કૃષ્ણાયન

by Kaajal Oza Vaidya

કૃષ્ણાયન: કૃષ્ણના જીવનની ત્રણ સ્રીઓ। રાધા, રુકિમણી અને દ્રૌપદી પ્રેયસી, પત્ની અને મિત્ર।... માણસ થઈને જીવી ગયેલો ઈશ્વર સાથે પોતાનો મનની વાત કરે છે। અંગ્રેજી, મરાઠી,હિન્દી ભાષામાં અનુવાદિત થયેલી અને ગુજરાતીમાં પાંચ વર્ષમાં અગિયાર આવૃત્તિ જીવી ચુકેલી ધબકતી નવલકથા.

Genres: Fiction, Love, Mythology, Religion

Paperback

First published June 30, 2009

About the author

Kaajal was born on 29 September 1966 in Mumbai, India. She graduated with a degree in English and Sanskrit from Gujarat University in 1986. She completed her post-graduate certificate in advertising management at Saint Xavier's College in Mumbai.

She debuted in writing with a short story collection, Sambandh.. To Akash in 2005 was followed by a collection of poetry, Sheshyatra. Her popularity grew when her first novel Yog Viyog was serialized in Chitralekha weekly. She worked on plays during her earlier career. She teaches creative writing as a Visiting Faculty in the Master of Developmental Communication Department of Gujarat University.

She worked as a journalist with Sandesh, Gujarat Daily, Loksatta-Jansatta, The Indian Express, Abhiyan magazine and Samkalin, Sambhaav. She writes columns in Divya Bhaskar, Gujarat Mitra, Kutchmitra, Janmabhhomi Pravasi and Culcutta Halchal. She regularly gives speeches on different subjects across Gujarat and beyond. She hosts the radio show Kaajal@9 on 94.3 My FM Ahmedabad.

Reviews

[Jay Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

કૃષ્ણાયન

શુ કહું આ પુસ્તક વિશે? જેટલું કહું એટલું ઓછું પડે એમ લાગી રહયું છે મને. કોણ જાણે એવું તો શુ હતુ આમાં, મારા મોટાભાગ નાં વિચારો ને બદલી નાખયા.
મારા જીવન નાં દરેકે પ્રસંગ મને મારી આંખો સમક્ષ આવતાં લાગ્યા. મારી કરેલી બધી સારી અને ખરાબ વાતો મારા મન મા ફરી પ્રવેશી.
આ પુસ્તક મે એક જ કારણે હાથ મા લીધું હતુ. મારે સ્ત્રી ની સહજતા, એમની મંન સ્થિતી ને સમજવી હતી.

અને મને મારા મંન નાં બધા જ પ્રશ્ન ના જવાબ અહિયાં મલ્યા. સાથે સાથે આ ચોપડી એ મને દુખ પણ આપ્યું. બહુ બાધા મારા ખરાબ કર્મ મને યાદ આવા મંડ્યા. જેનાં વિશે હુ હંમેશા કઇ પણ કરવા તત્પર રહું છું. પણ કોણ જાને લગભગ હવે કદાચ એનો સમય છે પણ કે નઈ.

હું પોતાને આમ નસીબદાર માનું છું કે મારા જીવન નાં સૌથી જરુરી સમય મા મને ભાન આવ્યુ. છતાંય એક વાત નું મને બહુ જ દુખ છે કે મે મોડું કરી દીધું. મને થોડા એવાં સમય પેલા એક વ્યક્તિ એ આ વાંચવા કહ્યુ હતૂ. હા, આ એજ છે જેને હૂ નાં સમજી સક્યો. હુ હજી પણ એને સમજવા નાં પ્રયાસ મા છુ. કોણ જાને સ્ત્રી આટલી સરળ હોવાં છતાંય આટલી ઊંડી કેમ ની હોય છે!!

પણ આજે હુ કહી શકુ છું કે હુ એને ઓળખી શક્યો, થોડુ મોડું થઈ ગયું હોય તેમ લાગે છે. આવી વ્યક્તિ ને હુ આજ દી સુધી મળ્યો નથી. કે કદાચ મળવાનું થાશે પન નઈ. પણ હાં હુ એને માટે સદાય રાહ જોતો રહીશ. ભલે કેટલી પણ વાર કેમ નાં લાગે. કેમ કે મે એનાં જેટલો પ્રેમ બીજા કોઈને કર્યો જ નથી.

