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Mahabharata #1
The Forest of Stories
The story starts in forest of Naimisha, which is the setting for the narration of a part of the great epic, The Mahabharata, in this book. This book is the first in a series of around 18 books planned by the author in his bid to retell the Indian legend, and the story is carried forward by its subsequent sequels, The Seeds of War and The Children of Midnight.The book begins when members of Kulapati Shaunaka's ashRAM are startled with the arrival of a weary traveller. He turns out to be Ugrasrava Lomarsana, a Suta Pauranika, a reciter of histories and epics. He is also called Sauti, and is a disciple of Sage Vyasa himself. He brings the sad news of the death of the great Vyasa.The sages at the ashRAM greet him with affection and respect, offer some food to eat, and give him time to recover from his long journey. Eventually, they ask him to recite to them the great epic composed by Vyasa. Sauti obliges and begins the story. Just like in the great epic, the beginning of the story is entirely disconnected from the crux of the great epic and its central characters.The main characters are summed up in a small introduction by Sauti. Then the story branches out. It starts with the story of creation and then goes on to trace the lineages and stories of the various races that have been created - Nagas, Yakshas, Asuras, Devas, and humans.The story of Parashurama is told in detail in this book. It begins with the stealing of the holy cow, Kamadhenu, from Sage Jamadhagni's Ashram. It then goes on to narrate how the great Sage Jamadhagni is then killed by the king Arjuna Kartavirya's sons. Parashurama vows his terrible vengeance, and sets out to wipe the entire generation of Kshatriyas off the face of the earth.This book also describes the great Sarpa Yaga conducted by Parikshit's son Janamejaya to avenge his father's death and destroy all the snakes in the world. As foretold, this Yagna does not really succeed in what it sets out to do. The other story shared in this b
351 pages, Paperback
First published May 22, 2011
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719 people want to read
About the author
Ashok K. Banker
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
January 18, 2013
This review begins with the solemn hope that the love for stories never dies down as long as humanity is left on earth. To me, there is no bigger addiction/obsession/craze than stories, the lands of make-belief, characters that I will never meet in real life....all those ingredients that make up a magnificient story. But there is always a capability that I admire above writing which is the art of telling stories. You would never need to discover a movie, a documentary or any other form of visual media if you were to discover a teller of tales who could transport you to distant lands with just words to guide you through the way.
I could recollect the words that one of my favorite authors from Malayalam used in his collection of short stories : To my mother, who made me a writer out of me through only her skills at narrating tales. How many such minds would have stories moulded ? We owe a great many of our writers to this power and this power alone.
Why this long digression ? There is ofcourse the fact that Mahabharata is narrated time and again as stories within stories. This here is the tale of a storyteller (Sauti) named Ugrasrava who travels to the fabled forest of Naimisha-Aranya and meets up with the sages there. The bard then proceeds to narrate the great epic to the august crowd gathered around him. Late into the night and around the camp fire he regales them with tales that begin from the birth of the universe. But why does the crowd around him seem to increase every time he looks at them ? Was there this big a sea of faces when he began his story ? Even after the entire company of ascetics and novices at the hermitage joining the crowd, why does he feel even the forest itself is listening in to the tale ? The forest was ages ago, the fabled land where the Pandavas and Kauravas met in mortal combat. And as the night wears on, the spirits of the dead ones arrive at the hermitage to listen to the great bard. Such was the magic of the story and to someone irrevocably addicted to this epic like me, this feeling is a very understandable one.
This here is the Adiparva of the Mahabharata. Which is to say that it does to the epic what Genesis does to the Old testament. It begins at the time when the universe we know comes into existence. Tells us of the gods, demons and legendary monarchs. Then of the mighty serpents and the creatures of myth and later to the tales of the women and men who make up this hefty tome. There is Parashurama who traversed the Earth twenty one times to massacre the arrogant race of Kshatriyas, there is the legendary Garuda who true to his word battles the forces of heaven to free his mother from slavery and lot many other interesting characters. All this leads us to the legendary emperor named Bharatha ( not to be confused with Rama's sibling from Ramayana) from whom begins the line of Kuru kings who ages later meet on the plains of Kurukshetra to annihilate each other. Now if this isn't fascinating then I do not know what is !
