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啶啶む啶啶傕啶� [Mrutyunjay]
The search for the meaning of Being is man's eternal quest and the subject of his greatest creations. Shivaji Sawant's Mrityunjaya is an outstanding instance of such a literary masterpiece in which a contemporary Marathi novelist investigates the meaning of the bewildering skein that is life through the personae of the Mahabharata protagonists. For over two decades since its first publication the vast non- Marathi and non-Hindi readership remained deprived of this remarkable exploration of the human psyche till the publication of this English translation by the Writers workshop 鈥� a contribution for which there is much to be grateful for.
Mrityunjaya is the autobiography of Karna, and yet it is not just that. With deceptive case, Sawant brings into play an exceptional stylistic innovation by combining six "dramatic soliloquies" to form the nine books of this novel of epic dimensions. Four books are spoken by Karna. These are interspersed with a book each from the lips of his unwed mother Kunti, Duryodhana (who considers Karna his mainstay), Shon (Shatruntapa, his foster-brother, who here-worships him), his wife Vrishali to whom he is like a god and, last of all, Krishna. Sawant depicts an uncanny similarity between Krishna and Karna and hints at a mystic link between them, investing his protagonist with a more-than-human aura to offset the un-heroic and even unmanly acts which mar this tremendously complex and utterly fascinating creating of Vyasa.
Mrityunjaya is the autobiography of Karna, and yet it is not just that. With deceptive case, Sawant brings into play an exceptional stylistic innovation by combining six "dramatic soliloquies" to form the nine books of this novel of epic dimensions. Four books are spoken by Karna. These are interspersed with a book each from the lips of his unwed mother Kunti, Duryodhana (who considers Karna his mainstay), Shon (Shatruntapa, his foster-brother, who here-worships him), his wife Vrishali to whom he is like a god and, last of all, Krishna. Sawant depicts an uncanny similarity between Krishna and Karna and hints at a mystic link between them, investing his protagonist with a more-than-human aura to offset the un-heroic and even unmanly acts which mar this tremendously complex and utterly fascinating creating of Vyasa.
697 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
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About the author
Shivaji Sawant
11听books540听followersAfter extensive research he wrote a book Mrityunjay (English: Triumph Over Death) based on Karna, one of the leading characters of the epic Mahabharat. This book was translated in Hindi (1974), English (1989), Kannada (1990), Gujarati (1991), Malayalam (1995) and received numerous awards and accolades. In 1980 he wrote a book Chhava based on Sambhaji's life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 794 reviews
May 13, 2012
I must start off by admitting that this review may be extremely biased. Biased by the fact that I consider the Mahabharata the best epic ever! Every character has an interesting story, and despite a few supernatural elements, every human character is...human. Human, with all the flaws and strengths, and no one is more so than the protagonist of Mrityunjaya, Karna. Since this review also goes on my blog and there is a slight problem with the spoiler HTML tag on my blog, I have removed it. Please stop reading further if you do not want to be exposed to spoilers.
As a kid, I had heard a lot about Mrityunjaya, and seen the book at home, but the fact that it was written in Marathi dissuaded me from touching it. Even though Marathi is my mother tongue, I have never studied it formally and therefore have a greater comfort level with reading English than Marathi. So a combination of my new Nook, Barnes and Noble gift cards from my company (yeah baby!) and 欧宝娱乐, revived my interest in hunting for a translated copy. Thanks to an Indian version of Amazon (), and my sister, I finally laid my hands on a beautiful hard-bound English translation. And then I lived the phrase "lost in translation" right from the first sentence! However, despite the clunky phrases, I was able to translate it back to what it would have sounded like in Marathi in my head and enjoy the beauty of the book.
Even if you haven't read this book, even if your introduction to Karna is through the Mahabharata alone, you cannot help but feel empathy for the eldest son of Kunti. Mrityunjaya only deepens it.
Mrityunjaya was written as a semi-autobiographical take on Karna鈥檚 life. The book is written from the POV of six characters. Karna opens and takes us closer to the end of his story, interspersed with chapters by Kunti (his mother), Duryodhana (his best friend), Vrishali (his wife), Shon (his younger foster brother) and a grand ending by the Lord, Sri Krishna himself. Apart from indulging the semi-autobiography of a fictional figure, Sawant touches on one of the biggest realities of human society, one that has not changed since time immemorial. The reality where birth decides the honour/dishonour bestowed upon a child, and not his/her worth. Even though the protagonist is really the son of the Sun-God himself and as radiant as him, the fact that he was fostered in the hut of a poor charioteer strikes out everything right he ever did in his life. The society then treated him as one of low status and unfortunately, because things haven鈥檛 changed an iota since then, he鈥檇 have been treated as such even now.
Karna is given a three-dimensional personality in Sawant鈥檚 version, something which the original Mahabharata does not provide. Sawant also takes a few liberties with the original, but the changes he makes only make the story more realistic. The characters of Vrishali and Shon for example, are given such appropriate voices, that you are left wondering whether Sawant had the fortune of stumbling upon some long lost letters written by them. Kunti鈥檚 character is fleshed out very well too, although you can鈥檛 help but wonder, what kind of a mother would choose her own honour over her son鈥檚. One revelation on her part would have brought back his lost glory and honour, although it is commonly believed that the war would have happened anyway. Sawant also gives the Pandavas鈥� characters a darker shade of grey than in any other version of the Mahabharata. Duryodhana鈥檚 character remains the same, although it now makes me want to explore Bh膩sa鈥檚鈥淯rubhanga鈥�, which is Mahabharata retold from the POV of Duryodhana alone. Some day!
Despite the atrocities heaped upon him throughout his life, Karna grew to be an invincible warrior , a gentle and fair ruler of Anga (after Duryodhana bestowed the title upon him), a loving husband, an indulgent brother, a loyal friend and above all the epitome of generosity. So generous, that when a poor brahmin comes begging even as he lays dying, he breaks his golden teeth to give them away as alms!
While you commend Karna for being a rebel and not succumbing to the unfair norms of the society, you hit upon the obvious flaw in the hero. His egotism. You wonder why he was so ashamed of being recognized as his charioteer father鈥檚 son, despite loving his parents immensely. And if that shame, and the resultant blind loyalty to his lone supporter, Duryodhana was the result of his downfall. The Mahabharata is an epic more complex than anyone can ever imagine. You can discuss, debate and argue about it until eternity, and yet cover only a fraction of it.
As a kid, I had heard a lot about Mrityunjaya, and seen the book at home, but the fact that it was written in Marathi dissuaded me from touching it. Even though Marathi is my mother tongue, I have never studied it formally and therefore have a greater comfort level with reading English than Marathi. So a combination of my new Nook, Barnes and Noble gift cards from my company (yeah baby!) and 欧宝娱乐, revived my interest in hunting for a translated copy. Thanks to an Indian version of Amazon (), and my sister, I finally laid my hands on a beautiful hard-bound English translation. And then I lived the phrase "lost in translation" right from the first sentence! However, despite the clunky phrases, I was able to translate it back to what it would have sounded like in Marathi in my head and enjoy the beauty of the book.
Even if you haven't read this book, even if your introduction to Karna is through the Mahabharata alone, you cannot help but feel empathy for the eldest son of Kunti. Mrityunjaya only deepens it.
Mrityunjaya was written as a semi-autobiographical take on Karna鈥檚 life. The book is written from the POV of six characters. Karna opens and takes us closer to the end of his story, interspersed with chapters by Kunti (his mother), Duryodhana (his best friend), Vrishali (his wife), Shon (his younger foster brother) and a grand ending by the Lord, Sri Krishna himself. Apart from indulging the semi-autobiography of a fictional figure, Sawant touches on one of the biggest realities of human society, one that has not changed since time immemorial. The reality where birth decides the honour/dishonour bestowed upon a child, and not his/her worth. Even though the protagonist is really the son of the Sun-God himself and as radiant as him, the fact that he was fostered in the hut of a poor charioteer strikes out everything right he ever did in his life. The society then treated him as one of low status and unfortunately, because things haven鈥檛 changed an iota since then, he鈥檇 have been treated as such even now.
Karna is given a three-dimensional personality in Sawant鈥檚 version, something which the original Mahabharata does not provide. Sawant also takes a few liberties with the original, but the changes he makes only make the story more realistic. The characters of Vrishali and Shon for example, are given such appropriate voices, that you are left wondering whether Sawant had the fortune of stumbling upon some long lost letters written by them. Kunti鈥檚 character is fleshed out very well too, although you can鈥檛 help but wonder, what kind of a mother would choose her own honour over her son鈥檚. One revelation on her part would have brought back his lost glory and honour, although it is commonly believed that the war would have happened anyway. Sawant also gives the Pandavas鈥� characters a darker shade of grey than in any other version of the Mahabharata. Duryodhana鈥檚 character remains the same, although it now makes me want to explore Bh膩sa鈥檚鈥淯rubhanga鈥�, which is Mahabharata retold from the POV of Duryodhana alone. Some day!
Despite the atrocities heaped upon him throughout his life, Karna grew to be an invincible warrior , a gentle and fair ruler of Anga (after Duryodhana bestowed the title upon him), a loving husband, an indulgent brother, a loyal friend and above all the epitome of generosity. So generous, that when a poor brahmin comes begging even as he lays dying, he breaks his golden teeth to give them away as alms!
While you commend Karna for being a rebel and not succumbing to the unfair norms of the society, you hit upon the obvious flaw in the hero. His egotism. You wonder why he was so ashamed of being recognized as his charioteer father鈥檚 son, despite loving his parents immensely. And if that shame, and the resultant blind loyalty to his lone supporter, Duryodhana was the result of his downfall. The Mahabharata is an epic more complex than anyone can ever imagine. You can discuss, debate and argue about it until eternity, and yet cover only a fraction of it.
June 2, 2022
One of the best Marathi literature I read after such a long time. This is the story of Karna and his role in Mahabharata. Even though the legend of Mahabharata is well known, but the author's narration takes the reader to an uncharted journey. I liked the writing style. The author has chosen different characters Vrushali (wife), Kunti (mother), Duryodhana(friend), Shon (brother), Krishna to tell the tale of this great character, along with Karna's own version of his own life.
Shivaji Sawant tries to shed light on his tragedies and his unfortunate life with the use of captivating words. He beautifully describes the life of Karna - the ever compromising, stronger than everyone yet humble about it, rightfully a prince but denounced as a charioteer. You can see how Duryodhana is just manipulating him.
This book will leave you speechless and make your heart shattered for the life he lived. Every moment, every feeling, every thought of Surya-putra Karna is so amazingly described in this book. Words aren't enough to describe this book. The unique styles of writing where different characters tell the story from their perspective make the reading quite interesting. The character building and mindset of Karna has been described elegantly.
And I suggest my friends to please read the original Mahabharata. Shivaji Sawant is surely a beautiful writer, no doubt there. But there is concern with modern so called Itihasa writers like Devdutt and Amish to name a few. They write with their own interpretation to spice up the story and current readers start thinking that this is the correct story and start arguing with their friends. Please read the original Itihasa.
This book has been translated in several languages Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Assamese, Tamil, English and many more. I think even audio is there. Highly Recommended. Now I want to read Yugandhar(on Sri Krishna) and Chavva(on Sambhaji Maharaj) from the same author.
Shivaji Sawant tries to shed light on his tragedies and his unfortunate life with the use of captivating words. He beautifully describes the life of Karna - the ever compromising, stronger than everyone yet humble about it, rightfully a prince but denounced as a charioteer. You can see how Duryodhana is just manipulating him.
This book will leave you speechless and make your heart shattered for the life he lived. Every moment, every feeling, every thought of Surya-putra Karna is so amazingly described in this book. Words aren't enough to describe this book. The unique styles of writing where different characters tell the story from their perspective make the reading quite interesting. The character building and mindset of Karna has been described elegantly.
And I suggest my friends to please read the original Mahabharata. Shivaji Sawant is surely a beautiful writer, no doubt there. But there is concern with modern so called Itihasa writers like Devdutt and Amish to name a few. They write with their own interpretation to spice up the story and current readers start thinking that this is the correct story and start arguing with their friends. Please read the original Itihasa.
This book has been translated in several languages Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Assamese, Tamil, English and many more. I think even audio is there. Highly Recommended. Now I want to read Yugandhar(on Sri Krishna) and Chavva(on Sambhaji Maharaj) from the same author.
August 9, 2013
啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ啶曕ぅ啶�
啶︵ぞ啶ㄠざ啷傕ぐ 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ!
啶す啶距ぐ啶ム 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ!
啶溹啶啶粪啶� 啶曕啶ㄠ啶む啶�!
啶班ぞ啶о啶�!
啶膏啶班啶お啷佮い啷嵿ぐ!
啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ! 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ! 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ!
啶む啶ぞ啶氞ぞ 啶む啶ぞ啶�, 啶む啶ぞ啶ㄠ 啶啶椸げ啷囙げ啷嵿く啶� 啶ぞ啶むえ啶�, 啶膏啶膏げ啷囙げ啷� 啶曕し啷嵿, 啶む啶ぞ啶氞 啶ㄠた啶栢こ 啶た啶む啶班お啷嵿ぐ啷囙ぎ, 啶む啶ぞ啶氞ぞ 啶嗋う啶班啶多さ啶距う鈥� 啶膏ぞ啶班 啶曕じ啶� 啶膏ぞ啶掂啶� 啶∴啶赤啶ぞ啶傕お啷佮あ啷� 啶溹た啶掂啶� 啶夃き啶� 啶曕ぐ啶むぞ啶�! 啶啶溹ぁ 啶ぞ啶粪啶氞啶ぞ 啶膏ぞ啶栢こ啶︵啶∴ぞ啶傕え啶� 啶膏す啶� 啶む啶∴啶� 啶啶⑧ 啶夃き啷€ 啶班ぞ啶灌い啷�, 啶む 啶灌 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ啶曕ぅ啶�! 啶掂ぞ啶氞啶� 啶え 啶曕啶粪啶啶� 啶曕ぐ啷傕え 啶熰ぞ啶曕い啷�, 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ啶距じ啶距啷€ 啶∴啶赤啶ぞ啶傕い 啶呧ざ啷嵿ぐ啷� 啶夃き啷€ 啶曕ぐ啶む, 啶む 啶灌 啶啶班き啶距さ啷€, 啶啶班啶班, 啶灌啶︵く啶︵啶班ぞ啶掂, 啶溹た啶掂啶� 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ啶曕ぅ啶�! 啶掂啶� 啶た啶赤ぞ啶侧ぞ 啶むぐ 啶溹ぐ啷傕ぐ 啶掂ぞ啶氞ぞ啶掂 啶呧ざ啷€!