બસ આટલું જ કેહવું છે મને, હુ એ બધાને આ પુસ્તક વાંચવાની સલાહ આપુ છું જે લોકો એક સ્ત્રી ને સમજવા માંગતા હોય કે પોતે એવી કોઈ પરિસ્થિતિ માં થી પસાર થતા હોય.

[Srujan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why but I felt like reading a book in my mother tongue, Gujarati, and so after minimal scouting, I picked this up thanks to rave reviews from friends. Krishnayan is in a way, a retelling of a lifetime that Lord Vishnu spends walking this earth as a mortal. It mainly focuses on his relationships with the three important women in this life, Radha, Rukmini and Draupadi. And yet, most surprisingly, the relationship between a middle-aged Radha and her teenage daughter in law is my favourite, despite being only briefly described. The good thing about the book is that it doesn't attempt to paint pictures of what happened in Mahabharata for the reader. It rather deals with a wide range of human emotions of love, desire, jealousy, dissatisfaction and finally settles on talking about a sense of detachment that Krishna aims to develop. If you are looking for what happened, how it happened and why it happened, you might be in for some disappointment. The book is mostly dialogues between these three amazing women and Krishna, and through them, it takes the shape of a spiritual discourse. However, the best part is that the tone is not pedantic or preachy, it is beautifully conversational! My favourite passage is this:

આ જીવન દોરડા પર ચલતા નટ જેવું છે. એક તરફથી બીજી તરફ અને બીજી તરફથી આ તરફ... સાચે જ, એ નટ પ્રવાસ નથી કરતો, અને છતાં એ સતત ચાલે છે... એની સાથે, એણે સતત એ પણ ધ્યાન રાખવાનું છે કે ધ્યાનચૂક ના થાય! આટલી બધી મહેનત અને કુશળતા સાથે સતત ચાલતી વ્યક્તિ પણ ક્યાંય પહોંચી નથી શકતી એ નવાઈ ની વાત છે!

Loosely translated, it wonders aloud about how the artist who performs feats on a tightrope, puts in all his focus, concentration and diligence in the task of walking to and fro between the poles. Despite the Herculean effort, does he ever feel he has "arrived"?

[Meha Desai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irony is that...I am reviewing a Gujarati book in English! :) Anyway, details matters the most...and truly god, what did I just read! The most amazing book on Krishna I ever read!

Actually, I have no words for this book. While reading I have gone through many emotions at times and I realized that I have never actually seen Krishna this way! And I can only say one thing again & again that if a god who lives his life as human being on earth and he suffered incredible pain & loss, given the fact that he knew everything & still he was helpless then who are we? We are nothing and we have no right to cry over this and that! That's all I can say!

Thanks to this book, I, now, know Rukmani so well and I actually like her a lot! I seriously adore & respect Darupadi but Rukmani has taken a very special place in my heart! And people may worship, Radha-Krishna, which is perfectly fine & very well deserved for their intimacy & inexplicable relationship but Krishna-Rukmani is my OTP! :P And I adore them!

Cutting one star from the perfection here...because at some point during the novel, I felt like some incidents were forcefully forwarded & not given much detail as it should have been. It could have been more thorough & amplified . And also...I expected more story from Radha but there are only few chapters which are dedicated to her. Little bit disappointed.

All in all...this one is must have book!

[Ashok Krishna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This great land of ours is blessed with not one but two grand epics that have remained the guiding forces, millennia after they were originally handed down. Of these, Mahabharata is larger and multidimensional. While Ramayana is all about righteousness, devotion and all things sacred, Mahabharata has appealed more to the masses, by dealing with the mundane aspects of human life, with all its pitfalls and trappings. While Ramayana strictly charts its whole course along the life of Rama, Mahabharata freely branches off into so many distributaries, enriching the land of Bharatvarsh with so many sub-tales, teaching Life through characters like Yayati and Rishyashringa, for example. Unlike Ramayana, the larger epic has rendered itself easily available for different interpretations and presentations. No wonder then that the most popular of God incarnates, Sri Krishna, is the guiding force of Mahabharat, moving seamlessly between Bhagavata and Bharata.