So much about the story line, so you may ask how is the writing ? To me, it was in pace with the original work. Having once read an unabridged and translated version of the Adiparva from Sanskrit, I could find that the author stuck very close to the epic. Unlike his Ramayana retelling, Ashok Banker takes very few creative liberties here except for maybe a few battle scenes. I could see traces of his style from his earlier works in the battle scenes of Parashurama, the death of Parikshit and in the Shakuntala-Dushyanta yarn. Reading the Parashurama angle did give me a pause for it seemed to have reflections of Moorcock's Elric and his blade Stormbringer. The rating of four stars here is for the stories themselves which start of looking like they are all over the place and gradually but surely appear to become beads from a single huge ornament. An ornament which takes its sweet time to appear before us. However, I felt the author dragging the tale along for a bit towards the end which could have been avoided. Something a good editor could have trimmed and shaped up !
Now I do not know how many of you are aware of this little snippet from the epic. It appears arrogant (and rightly so) and speaks about the power of the Mahabharata and its influence on the world :
Yadihasti tadanyatra yannehasti natat kwachith
It translates to : What is here is elsewhere; what is not here is nowhere.
Amen to that !
I could recollect the words that one of my favorite authors from Malayalam used in his collection of short stories : To my mother, who made me a writer out of me through only her skills at narrating tales. How many such minds would have stories moulded ? We owe a great many of our writers to this power and this power alone.
Why this long digression ? There is ofcourse the fact that Mahabharata is narrated time and again as stories within stories. This here is the tale of a storyteller (Sauti) named Ugrasrava who travels to the fabled forest of Naimisha-Aranya and meets up with the sages there. The bard then proceeds to narrate the great epic to the august crowd gathered around him. Late into the night and around the camp fire he regales them with tales that begin from the birth of the universe. But why does the crowd around him seem to increase every time he looks at them ? Was there this big a sea of faces when he began his story ? Even after the entire company of ascetics and novices at the hermitage joining the crowd, why does he feel even the forest itself is listening in to the tale ? The forest was ages ago, the fabled land where the Pandavas and Kauravas met in mortal combat. And as the night wears on, the spirits of the dead ones arrive at the hermitage to listen to the great bard. Such was the magic of the story and to someone irrevocably addicted to this epic like me, this feeling is a very understandable one.
This here is the Adiparva of the Mahabharata. Which is to say that it does to the epic what Genesis does to the Old testament. It begins at the time when the universe we know comes into existence. Tells us of the gods, demons and legendary monarchs. Then of the mighty serpents and the creatures of myth and later to the tales of the women and men who make up this hefty tome. There is Parashurama who traversed the Earth twenty one times to massacre the arrogant race of Kshatriyas, there is the legendary Garuda who true to his word battles the forces of heaven to free his mother from slavery and lot many other interesting characters. All this leads us to the legendary emperor named Bharatha ( not to be confused with Rama's sibling from Ramayana) from whom begins the line of Kuru kings who ages later meet on the plains of Kurukshetra to annihilate each other. Now if this isn't fascinating then I do not know what is !
So much about the story line, so you may ask how is the writing ? To me, it was in pace with the original work. Having once read an unabridged and translated version of the Adiparva from Sanskrit, I could find that the author stuck very close to the epic. Unlike his Ramayana retelling, Ashok Banker takes very few creative liberties here except for maybe a few battle scenes. I could see traces of his style from his earlier works in the battle scenes of Parashurama, the death of Parikshit and in the Shakuntala-Dushyanta yarn. Reading the Parashurama angle did give me a pause for it seemed to have reflections of Moorcock's Elric and his blade Stormbringer. The rating of four stars here is for the stories themselves which start of looking like they are all over the place and gradually but surely appear to become beads from a single huge ornament. An ornament which takes its sweet time to appear before us. However, I felt the author dragging the tale along for a bit towards the end which could have been avoided. Something a good editor could have trimmed and shaped up !
Now I do not know how many of you are aware of this little snippet from the epic. It appears arrogant (and rightly so) and speaks about the power of the Mahabharata and its influence on the world :
Yadihasti tadanyatra yannehasti natat kwachith
It translates to : What is here is elsewhere; what is not here is nowhere.
Amen to that !
September 4, 2018
(And the half star goodreads refuses to part with goes to the author!)3.5 stars
Like the River you come back to is never the same as the one you'd first visited - both the River and you have changed in the interim, so is the Mahabharata of readers and disciples.