啶ぞ啶粪ぞ
啶溹啶傕さ啷嵿す啶� 啶啶膏啶む 啶掂ぞ啶氞ぞ啶げ啶� 啶膏啶班啶掂ぞ啶� 啶曕啶侧, 啶む啶掂啶灌ぞ 啶掂ぞ啶熰げ啶�, "啶呧ぐ啷� 啶︵啶掂ぞ! 啶曕啶｀い啷€ 啶啶︵啶о 啶膏啶氞げ啷€ 啶嗋ぃ啶� 啶灌 啶掂ぞ啶氞ぞ啶げ啶� 啶樴啶むげ啶�!" 啶溹ぁ 啶溹ぁ 啶掂た啶多啶粪ぃ啶距啶氞ぞ 啶掂ぞ啶ぐ 啶曕ぐ啷傕え 啶啶溹ぁ 啶澿ぞ啶侧啶侧 啶膏ぞ啶掂啶むぞ啶傕啷€ 啶ぞ啶粪ぞ 啶ぞ啶澿啶ぞ 啶膏す啶ㄠざ啶曕啶む啶氞ぞ 啶呧啶� 啶ぞ啶灌い 啶灌啶む! 啶ぐ啶�, 啶膏ぎ啶班啶 啶むぐ啷€ 啶呧じ啶距さ啷€啶� 啶掂た啶多啶粪ぃ啶傗€� 啶む啶灌 啶ㄠぞ啶灌! "啶班じ啶班ざ啷€啶� 啶囙啶椸こ啷嵿く啶�" 啶啶灌ぃ啷�! 啶膏ぞ啶о, 啶膏啶, 啶膏ぐ啶� 啶嗋ぃ啶� 啶膏啶傕う啶� 啶掂ぞ啶曕啶ぐ啶氞え啶� "啶啶む啶啶溹く" 啶ぇ啷嵿く啷� 啶啶距く啶侧ぞ 啶た啶赤ぃ啶� 啶むじ啶� 啶︵啶班啶た啶赤. 啶膏ぞ啶掂啶むぞ啶傕啷嵿く啶� 啶ぞ啶粪啶侧ぞ 啶溹ぐ 啶掂た啶多啶粪ぃ啶� 啶︵啶ぞ啶啷€ 啶啶灌啶侧, 啶むぐ "啶撪啶掂い啷€" 啶灌 啶ぞ啶澿啶ぞ 啶え啶距い 啶膏ぐ啷嵿さ啶距い 啶多啶掂啷€ 啶啶堗げ.
啶膏啶膏啶曕啶むお啷嵿ぐ啶氞啶� 啶ぞ啶粪ぞ 啶ぞ啶む啶� 啶啶む啶啶溹く啶侧ぞ 啶多啶い 啶灌啶む. 啶む啶� 啶曕ぞ啶� 啶忇 啶む "啶啶む啶啶溹く" 啶氞啶ぞ 啶ぞ啶粪ぞ啶多啶侧啶氞ぞ 啶げ啶� 啶嗋さ啶∴げ啷囙げ啶� 啶啶侧. 啶む啶ぞ 啶曕ぞ啶赤ぞ啶� 啶椸啶侧啶ぞ啶膏ぞ啶班啶� 啶掂ぞ啶熰い 啶灌啶む! 啶嗋お啶｀す啷€ 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ啶距が啶班啶ぐ 啶灌じ啷嵿い啶苦え啶距お啷佮ぐ啶距い, 啶む啶ぞ啶氞啶ぞ 啶掂ぞ啶∴啶ぞ啶�, 啶班ぞ啶灌い啷� 啶嗋す啷嬥い, 啶た啶班い啷� 啶嗋す啷嬥い, 啶呧じ啶� 啶掂ぞ啶熰げ啶�!
啶むい啷嵿さ啶溹啶炧ぞ啶�
啶ぞ啶ぐ啷�! 啶灌ぞ 啶嗋ぃ啶栢 啶忇 啶呧い啷嵿く啶傕い 啶曕啶熰ぞ啶赤さ啶距ぃ啶� 啶嗋ぃ啶� 啶班啶距こ 啶ぞ啶�! 啶膏啶膏啶曕啶� 啶多啶侧啶曕ぞ啶傕啶� 啶膏ぐ啶�-啶膏ぐ啶� 啶ぐ啶距啷€啶� 啶呧え啷佮さ啶距う 啶呧じ啶侧啶侧 啶むい啷嵿さ啶溹啶炧ぞ啶ㄠぞ啶氞 啶む 啶ぐ啶苦啷嵿啷囙う 啶ぞ啶灌た啶侧 啶曕 "啶嗋お啶� 啶忇 啶啶班啶侧啶� 啶侧げ啶苦い啶曕げ啶距啷冟い啷€ 啶掂ぞ啶氞い啷� 啶嗋す啷囙い 啶曕ぞ 啶ぞ啶赤が啷嬥ぇ 啶呧ぇ啷嵿く啶距い啷嵿ぎ啶苦 啶啶膏啶む?" 啶呧じ啶距 啶啶班ざ啷嵿え 啶え啶距げ啶� 啶ぁ啶侧ぞ. 啶ぞ啶傕ぁ啶掂ぞ啶傕え啶� 啶侧ぞ啶曕啶粪ぞ啶椸啶灌ぞ啶� 啶ぞ啶犩さ啶｀啶ぞ啶膏ぞ啶犩 啶о啶むぐ啶距し啷嵿啷嵿ぐ啶距げ啶� 啶むく啶距ぐ 啶曕ぐ啶｀啶ぞ啶氞 啶曕ぞ啶� 啶灌啶む 啶嗋ぎ啶距い啷嵿く 啶掂啶粪さ啶班啶ぞ啶傕さ啶�. 啶む啶傕さ啷嵿す啶� 啶む啶ぞ啶傕え啷€ 啶ぞ啶ㄠ-啶ㄠた-啶ぞ啶ㄠ 啶ぐ啷傕え 啶膏ぞ啶傕啶苦い啶侧啶侧 啶むい啷嵿さ啶溹啶炧ぞ啶�, 啶嗋ぃ啶� 啶ㄠ啶むぐ啶氞ぞ 啶о啶むぐ啶距し啷嵿啷嵿ぐ啶距啶� 啶ㄠた啶班啶｀く 啶曕啶｀い啷嵿く啶距す啷€ 啶むぐ啷嵿啶多啶︵啶� 啶ぞ啶｀じ啶距げ啶� 啶啶｀ぞ啶� 啶ㄠぞ啶灌.
啶啶班い啷嵿く啷囙 啶犩た啶曕ぞ啶｀ 啶ㄠた啶膏ぐ啷嵿啶距い啶侧啶ぞ 啶椸啶粪啶熰啶傕啷嵿く啶� 啶嗋ぇ啶距ぐ啷� 啶曕ぇ啷€ 啶班啶 啶呧げ啶傕啶距ぐ啶距い啷傕え, 啶むぐ 啶曕ぇ啷€ 啶夃お啶啶氞啶ぞ 啶う啶む啶ㄠ 啶溹啶掂え啶距啷嵿く啶� 啶掂た啶掂た啶� 啶呧啶椸ぞ啶氞 啶膏ぞ啶傕啶� 啶樴ぞ啶侧啶� 啶膏ぞ啶傕啶苦い啶侧啶侧 啶むい啷嵿さ啶溹啶炧ぞ啶� 啶膏啶膏啶曕啶� 啶多啶侧啶曕ぞ啶傕い 啶氞ぞ啶傕啶侧 啶︵た啶膏い 啶呧じ啷囙げ啶灌, 啶ぃ 啶溹啶傕さ啷嵿す啶� 啶膏ぞ啶掂啶� 啶ぞ啶ㄠぞ-啶ぞ啶ㄠぞ啶傕い 啶膏ぞ啶班啶� 啶む啶� 啶曕ぐ啶むぞ啶�, 啶む啶掂啶灌ぞ 啶ぞ啶む啶� 啶溹ぞ啶� 啶曕啶熰ぞ啶赤ぞ 啶啶む! 啶曕た啶む 啶掂啶赤ぞ 啶溹啶掂え啶距げ啶� 啶ㄠう啷€ 啶啶灌ぃ啶｀ぞ啶� 啶ぞ啶侧ぞ 啶ぃ 啶曕ぞ啶灌 啶ぐ啷嵿く啶距う啶�!
啶︵ぞ啶ㄠざ啷傕ぐ 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ!
啶す啶距ぐ啶ム 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ!
啶溹啶啶粪啶� 啶曕啶ㄠ啶む啶�!
啶班ぞ啶о啶�!
啶膏啶班啶お啷佮い啷嵿ぐ!
啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ! 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ! 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ!
啶む啶ぞ啶氞ぞ 啶む啶ぞ啶�, 啶む啶ぞ啶ㄠ 啶啶椸げ啷囙げ啷嵿く啶� 啶ぞ啶むえ啶�, 啶膏啶膏げ啷囙げ啷� 啶曕し啷嵿, 啶む啶ぞ啶氞 啶ㄠた啶栢こ 啶た啶む啶班お啷嵿ぐ啷囙ぎ, 啶む啶ぞ啶氞ぞ 啶嗋う啶班啶多さ啶距う鈥� 啶膏ぞ啶班 啶曕じ啶� 啶膏ぞ啶掂啶� 啶∴啶赤啶ぞ啶傕お啷佮あ啷� 啶溹た啶掂啶� 啶夃き啶� 啶曕ぐ啶むぞ啶�! 啶啶溹ぁ 啶ぞ啶粪啶氞啶ぞ 啶膏ぞ啶栢こ啶︵啶∴ぞ啶傕え啶� 啶膏す啶� 啶む啶∴啶� 啶啶⑧ 啶夃き啷€ 啶班ぞ啶灌い啷�, 啶む 啶灌 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ啶曕ぅ啶�! 啶掂ぞ啶氞啶� 啶え 啶曕啶粪啶啶� 啶曕ぐ啷傕え 啶熰ぞ啶曕い啷�, 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ啶距じ啶距啷€ 啶∴啶赤啶ぞ啶傕い 啶呧ざ啷嵿ぐ啷� 啶夃き啷€ 啶曕ぐ啶む, 啶む 啶灌 啶啶班き啶距さ啷€, 啶啶班啶班, 啶灌啶︵く啶︵啶班ぞ啶掂, 啶溹た啶掂啶� 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ啶曕ぅ啶�! 啶掂啶� 啶た啶赤ぞ啶侧ぞ 啶むぐ 啶溹ぐ啷傕ぐ 啶掂ぞ啶氞ぞ啶掂 啶呧ざ啷€!
啶ぞ啶粪ぞ
啶溹啶傕さ啷嵿す啶� 啶啶膏啶む 啶掂ぞ啶氞ぞ啶げ啶� 啶膏啶班啶掂ぞ啶� 啶曕啶侧, 啶む啶掂啶灌ぞ 啶掂ぞ啶熰げ啶�, "啶呧ぐ啷� 啶︵啶掂ぞ! 啶曕啶｀い啷€ 啶啶︵啶о 啶膏啶氞げ啷€ 啶嗋ぃ啶� 啶灌 啶掂ぞ啶氞ぞ啶げ啶� 啶樴啶むげ啶�!" 啶溹ぁ 啶溹ぁ 啶掂た啶多啶粪ぃ啶距啶氞ぞ 啶掂ぞ啶ぐ 啶曕ぐ啷傕え 啶啶溹ぁ 啶澿ぞ啶侧啶侧 啶膏ぞ啶掂啶むぞ啶傕啷€ 啶ぞ啶粪ぞ 啶ぞ啶澿啶ぞ 啶膏す啶ㄠざ啶曕啶む啶氞ぞ 啶呧啶� 啶ぞ啶灌い 啶灌啶む! 啶ぐ啶�, 啶膏ぎ啶班啶 啶むぐ啷€ 啶呧じ啶距さ啷€啶� 啶掂た啶多啶粪ぃ啶傗€� 啶む啶灌 啶ㄠぞ啶灌! "啶班じ啶班ざ啷€啶� 啶囙啶椸こ啷嵿く啶�" 啶啶灌ぃ啷�! 啶膏ぞ啶о, 啶膏啶, 啶膏ぐ啶� 啶嗋ぃ啶� 啶膏啶傕う啶� 啶掂ぞ啶曕啶ぐ啶氞え啶� "啶啶む啶啶溹く" 啶ぇ啷嵿く啷� 啶啶距く啶侧ぞ 啶た啶赤ぃ啶� 啶むじ啶� 啶︵啶班啶た啶赤. 啶膏ぞ啶掂啶むぞ啶傕啷嵿く啶� 啶ぞ啶粪啶侧ぞ 啶溹ぐ 啶掂た啶多啶粪ぃ啶� 啶︵啶ぞ啶啷€ 啶啶灌啶侧, 啶むぐ "啶撪啶掂い啷€" 啶灌 啶ぞ啶澿啶ぞ 啶え啶距い 啶膏ぐ啷嵿さ啶距い 啶多啶掂啷€ 啶啶堗げ.
啶膏啶膏啶曕啶むお啷嵿ぐ啶氞啶� 啶ぞ啶粪ぞ 啶ぞ啶む啶� 啶啶む啶啶溹く啶侧ぞ 啶多啶い 啶灌啶む. 啶む啶� 啶曕ぞ啶� 啶忇 啶む "啶啶む啶啶溹く" 啶氞啶ぞ 啶ぞ啶粪ぞ啶多啶侧啶氞ぞ 啶げ啶� 啶嗋さ啶∴げ啷囙げ啶� 啶啶侧. 啶む啶ぞ 啶曕ぞ啶赤ぞ啶� 啶椸啶侧啶ぞ啶膏ぞ啶班啶� 啶掂ぞ啶熰い 啶灌啶む! 啶嗋お啶｀す啷€ 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ啶距が啶班啶ぐ 啶灌じ啷嵿い啶苦え啶距お啷佮ぐ啶距い, 啶む啶ぞ啶氞啶ぞ 啶掂ぞ啶∴啶ぞ啶�, 啶班ぞ啶灌い啷� 啶嗋す啷嬥い, 啶た啶班い啷� 啶嗋す啷嬥い, 啶呧じ啶� 啶掂ぞ啶熰げ啶�!