In the vast pantheon of Hinduism, Krishna and Ganesha have remained the most popular and widely worshipped Gods. Of them, Krishna yields more readily to all forms of worship. You can treat him like a child and pamper - like Yashoda (Vatsalya Bhava), treat him like a friend and share your troubles - like Sudama (Sneha Bhava), you can consider him a lover and devote yourself to him - like Radha (Madhura Bhava), or you can consider him your master and make his service your priority above all else - like his charioteer Daruka (Dasya Bhava). No matter how you consider him and call him, he is always ready to move ten steps towards you for every single step you take.

Krishna is, to use a simple expression, the most well-rounded of all beings - Purushottam. Take away Raavan, Ram has no reason for his avatar. If there were no arrogant Kshatriyas, there wouldn’t have been a battle-axe wielding brahmin Parasurama. Vaman, Varaha, Koorma and Narasimha were all here for the sole purpose of slaying Demons. Even the prophesied Kalki avatar could be averted, if people mend their sinful ways. But Krishna was never here for a sole purpose. Take away his slaying of Kamsa, his life would still shine bright and purposeful. Ignore his childish pranks at Brindavan and you can still have his mature Gita. Each of us can read the same Bhagavata and come away with so many different lessons of our own understanding.

While such a perfect incarnation impresses itself upon the fertile mind of a capable author, magic is bound to happen. This book, Krishnayan, is nothing less than magic, recounting the final moments of Krishna and the thoughts that could have crossed his human mind. Sitting alongside the guilt-ridden Jara, the hunter whose hands Karma used to shoot that arrow of Destiny, we readers all become witnesses to what transpired in the mind of that God in human form. The Krishna we all have known as a playful prankster, divine lover and a wise soul is, in this tale, tormented by his earthly attachments and duties, just the way Rama was. Not so surprisingly, either because this book is by a female author or because his whole life was beautified by the presence of great women, in his final moments Krishna is struggling to sever his bondage with three women – Draupadi the friend, Rukmini the wife and Radha the most blessed of all beloveds. I felt amused that even the great Krishna, true to his human form, couldn’t find all these three relationships in a single woman. But ignore my inopportune sense of humor, this book is intense beyond imagination.

Krishna lies dying near the confluence in Prabhas Kshetra. Tormented equally by the bleeding foot and the thoughts of having helplessly witnessed the self-inflicted massacre of Yadava clan. Adding to those woes were his bonds with the aforementioned women, three of the most special in his life. But was he waiting to be liberated from them or to liberate them? The book narrates it all in a deeply moving, equally enthralling manner. If you have known Krishna only as a cheerful person, a loving god and an epitome of Vairagya, you will get an entirely different experience. The writing tends to get depressing at times, with some character or the other soaking almost every other page with their tears, but considering the ethereal flow and narrative, that can be ignored. With all those beautiful philosophies propounded and lessons provided, I feel this more as a spiritual discourse, than an ordinary work of fiction.

The avatar of Krishna came to impart Wisdom and he performed his task to perfection from start to end. If his birth is an example of having faith in the Supreme, his childhood an example of Devotion, his youth an expression of Divine Love, his Gita the source of all that is worth knowing in this world, his death is a lesson on the inevitability of Karma. After all, isn’t it Vaali - killed by Rama in an ‘Adharmic’ way in his previous birth - who came back as Jara to set the score right, shooting that fatal arrow, hidden from Krishna’s view?! No wonder then that Krishna is called ‘Jagadguru’ – Universal Teacher. May he bless us all with wisdom!

Krishnam vande Jagadgurum!

[Manisha Manohar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look into Lord Krishna’s last moments and thoughts.

My review is for the ENGLISH translation of this book by Subha Pande.

Lord Krishna lies dying at Prabhaskshetra, only the hunter Jara beside him. The Yadava clan has annihilated itself though in-fighting. His brother Balaram/Shesha has already departed his body. Krishna is surprised at his own human frailty of attachment, and his unwillingness to let go of life. Knowing his end is near, he reminisces over the strong women who have passed in and out of his time on Earth and ponders what they meant to him.