I use Banker's words and paraphrase - borrowing liberty as has he to recreate history (itihasa). Little else has been truer about this epic poem that is such an intrinsic weave the fabric of our culture and society. Every student's version of the Mahabharata has brought life a new ripple of color before unseen - from Rajaji's factual rendition to Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni's wildly fantastic creativity.
Ashok Banker's work goes beyond. He takes the essence of the original (or at least what we seem to have access to as the original) and binds it with the simplicity of a foreign language. He retains the character of the poem as he focuses on setting it up with the context of the tales that are so integral to knowing and understanding why the tale is considered as magnificent as it is.
Of particular beauty is the author's ability to bring to life the principle of circularity of life (as starkly opposed to the principle of linearity), of the limitation of (wo)man" in defining everything that happens to him/her (as opposed to actions have consequences here and now). Unsettling - especially in the times of shortening gratification timelines
As far as beginnings of series go, this one checks of many boxes. And yet, it almost seems that to enjoy Mr. Banker's work almost mandates you possess the same devotion (I use that word as distinct from the religious connotation) for the tale of our past (even if an imaginary one) as he seems to. Oh well, isn't that why we are here, after all?
Like the River you come back to is never the same as the one you'd first visited - both the River and you have changed in the interim, so is the Mahabharata of readers and disciples.
I use Banker's words and paraphrase - borrowing liberty as has he to recreate history (itihasa). Little else has been truer about this epic poem that is such an intrinsic weave the fabric of our culture and society. Every student's version of the Mahabharata has brought life a new ripple of color before unseen - from Rajaji's factual rendition to Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni's wildly fantastic creativity.
Ashok Banker's work goes beyond. He takes the essence of the original (or at least what we seem to have access to as the original) and binds it with the simplicity of a foreign language. He retains the character of the poem as he focuses on setting it up with the context of the tales that are so integral to knowing and understanding why the tale is considered as magnificent as it is.
Of particular beauty is the author's ability to bring to life the principle of circularity of life (as starkly opposed to the principle of linearity), of the limitation of (wo)man" in defining everything that happens to him/her (as opposed to actions have consequences here and now). Unsettling - especially in the times of shortening gratification timelines
As far as beginnings of series go, this one checks of many boxes. And yet, it almost seems that to enjoy Mr. Banker's work almost mandates you possess the same devotion (I use that word as distinct from the religious connotation) for the tale of our past (even if an imaginary one) as he seems to. Oh well, isn't that why we are here, after all?
February 3, 2019
Mahabharat is something I can delve in again and again and be equally fascinated each time. It’s the big daddy of all the tales ever told. Sometimes I feel like I had a life in that era and witnessed the great and powerful beings who’d descended on this realm. It’s not just Krishna that I love hearing and listening about; each and every character is incredible. One can only bow down to the great Vyas for composing such a narrative. I loved how Mr. Ashok has not indulged in his own commentary like that other superficial mythologist and leaves the story upon the readers to interpret.
November 12, 2012
Through out the book, except for the title on the cover page the reader never guesses that we are headed towards something that we had grown up watching Girish Karnaad and party perform every Sunday, it is simply a ride we enjoy for the proverbial journey, not the destination. The book ends with a promise of the writer Vyasa’s existence and excitement that a thrilling story is to follow. Ashok Banker very intelligently connects the different stories from the ‘maggi’ of Indian legends and myths, bringing together an exciting finish to the first book in the series while throwing the pressure of the next book on the reader. He has set the stage for the different characters of the Mahabharata, as we know it, to make an appearance and thrill us, yet again. The stage is set, cat calls on the way – the publishers just need to hurry with the launch of the next book.
A speedy ride on the expressway of Indian mythology, with the right dose of 21st century realism and the ancient reverence. Full review: http://thetalespensieve.wordpress.com...
A speedy ride on the expressway of Indian mythology, with the right dose of 21st century realism and the ancient reverence. Full review: http://thetalespensieve.wordpress.com...
July 19, 2012
Indian mythology lovers, a must-read book!!