啶むい啷嵿さ啶溹啶炧ぞ啶�
啶ぞ啶ぐ啷�! 啶灌ぞ 啶嗋ぃ啶栢 啶忇 啶呧い啷嵿く啶傕い 啶曕啶熰ぞ啶赤さ啶距ぃ啶� 啶嗋ぃ啶� 啶班啶距こ 啶ぞ啶�! 啶膏啶膏啶曕啶� 啶多啶侧啶曕ぞ啶傕啶� 啶膏ぐ啶�-啶膏ぐ啶� 啶ぐ啶距啷€啶� 啶呧え啷佮さ啶距う 啶呧じ啶侧啶侧 啶むい啷嵿さ啶溹啶炧ぞ啶ㄠぞ啶氞 啶む 啶ぐ啶苦啷嵿啷囙う 啶ぞ啶灌た啶侧 啶曕 "啶嗋お啶� 啶忇 啶啶班啶侧啶� 啶侧げ啶苦い啶曕げ啶距啷冟い啷€ 啶掂ぞ啶氞い啷� 啶嗋す啷囙い 啶曕ぞ 啶ぞ啶赤が啷嬥ぇ 啶呧ぇ啷嵿く啶距い啷嵿ぎ啶苦 啶啶膏啶む?" 啶呧じ啶距 啶啶班ざ啷嵿え 啶え啶距げ啶� 啶ぁ啶侧ぞ. 啶ぞ啶傕ぁ啶掂ぞ啶傕え啶� 啶侧ぞ啶曕啶粪ぞ啶椸啶灌ぞ啶� 啶ぞ啶犩さ啶｀啶ぞ啶膏ぞ啶犩 啶о啶むぐ啶距し啷嵿啷嵿ぐ啶距げ啶� 啶むく啶距ぐ 啶曕ぐ啶｀啶ぞ啶氞 啶曕ぞ啶� 啶灌啶む 啶嗋ぎ啶距い啷嵿く 啶掂啶粪さ啶班啶ぞ啶傕さ啶�. 啶む啶傕さ啷嵿す啶� 啶む啶ぞ啶傕え啷€ 啶ぞ啶ㄠ-啶ㄠた-啶ぞ啶ㄠ 啶ぐ啷傕え 啶膏ぞ啶傕啶苦い啶侧啶侧 啶むい啷嵿さ啶溹啶炧ぞ啶�, 啶嗋ぃ啶� 啶ㄠ啶むぐ啶氞ぞ 啶о啶むぐ啶距し啷嵿啷嵿ぐ啶距啶� 啶ㄠた啶班啶｀く 啶曕啶｀い啷嵿く啶距す啷€ 啶むぐ啷嵿啶多啶︵啶� 啶ぞ啶｀じ啶距げ啶� 啶啶｀ぞ啶� 啶ㄠぞ啶灌.
啶啶班い啷嵿く啷囙 啶犩た啶曕ぞ啶｀ 啶ㄠた啶膏ぐ啷嵿啶距い啶侧啶ぞ 啶椸啶粪啶熰啶傕啷嵿く啶� 啶嗋ぇ啶距ぐ啷� 啶曕ぇ啷€ 啶班啶 啶呧げ啶傕啶距ぐ啶距い啷傕え, 啶むぐ 啶曕ぇ啷€ 啶夃お啶啶氞啶ぞ 啶う啶む啶ㄠ 啶溹啶掂え啶距啷嵿く啶� 啶掂た啶掂た啶� 啶呧啶椸ぞ啶氞 啶膏ぞ啶傕啶� 啶樴ぞ啶侧啶� 啶膏ぞ啶傕啶苦い啶侧啶侧 啶むい啷嵿さ啶溹啶炧ぞ啶� 啶膏啶膏啶曕啶� 啶多啶侧啶曕ぞ啶傕い 啶氞ぞ啶傕啶侧 啶︵た啶膏い 啶呧じ啷囙げ啶灌, 啶ぃ 啶溹啶傕さ啷嵿す啶� 啶膏ぞ啶掂啶� 啶ぞ啶ㄠぞ-啶ぞ啶ㄠぞ啶傕い 啶膏ぞ啶班啶� 啶む啶� 啶曕ぐ啶むぞ啶�, 啶む啶掂啶灌ぞ 啶ぞ啶む啶� 啶溹ぞ啶� 啶曕啶熰ぞ啶赤ぞ 啶啶む! 啶曕た啶む 啶掂啶赤ぞ 啶溹啶掂え啶距げ啶� 啶ㄠう啷€ 啶啶灌ぃ啶｀ぞ啶� 啶ぞ啶侧ぞ 啶ぃ 啶曕ぞ啶灌 啶ぐ啷嵿く啶距う啶�!
May 16, 2012
Back in 1999 I was a bachelors student of chemical engineering at IIT Kanpur. This particular IIT has always been very particular about academics & we 2nd year students had to spent 4-5 hrs@daily in the fantastic central library.
The library was three storied & centrally air cooled. In the humid summer of the Gangetic plains (Kanpur) the library the only oasis of certitude.
It was one of those days when our of sheer boredom from my technical subjects, I wandered off towards the 2nd floor section of religious/spiritual section. Therein among the many version of Koran, Gita & Ramayan, tucked away was this book 'Mrityunjaya' English translation by the Writer's Workshop Calcutta.
Flipping away few pages got me hooked & I got this book issued. The book is a absolute gem. I couldn't get myself detached from it ever since. Completed this book within 3 days & was mesmerized.
Read it again 5-6 times in my 3rd & 4th year, till the time I was there in IIT.
Graduation completed, had to leave IIT. Out of all things this book was rigging my imagination. I wanted to keep a copy of this forever with me, tried multiple times to search this book but to no avail (Those were nascent internet days 1999-2002)
At one time felt like keeping this only copy in the library with me & claim to the librarian that it was lost, I would have to pay its price & some additional fine. The book would at least be mine.
Thought it over many times, but than better sense prevailed. I realized to do this heinous crime would be a sure undoing of the philosophy of this book, the purpose of it would have been defeated. Let this book be a testimony to future generations of engineering students. Many could be besotted as me.
Many years later, saw it's Hindi translation in Jabalpur railway station. I couldn't stop myself.
Re-read the Hindi (hindi version is as magical as the English one) atleast 4- times. Recommended & shared my book with as many as 10+ hindi book lovers. They all were as enthralled as me, wondering why didn't they read this before.
Now after so many years I see this English version available in .
Looking forward to reading the version I did back in 1999 as a teenager. Nostalgic?!
The library was three storied & centrally air cooled. In the humid summer of the Gangetic plains (Kanpur) the library the only oasis of certitude.
It was one of those days when our of sheer boredom from my technical subjects, I wandered off towards the 2nd floor section of religious/spiritual section. Therein among the many version of Koran, Gita & Ramayan, tucked away was this book 'Mrityunjaya' English translation by the Writer's Workshop Calcutta.
Flipping away few pages got me hooked & I got this book issued. The book is a absolute gem. I couldn't get myself detached from it ever since. Completed this book within 3 days & was mesmerized.
Read it again 5-6 times in my 3rd & 4th year, till the time I was there in IIT.
Graduation completed, had to leave IIT. Out of all things this book was rigging my imagination. I wanted to keep a copy of this forever with me, tried multiple times to search this book but to no avail (Those were nascent internet days 1999-2002)
At one time felt like keeping this only copy in the library with me & claim to the librarian that it was lost, I would have to pay its price & some additional fine. The book would at least be mine.
Thought it over many times, but than better sense prevailed. I realized to do this heinous crime would be a sure undoing of the philosophy of this book, the purpose of it would have been defeated. Let this book be a testimony to future generations of engineering students. Many could be besotted as me.
Many years later, saw it's Hindi translation in Jabalpur railway station. I couldn't stop myself.
Re-read the Hindi (hindi version is as magical as the English one) atleast 4- times. Recommended & shared my book with as many as 10+ hindi book lovers. They all were as enthralled as me, wondering why didn't they read this before.
Now after so many years I see this English version available in .
Looking forward to reading the version I did back in 1999 as a teenager. Nostalgic?!
March 15, 2012
This is a tremendously well written book. unlike books written by other Indian author`s who go on about a character's looks for pages and pages, this book has just enough pertinent details to help the reader to instantly 'see' the character and听conjure up an image that is as close as possible to the way you see them in your mind.听
It is a听philosophical听and psychological insight into the听Mahabharat. It听portrays听the听idiosyncrasy of each听character. Their wealthy and decadent lifestyle, which is overpowered by ego,听treachery, selfishness on one side and by听virtue,听selflessness, integrity听and love on the other side, which weaves a web called life and consumes a person in the tangles of revenge and rivalry.
This book听portrays karna, with all his flaws and does not听just听show him as an epitome of goodness. The ending is concluded well, with Sri Krishna reciting the ultimate war and karna`s noble death.
Nevertheless this book teaches a lot in terms of good and bad,听having the听ability听to bring tears into the reader`s eyes.听
It is a听philosophical听and psychological insight into the听Mahabharat. It听portrays听the听idiosyncrasy of each听character. Their wealthy and decadent lifestyle, which is overpowered by ego,听treachery, selfishness on one side and by听virtue,听selflessness, integrity听and love on the other side, which weaves a web called life and consumes a person in the tangles of revenge and rivalry.
This book听portrays karna, with all his flaws and does not听just听show him as an epitome of goodness. The ending is concluded well, with Sri Krishna reciting the ultimate war and karna`s noble death.
Nevertheless this book teaches a lot in terms of good and bad,听having the听ability听to bring tears into the reader`s eyes.听
November 7, 2014
I think I mostly seem to end up reviewing Mahabharata retellings. That is my current favorite reading, and it reflects in my choices.
Mrityunjaya is definitely one of the more profound retellings I have read. It is on par with Parva. Unfortunately, I have been able to read both these books only as translations, and somewhere that does influence the reading experience. One can appreciate the way the author has recreated the psychological complexity of the characters, but somehow the language remains stilted and there is no thrill in rereading.
But even that aside, Mrityunjaya has been a great reading experience. We get a different perspective on each of the characters, specially the principal narrators, Karna, Kunti, Duryodhana and Krishna and to a lesser extent Vrishali and Shona.
Karna in this story is intensely human. He is neither a villainous crony of the bad Duryodhana, neither is he the poor innocent led into the wrong path by Duryodhana. Indeed Duryodhana himself is not really evil. Karna does not even try to be self-righteous. There is no justification for any of his conduct. Indeed the description of Draupadi's disrobing and Karna's own conduct during the episode is one of the best parts of the book. It gives no justification for his conduct. It is narrated in Karna's own voice, and the raising anger in him as he waits for her to ask for his help and realizes she will not ask for it and it is like a slap on his already sensitive ego. All the energy he is building up to save her is instead turned against her as he insults her and incites the disrobing. After the deed is done, Karna practically mourns for himself as though he is dead. Every routine in his life has lost its meaning, because he hit out at a person in her weak moment, worse because he is a just man and he realizes he took revenge for all the humiliation he had faced in his life on a woman, as though she was the cause of it, when in reality she was only a small part of it. Karna punishes himself for more for his conduct, than any punishment Arjuna or Krishna ever inflict on him.
No doubt to a person with more modern day sensibility, Karna's obsession with his low caste seems strange. Why then can he not get over it? Why does he think it is an insult? At one point he says his whole being recoiled at the thought that he was a charioteers son. But then, it is actually very much in keeping with his character. Karna is part of the system which has accepted the caste system for whatever it is. He chafes against it because it is stopping him from doing something he craves, denying him the recognition he thinks he deserves. But beyond that Karna is no social reformer challenging the caste system. He seems to accept the system, he is just frustrated by where it has placed him.
And even though his foster parents never explicitly tell him that he is adopted, it is almost like he senses it from the beginning. He wonders why he has a flesh armour and earrings when his brother has none. That armour always marks him out as special, in his own mind, and the ego gets pretty hurt when others like Drona fail to recognize this.
This relationship with the flesh armour and earrings is explored well in this book. It is indeed very much a part of Karna himself and he has a great attachment to what it signifies. The pain on parting with it is therefore wrenching. And there are moving descriptions on how Karna learnt to live without them, without the armour which had made him invincible in war. How he learns to cope with pain.
Duryodhana is an interesting character. THe book clarifies that Duryodhana knew about Karna even before he made his momentous entry in the sports arena. In fact, he is one of those who treats Karna with courtesy right from the beginning, which makes Karna warm up to him. His charisma is evident in the way he is able to make Karna feel wanted and recognized, something which Yudhishtra fails to do. Even though Duryodhana as the narrator tries to assume a more negative shade, by stating upfront that he only sought Karna because he always perceived him to be special and therefore useful, at some level, without even stating it, the narrative betrays his deep affection for Karna. He does not have an equal relationship with him, Karna is always his inferior, but there is still a great attachment towards him, and genuine concern for his well being.
The dynamics between the friends is well explored. One always wonders what was the role of Karna in many of Duryodhana's strategems. This book paints neither as saints. Each influences the other towards a particularly stupid or thoughtless piece of action. Karna may not be for the dice game, but he does encourage Duryodhana in the final battle. In fact there is a scene where Duryodhana, after the Virata skirmish, betrays his fear of the Pandavas and wonders if he should make peace. But Karna, full of righteous wrath (his brother Shona has just been killed by Arjuna in the skirmish) openly encourages him to battle, promising the support of all the kings he suppressed in the Vijay yatra.
If at all, there is a negative character in this book, it is Drona.No one seems to have a great opinion of him, not even his son, Ashwathama, who is shown to be a close friend of Karna (at some level, even closer than Duryodhana).
Karna's relationship with the Pandavas is also quite realistic. The Pandavas are not villains in his life. There is a simmerring rivalry with Arjuna, but beyond that he does not seem to nurture an enmity towards them. In fact in some places, he conveys a deep respect for them, for the way they survived Varanavrata, for the way they transformed Khandivaprastha. He also acknowledges that Duryodhana is not always just in his treatment of them. But none of the Pandavas ever make an attempt to engage him in any way, right from the time he was their fellow student, so he has no special feelings towards them and therefore pledges his allegiance to Duryodhana who at least seems to bother that he exists. This is quite realistic, since it would be strange to accept that an independent thinking and otherwise just man would harbor a deep resentment against people who have not done him any great personal harm.
Similarly, there is no great outpouring of affection when he realizes they are his brothers either. The only outpouring of affection is for Draupadi and that has nothing to do with the newly discovered relationship. In fact after the relationship is discovered, Karna does not spend too much time brooding over his brothers at all. It helps that the narrator changes at this section and it is Krishna who narrates those sections of the war, where Karna is on the battlefield. We therefore do not really have a clue as to whether he has any brotherly feelings when he is fighting them. He spares their lives, as per his promise, but with no tenderness. Arjun may now be his blood brother but that does not absolve him of the crime of having killed Karnas first born as well as his foster brother.
The books strongest point is the way it has rooted Karna into his adoptive family. It is them, more than Duryodhana, who give him to strength to refuse Krishna's offer. In fact Karna tells Krishna outright that though they have both been brought up by adoptive parents that is where the similarity ends. Krishna walked out of Yashoda's life, he left behind the Gopikas of gokul. But Karna will not abandon Adhiratha or Radha. Radha has a greater claim to be his mother compared to Kunti. Shona's claim as his brother is much more than Arjuna. And he will not now betray Vrishali, who stood by him all these years, and accept Draupadi.
In fact when I see the inanities of the Star Plus Mahabharat, with its frenzied attempt to paint Duryodhan as a monster and Karna's insipid support for him (Main apne mitr ko nahi chod sakta, whatever), and the teary hindi filmi farewell for Karna on his 'mother's' lap, with all his 'brothers' weeping over him (Duryodhana is conveniently absent from the scene), I am tempted to fling this book at the writers and ask them to get some perspective. Karna's death scene in this book is awe inspiring. And there is no maudlin sentimentality after that, when the Pandavas find out his true identity. The book is not interested in telling us how they reacted to it, because that is not Karna's story. His story died with his death. And how his brothers reconciled to the death is not his business.