Each one is different and yet very dear to him. He has been accused by Rukmini of never belonging to her completely, as he invests himself emotionally in everyone around him equally. Draupadi his sakhi, admits that her bond with him is deeper even than that, with her husbands. Radha is likewise devoted to him. Satyabhama fights for his attention, considering Rukmini her arch rival and seeks to bind him with her beauty and charm.

Each woman has her own bond with Krishna and yet he belongs to none of them. The book is also a look at human relationships with all the attendant expectations, attachments and the need to let go.

I enjoyed the book, especially the many anecdotes of Krishna with varied characters like Karna, Kunti, Gandhari. Although fiction, it helps to imagine a more human side to Lord Krishna, and his personality as an individual, separate from his divinity. We see the kind of interactions he might have had with the main characters of the Mahabharata War. A striking feature of the writing is the rich imagery evoked by the author’s passages, in spite of being a translation from the Gujrati original.

A great takeaway from the book is Lord Krishna’s own realization as he lies waiting for his death – Waiting is a waste. It is important to breathe life into every breath. The only true moment is the present. Those who live for tomorrow are tied to the future and forget the present.

[RRK · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of the book was fantastic. The narrative style was also quite unlike anything I have ever read. It's a stream of consciousness kind of a narrative where we see lord Krishna's thoughts as he lays dying after being hit by the arrow of a hunter.

This book was hyped up in an fb group that I am a part of and as this Gujarati book has recently been translated into English I saw this as an excellent opportunity to read this otherwise inaccessible Gujarati bestseller.

I have a hot & cold relationship with retelling/reimagining especially of our itihAsas and purAnas, as rarely if any, do the authors, retain the essence and piety of the stories while putting their unique spin to it.

Sadly I was disappointed with this book as well.

My first red flag was when I read the portion, where the author implies that people knew about the truth of Karna's birth-mother before the war and that Shakuni & duryodhana are questioning the loyalty of Karna which is, pardon me, a whole load of nonsense! It's well known that the truth was revealed in a heart-wrenching manner ONLY AFTER the war.

Licenses in story crafting is acceptable unless you don't caricature the original one.
Distortion is very unappealing! Especially since duplicates are the last resort of people who can't afford the original. And thankfully in India we still have access to the original gem of a story.

You can't ice a bun, call it a cake, and try to sell it. That's dishonesty.

Retellings must be honest. While sticking to the core story the author must try to bring in their own brand of inventiveness. But, if somebody simply wants to distort then aren't they free to create their own story? Why butcher a story millions revere as history & a part of themselves?

I am not saying it's a bad book. The author seems to super-heavily inspired by k.m. Munshi, one of the most revered authors/scholars who has immortalized lord Krishna with his retellings! But, unlike K.m. Munshi's writing this story has taken liberties in areas that mar a story rather than improve it.

The story begins with Gandhari's curse that says the Lord must die like a beast, alone with no one beside him. But, by the end miraculously some of his loved ones appear near him? What? So the curse didn't work?

As I said, the effort was spectacular. Some of the Sanskrit verses both from Gita and Mahabharata brought forth fond memories. Am sure the translation is also laudable. And I enjoyed the unique narrative style as well. But, while I expected a cake I got a plain bun tasteless and bland.

Recommend this book if you want to imagine the lord in his last moments and want to reminisce on his divinity. Because honestly which bhakta doesn't like to hear his/her lord's name in any form, manner, or fashion? Read it if only to bring solace to the souls that suffer due to separation from HIM.

[Rajat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book which I read with a lot of patience. It was difficult to keep it down after every reading but even more difficult to feel the life of Krishna in that short time. Krishna's love, life and duty has been beautifully defined and captured by the author. The storyline is rejuvenating, one of the few books which could handle real human emotions well.
The grammar was sometimes lost in translation yet I rate this book as 5 because you'd not care, as this was a cinematic masterpiece that you've to watch even if it was in mayan.

[Book'd Hitu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my very first audiobook reading that too by my all-time favourite author. This tale is situated in the time when Mahabharata war is over and Krishna has decided to leave the earth for heaven.

The portrayal of final moments and feelings and departing talks of Krishna with Draupadi, Rukmini and Radha can bring tears in the eyes of the reader.

This book teaches us the true values of relationships, friendship and integrity.

A must read for every Gujarati reader.