Ashok Banker is truly an epic story-teller. Most of us have read different versions of Mahabharatha such as Rajaji's version and Kamala Subramanian 's version. But this book had something different to offer. Mind you, there is hardly fictional descriptions rather than the substance itself, however the way he flits across stories is amazing. We have read about the battefield Hastinapura in itself, but hardly about the history of the place in itself. The reverence conveyed in the book towards a work such as Mahabharatha somewhere emphasizes the underlying meaning that Mahabharatha is not another story but the answer for many questions. The most lovable bit was the reference to additional listeners to the story-teller everytime he recounts a tale.For Indian mythology lovers, this is a must read!!
Ashok Banker is truly an epic story-teller. Most of us have read different versions of Mahabharatha such as Rajaji's version and Kamala Subramanian 's version. But this book had something different to offer. Mind you, there is hardly fictional descriptions rather than the substance itself, however the way he flits across stories is amazing. We have read about the battefield Hastinapura in itself, but hardly about the history of the place in itself. The reverence conveyed in the book towards a work such as Mahabharatha somewhere emphasizes the underlying meaning that Mahabharatha is not another story but the answer for many questions. The most lovable bit was the reference to additional listeners to the story-teller everytime he recounts a tale.For Indian mythology lovers, this is a must read!!
July 22, 2012
Book 1 of Ashok Banker's Mahabharata, MBA if you will. It is an exact rendition of the saga written by Krishna Dweipayana Vyasa. The narrative begins in Naimisha-sharanya, where Ugrasrava, son of Lomarsana and better known as Sauti, arrives to convey the news of Vyasa's transcendence to the next life, and to narrate the grandest tale ever created.
The tale begins long before the descendants of Kuru faced each other on the battlefield at Kurukshetra. Kurukshetra, famous long before as Samantapanchaka where Parasurama created five lakes of blood from the decimation of kshatriyas, and famous long after as the venue for the sarpa satra conducted by Janamajaya, descendant of the Pandavas.
Sauti explains how Jaya, the original tale swelled from 8800 slokas to 24000, named Bharata and then over several narrations, to Mahabharata, made of one hundred thousand slokas. A narration that Sauti himself was the recipient of, from Vaisampayana, as well as Vyasa himself, at the satra.
The narrative is anything but linear, like a tree with a multitude of branches, and does stick to Vyasa's original work. It flits from story to story, occasionally coming back to what can be loosely described as central narrative, in this case, a sort of index built by questions being asked to Sauti during his narration. Thanks to this, from creation of the world and the origin of different species to the reason for the Mahabharata war and the stories of many antecedents of the Pandavas and Kauravas, there are stories and stories. This book ends with the introduction to Bharata - the emperor, son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala, after whom the country is named.
As someone deeply interested in mythology, this is a very interesting read, despite the elaborate prose, but what you will get from it completely depends on your level of interest in the epic.
The tale begins long before the descendants of Kuru faced each other on the battlefield at Kurukshetra. Kurukshetra, famous long before as Samantapanchaka where Parasurama created five lakes of blood from the decimation of kshatriyas, and famous long after as the venue for the sarpa satra conducted by Janamajaya, descendant of the Pandavas.
Sauti explains how Jaya, the original tale swelled from 8800 slokas to 24000, named Bharata and then over several narrations, to Mahabharata, made of one hundred thousand slokas. A narration that Sauti himself was the recipient of, from Vaisampayana, as well as Vyasa himself, at the satra.
The narrative is anything but linear, like a tree with a multitude of branches, and does stick to Vyasa's original work. It flits from story to story, occasionally coming back to what can be loosely described as central narrative, in this case, a sort of index built by questions being asked to Sauti during his narration. Thanks to this, from creation of the world and the origin of different species to the reason for the Mahabharata war and the stories of many antecedents of the Pandavas and Kauravas, there are stories and stories. This book ends with the introduction to Bharata - the emperor, son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala, after whom the country is named.
As someone deeply interested in mythology, this is a very interesting read, despite the elaborate prose, but what you will get from it completely depends on your level of interest in the epic.
February 24, 2012
Fun, fun, fun. Ashok Banker brings back the original Mahabharata and what a ride it is! For me, the best thing about the book is how, by simply retelling existing stories, it exposes the exploitative power structures of Indian society. Looking forward to more.
May 5, 2012
A narration of the epic Mahabharat, Banker stays very close to the original. This book, the first in the series, tells of the back-stories which lead to the setup of the Kuru empire. Well written and well researched, just the kind of book I wanted to read on the great epic.