Mrityunjaya is definitely one of the more profound retellings I have read. It is on par with Parva. Unfortunately, I have been able to read both these books only as translations, and somewhere that does influence the reading experience. One can appreciate the way the author has recreated the psychological complexity of the characters, but somehow the language remains stilted and there is no thrill in rereading.
But even that aside, Mrityunjaya has been a great reading experience. We get a different perspective on each of the characters, specially the principal narrators, Karna, Kunti, Duryodhana and Krishna and to a lesser extent Vrishali and Shona.
Karna in this story is intensely human. He is neither a villainous crony of the bad Duryodhana, neither is he the poor innocent led into the wrong path by Duryodhana. Indeed Duryodhana himself is not really evil. Karna does not even try to be self-righteous. There is no justification for any of his conduct. Indeed the description of Draupadi's disrobing and Karna's own conduct during the episode is one of the best parts of the book. It gives no justification for his conduct. It is narrated in Karna's own voice, and the raising anger in him as he waits for her to ask for his help and realizes she will not ask for it and it is like a slap on his already sensitive ego. All the energy he is building up to save her is instead turned against her as he insults her and incites the disrobing. After the deed is done, Karna practically mourns for himself as though he is dead. Every routine in his life has lost its meaning, because he hit out at a person in her weak moment, worse because he is a just man and he realizes he took revenge for all the humiliation he had faced in his life on a woman, as though she was the cause of it, when in reality she was only a small part of it. Karna punishes himself for more for his conduct, than any punishment Arjuna or Krishna ever inflict on him.
No doubt to a person with more modern day sensibility, Karna's obsession with his low caste seems strange. Why then can he not get over it? Why does he think it is an insult? At one point he says his whole being recoiled at the thought that he was a charioteers son. But then, it is actually very much in keeping with his character. Karna is part of the system which has accepted the caste system for whatever it is. He chafes against it because it is stopping him from doing something he craves, denying him the recognition he thinks he deserves. But beyond that Karna is no social reformer challenging the caste system. He seems to accept the system, he is just frustrated by where it has placed him.
And even though his foster parents never explicitly tell him that he is adopted, it is almost like he senses it from the beginning. He wonders why he has a flesh armour and earrings when his brother has none. That armour always marks him out as special, in his own mind, and the ego gets pretty hurt when others like Drona fail to recognize this.
This relationship with the flesh armour and earrings is explored well in this book. It is indeed very much a part of Karna himself and he has a great attachment to what it signifies. The pain on parting with it is therefore wrenching. And there are moving descriptions on how Karna learnt to live without them, without the armour which had made him invincible in war. How he learns to cope with pain.
Duryodhana is an interesting character. THe book clarifies that Duryodhana knew about Karna even before he made his momentous entry in the sports arena. In fact, he is one of those who treats Karna with courtesy right from the beginning, which makes Karna warm up to him. His charisma is evident in the way he is able to make Karna feel wanted and recognized, something which Yudhishtra fails to do. Even though Duryodhana as the narrator tries to assume a more negative shade, by stating upfront that he only sought Karna because he always perceived him to be special and therefore useful, at some level, without even stating it, the narrative betrays his deep affection for Karna. He does not have an equal relationship with him, Karna is always his inferior, but there is still a great attachment towards him, and genuine concern for his well being.
The dynamics between the friends is well explored. One always wonders what was the role of Karna in many of Duryodhana's strategems. This book paints neither as saints. Each influences the other towards a particularly stupid or thoughtless piece of action. Karna may not be for the dice game, but he does encourage Duryodhana in the final battle. In fact there is a scene where Duryodhana, after the Virata skirmish, betrays his fear of the Pandavas and wonders if he should make peace. But Karna, full of righteous wrath (his brother Shona has just been killed by Arjuna in the skirmish) openly encourages him to battle, promising the support of all the kings he suppressed in the Vijay yatra.
If at all, there is a negative character in this book, it is Drona.No one seems to have a great opinion of him, not even his son, Ashwathama, who is shown to be a close friend of Karna (at some level, even closer than Duryodhana).
Karna's relationship with the Pandavas is also quite realistic. The Pandavas are not villains in his life. There is a simmerring rivalry with Arjuna, but beyond that he does not seem to nurture an enmity towards them. In fact in some places, he conveys a deep respect for them, for the way they survived Varanavrata, for the way they transformed Khandivaprastha. He also acknowledges that Duryodhana is not always just in his treatment of them. But none of the Pandavas ever make an attempt to engage him in any way, right from the time he was their fellow student, so he has no special feelings towards them and therefore pledges his allegiance to Duryodhana who at least seems to bother that he exists. This is quite realistic, since it would be strange to accept that an independent thinking and otherwise just man would harbor a deep resentment against people who have not done him any great personal harm.
Similarly, there is no great outpouring of affection when he realizes they are his brothers either. The only outpouring of affection is for Draupadi and that has nothing to do with the newly discovered relationship. In fact after the relationship is discovered, Karna does not spend too much time brooding over his brothers at all. It helps that the narrator changes at this section and it is Krishna who narrates those sections of the war, where Karna is on the battlefield. We therefore do not really have a clue as to whether he has any brotherly feelings when he is fighting them. He spares their lives, as per his promise, but with no tenderness. Arjun may now be his blood brother but that does not absolve him of the crime of having killed Karnas first born as well as his foster brother.
The books strongest point is the way it has rooted Karna into his adoptive family. It is them, more than Duryodhana, who give him to strength to refuse Krishna's offer. In fact Karna tells Krishna outright that though they have both been brought up by adoptive parents that is where the similarity ends. Krishna walked out of Yashoda's life, he left behind the Gopikas of gokul. But Karna will not abandon Adhiratha or Radha. Radha has a greater claim to be his mother compared to Kunti. Shona's claim as his brother is much more than Arjuna. And he will not now betray Vrishali, who stood by him all these years, and accept Draupadi.
In fact when I see the inanities of the Star Plus Mahabharat, with its frenzied attempt to paint Duryodhan as a monster and Karna's insipid support for him (Main apne mitr ko nahi chod sakta, whatever), and the teary hindi filmi farewell for Karna on his 'mother's' lap, with all his 'brothers' weeping over him (Duryodhana is conveniently absent from the scene), I am tempted to fling this book at the writers and ask them to get some perspective. Karna's death scene in this book is awe inspiring. And there is no maudlin sentimentality after that, when the Pandavas find out his true identity. The book is not interested in telling us how they reacted to it, because that is not Karna's story. His story died with his death. And how his brothers reconciled to the death is not his business.
June 7, 2012
For months, I tried finding this book in bookstores and libraries but couldn't find it. Thanks to Tim Berners-Lee, I finally managed to buy a copy of it online. But I had to shell out a hefty amount on the hardbound edition with shining golden-bordered pages and velvet coating. But the book is totally worth it.
The book is a psychological insight into various characters of Mahabharat - primarily that of Karna. The English version of the book, although a little hazy with language, nonetheless forms a great read. The highs and lows of Karna's life (and also that of others) are all too vivid. This is one of the very few books that made me empathize for the protagonist. The book is divided into 9 soliloquies - one each by Kunti, Duryodhan, Karna's wife Vrushali, Karna's younger brother Shon, Sri Krishna and 4 by Karna himself. This is one book that would stay on my bookshelf forever.
PS : If you are good with Marathi, read the original Marathi edition of this book.
The book is a psychological insight into various characters of Mahabharat - primarily that of Karna. The English version of the book, although a little hazy with language, nonetheless forms a great read. The highs and lows of Karna's life (and also that of others) are all too vivid. This is one of the very few books that made me empathize for the protagonist. The book is divided into 9 soliloquies - one each by Kunti, Duryodhan, Karna's wife Vrushali, Karna's younger brother Shon, Sri Krishna and 4 by Karna himself. This is one book that would stay on my bookshelf forever.
PS : If you are good with Marathi, read the original Marathi edition of this book.
February 27, 2023
Back in 2000 when I was doing my under-graduation, I went to my college library. I wanted to pick up physics book when I saw an old dusty Marathi book in the corner shelf.
I used to read comics back then but had not read any big bulky book which is called as Kadambari in Marathi. The temptation took over and I got Mrityunjaya instead of that boring physics books and I'm so glad I did.
The librarian looked at me like I must have lost my mind coz nobody had enough time for studies, forget about random reading and there I was picking up a hefty Marathi classic above 700 odd pages. To be frank, it gave me a weird satisfaction to see her flinched face. I was enamoured in my glory. Of course I did bad in the next exams as I couldn't study but it was worth it and I always recovered my grades quite fast. Not to boast but that was how I was back in those days.
So coming to book, it's a classic book everyone should read. Mahabharata is an Indian epic everyone must have heard about. Karna is a grey character in Mahabharata mostly painted in darker shades rather than lighter. Mrutyunjay is a well renowned marathi book. Mrutyunjaya is an outstanding instance of such a literary masterpiece in which a contemporary Marathi novelist investigates the meaning of the bewildering skein that is life through the personae of the Mahabharata protagonists. Mrityunjaya is the autobiography of Karna, and yet it is not just that. With deceptive case, Sawant brings into play an exceptional stylistic innovation by combining six "dramatic soliloquies" to form the nine books of this novel of epic dimensions Mrutyunjay book is awarded by Bhartiya Dyanpith Puraskar.
For me, Karna is the most humane. His story is told through multiple characters his wife, his mother, brother , friend and even Krishna.
鈥溹じ啶む啶� 啶灌 啶ぞ啶灌ぃ啶距け啷嵿く啶距啶氞啶ぞ 啶掂ぞ 啶愢啶｀ぞ啶编啶ぞ啶傕啷嵿く啶� 啶囙啷嵿啷囙啶� 啶掂た啶氞ぞ啶� 啶曕ぇ啷€啶� 啶曕ぐ啷€啶� 啶ㄠじ啶む! 啶む 啶ㄠ啶灌ぎ啷€啶� 啶溹じ啶� 啶呧じ啶む 啶むじ啶傕 啶啶⑧ 啶啶� 啶呧じ啶む. 啶夃啶掂い啷嵿く啶� 啶膏啶班啶う啷囙さ啶距じ啶距ぐ啶栢!"
Karna's story is one of a kind. His mother , Kunti was granted the boon to bear a child with desired divine qualities from the gods and without much knowledge, Kunti invoked the sun god to confirm it if it was true indeed. Karna was secretly born to an unmarried Kunti in her teenage years. Fearing outrage and backlash from society over her premarital pregnancy, Kunti had no choice but to abandon the newly born Karna adrift in a basket on the Ganges, in the hope that he finds foster parents. The basket discovered and Karna is adopted and raised by foster Suta parents named Radha and Adhiratha Nandana of the charioteer and poet profession working for king Dhritarashtra. So a firstborn in royal family was raised by as a shudra.
He always found support in Duryodhan, a Kaurav Prince rather than his real family. He is a tragic hero in the Mahabharata, in a manner. He comes to know about his parentage and meets his biological mother late in the epic, and then discovers that he is the older half-brother of those he is fighting against.
Karna is a symbol of someone who is rejected by those who should have loved him but do not given the circumstances, yet becomes a man of exceptional abilities willing to give his love and life as a loyal friend.
His character is developed in the epic Mrityunjay to raise and discuss major emotional and dharma (duty, ethics, moral) dilemmas. He didn't just fought the great battle but a major personal conflict stood in front of him. He had to chose between his blood, his family and his friendship.
As he fought against Pandavas in Mahabharta, he is seen as a dark character and hence Mrityunjay kind of does justice to his story.
The portrayal is so enchanting and gripping that one will feel so dearly for Karna. My emotions were all over the place and it took me a while to gather myself up and get out of the world of Mrityunjaya. The very essence of the character is visioned perfectly and transformed into words, words that pierce the heart and make one feel endearingly caught into the complexity of the karna and his life and the chaos.
A must read for everyone!!!
Few quotes
鈥溹ざ啷嵿ぐ啶︵啶оぞ 啶啶灌ぃ啶溹 啶曕ぞ啶熰啶班 啶溹啶掂え啶距さ啶班锟斤拷 啶灌た啶班さ啶�! 啶膏啶掂い:啶掂ぐ啶� 啶多啶班う啷嵿ぇ啶� 啶灌さ啷€. 啶溹啶ぞ啶氞 啶膏啶掂い:啶掂ぐ 鈥� 啶膏啶掂い:啶氞啶ぞ 啶︵た啶掂啶� 啶膏啶掂ぐ啷傕お啶距さ啶� 啶多啶班う啷嵿ぇ啶� 啶ㄠぞ啶灌 啶む 啶溹啶距じ啶距啷€, 啶囙い啶班ぞ啶傕じ啶距啷€ 啶曕ぞ啶灌啶� 啶曕ぐ啷� 啶多啶� 啶ㄠぞ啶灌.鈥�
鈥溹啶距ぐ啶� 啶曕啶｀啶灌 啶曕ぇ啷€啶� 啶掂た啶膏ぐ啷� 啶ㄠく啷� 啶曕, 啶曕ぞ啶� 啶灌ぞ 啶呧啶傕ぁ 啶嗋す啷�. 啶溹啶掂え 啶灌 啶啶� 啶ぞ啶椸啶� 啶た啶赤ぃ啶距ぐ啷€ 啶掂じ啷嵿い啷� 啶ㄠさ啷嵿す啷�. 啶溹啶掂え 啶啶灌ぃ啶溹 啶啶班啶｀い啷嵿さ啶距じ啶距啷€ 啶呧え啶傕い啶距啶∴啶� 啶呧え啶傕い啶距啶∴ 啶氞ぞ啶侧 啶呧じ啶｀ぞ啶班ぞ 啶呧啶傕ぁ 啶啶班さ啶距じ 啶嗋す啷�!鈥�
鈥溹啶げ啷嵿く啶距 啶掂た啶ㄠぞ啶多ぞ啶氞 啶栢ぁ啷嵿ぁ啷� 啶栢ぃ啶｀ぞ啶班ぞ 啶ぞ啶ㄠさ 啶灌ぞ 啶ぞ 啶溹啶距い啶侧ぞ 啶忇啶啶� 啶啶班ぞ啶｀ 啶呧じ啶距さ啶�!鈥�
I used to read comics back then but had not read any big bulky book which is called as Kadambari in Marathi. The temptation took over and I got Mrityunjaya instead of that boring physics books and I'm so glad I did.
The librarian looked at me like I must have lost my mind coz nobody had enough time for studies, forget about random reading and there I was picking up a hefty Marathi classic above 700 odd pages. To be frank, it gave me a weird satisfaction to see her flinched face. I was enamoured in my glory. Of course I did bad in the next exams as I couldn't study but it was worth it and I always recovered my grades quite fast. Not to boast but that was how I was back in those days.