[Uttam Satapathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best portrayals of the life of the blue god. Explores the relationship of Krishna with the four most prominent women of his life - Radha, Draupadi, Rukmini and Satyabhama. Switching between past and present, it features Krishna reviewing his life at his deathbed. Beautifully conceived and well-written.

[Jayesh Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes Lord Krishna as a human being. Ms. Vaidya has used a very novel approach in writing about the life of one of the most intriguing characters of Hindu ethos. So much has been already written about Krishna yet she makes her book unique. Perhaps we should look at Krishna as a great human being rather then as an Avatar of Lord Vishnu.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Sherry Verma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book expresses the divinity and knowledge for which Krishna is known. It feels as if he's talking directly to us. It's always a pleasure reading about the Lord. I recommend this to everybody who believes in Krishna and who are in a need of enlightenment in their lives.

[Kasturi Dadhe · Rating 5 out of 5]

gripping..enchanting..liberating: a very refreshing yet philosophical read..

[Pulkit Tiwari · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book is coveres Krishna's parting moments from his mortal role on earth as he lives through flashes of his past, especially from the standpoint of four important women in his life - Radha, Rukhmani, Draupadi & Satyabhama. The book beautifully presents him as a conflicted yet clear central character, dealing with regrets, confusions and reflecting on his choices all along, often retelling them to answer questions from those women (some that we carry as readers and worshippers about the mythological life of the deity). The book uses philosophy as the central theme for story telling and focusses on causes instead of the cases. Mahabharat is a rich text and have powerful episodes which often are so strong as plot points in itself that second layer of characters particularly those that are part of Dwarka's phase of Krishna's life do not get depth of exposure to modern readers. This book helps solve that and brings fine detail to Rukhmani and Satyabhama, while staying true to the poignant portrayal of Radha and Draupadi which remain engaging as always. The book is meditating and leaves you with a smiling face while tears trickle down on it, giving joy & sorrow simultaneously.

[Sriram Ravichandran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twadiyam Vastu Govindam Tubyameva Samarpaye

'Whatever I have belongs to you and I surrender all of it to you.'

The above words seem to be the refrain and theme of this creative reimagination of Sri Krishna’s last moments in Prabhasa Kshetra. After being mistaken for a deer and shot by hunter Jara, it is time for Sri Krishna to shed his mortal coil. Yet He feels there are some untold misgivings in hearts of 3 women closest to his heart - Draupadi, Rukmini and Radha that prevent him from merging back with the supreme consciousness.

The Lord rests by the Sangama of 3 rivers of Kapila, Hiranya and Saraswati, waiting for the final release, and the author skilfully weaves back and forth narrating episodes from Itihaasa / Puranas and Krishna’s teachings from the Gita to the 3 women. Kaajal Vaidya and the translator Shubha Pande have provided immense depth and differentiation at the same time to the nature of incompleteness felt by each of the 3 women. As always, it is now upto Krishna to explore the deepest recesses of their hearts to help them voice out their untold grievances, and gently persuade them to let him free from their bonds of love.

Personally, loved how the teachings from Gita were repurposed for the scene and conversations at Prabhasa Kshetra. The scenes from Gokul of young Krishna and Radha are a delight to read. However, couldn’t appreciate the stretch by the author in some conversations with Draupadi.

Thank you @indicbookclub for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Krishna is counting the last breaths of his life near the confluence of three rivers- Saraswati, Kapila and Hiranya, which signify the three most important women in his life, who complete Krishna in their own unique ways.
In this work of fiction, the author explores the life, relations and duties of Krishna through his relationships with Radha, Rukmini and Draupadi. The author quite beautifully attempts to explain how Krishna was able to fully devote himself towards each of his relation and thus justify the love he showered equally but defined differently from different perspectives. Although Krishna has been considered to be a giver throughout his life but it was the wholehearted acceptance of anything and everything that truly sums up his character.
Acceptance was Krishna's dharma/duty. His life was all about embracing the circumstances happily, be it the love, pain, loneliness, sadness or curse. Krishna accepted everything profoundly with open arms and smile on his face. Thus teaching the lesson that the sooner you accept the situations around you, easier it is to move on and act as per your dharma/duty.

