commit one of the most grotesque murders in the Mahabharata? Why did King Muchkund sleep for a million years and wake up in the Dwaparyug? Whose soul had entered the dice of Shakuni? Why was Gandhari married to a goat before she wed Dhritarashtra? What was the secret behind Arjun's chariot being burnt to ashes after the war? Who instigated Janmejay to burn every snake in the universe? Who was the only Kaurava to cross over to the Pandavas before the battle? An epic that never dies and still remains relevant even thousands of years later-Vyasa's Mahabharata has always captured our imagination. The saga of two feuding families, the Mahabharata, with its various twists and turns, has been a compelling read across generations, inspiring many to dig deeper into the great poem. This collection of twenty short stories brings out characters and incidents that are largely unheard of and are buried in the vastness of the epic. Capturing every emotion from valour, lust, loyalty and treachery to goodness and ethics so relevant to the world we live in, these stories help us understand the epic better by bringing out a different dimension altogether.

The Mahabharat--which means "the great tale of the descendants of the prince Bharata"-- is one of India's greatest religious epics and has had a profound and continuing influence upon the popular psyche of the nation. Consisting of over 100,000 couplets (about eight times the length of the Iliad and Odyssey combined), this vast epic forms the background to much of India's religious and cultural life. While there are many episodes included in the Mahabharat, the central story follows the struggles of two rival families--the Kauravas and the Pandavas--to secure control of Kurukshetra, an area northeast of modern Dehli (a conflict that has its basis in real events that probably took place before the tenth century, B.C.). In his beautiful and evocative retelling of fourteen of these classic tales, Gopal Das Khosla emphasizes the morality of love and war as presented in the epic, focusing especially on these themes as seen in the feud between the two families, a fight which culminates in the great battle of Kurukshetra. Based entirely on the ten-volume Hindi translation, Khosla underscores the narrative flow of these tales allowing unfamiliar readers to not only appreciate this fine work of literature, but to delve into the rich Indian culture that surrounds The Mahabharat.

The epic of Mahabharat is not just a story but an integral part of Hinduism. The voluminous epic is said to contain almost every aspect that can be thought of. It has love, it has passion, it has war, it has treachery, it has life and it has death. It tells the story of dharma and depicts the victory of good over evil. It also has the gospel of Gita - the way of life. In our efforts to bring classic Indian literature to the Kindle and other modern platforms, we have attempted to retell this story in two parts. This first part contains the initial period before the actual war and starts with the story of King Shantanu and Ganga and ends with Draupadi Swayamwar. The stories are kept simple and illustrated with pictures for children to understand. Lord Krishna was an incarnation of Narayana. He always sided with dharma - the righteous way. It is said that whenever there is a dearth of righteousness in the world and there is a danger of lawlessness becoming prevalent in the world, he reincarnates himself. God always guides and leads the righteous and virtuous. The one whose life is guided and guarded by God himself has nothing to fear. As you read the Mahabharat, you will understand the subtle message of each incident in it. May the teachings of the Mahabharat be the guiding light in your life.

Ever wanted to read the Mahabharata but never ended up finishing the epic due to the sheer size of the story or the numerous characters that simply overwhelm? Have you always been curious of who the Pandavas actually were and why the Kauravas hated them so much until they resorted to deception and deceit to get rid of their cousins? Was Arjuna actually the greatest archer of all time? Or was it only because of favourable circumstances that Arjuna became known as such? Have you ever wondered how divinity himself, Krishna ended up as Arjuna’s charioteer? And what actually transpired during the battle on the holy lands of Kurukshetra that resulted in us still talking about the Mahabharata more than 5000 years later? This book will answer all these questions and more. Enjoy the greatest epic of our time, the Mahabharata, in a compact and easy-to-read version that is suitable for all ages.