So coming to book, it's a classic book everyone should read. Mahabharata is an Indian epic everyone must have heard about. Karna is a grey character in Mahabharata mostly painted in darker shades rather than lighter. Mrutyunjay is a well renowned marathi book. Mrutyunjaya is an outstanding instance of such a literary masterpiece in which a contemporary Marathi novelist investigates the meaning of the bewildering skein that is life through the personae of the Mahabharata protagonists. Mrityunjaya is the autobiography of Karna, and yet it is not just that. With deceptive case, Sawant brings into play an exceptional stylistic innovation by combining six "dramatic soliloquies" to form the nine books of this novel of epic dimensions Mrutyunjay book is awarded by Bhartiya Dyanpith Puraskar.
For me, Karna is the most humane. His story is told through multiple characters his wife, his mother, brother , friend and even Krishna.
鈥溹じ啶む啶� 啶灌 啶ぞ啶灌ぃ啶距け啷嵿く啶距啶氞啶ぞ 啶掂ぞ 啶愢啶｀ぞ啶编啶ぞ啶傕啷嵿く啶� 啶囙啷嵿啷囙啶� 啶掂た啶氞ぞ啶� 啶曕ぇ啷€啶� 啶曕ぐ啷€啶� 啶ㄠじ啶む! 啶む 啶ㄠ啶灌ぎ啷€啶� 啶溹じ啶� 啶呧じ啶む 啶むじ啶傕 啶啶⑧ 啶啶� 啶呧じ啶む. 啶夃啶掂い啷嵿く啶� 啶膏啶班啶う啷囙さ啶距じ啶距ぐ啶栢!"
Karna's story is one of a kind. His mother , Kunti was granted the boon to bear a child with desired divine qualities from the gods and without much knowledge, Kunti invoked the sun god to confirm it if it was true indeed. Karna was secretly born to an unmarried Kunti in her teenage years. Fearing outrage and backlash from society over her premarital pregnancy, Kunti had no choice but to abandon the newly born Karna adrift in a basket on the Ganges, in the hope that he finds foster parents. The basket discovered and Karna is adopted and raised by foster Suta parents named Radha and Adhiratha Nandana of the charioteer and poet profession working for king Dhritarashtra. So a firstborn in royal family was raised by as a shudra.
He always found support in Duryodhan, a Kaurav Prince rather than his real family. He is a tragic hero in the Mahabharata, in a manner. He comes to know about his parentage and meets his biological mother late in the epic, and then discovers that he is the older half-brother of those he is fighting against.
Karna is a symbol of someone who is rejected by those who should have loved him but do not given the circumstances, yet becomes a man of exceptional abilities willing to give his love and life as a loyal friend.
His character is developed in the epic Mrityunjay to raise and discuss major emotional and dharma (duty, ethics, moral) dilemmas. He didn't just fought the great battle but a major personal conflict stood in front of him. He had to chose between his blood, his family and his friendship.
As he fought against Pandavas in Mahabharta, he is seen as a dark character and hence Mrityunjay kind of does justice to his story.
The portrayal is so enchanting and gripping that one will feel so dearly for Karna. My emotions were all over the place and it took me a while to gather myself up and get out of the world of Mrityunjaya. The very essence of the character is visioned perfectly and transformed into words, words that pierce the heart and make one feel endearingly caught into the complexity of the karna and his life and the chaos.
A must read for everyone!!!
Few quotes
鈥溹ざ啷嵿ぐ啶︵啶оぞ 啶啶灌ぃ啶溹 啶曕ぞ啶熰啶班 啶溹啶掂え啶距さ啶班锟斤拷 啶灌た啶班さ啶�! 啶膏啶掂い:啶掂ぐ啶� 啶多啶班う啷嵿ぇ啶� 啶灌さ啷€. 啶溹啶ぞ啶氞 啶膏啶掂い:啶掂ぐ 鈥� 啶膏啶掂い:啶氞啶ぞ 啶︵た啶掂啶� 啶膏啶掂ぐ啷傕お啶距さ啶� 啶多啶班う啷嵿ぇ啶� 啶ㄠぞ啶灌 啶む 啶溹啶距じ啶距啷€, 啶囙い啶班ぞ啶傕じ啶距啷€ 啶曕ぞ啶灌啶� 啶曕ぐ啷� 啶多啶� 啶ㄠぞ啶灌.鈥�
鈥溹啶距ぐ啶� 啶曕啶｀啶灌 啶曕ぇ啷€啶� 啶掂た啶膏ぐ啷� 啶ㄠく啷� 啶曕, 啶曕ぞ啶� 啶灌ぞ 啶呧啶傕ぁ 啶嗋す啷�. 啶溹啶掂え 啶灌 啶啶� 啶ぞ啶椸啶� 啶た啶赤ぃ啶距ぐ啷€ 啶掂じ啷嵿い啷� 啶ㄠさ啷嵿す啷�. 啶溹啶掂え 啶啶灌ぃ啶溹 啶啶班啶｀い啷嵿さ啶距じ啶距啷€ 啶呧え啶傕い啶距啶∴啶� 啶呧え啶傕い啶距啶∴ 啶氞ぞ啶侧 啶呧じ啶｀ぞ啶班ぞ 啶呧啶傕ぁ 啶啶班さ啶距じ 啶嗋す啷�!鈥�
鈥溹啶げ啷嵿く啶距 啶掂た啶ㄠぞ啶多ぞ啶氞 啶栢ぁ啷嵿ぁ啷� 啶栢ぃ啶｀ぞ啶班ぞ 啶ぞ啶ㄠさ 啶灌ぞ 啶ぞ 啶溹啶距い啶侧ぞ 啶忇啶啶� 啶啶班ぞ啶｀ 啶呧じ啶距さ啶�!鈥�
February 9, 2010
I managed to read this book after searching for it for nearly 3-4 years. The English translation is a bit clunky as some sentences are directly translated and therefore they do not hold the same impact. That being said this book is a work of genius.
Shivaji Sawant has written about Karna and re-imagined the Mahabharata around him. The book is made of nine section with 4 of them being from Karna's viewpoint, and the rest from the Viewpoints of Duryodhana, Kunti[His biological mother:], Vrishali[Karna's 1st wife:], Shon[his foster brother:] & Shri Krishna.
The book is not entirely canonical and gives us a rather humane viewpoint into the happenings of the Mahabharata. Karna's valour, his thoughts, his behaviour is entirely laid bare in this book. He's a not a shining knight as this book shows us the grayness of his actions. The Pandavas are also shown in a more humanistic light as most other MBH books often paint them in all bright and Godly colours however they were humans and they too had their bad sides.
The original beauty of the Mahabharata is that the epic showcases humanity in all its glory and viciousness & no characters are truly good or bad. This book has epitomized this principle and has given a rather stark and beautiful picture of the life of one of the greatest human beings who ever lived.
October 21, 2017
There are so many mixed emotions inside me now that I have finished reading this epic based on Karna's life, 'Mrityunjay'.
I am yet to come across an author who has such impeccable research about everything ranging from names and back stories of almost all characters involved, to the names of the food items, flora and fauna, musical instruments, regions and kingdoms (smallest to largest), mountain ranges, weapons used in the war, the rivers and their tributaries and the distance and time taken to travel from one place to another. The language is mesmerizing and even that is an understatement.
'Mrityunjay' takes us through the life of Karna right from his birth till his death, and is a story from different character POVs (including his own) - characters who were close to Karna - like his wife Vrushali, his friend Duryodhan, his brother Shon, his mother Kunti and ends with the POV of Krishna - which makes this book a treat with respect to philosophical learnings and the actual war story. The book is filled with similes and metaphors and one has to be tremendously focussed to get the whole meaning of it. Many sentences are long and filled with vivid imagery. The descriptions are so scintillating and dramatic that the reader is automatically drawn physically inside the story. I could feel myself standing at the banks of Ganga looking into the sun, or right amidst the fighting soldiers of Kurukshetra. I could feel myself crying silently at the loss of Karna's Kavach and Kundals.
Some passages are extremely thought provoking and it is quite evident throughout the book that the author, Mr. Shivaji Sawant has put colossal effort to ensure he doesn't leave us with a single question. Yes, he ensures that the reader reels for quite some time under the heavy philosophy though.
Who was Karna? A victim of casteism and patriarchy? A strong powerful indestructible force? A loyal friend? Who is the villain and who is the hero? It throws some really staggering philosophical questions like the meaning of living, the significance of Dharma and Karma, the inevitability of business and politics, the purpose of a human being. And gives some quite subtle answers to it in the form of the wise ones - Ashvatthama and Krishna. Karna lost the war (or did he?), but its always the loser's (?) story that teaches us the most essential.
It is very difficult to maintain the adventure in a story when the reader most likely knows how the story is going to turn out. This book took the challenge up gracefully and successfully managed to extract the exact extreme emotions out of me despite me knowing in advance where the story would turn.
As a feminist, the patriarchy was evident. Unlike "Yajnaseni" (for which I had gone on a lengthy rant trip) the women here are portrayed exactly as they should have been. These were also women who were victims of patriarchy and the story isn't changed at all but I found the treatment given to the characters is quite different. Each character is portrayed with much charisma. One could still see the strength in them.
I am not sure how the English translation would work out what with all the rich flaming descriptions in Marathi. And still I would say if you can lay your hands on this one, please do. The ones who know Marathi please go for the Marathi one. Its a little tough but its worth it.
I am yet to come across an author who has such impeccable research about everything ranging from names and back stories of almost all characters involved, to the names of the food items, flora and fauna, musical instruments, regions and kingdoms (smallest to largest), mountain ranges, weapons used in the war, the rivers and their tributaries and the distance and time taken to travel from one place to another. The language is mesmerizing and even that is an understatement.
'Mrityunjay' takes us through the life of Karna right from his birth till his death, and is a story from different character POVs (including his own) - characters who were close to Karna - like his wife Vrushali, his friend Duryodhan, his brother Shon, his mother Kunti and ends with the POV of Krishna - which makes this book a treat with respect to philosophical learnings and the actual war story. The book is filled with similes and metaphors and one has to be tremendously focussed to get the whole meaning of it. Many sentences are long and filled with vivid imagery. The descriptions are so scintillating and dramatic that the reader is automatically drawn physically inside the story. I could feel myself standing at the banks of Ganga looking into the sun, or right amidst the fighting soldiers of Kurukshetra. I could feel myself crying silently at the loss of Karna's Kavach and Kundals.
Some passages are extremely thought provoking and it is quite evident throughout the book that the author, Mr. Shivaji Sawant has put colossal effort to ensure he doesn't leave us with a single question. Yes, he ensures that the reader reels for quite some time under the heavy philosophy though.
Who was Karna? A victim of casteism and patriarchy? A strong powerful indestructible force? A loyal friend? Who is the villain and who is the hero? It throws some really staggering philosophical questions like the meaning of living, the significance of Dharma and Karma, the inevitability of business and politics, the purpose of a human being. And gives some quite subtle answers to it in the form of the wise ones - Ashvatthama and Krishna. Karna lost the war (or did he?), but its always the loser's (?) story that teaches us the most essential.
It is very difficult to maintain the adventure in a story when the reader most likely knows how the story is going to turn out. This book took the challenge up gracefully and successfully managed to extract the exact extreme emotions out of me despite me knowing in advance where the story would turn.
As a feminist, the patriarchy was evident. Unlike "Yajnaseni" (for which I had gone on a lengthy rant trip) the women here are portrayed exactly as they should have been. These were also women who were victims of patriarchy and the story isn't changed at all but I found the treatment given to the characters is quite different. Each character is portrayed with much charisma. One could still see the strength in them.
I am not sure how the English translation would work out what with all the rich flaming descriptions in Marathi. And still I would say if you can lay your hands on this one, please do. The ones who know Marathi please go for the Marathi one. Its a little tough but its worth it.
January 20, 2022
As an Indian, I grew up hearing and watching the epics of Ramayana & Mahabharata - two of the oldest and largest epics ever written. While I was aware of most of Ramayana, I always found Mahabharata too complex and mystifying to understand. Perhaps that is the reason why I was sceptical about picking 'Mrutyunjay' as my first read of the 2022 Reading Challenge. Mrutyunjay is a story of an unsung yet highly significant character of the Mahabharata - Karna.
Despite my initial aversions to picking a mythological fiction novel, I am glad that I did it. I have never read a Marathi novel more beautifully written. Penned by Shivaji Sawant, Mrutyunjay seeks to explore the meaning and purpose of the bewildering complexities of life through the life of Karna.
Background: Mahabharata is a story of the great war between the Pandavas (sons of King Pandu of the Kuru dynasty) and the Kauravas (sons of Dhritarashtra - Pandu's cousin).
Karna is the son of the Sun God and princess Kunti (mother of the Pandavas) and thus a demigod. Kunti was granted the boon to bear a child with desired divine qualities from the gods. Without an intention to have a child, Kunti invoked the Sun God to confirm if it was true. Karna was secretly born to an unmarried Kunti in her teenage. Fearing outrage and backlash from society over her premarital pregnancy, Kunti had no choice but to abandon the newly born Karna adrift in a basket on the Ganges in the hope that he finds foster parents. Fortunately for baby Karna, the basket was discovered by a Suta (lower caste) couple Radha and Adhiratha, a charioteer working for king Dhritarashtra. Karna was born with natural unbreakable armour and earrings.
Life of Karna: I grew up listening to stories of Karna - about his unnatural bodily gifts and his celebrated quality of charity. However, I learned about the struggles of his life through Mrutyunjay. Though perhaps only a fictional story, the epic of Mahabharata reflects the evils of the caste system in ancient India, and Mrutyunjay truly captures the essence of it via Karna's life. Despite being the mightiest and unbeatable demigod, Karna had a life full of humiliations, for he was a son of a charioteer, a mere Suta.
Karna spends his whole life finding who he truly is and proving his worth despite his lower caste. His blood relations, the Pandavas, who are unaware of the fact that Karna was their eldest brother, ridicule him for his lower social stature.
The antagonist of the Pandavas, their cousin Duryodhana (son of Dhritarashtra), uses this opportunity and makes the powerful Karna his ally. Ultimately, Karna fights the war of Mahabharata for Kauravas against the Pandavas.
Author Shivaji Sawant in Mrutyunjay makes use of soliloquy to narrate different stages of this story from the perspectives of various characters in Karna's life. The intriguing use of embellished language keeps the readers engrossed in the story. Sage Vyas built this fascinating world of Mahabharata - millennia later, authors like Sawant are only enriching it with such retellings. Mryutyunjay is undoubtedly one of the finest masterpieces in Marathi literature, and for its praise, the words will fall short.
Despite my initial aversions to picking a mythological fiction novel, I am glad that I did it. I have never read a Marathi novel more beautifully written. Penned by Shivaji Sawant, Mrutyunjay seeks to explore the meaning and purpose of the bewildering complexities of life through the life of Karna.
Background: Mahabharata is a story of the great war between the Pandavas (sons of King Pandu of the Kuru dynasty) and the Kauravas (sons of Dhritarashtra - Pandu's cousin).