[Ruchira Shukla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best book I have read about the life of Krishna.It explores the unknown aspects of the blue God and his relationship with four most important women in his life.It expresses the divine knowledge for which he is known for ; Essence of his existence and the eternity of love that is true devotion and acceptance.

It portrays the life of Krishna beautifully switching to and fro in the time-frame where he ,in his last moments remembers the devotion and love of four most important women of his life and thus portrays four different kind of relationship with intriguing narration.

I recommend to all who believes in Krishna and his knowledge.

[Prateek Garodia]

Amazing book. Learnt about the 4 different kinds of relationships a man can have with a woman. Also got a glimpse of how Krishna's life was. Even though the books says the story is author's representation and may not necessarily be authentic, it still is presented in a very beautiful way.

[Aditi Srivastava · Rating 5 out of 5]

keep coming back to the book.

[bookpub1980 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very insightful vision of the Author Kaajal Oza-Vaidya on Lord Krishna , and the 3 prominent women in his Life.. Draupadi; Radha and Rukshmani.

[Bhumika Gohil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big fan of her writtings and this one is one her best books. One should not seek literature in her books but her way of explaining intricate human emotions effortlessly is commendable

[Aditya Annavajjhala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine the below Situation.

You are in death bed waiting for your loved ones who has completely devoted their lives to you to release you from the pain & sadness you are feeling just by switching off the life support you were put on. Your loved ones are not ready to loose. Will you ask them to relieve from pain or do you suffer more just by lying on death bed & on life support..??

The above said Situation is presented to Lord Krishna as well in the Book "Krishnayan" by Kaajal Oza Vaidya originally written in Gujarathi but translated into English by Sudha Pande.

The story takes place after Mahabharatha War & after Yadava Clan is died by killing themselves in Prabhasakshetra, A place near Somnath, Gujarath.

Krishna, because of Gandhari curse is left alone & hit by Jara,a hunter and he is about to die but there are few bondages which kept krishna from dying.

Draupathi, Rukmini & Radha the most powerful women in Krishna life have something that krishna needs to be answered before leaving his human life and ask them for Liberation.

The Book travels through these women & their connection and bondage with krishna. We as reader can experience love, Friendship & marriage through these conversations.

Kaajal through her book shows us how various women in Mahabharath felt about the course of events happened & how these effected Krishna.

The Book is more like Gita focusing on Love, Life, Marriage & relations rather than on Karma & Duties of Man.

Reading this Book can give a Complete words on Krishna both in Masculine(Logic) as well Feminine(Emotion) form.

This book is a Definite recommendation to all Krishna Devotees & a good read for those who want to understand what is Krishna philosophy is about..!!

Personal Note : This Book is Fictional Story based on Krishna meeting his counter parts before his death whereas in Vysa Bharata, Krishna Died alone while he is resting under a tree.

[Vinay Nandurdikar · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good to know the form of love she expressed.

[Vikalp Trivedi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entrapped in a cycle of birth and death because of being born from a womb, the greatest man of Treta Yug in now in his death bed waiting for his time to come and take him away form his mortal body. Lying under a large peepal tree Krishna is retrospecting his life through the lens of three of the most important women in his life- Rukmani, Draupadi and Radha. His first wife, his friend and his lover respectively. Though the stories and novels revolving around Krishna in his death bed retrospecting his life is neither new nor underused concept but the involvement of Rukmani, Draupadi and Radha was the reason I picked up this novel.

Novel starts really well and initial few chapters are a good mixture of character driven plot and some beautiful imagery. While reading those chapters it seemed like the arrow stuck in his leg is not only arrow Krishna is stuck with, but he is constantly being pierced by the arrows of the questions of the people whose fate he has controlled and changed it forever. The chapters were so well written that they succeed in making you feel the same sting Krishna was feeling while facing them. The questions he was facing was so sharp that for a while I thought this novel was going to be one of a kind because it has started putting the Poorna Purushottam in existential questions. But to my utter disappointment the novel fails all this built up in the second half.