July 27, 2012
A good translation of epic Mahabharata. Now I know that this epic is written same way as modern day novels. Stories inside stories. Also quite interesting and increased my urge for the next part. Sad have to wait for it.
May 1, 2012
Amazzing!!
Finally got a chance to read Mahabharata without the interpretations being thrust upon! :)
Finally got a chance to read Mahabharata without the interpretations being thrust upon! :)
June 5, 2012
Clean language. Not much stalling styled writing as seen in his Ramayana series.
July 15, 2023
The book is claimed to be an honest attempt of translating the epic Mahabharata as told by the great sage Ved Vyasa. The story starts with a famous poet Sauti entering Naimisha forest and meets the well respected sage Saunaka. Saunaka knowing about this poet and his association with Ved Vyasa, extends a warm welcome and enquires about his well being. Sauti briefs about the recent event of a famous yagna by king Janamejaya where Ved Vyasa himself narrates his magnum opus Mahabharata to all those gathered there. Feeling eager to listen to this marvelous epic, Saunaka and his tutelage request Sauti to narrate the same to them. Following Ved Vyasa's wish to narrate his story as much as possible, Sauti starts narrating the epic to the people of the forest. The epic starts with the aforementioned yagna with King Janamejaya's mission to annihilate all snakes and traces the history of his ancestors. The story then moves to the legend of Parashurama, where it covers Chandravanshi king capturing kamadhenu from Parashurama's father, Parashurama's revenge and his attempt to vipe out all kshtriyas. The story then moves forward with history of the snake clans and the legend of Garuda. It also mentions the reason why the snakes were under the threat of extinction from Janamejaya's yagna( a mother's curse because the 100 snake children didn't obey her orders). Saunaka, wanting to know more about his legendary ancestors, requests Sauti to narrate about them. Sauti obliges and narrates a comprehensive lineage of Bhrigu to which Suanaka belongs. The story then moves to the snakes attempt to protect themselves from extinction. Upon listening to Brahma's talk with devas, where he reveals the only way for snakes to escape from the threat, they move forward with their plan to marry their only sister to a sage who has taken a vow to marry someone with the same name as his and also accepting his way of life. After succeeding, they have a son who goes to the yagna and impresses Janamejaya with his eulogy of him. Janamejaya grants him a wish, to which he immediately calls to stop the yagna thereby saving his clan from extinction. The book then ends with the story of Sakunthala daughter of a sage and Dushyanta a king who falls in love with her.
September 10, 2019
Truly spellbinding! Bravo!
Terrific narration... captivating! He moves flawlessly from story to story that leads up to the next. Highly recommended for all those who want to read the unabridged version of the epic
Terrific narration... captivating! He moves flawlessly from story to story that leads up to the next. Highly recommended for all those who want to read the unabridged version of the epic
February 12, 2023
Engaging and very useful to know the sequence of the great war
Read
July 1, 2024Brilliant writing! Love the book. Recommend it to everyone who love Indian mythology.
March 22, 2025
I want to buy complete Mahabharata series by Ashok k banker...from where can I get these?
Please help me
Please help me
September 13, 2020
Complete nonsense and a waste of time
July 9, 2013
Perhaps reading epic fantasy (I'm looking at you, George R.R. Martin!), and other amazing fantasy has ruined me for anything less epic. I could not get into The Forest of Stories at all. I know the author makes a disclaimer that this book is not a fantasy retelling of the Mahabharata. Nonetheless, I expected a more engrossing retelling. Characters said their predestined lines and acted out their ordained actions, and did nothing more. I can see this as being a decent introduction to the Mahabharata; however, I am familiar with the story, and I now wish for something which allows the foibles of the characters and their internal thoughts to be explored. This is something which I have found lacking in all retellings of this epic tale; it leads me to the question- can the storyteller deviate from the traditional style of telling the story (action-> outcome) without adulterating it's message? I think I would prefer a bit more artistic license from all authors attempting to this age-old story, to bring forth the moral dilemmas and individual weaknesses of the characters, rather than simply rehash it with the trite predetermination and deus-ex-machina plot device. After all, affairs are had, illegitimate children are born, kingdoms are fought for and even the Gods are impartial- there seems to be such unexplored scope in storytelling value, with regards to these events. Of course, those were not the aims of the author; Ashok Banker has delivered the tale exactly as it is acknowledged to have been, and I cannot fault him for that. However, this interpretation brings nothing new to the tale; I feel that a more engaging version would be the Amar Chithra Katha comic of the Mahabharata, if you can get your hands on the volumes.