Karna is the son of the Sun God and princess Kunti (mother of the Pandavas) and thus a demigod. Kunti was granted the boon to bear a child with desired divine qualities from the gods. Without an intention to have a child, Kunti invoked the Sun God to confirm if it was true. Karna was secretly born to an unmarried Kunti in her teenage. Fearing outrage and backlash from society over her premarital pregnancy, Kunti had no choice but to abandon the newly born Karna adrift in a basket on the Ganges in the hope that he finds foster parents. Fortunately for baby Karna, the basket was discovered by a Suta (lower caste) couple Radha and Adhiratha, a charioteer working for king Dhritarashtra. Karna was born with natural unbreakable armour and earrings.
Life of Karna: I grew up listening to stories of Karna - about his unnatural bodily gifts and his celebrated quality of charity. However, I learned about the struggles of his life through Mrutyunjay. Though perhaps only a fictional story, the epic of Mahabharata reflects the evils of the caste system in ancient India, and Mrutyunjay truly captures the essence of it via Karna's life. Despite being the mightiest and unbeatable demigod, Karna had a life full of humiliations, for he was a son of a charioteer, a mere Suta.
Karna spends his whole life finding who he truly is and proving his worth despite his lower caste. His blood relations, the Pandavas, who are unaware of the fact that Karna was their eldest brother, ridicule him for his lower social stature.
The antagonist of the Pandavas, their cousin Duryodhana (son of Dhritarashtra), uses this opportunity and makes the powerful Karna his ally. Ultimately, Karna fights the war of Mahabharata for Kauravas against the Pandavas.
Author Shivaji Sawant in Mrutyunjay makes use of soliloquy to narrate different stages of this story from the perspectives of various characters in Karna's life. The intriguing use of embellished language keeps the readers engrossed in the story. Sage Vyas built this fascinating world of Mahabharata - millennia later, authors like Sawant are only enriching it with such retellings. Mryutyunjay is undoubtedly one of the finest masterpieces in Marathi literature, and for its praise, the words will fall short.
November 8, 2018
I think one of the main differences between The Mahabharat and The Ramayan is ambiguity. Though I have not read the original versions of both the epics but I have read some books based on both of them and also from鈥� various other sources.The Ramayan tends on to show a way and strictly describs what is right path and what is wrong path and the characters in The Ramayan are also tend (and I would say a kind of insisted) to follow the path of the rightiousnes which directly or indirectly is centralised towards the parotgonist of the epic- Ram. But in The Mahabharat each and every character chooses it's own path, takes it's own stand and ultimately faces the consequences of the path he/she has taken, the side he/she chooses and the stand he/she takes. The emphasis of The Ramayan's characterisation is on showing its characters as "Perfect Beings" and the emphasis of characterisation of The Mahabharat is on portraying its characters as "Perfect HUMAN Beings". All the characters in the epic are flawed, grey shaded, following their own paths, making mistakes and are open to be judged and interpreted.
'Mrityunjay' is the story of one of the most charismatic and at the same time enigmatic character of The Mahabharat - Karn. Narrated through six perspectives - one of Karn himself and other five of the people who have played pivotal roles in his life. These perspectives include- Kunti- Karn's biological mother, Vrishali- Karn's first wife, Shon- Karn's foster brother, Duryodhan- Karn's best friend and Krishna- the man with whom Karn shares a mysterious and mythical bond. Though the book basically based on the life of Karn yet it's not just another Mahabharat retelling form his point of view. It is a deep and insightful study of Karn's character and life.
The best and the most unique thing about the novel is the multi-perspect narration. Unlike any other book which I have read based on the epic the central point of this book's every perspective is Karn and everything else is secondary. Thematically, in the book Karn is trying to decipher that who and what he is? But at the same time he is also trying to fit in the five perspectives. The restlessness, confusion, anger, and insecurities of loosing these people are shown wonderfully by the author. When Karn tells his story in the book it can be clearly seen that he is like a Sun shrouded by the clouds, due to these clouds he can only shine through the silver linings of these clouds. A Sun who is very desperate to shine with all it's warmth and potential, but at the same time he is bound to these clouds and now he does not want to lose these clouds.
All five perspectives concentrating on one man also raises a very basic existential question about indentity of a man. What makes identity of a human being? Is the identity created by what he thinks of himself or is it formed by the people around him? Like in the novel Karn's individual choices are highly influnced by those five perspectives, and these perspectives, directly or indirectly, are the reason of construction and destruction of Karn. It's almost towards the end Karn realises this great existential confusion, as he says himself - "I am not son of a charioteer, I am not son of Kunti, I am not son of the Sun God, I am just a man who is ready to face every adversity, ready to take every challenge given by life, and this is what I believe in...."
I used to watch B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat and I remember an episode which was the episode after Karn's death. In that episode Samay- the time itself (who is also the narrator of the epic in this TV series) says to the Sun God that his son will be a question mark till the end of the time. The dialogue writer of the show Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza was right. Karn, because of both choices he made and the situations he faced will remain a question mark. A question mark so ambiguous that everyone who will come across it will try to answer it the way one interprets it. And 'Mrityunjay' is my finest鈥� read interpretation of the eternal question mark.
A Classic In Every Sense.
'Mrityunjay' is the story of one of the most charismatic and at the same time enigmatic character of The Mahabharat - Karn. Narrated through six perspectives - one of Karn himself and other five of the people who have played pivotal roles in his life. These perspectives include- Kunti- Karn's biological mother, Vrishali- Karn's first wife, Shon- Karn's foster brother, Duryodhan- Karn's best friend and Krishna- the man with whom Karn shares a mysterious and mythical bond. Though the book basically based on the life of Karn yet it's not just another Mahabharat retelling form his point of view. It is a deep and insightful study of Karn's character and life.
The best and the most unique thing about the novel is the multi-perspect narration. Unlike any other book which I have read based on the epic the central point of this book's every perspective is Karn and everything else is secondary. Thematically, in the book Karn is trying to decipher that who and what he is? But at the same time he is also trying to fit in the five perspectives. The restlessness, confusion, anger, and insecurities of loosing these people are shown wonderfully by the author. When Karn tells his story in the book it can be clearly seen that he is like a Sun shrouded by the clouds, due to these clouds he can only shine through the silver linings of these clouds. A Sun who is very desperate to shine with all it's warmth and potential, but at the same time he is bound to these clouds and now he does not want to lose these clouds.
All five perspectives concentrating on one man also raises a very basic existential question about indentity of a man. What makes identity of a human being? Is the identity created by what he thinks of himself or is it formed by the people around him? Like in the novel Karn's individual choices are highly influnced by those five perspectives, and these perspectives, directly or indirectly, are the reason of construction and destruction of Karn. It's almost towards the end Karn realises this great existential confusion, as he says himself - "I am not son of a charioteer, I am not son of Kunti, I am not son of the Sun God, I am just a man who is ready to face every adversity, ready to take every challenge given by life, and this is what I believe in...."
I used to watch B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat and I remember an episode which was the episode after Karn's death. In that episode Samay- the time itself (who is also the narrator of the epic in this TV series) says to the Sun God that his son will be a question mark till the end of the time. The dialogue writer of the show Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza was right. Karn, because of both choices he made and the situations he faced will remain a question mark. A question mark so ambiguous that everyone who will come across it will try to answer it the way one interprets it. And 'Mrityunjay' is my finest鈥� read interpretation of the eternal question mark.
A Classic In Every Sense.
October 10, 2017
This book has been on my TBR for a long time, and finally, I managed to finish it. This is known as the best retelling of Mahabharata. This book is originally written in the Marathi language. The author of this book Shri. Shivaji Sawant is also known as 鈥楳ritunjayakar鈥�.
You may read full review on my blog
This book starts with these lines 鈥淚 want to say something today. Some will startle hearing my words. And wonder: How can anyone swallowed by death speak? But a time comes when the dead have to speak too. When the flesh-and-bones living behaves like the dead, then the dead have to come alive and speak out.鈥�
Vasu is an adopted son of Radha and Adirath. Adirath is a charioteer of King Dhritarashtra in the kingdom of Hastinapur. Vasu was found on the shore of sacred river Ganga. The childless couple Radha and Adirath took him as the blessing of God. After adopting Vasu, Radha gives birth to a son named as Shon.
Both brothers, Vasu and Shon have a very good bonding and they can鈥檛 live without each other. As Vasu grew up he gets to know that he is not like the other people. He has an impenetrable armor and has golden flesh earrings which are attached to his body. He seems like a divine person, and due to this he is also called as 鈥楰arna鈥�.
Since childhood, he has an interest in the weaponry and wanted to be a warrior. But his family profession is of a charioteer and everyone expected him to be the same. Contradictory to this, Karna wanted to be a warrior so Adirath took him to the Hastinapur.
Now here comes the main part, Being the sutaputra Guru Drona does not accept him as his disciple. Karna always felt a closeness to the Sun-god and considered him his Guru. In Hastinapur he meets various people like Arjun, Duryodhan. Arjun becomes his instant rival. Whereas Duryodhan becomes his friend.
Karna has to go through with various ups and down which finally put him in the mouth of death.
You may read full review on my blog
This book starts with these lines 鈥淚 want to say something today. Some will startle hearing my words. And wonder: How can anyone swallowed by death speak? But a time comes when the dead have to speak too. When the flesh-and-bones living behaves like the dead, then the dead have to come alive and speak out.鈥�
Vasu is an adopted son of Radha and Adirath. Adirath is a charioteer of King Dhritarashtra in the kingdom of Hastinapur. Vasu was found on the shore of sacred river Ganga. The childless couple Radha and Adirath took him as the blessing of God. After adopting Vasu, Radha gives birth to a son named as Shon.
Both brothers, Vasu and Shon have a very good bonding and they can鈥檛 live without each other. As Vasu grew up he gets to know that he is not like the other people. He has an impenetrable armor and has golden flesh earrings which are attached to his body. He seems like a divine person, and due to this he is also called as 鈥楰arna鈥�.
Since childhood, he has an interest in the weaponry and wanted to be a warrior. But his family profession is of a charioteer and everyone expected him to be the same. Contradictory to this, Karna wanted to be a warrior so Adirath took him to the Hastinapur.
Now here comes the main part, Being the sutaputra Guru Drona does not accept him as his disciple. Karna always felt a closeness to the Sun-god and considered him his Guru. In Hastinapur he meets various people like Arjun, Duryodhan. Arjun becomes his instant rival. Whereas Duryodhan becomes his friend.
Karna has to go through with various ups and down which finally put him in the mouth of death.
July 25, 2021
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啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぃ 啶忇 啶ぐ啶距啷嵿ぐ啶 啶啶︵啶оぞ 啶ムぞ, 啶ぐ啶傕い啷� 啶溹啶掂え 啶曕 啶曕じ啷屶啷€ 啶ぐ 啶夃じ啶曕ぞ 啶呧ぇ:啶い啶� 啶 啶ㄠた啶多啶氞く 啶灌 啶灌啶嗋イ
April 18, 2020
(Review of the Hindi version)
The Novel is a passionate, powerful and psychological shadow-play consisting of 6 soliloquies of characters from the Mahabharata. A very illuminating read on human nature, the ideals, purpose and realities of life.
If you're fluent in Marathi or Hindi I would recommend reading that version. Although the English version does a good job too.
The Novel is a passionate, powerful and psychological shadow-play consisting of 6 soliloquies of characters from the Mahabharata. A very illuminating read on human nature, the ideals, purpose and realities of life.
If you're fluent in Marathi or Hindi I would recommend reading that version. Although the English version does a good job too.
June 1, 2022
I鈥檝e known about this book for a while but I could never find it when I was in the US. And I kinda forgotten about it until I found this Hindi audiobook in Storytel. It鈥檚 more than 35 hours long and I knew it would take a while, and I think it鈥檚 been months since I started. But I鈥檓 finally done and what an experience this was.
I watch Hindi movies and shows very frequently but I haven鈥檛 read a book in the language since school and don鈥檛 know how good my reading skills are these days. But when I saw it was an audio, I knew it was the perfect format for me. And I have to say it was very satisfying. It鈥檚 been a long while since I鈥檝e watched my favorite Mahabharata TV series, so listening to similar formal language spoken just made me very very happy. It was also quite interesting to listen the story from various perspectives like Karna, his wife Vrishali, his brother Shon, Duryodhana, Kunti and towards the end, Lord Krishna. The story really goes into detail in parts the usual Mahabharata books don鈥檛 go into, especially the minds of Kunti during the time she gave birth to Karna and Karna鈥檚 whole attitude about wanting to be a warrior but cruelly discriminated against his whole life. Karna鈥檚 POV was quite difficult at times because his despair seeps into the narrative very deeply and I was feeling depressed listening to how horribly he was treated by everyone. But then he also makes some choices which frustrate us because we know he is a good person and wouldn鈥檛 have made those same choices if the world a bit more kinder to him. Ofcourse, all these feelings are nothing new because ultimately the story of the Mahabharata is not gonna change and I know where it鈥檚 going, but it definitely feels a bit eye opening when you get to see what might have been happening in other characters鈥� lives. Vrishali and Shon were two characters whom I don鈥檛 think most versions even mention but they are really very good people who became a part of Karna鈥檚 struggles and tried to make him happy as much as possible. I also liked Krishna鈥檚 POV towards the very end where he is contemplating what choice to make - this was quite new for me because in most versions, he is god and you wouldn鈥檛 expect him to question himself.
Overall, this was an experience that I won鈥檛 forget any time soon. It鈥檚 Mahabharata made personal and I thoroughly felt it deep in my heart. I would definitely recommend the audio format because the narrators are all very good, particularly in emotional scenes. And this is making me wanna look up other Shivaji Sawant books which unfortunately aren鈥檛 on Storytel and not always easy to find in English. Let鈥檚 hope I have some luck finding them.
I watch Hindi movies and shows very frequently but I haven鈥檛 read a book in the language since school and don鈥檛 know how good my reading skills are these days. But when I saw it was an audio, I knew it was the perfect format for me. And I have to say it was very satisfying. It鈥檚 been a long while since I鈥檝e watched my favorite Mahabharata TV series, so listening to similar formal language spoken just made me very very happy. It was also quite interesting to listen the story from various perspectives like Karna, his wife Vrishali, his brother Shon, Duryodhana, Kunti and towards the end, Lord Krishna. The story really goes into detail in parts the usual Mahabharata books don鈥檛 go into, especially the minds of Kunti during the time she gave birth to Karna and Karna鈥檚 whole attitude about wanting to be a warrior but cruelly discriminated against his whole life. Karna鈥檚 POV was quite difficult at times because his despair seeps into the narrative very deeply and I was feeling depressed listening to how horribly he was treated by everyone. But then he also makes some choices which frustrate us because we know he is a good person and wouldn鈥檛 have made those same choices if the world a bit more kinder to him. Ofcourse, all these feelings are nothing new because ultimately the story of the Mahabharata is not gonna change and I know where it鈥檚 going, but it definitely feels a bit eye opening when you get to see what might have been happening in other characters鈥� lives. Vrishali and Shon were two characters whom I don鈥檛 think most versions even mention but they are really very good people who became a part of Karna鈥檚 struggles and tried to make him happy as much as possible. I also liked Krishna鈥檚 POV towards the very end where he is contemplating what choice to make - this was quite new for me because in most versions, he is god and you wouldn鈥檛 expect him to question himself.