After almost half of the book the writing becomes very monotonous and repetitive, even in some parts dialogues are copied and pasted as it is. Thanks to the part of Draupadi bin the novel we know about the humiliation she faced in the Kuru Assembly and the questions she has for Krishna that why hasn't he helped her when Dushasan was dragging her to the assembly, even after this for no reason at all towards the closing chapters of the book we get a complete scene of Draupadi's humiliation in the Kuru Assembly. Even after a point the questions Krishna faces becaome very monotonous and his character in the novel is diminished to a character who says identical lines in almost every chapter. The writing is also highly contradictory, on one hand writer is trying hard to show Krishna a mortal being was just greater than other mortal beings lived during that period and on the other hand that very man believes in the curses of Rishi Durvasa and Gandhari.

We are also treated with a random appreance by the deadly duo of Shakuni and Duryodhan. An appearance which makes no sense at all. This appreaence brings me to another point. During this appearance Shakuni reveals Duryodhan that Karn is the eldest Pandav and in exchange Duryodhan expresses his doubts about Karn's loyalty towards him. As far as I know Duryodhan came to know about Karn being the eldest Pandav is after Karn's death and if the writer has slightest doubt about the trust which Duryodhan had on Karn she should read the story of Bhanumati, Duryodhan and Karn. So in short this appearance by deadly duo adds only negatives to the novel. It was better that they had skipped entire part written on Karn because there is nothing new there at all.

But the worst thing about the novel is that the author really tried to make Radha and the relationship between Krishna and Radha a mystical affair. But the part when Radha takes centre stage comes very late and after so many unnecessary things and till then I lost the interest in the book. Radha doesn't shine as a character because novel is heavily busy in telling us again and again that how beautiful Draupadi is and she is born out of a fire altar and she is hell bent on taking revenge. This overused typical "Draupadi revenge angle" eclipses Radha completely. Also that angle between Radha and her daughter-in-law did not work for me.

2 Stars.
(One of which is for the beautiful cover of the English translation.)

[Sarthak Mohanty · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You will suffer a beastly death- die lonely, helpless and aggrieved."

"Tathastu."

A smile tinged with agony crept up to his lips as Mata Gandhari's words came thundering back through his memories as he lay under the shade of Ashwattha tree with Jara's arrow plunged deep in his lotus foot. He whose entire life had been but one thing- acceptance, had accepted Gandhari's curse with utmost grace. After witnessing the complete annihilation of Yadava race and departure of Balaram from the mortal world, it was time for the Yogeshwara to embrace Chira-nidra. But, was even the Poorna Purushottama, beyond humanly ties of love and bondage of human relationships?

As he rested at the Triveni confluence of Hiranya, Kapila and Saraswati, memories of his illustrious life came flooding back. But, neither were they related to the bloodshed of Kurukshetra nor, his superhuman achievements. Instead, there were questions.

Was he really free to liberate himself from his mortal form? Did he have any obligations left towards his Sahadharmini, Rukmini? Or towards his priya sakhi, Draupadi? Was Gokul's Kanhaiya still bound by Radha's love? Or was it Satyabhama's affection that still bound him?

'Krishnayan' by Kaajal Oza Vaidya stitches the heart-warming tale of liberation of the mortal god. You just can't get enough of the magnificent artwork on the cover. Beautifully translated into English using simple yet sophisticated vocabulary by Subha Pande, the Gujarati bestseller takes you on a journey of witnessing the lesser discussed side of Madhusudan. The book is a fictional tale of Krishna's last moments which revolves around four extraordinary women, each with a different definition of love and devotion towards him. The exquisitely mesmerizing novel, reflecting upon the mortal emotions and dilemmas of Dwarkadheesh, has been woven in such a way that it evokes extremely strong emotions throughout the narrative. Personally speaking, I've lost count of the times I was on the verge of breaking down into fits of uncontrollable sobs while reading this book. If you overcome the perplexing chronology, Krishnayan is every bit the masterpiece that you'd immerse yourself in with utmost devotion. ❤️🦚

[Nikhil Silveira · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nuanced exploration of the feminine side of Krishna's relations with the women in his life (Radha, Draupadi, Rukmini, Satyabhama).

The cover visually emphasizes the English Translator (B-Town journalist Bhawana Somaaya), over the author of the original Gujarati tome (Kaajal Oza-Vaidya).
Translation requires transplanting idioms across two languages, but does that justify overshadowing an author with a translator?

That aside, the book is nice.
Some quotes:

"I don't oppose you; all of us are right in our own perspectives. The ultimate truch can be fathomed only when we exchange places. It's only when we view it from the other perspective that we shed light and dissolve darkness..."

------

"...I want to express many things and at the same time I don't want to say anything. I'm completely taken aback, too many thoughts cross my mind and suddenly I feel blank..."

"...you have pushed a woman to her extreme threshold... and a scorned woman is like an animal...
It's very difficult to get a woman to this stage, for a woman by nature is forgiving, compassionate, loving and fragile... If devastation is the ugly side of civilisation, vengeance is the other side of virtuosity... Today I sense this burning poison in my veins.... Until I soak my scalp in your blood, I will relive this torment in my memories... This is Draupadi's... Yajnaseni's promise to you... until then you will burn in the fire of my vengeance..."

-----

"The truth is I'm wholesome because I contain the anguish and the anxieties of so many around me. If I discard all these, I would not be myself, I would be inadequate, won't I...?"

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a nice read.
Just that I lost interest & couldn’t finish it.

[Mansi Rathod · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up by listing stories about Lord krishna and Mahabharat and that make me read many books and Articles about Krishna..
I still remember when I was 5 or 6 year old I want to dress up as Krishna because for me krishna is coolest God 😅

Book is based on last moment of Lord Krishna that is unique part about book and his relationship with three most important women in his life
As a friend Draupadi
As a wife Rukmani
And as a lover Radha
This three women have different personality but they are still similar in many way and they love Krishna a lot

I love Rukmani's Charcter a lot, in one Chapter where she is jealous of Satyabhama that show us how she felt..for me Rukmani's love for krishna is incredible.. after reading this book I want to read book about Rukmani's pov
This book make you emotional and make you understand Krishna as how he really felt as human..this make you think that what he felt in his last time.

In last ||त्वदीयं वस्तु गोविन्द: तुभ्यमेव समर्पयेते|| કૃષ્ણ તે મને જે પણ આપ્યુ એ તારું છે, તે આપેલું સુખ તે આપેલું દુઃખ , તારો પ્રેમ પણ તારો છે, કારણ કે જે તે મને આપેલું ભલે એ મારું પણ છેલ્લે હું તો તને જ સમર્પિત છું ❣️

[Monika Samarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

કૃષ્ણાયન ...ધન્ય છે ધન્ય છે આ અલૌકિક રચના માટે ધન્ય છે Kajal oza vaidhya.. mam ..

બધાને શબ્દો થી રમાડતા કૃષ્ણ,

સ્ત્રી ની ઉભરાઈ ઉભરાઈ ને આવતી મહાનતા, સમર્પણ, લાવણ્ય, મમતા, વહાલ, સંવેદન ...

પ્રેમ, મિલન, વિરહ, વિષાદ, પ્રતીક્ષા, નીતિ, ધર્મ, સત્ય, કર્તવ્ય, બંધન, મુક્તિ, સ્વીકાર, ઇર્ષ્યા, અહંકાર ... નું અતિ સુંદર આલેખન ................


what an amazing switching between memory n present


લાગણીમાંથી મુક્ત ના થઇ શકતા દેવ .... મૌત આવ્યા પછી પણ એની પ્રતીક્ષા કરતા, મૃત્યુ નો મહોત્સવ ઉજવાતા દેવ ...

wannn say sooo many things .. but શબ્દો ખૂટે છે ...

અંત માં એટલું જ કહીશ કે મારા માટે તો ભાગવત નો સાક્ષાત્કાર એટલે "કૃષ્ણાયન"

Thaks to Sumanba Jadeja for giving this book ...

[Aman Desai · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is about the three most important women in Krishna's life. Rukmini, Draupadi and Radha! On his deathbed, how Krishna remembers the time spent with each of them and the moments lived, to urge at last, to free him from all the earthly bonds. The writing is good overall, gets repetitive and contradictory at some instances. I enjoyed the parts including Radha the most. Least amount of lines are dedicated to Radha! The most amount of time is spent on Draupadi, which gets boring at times as it is all part of Mahabharat and we've read it more than once. Hence, we are familiar with it and know the subtlety and minute aspects of it. The last 20 pages of the book were the most enjoyable for me. Overall, a good book and a one time read.