Overall, this was an experience that I won鈥檛 forget any time soon. It鈥檚 Mahabharata made personal and I thoroughly felt it deep in my heart. I would definitely recommend the audio format because the narrators are all very good, particularly in emotional scenes. And this is making me wanna look up other Shivaji Sawant books which unfortunately aren鈥檛 on Storytel and not always easy to find in English. Let鈥檚 hope I have some luck finding them.
December 18, 2020
There are only a few occasions that I've shed tears but after reading the story of this glorious warrior and noblest of man, Karna, one cannot help but overflow with emotions.
In the longest and probably most interesting Epic of the world Mahabharata, the most tragic story was that of Karna. He is known as Raja of Anga, greatest warrior, world conqueror and son of charioteers. But the most importantly, he is dan veer(hero of charity) Karna. Even, with an arrow in his throat he asked his son to smash his golden teeth and donate them to a mendicant.
Pandavas were known to be best in one particular field, Yudhishthira in Dharma(Morality and Ethics), Bheem (Strength) and Arjun (Archery), but Karna outshone and humbled them in all of these.
His Death brought tears to the eyes of Duryodhana, who did not feel such grief even at the death of eighty of his brothers, who is said to be cold, calculating and incapable of loving anyone but himself.
The avatar of God Vishnu admitted that there were merely four people for whom Krishna had silent bhakti( unquestionable devotion) brimful of love and sacrifice, Karna was one of them.
Even after ask this, he was discriminated by the so called most noblest of people living in that time, people like the pandavas, illustrious kings and citizens of the Hastinapur. Draupadi during her swayamvar( groom selection) mocked and rejected karna only because he was the son of charioteers but later on realises what a horrible mistake she as made by rejecting someone as virtuous as karna.
A must read for anybody interested in Hindu religion or Mythology or simply looking for a masterpiece.
In the longest and probably most interesting Epic of the world Mahabharata, the most tragic story was that of Karna. He is known as Raja of Anga, greatest warrior, world conqueror and son of charioteers. But the most importantly, he is dan veer(hero of charity) Karna. Even, with an arrow in his throat he asked his son to smash his golden teeth and donate them to a mendicant.
Pandavas were known to be best in one particular field, Yudhishthira in Dharma(Morality and Ethics), Bheem (Strength) and Arjun (Archery), but Karna outshone and humbled them in all of these.
His Death brought tears to the eyes of Duryodhana, who did not feel such grief even at the death of eighty of his brothers, who is said to be cold, calculating and incapable of loving anyone but himself.
The avatar of God Vishnu admitted that there were merely four people for whom Krishna had silent bhakti( unquestionable devotion) brimful of love and sacrifice, Karna was one of them.
Even after ask this, he was discriminated by the so called most noblest of people living in that time, people like the pandavas, illustrious kings and citizens of the Hastinapur. Draupadi during her swayamvar( groom selection) mocked and rejected karna only because he was the son of charioteers but later on realises what a horrible mistake she as made by rejecting someone as virtuous as karna.
A must read for anybody interested in Hindu religion or Mythology or simply looking for a masterpiece.
July 14, 2015
A CLASSIC creation in Marathi Literature! It takes you to a different world! The journey of Karna from a charioteers son to Digvijayi Angraj Karna and then to Danveer Karna is worth bows! The reasons for which he stood by Kauravas side makes us look at the epic from a different perspective. The best part is the conflicts that occur in Karna's mind and the decisions made by him. These are the questions that arise in every ones mind. The book helped me resolve many such conflicts and confusions! This book will remain my inspiration in life. It teaches you the ways to deal with the dilemmas between good and bad ; What all people can do to impede you, but if you can gauge everything and remain true to yourself ,nothing else matters!! A master piece by Shivaji Sawant!
January 23, 2013
Although this has been translated in many languages, something is always lost in the process and i have been lucky to read the original book. This is among the best books i have ever read with the characters so alive that kept lingering in my thoughts for several weeks.
Mrityunjay means the one who conquers death and truly Karna does. This book is about Karna life and death. I can never compliment the author enough for presenting a story already known my all in a way that doesn't allow the reader to put down the book.
Mrityunjay means the one who conquers death and truly Karna does. This book is about Karna life and death. I can never compliment the author enough for presenting a story already known my all in a way that doesn't allow the reader to put down the book.
November 3, 2015
啻溹祤啻掂纯啻む磿啻距床啻� 啻祦啻脆祦啻掂川嗟嶁€� 啻淳啻ㄠ祦啻粪纯啻曕吹嗟佮磦 啻︵祱啻掂纯啻曕吹嗟佮串啻距疮 啻掂祮啻侧祶啻侧祦啻掂纯啻赤纯啻曕闯嗟嶁€� 啻嗋搐嗟嵿串啻о祱啻班祶啻搐嗟嵿搐嗟嬥礋嗟� 啻ㄠ祰啻班纯啻熰祶啻� 啻曕窗嗟嶁€嵿矗啻ㄠ祶啻编祮 啻溹祤啻掂礆啻班纯啻む祶啻班磦. 啻曕窗嗟嶁€嵿矗啻ㄠ祶鈥�, 啻曕祦啻ㄠ祶啻む纯, 啻︵祦啻班祶啻祴啻о川啻ㄠ祶鈥� 啻掂祪啻曕祶啻粪淳啻侧纯, 啻多祴啻｀川嗟嶁€�, 啻多祶啻班祤啻曕祪啻粪祶啻｀川嗟嶁€� 啻庎川嗟嵿川啻苦吹啻班祦啻熰祮 啻嗋搐嗟嵿串啻曕触啻距磦啻多窗嗟傕椽啻む祶啻む纯啻侧祦啻赤祶啻� 啻掂纯啻掂窗啻｀礄嗟嵿礄啻赤纯啻侧祩啻熰祮 啻曕窗嗟嶁€嵿矗啻曕触啻祴啻熰祳啻祶啻磦 啻垂啻距喘啻距窗啻� 啻曕触啻祦啻脆祦啻掂川嗟嶁€� 啻嗋礀嗟嵿疮啻距川啻� 啻氞祮啻祶啻む纯啻班纯啻曕祶啻曕祦啻ㄠ祶啻ㄠ祦. 啻曕禇啻ㄠ祶啻む祰啻川啻距疮啻苦礋嗟嵿礋嗟佮磦 啻班淳啻о祰啻川啻距疮啻� 啻む川嗟嵿川嗟� 啻窗啻苦礆嗟嵿礆 啻曕导啻｀祶啻｀川嗟嵿幢嗟� 啻溹祤啻掂礆啻班纯啻む祶啻班磦, 啻庎床嗟嵿床啻距吹啻班淳啻侧祦啻� 啻呧椽啻淳啻ㄠ纯啻曕祶啻曕椽嗟嵿椽嗟嗋礋嗟嵿礋 啻︵淳啻ㄠ吹嗟€啻班川嗟嵿幢嗟� 啻溹祤啻掂纯啻む磦 啻掂闯啻班祮 啻川嗟嬥垂啻班串啻距疮啻� 啻呧吹啻む窗啻苦椽嗟嵿椽啻苦礆嗟嵿礆啻苦窗啻苦磿嗟嵿磿嗟佮川嗟嵿川嗟� . 啻掄窗嗟佮椽啻距礋嗟� 啻淳啻犩礄嗟嵿礄嗟� 啻ㄠ串嗟嵿串嗟佮礋嗟� 啻溹祤啻掂纯啻む搐嗟嵿搐啻苦床嗟囙磿嗟嵿磿嗟佮磦 啻磿嗟监搐嗟嵿搐啻距祷 啻ㄠ串嗟佮磿嗟嵿磿嗟嗋床嗟嵿床啻距吹啻班祶啻曕祶啻曕祦啻� 啻掄窗嗟� 啻淳啻犩椽嗟佮锤嗟嵿搐啻曕串啻距磿啻熰祶啻熰祮 啻曕导啻｀祶啻｀川嗟嵿幢嗟� 啻掂祶啻磿嗟嵿搐啻苦椽嗟嵿窗啻淳啻掂磦 啻庎川嗟嵿川嗟� 啻嗋炊啻傕锤啻苦磿嗟嵿磿嗟佮川嗟嵿川嗟�.
Currently reading
March 19, 2009I have one "new in a box" book to sell. It is signed by the publisher and is a collector's edition; the cover is made of raw silk. English edition.
Let me know if you are interested.
Let me know if you are interested.
September 29, 2016
If you have read the Mahabharata in any form, this is a must read. You do not have to be a fan of Karna, read it for a different POV where the Pandavas are not always right.
This book takes you through the tumultuous journey of Karna and you'll ride it with him.
I read the Hindi and English versions simultaneously for a better grasp on the story (not really used to reading in Hindi).
Ashwathamann was a surprise - his wisdom and his love for Karna, wasn't aware of that at all and how a man like him turns into a beast by the end of the war.
What I really wanted to read was,
1. Pandavas reaction on finding out the truth of Karna from Kuntis POV
2. Her pain and anguish during the 2 day battle between Karna and Arjuna.
3. Duryodhans POV after Karna is dead and how he breaks down and meets his end.
This according to me would have been a perfect closure to a wonderful book.
The English translation had basic grammatical errors but I'll let that be as the book in itself is so powerful that I didn't mind the elementary English.
A wonderful read! Beautiful!
This book takes you through the tumultuous journey of Karna and you'll ride it with him.
I read the Hindi and English versions simultaneously for a better grasp on the story (not really used to reading in Hindi).
Ashwathamann was a surprise - his wisdom and his love for Karna, wasn't aware of that at all and how a man like him turns into a beast by the end of the war.
What I really wanted to read was,
1. Pandavas reaction on finding out the truth of Karna from Kuntis POV
2. Her pain and anguish during the 2 day battle between Karna and Arjuna.
3. Duryodhans POV after Karna is dead and how he breaks down and meets his end.
This according to me would have been a perfect closure to a wonderful book.
The English translation had basic grammatical errors but I'll let that be as the book in itself is so powerful that I didn't mind the elementary English.
A wonderful read! Beautiful!
February 6, 2014
It is often said that the books of our childhood offer a vivid door to our own pasts, and not necessarily for the stories we read there, but for the memories of where we were and who we were when we were reading them; to remember a book is to remember the child who read that book. Simply put, Mrityunjaya is about the search for meaning of being is a man's eternal quest. The characters of Vrishali and Shon for example, are given such appropriate voices, that you are left wondering whether Sawant had the fortune of stumbling upon some long lost letters written by them.
Even if your introduction to Karna is through the Mahabharata alone, you cannot help but feel empathy for the eldest son of Kunti. In fact, Mrityunjaya only deepens it. Summing up, Mrityunjaya is one of the most eloquently narrated books and is most certainly a book worth adding to one's reading collection.
Even if your introduction to Karna is through the Mahabharata alone, you cannot help but feel empathy for the eldest son of Kunti. In fact, Mrityunjaya only deepens it. Summing up, Mrityunjaya is one of the most eloquently narrated books and is most certainly a book worth adding to one's reading collection.
June 13, 2014
This is a well written book. But I can't give more stars for this and the reason behind that is Randamoozham. While reading Karnan, and I find myself comparing this book with Randamoozham. According to me,Randamoozham was a step ahead in the way story is told, portrayal of all characters, about kurukshetra war etc. (Frankly speaking, i didn't like the way Bhima is shown in this book;) That is another reason for giving less rating:P ). Eventhough it is little dragging in some places, still I can say it is an intresting book.
January 30, 2016
啻曕导啻｀祷 ! 啻曕祶啻粪搐嗟嵿窗啻苦疮啻ㄠ淳啻纯 啻溹川啻苦礆嗟嵿礆啻苦礋嗟嵿礋嗟佮磦 啻膏祩啻む椽嗟佮搐嗟嵿窗啻ㄠ淳啻� 啻曕导啻｀祷 ... 啻曕祵啻ㄠ祶啻む祮啻川啻距疮啻苦礋嗟嵿礋嗟佮磦 啻班淳啻о祰啻川啻距疮啻� 啻溹祤啻掂纯啻氞祶啻� 啻曕导啻｀祷...啻膏祩啻班祶啻� 啻祦啻む祶啻班川啻距疮啻� 啻溹川啻苦礆嗟嵿礆嗟� 啻膏祩啻班祶啻处嗟囙吹啻ㄠ祮 啻淳啻ㄠ锤 啻椸祦啻班祦 啻嗋磿嗟嵿磿啻苦疮 啻曕导啻｀祷 ! 啻溹川嗟嵿串啻膏纯啻︵祶啻о串啻距疮 啻曕吹啻� 啻曕祦啻｀祶啻熰床啻權祶啻權闯嗟佮礋嗟� 啻班垂啻膏祶啻串啻编纯啻淳啻む祮 啻祴啻� 啻曕导啻｀祷 ... 啻膏淳啻掂川嗟嵿搐啻苦川嗟嵿幢嗟� "啻祪啻む祶啻祦啻傕礈啻�" .. 啻呧导啻溹祦啻� ..啻祤啻�..啻祦啻о纯啻粪祶啻犩纯啻班祷 啻淳啻班祦啻熰祮 啻掂纯啻椸祶啻班垂啻權祶啻權到 啻夃礋啻氞祶啻氞祦 啻庎川嗟嵿幢嗟� 啻川啻膏祶啻膏纯嗟� 啻曕导啻� 啻掂纯啻椸祶啻班垂啻� 啻祶啻班搐啻苦捶嗟嵿礋啻苦礆嗟嵿礆 啻掄窗嗟� 啻膏祪啻粪祶啻熰纯 啻む川嗟嵿川嗟嗋疮啻距矗嗟�... 啻祤啻川嗟嬥礋嗟佮闯嗟嵿闯 啻嗋窗啻距揣啻� 啻祩啻侧串啻距磿啻距磦..啻呧处嗟嵿处嗟囙垂啻む祶啻む纯啻ㄠ祮 啻掄窗嗟� 啻︵祶啻掂川嗟嵿搐啻祦啻о吹嗟€啻班川嗟佮磦 啻庎礋嗟佮搐嗟嵿搐嗟� 啻氞淳啻熰祶啻熰磿嗟嵿磿啻距窗啻ㄠ祦啻� 啻淳啻む祶啻班磦 啻嗋疮啻� 啻氞纯啻む祶啻班祤啻曕窗啻苦礆嗟嵿礆啻む纯啻ㄠ祴啻熰祦 啻掄窗嗟� 啻掂纯啻粪串啻掂祦啻� 啻嗋搐嗟嵿串啻曕揣啻距串嗟嵿炊 啻班祩啻搐嗟嵿搐啻苦床嗟佮闯嗟嵿闯 啻曕导啻｀祷 啻掂淳啻纯啻氞祶啻氞椽嗟嵿椽嗟嬥稻 啻む祴啻ㄠ祶啻ㄠ纯啻祶啻祴啻纯 ...
December 28, 2017
The Mahabharat is my favorite epic. I鈥檝e read numerous versions of it and Mrityunjay was always on my list.
鈥楤irth over Worth鈥� - an unfortunate yet central theme of Karna鈥檚 life is something that is sadly, still relevant even in today鈥檚 times. You just can鈥檛 help but feel the strongest sense of empathy for him.
He鈥檚 always been my favorite character in the Mahabharat and the book certainly reaffirms that.
Karna, you might have had certain character flaws, but you are my hero.
鈥楤irth over Worth鈥� - an unfortunate yet central theme of Karna鈥檚 life is something that is sadly, still relevant even in today鈥檚 times. You just can鈥檛 help but feel the strongest sense of empathy for him.
He鈥檚 always been my favorite character in the Mahabharat and the book certainly reaffirms that.
Karna, you might have had certain character flaws, but you are my hero.
November 3, 2015
A beautiful book, powerfully written that captures the character of Karan with such an Essence of his values, struggles and decisions between limited choices. The end chapters of the book has left me with such an emptiness as the one that can be imagined after a war is over. This is a masterpiece of the Mahabharata .
August 26, 2014
One of the best Book I ever read! Best writing style. Best story.
I recommend every reader to read this one if you know Mahabharat.
I cried at least for half a day after finishing book - was so much involved.
I recommend every reader to read this one if you know Mahabharat.
I cried at least for half a day after finishing book - was so much involved.
August 5, 2012
It is one of the greatest books i have ever read!
must read at least once.
must read at least once.
October 4, 2011
If one took a poll on the popularity of the various characters of the Mahabharata, Karna would rank amongst the top. His is the legend of a tragic hero. 'Mrityunjay' written by Shivaji Samant is the re-relling of Karna's story. Written originally in Marathi, the English translation of the novel is from the Hindi version of the original. This work reputed to be among the best of contemporary Marathi literature, has an interesting narrative technique. The novel is split into 9 books, each of then narrated as a monologue by Karna and other characters like Kunti, Krishna, (each of the 3 have 2 books of monologue), Duryodhana, Vrishali (Karna's wife) and Shom (Karna's step-brother).
The monologues of Karna are the best of the lot. Though the book is a sort of paean to Karna, it never goes overboard with it and tries to show his flaws as well. For all his poweress, Karna comes across as internally turmoiled, insecure man, insecure due to his origins about his place in society and obsessed about being recognized as the best archer of all. But sadly he was never given the oppurtunity of a level playing field to prove it. If he was denied by Drona during the archery competition at the beginning, then the curses that are heaped on him at the later stage also play a part in ensuring that he remains a tragic hero. It is a matter of conjecture as to what would have happened, if Drona had allowed Karna to compete with Arjuna. Maybe he would have won, he may have indeed lost, but either way, he would have been a more peaceful man, contended with himself and not obsessed with being the best archer which drives almost all his actions resulting in tragic consequences. But it was to not be. Another feeling that he tries to reconcile with vainly till the very end is his origin. Karna is shown in a subtle way as being unable to accept fully his origins. Though he loves his parents, proclaims that he is proud to a charioteer's son, some parts of his monologue subtly let it slip that maybe he is not as confident and secure about his origins as he shows. Maybe he craved that he were born elsewhere, or to put it clearly he may have desired that his parents had been the same but of a higher standing in society. It is borne out by his reactions to the relevation that he is Kunti's son. It's not any great happiness (or anger) that he feels towards Kunti. What comes through mainly is the relief that he is Kshatriya after all, that he cannot be insulted for his birth. It implies that he accepts the social order for all his posturing and that instead of trying to remove it, he is more than happy to know that he has actually jumped up in the order. Interestingly, Samant brings a twist to Karna's much lauded generosity using this turmoil. It is mentioned that his generosity is due to his craving for recognition. This does not reduce the value of his generosity, but only serves to enhance to the reader, the pain that a person must feel on being insulted repeatedly by society for no fault of his own, other than being born in a particular caste and the extreme lengths that he can go to overcome it. This obsession results in giving his body armour to Indra, therby divesting himself of his greatest protection.
The books of Kunti and Krishna (more than one for each) are middlingly good, but rarely offer any great insight into either Karna or themselves. Kunti's monologue is the usual one we have seen/read earlier of a woman torn between Karna and her other sons. The initial parts of her monologue are her reminiscences about her childhood, her being gifted by her father Surasena to Kunti Bhoja, her marriage to Pandu, in both cases without anyone asking her preference or her feelings are the best of the lot. Krishna's monologue too is pretty much the usual one you come to expect. The monologue of Duryodhana is different in that he is shown as a scheming character who treats Karna as more of his personal employee, a weapon to counteract the Pandavas than as his friend. Yes, I agree that their relationship need not have been as close a friendship as is known generally, but a complete flip around of it results in the relationship becoming completely one-dimensional, with no layers to it. Looks like the author decided to do a paradigm shift of popular perception, but in doing that he actually does Duryodhana an injustice. It cannot have been only personal benefit that made him ally with Karna, as it cannot have been only the goodness of his heart. (If he had been so devious, he could very well have forced Karna to fight under Bheeshma during the first 10 days of the war, instead of agreeing with his decision). Interestingly Aswaththama seems to have a more deeper friendship with Karna than Duryodhana. But ironically, even he abuses Karna in a fit of anger as a charioter's son during a tense moment in the war. This in a way exemplifies Karna's relationship with most people. However close he gets to them, how much ever he feels respected by them, at some point his origins are used by the same people to taunt him. That brings us to the other 2 books, that of his wife Vrishali and Shom his step-brother. It is with them that he does not feel the insecurity of being insulted at any time. But he rarely opens up his innermost feelings to even them. The two monologues are basically adulations of Karna by the two, who literally worship the ground he treads on. I had read somewhere else that Karna did not have a happy marital life as his wife who supposedly was royalty, was contempous of his origins and was insulting to him, but here Samant gives us a different version. Maybe one of the above books could have been done away with for a monologue of Arjuna, it sure would have been interesting to get know his views on his arch rival.
Karna's worship of the Sun-god, the unexplainable (to him, but not to the reader) connect that he feels towards the Sun god are very evocative, as is the part where the Sun god teaches him about the astras. (Yes, it is Surya devta who is mentioned as Karna's teacher in the book, because Drona is pre-occupied with teaching the Pandavas and Kshatriyas.). Some other parts too stand out, one being the killing of Sisupala where Karna's eyewitness account of it is almost psychedelic. The other being Karna's turmoil when Draupathi is being insulted after the game of dice. Torn between wanting to stop Duryodhana and held back by Draupathi's earlier insult of him during her Swayamvar he finally makes the fatal decision of joining Duryodhana. The tipping point for this is rooted in the human ego as Samant slips in a subtle variation of the events. As Draupathi asks everyone in the royal assembly for help, she sees Karna, meets his eye and then moves away without asking him anything. This spurs Karna to insult her. (Ironically it is revealed later that Draupathi did not ask for his help since she was already regretting her insult of Karna at her Swayamvar and did not feel worthy of his assistance). The part where Karna cuts off his armor to give to Indra and the subsequent description of his skinless body which is translucent is bound to shock you. But alongside such parts, others like the description of the events of the war get monotonous at places as do Shon's and Vrishali's monologues in their adulation of Karna.
This is a good, but at times uneven read. Personally for me, the best take on the Mahabharata still remains Bhyrappa's Parva. If you have not read Parva and are interested in reading variations on the epic, the first option should be Parva.
A digression from the novel. At the end of the novel, I found myself thinking about another character in parallel to Karna. If Karna can be said the victim of injustice throughout his life, then what of Eklavya. Probably he was the one who was subjected to the most cruel injustice of them all. Why is he not mentioned as reacting the way that Karna did, why for instance did he not join Duryodhana, (Parva mentions Eklavya as joining Duryodhana ) what happens to him after he gives his guru-dakshina to Drona? Why is he not spoken about more like Karna, why is he not so much entrenched in the general consciousness like Karna. Is there any contemporary work that shows Eklavya in a different light than the obedient, almost naive character that he is portrayed as generally. At the beginning of the book, Karna tells that he wants to tell his story because the truth has to be known, so why is the truth about Eklavya not told. Is it because that Karna was a Kshatriya after all and so had to get his share of fame, albeit posthumously while Eklavya is always in the lower echelon of the social order and hence need not betaken seriously? These thoughts do not have anything to do with this particular novel yes, but it seemed pertinent to discuss and compare both Karna and Ekalyva together.
The monologues of Karna are the best of the lot. Though the book is a sort of paean to Karna, it never goes overboard with it and tries to show his flaws as well. For all his poweress, Karna comes across as internally turmoiled, insecure man, insecure due to his origins about his place in society and obsessed about being recognized as the best archer of all. But sadly he was never given the oppurtunity of a level playing field to prove it. If he was denied by Drona during the archery competition at the beginning, then the curses that are heaped on him at the later stage also play a part in ensuring that he remains a tragic hero. It is a matter of conjecture as to what would have happened, if Drona had allowed Karna to compete with Arjuna. Maybe he would have won, he may have indeed lost, but either way, he would have been a more peaceful man, contended with himself and not obsessed with being the best archer which drives almost all his actions resulting in tragic consequences. But it was to not be. Another feeling that he tries to reconcile with vainly till the very end is his origin. Karna is shown in a subtle way as being unable to accept fully his origins. Though he loves his parents, proclaims that he is proud to a charioteer's son, some parts of his monologue subtly let it slip that maybe he is not as confident and secure about his origins as he shows. Maybe he craved that he were born elsewhere, or to put it clearly he may have desired that his parents had been the same but of a higher standing in society. It is borne out by his reactions to the relevation that he is Kunti's son. It's not any great happiness (or anger) that he feels towards Kunti. What comes through mainly is the relief that he is Kshatriya after all, that he cannot be insulted for his birth. It implies that he accepts the social order for all his posturing and that instead of trying to remove it, he is more than happy to know that he has actually jumped up in the order. Interestingly, Samant brings a twist to Karna's much lauded generosity using this turmoil. It is mentioned that his generosity is due to his craving for recognition. This does not reduce the value of his generosity, but only serves to enhance to the reader, the pain that a person must feel on being insulted repeatedly by society for no fault of his own, other than being born in a particular caste and the extreme lengths that he can go to overcome it. This obsession results in giving his body armour to Indra, therby divesting himself of his greatest protection.
The books of Kunti and Krishna (more than one for each) are middlingly good, but rarely offer any great insight into either Karna or themselves. Kunti's monologue is the usual one we have seen/read earlier of a woman torn between Karna and her other sons. The initial parts of her monologue are her reminiscences about her childhood, her being gifted by her father Surasena to Kunti Bhoja, her marriage to Pandu, in both cases without anyone asking her preference or her feelings are the best of the lot. Krishna's monologue too is pretty much the usual one you come to expect. The monologue of Duryodhana is different in that he is shown as a scheming character who treats Karna as more of his personal employee, a weapon to counteract the Pandavas than as his friend. Yes, I agree that their relationship need not have been as close a friendship as is known generally, but a complete flip around of it results in the relationship becoming completely one-dimensional, with no layers to it. Looks like the author decided to do a paradigm shift of popular perception, but in doing that he actually does Duryodhana an injustice. It cannot have been only personal benefit that made him ally with Karna, as it cannot have been only the goodness of his heart. (If he had been so devious, he could very well have forced Karna to fight under Bheeshma during the first 10 days of the war, instead of agreeing with his decision). Interestingly Aswaththama seems to have a more deeper friendship with Karna than Duryodhana. But ironically, even he abuses Karna in a fit of anger as a charioter's son during a tense moment in the war. This in a way exemplifies Karna's relationship with most people. However close he gets to them, how much ever he feels respected by them, at some point his origins are used by the same people to taunt him. That brings us to the other 2 books, that of his wife Vrishali and Shom his step-brother. It is with them that he does not feel the insecurity of being insulted at any time. But he rarely opens up his innermost feelings to even them. The two monologues are basically adulations of Karna by the two, who literally worship the ground he treads on. I had read somewhere else that Karna did not have a happy marital life as his wife who supposedly was royalty, was contempous of his origins and was insulting to him, but here Samant gives us a different version. Maybe one of the above books could have been done away with for a monologue of Arjuna, it sure would have been interesting to get know his views on his arch rival.
Karna's worship of the Sun-god, the unexplainable (to him, but not to the reader) connect that he feels towards the Sun god are very evocative, as is the part where the Sun god teaches him about the astras. (Yes, it is Surya devta who is mentioned as Karna's teacher in the book, because Drona is pre-occupied with teaching the Pandavas and Kshatriyas.). Some other parts too stand out, one being the killing of Sisupala where Karna's eyewitness account of it is almost psychedelic. The other being Karna's turmoil when Draupathi is being insulted after the game of dice. Torn between wanting to stop Duryodhana and held back by Draupathi's earlier insult of him during her Swayamvar he finally makes the fatal decision of joining Duryodhana. The tipping point for this is rooted in the human ego as Samant slips in a subtle variation of the events. As Draupathi asks everyone in the royal assembly for help, she sees Karna, meets his eye and then moves away without asking him anything. This spurs Karna to insult her. (Ironically it is revealed later that Draupathi did not ask for his help since she was already regretting her insult of Karna at her Swayamvar and did not feel worthy of his assistance). The part where Karna cuts off his armor to give to Indra and the subsequent description of his skinless body which is translucent is bound to shock you. But alongside such parts, others like the description of the events of the war get monotonous at places as do Shon's and Vrishali's monologues in their adulation of Karna.
This is a good, but at times uneven read. Personally for me, the best take on the Mahabharata still remains Bhyrappa's Parva. If you have not read Parva and are interested in reading variations on the epic, the first option should be Parva.
A digression from the novel. At the end of the novel, I found myself thinking about another character in parallel to Karna. If Karna can be said the victim of injustice throughout his life, then what of Eklavya. Probably he was the one who was subjected to the most cruel injustice of them all. Why is he not mentioned as reacting the way that Karna did, why for instance did he not join Duryodhana, (Parva mentions Eklavya as joining Duryodhana ) what happens to him after he gives his guru-dakshina to Drona? Why is he not spoken about more like Karna, why is he not so much entrenched in the general consciousness like Karna. Is there any contemporary work that shows Eklavya in a different light than the obedient, almost naive character that he is portrayed as generally. At the beginning of the book, Karna tells that he wants to tell his story because the truth has to be known, so why is the truth about Eklavya not told. Is it because that Karna was a Kshatriya after all and so had to get his share of fame, albeit posthumously while Eklavya is always in the lower echelon of the social order and hence need not betaken seriously? These thoughts do not have anything to do with this particular novel yes, but it seemed pertinent to discuss and compare both Karna and Ekalyva together.
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