May 26, 2017
My only association with mythological epics was the version that were telecasted on the television when I was a kid and that is how I first came across Mahabharata all thanks to the Mr B.R Chopra. When I first came across The Forest of Stories by Ashok K. Banker I was pretty skeptical as the book clearly mentioned that he was merely retelling the great epic of Mahabharata and retelling a story that has being narrated time and again by elders in the family in almost every Indian household is never an easy job as most readers would lose interest after a while. But this doubt in my mind was dispelled as soon as I did a background check on the author to find that he has done it before and has been very successfully at the same with his Ramayana Series and Krishna Coriolis series ( which I now plan to read )
The forest of stories is the first book in what Ashok Banker calls the MBA series. When I picked up the book I was actually expecting that I would be reading about the war, the Kauravas, the Pandavas and usual names that come to your mind when you think about Mahabharata, instead the book turned out to be a collection of seven interesting stories that do not involve any of the main characters of the great battle but it is important in the sense that it introduces us to the very circumstances, situations and the history of the characters associated with this Great War.
The thing that I admire most about the book is how the author has been able to.....Read complete review here: http://www.coml13.com/book-review-for...
The forest of stories is the first book in what Ashok Banker calls the MBA series. When I picked up the book I was actually expecting that I would be reading about the war, the Kauravas, the Pandavas and usual names that come to your mind when you think about Mahabharata, instead the book turned out to be a collection of seven interesting stories that do not involve any of the main characters of the great battle but it is important in the sense that it introduces us to the very circumstances, situations and the history of the characters associated with this Great War.
The thing that I admire most about the book is how the author has been able to.....Read complete review here: http://www.coml13.com/book-review-for...
October 3, 2013
I had read the author's Ramayana series many years ago and quite enjoyed his fresh take on it. I just finished Govinda, Book 1 in Krishna Udayasankar's The Aryavarta Chronicles where she gives a fresh spin to this immortal myth, just as Banker had done with the Ramayana, although she takes much more creative licence than he did. Reading Govinda made me want to revisit the original story and refresh my memory because let's face it - most of us when we refer to the Mahabharata are referring to only that part of it that is etched indelibly in our memories - the family feud, the Great War, Krishna, Kurukshetra.
But this epic is so much more! And that's what I wanted to refresh...the creation of the world, the ancient rishis, the Snake sacrifice, the story of Parashuram...all fascinating and yet their details only vaguely remembered. This is truly a Forest of Stories...as I read I meandered along with the narrative, flowing from one rishi's story to another here, from one king to another there, and often from a sage to a king to another sage with a few Gods and demons thrown in for good measure! I've enjoyed my travels through these forests as one enjoys revisiting a favourite destination - it feels comfortably familiar and yet there's always something new that keeps the magic alive :)
Have already begun the second book - The Seeds of War.
But this epic is so much more! And that's what I wanted to refresh...the creation of the world, the ancient rishis, the Snake sacrifice, the story of Parashuram...all fascinating and yet their details only vaguely remembered. This is truly a Forest of Stories...as I read I meandered along with the narrative, flowing from one rishi's story to another here, from one king to another there, and often from a sage to a king to another sage with a few Gods and demons thrown in for good measure! I've enjoyed my travels through these forests as one enjoys revisiting a favourite destination - it feels comfortably familiar and yet there's always something new that keeps the magic alive :)
Have already begun the second book - The Seeds of War.
April 16, 2013
It has been 14 days since I read this book and I have been going slow on all the other books that I have on my reading shelf. I have a good excuse for this. I am slightly recovering from the huge count of books that I read and because I again have access to the idiot box. So, there was an initial hike in the hour I spent in front of it. Time taken away from reading.
This book can best be described as a book of interlinked short stories within a story. A story teller narrates these every evening at an ashram. These form the initial stories of Bhrigu, Garuda and Parasurama among various others.
I enjoyed this much better than the earlier books because I was able to take wider breaks in between without having to worry about forgetting the direction that the story was going to.
The paper and book quality was much better than Sons of Sita or other books in the Ramayana series!
This book can best be described as a book of interlinked short stories within a story. A story teller narrates these every evening at an ashram. These form the initial stories of Bhrigu, Garuda and Parasurama among various others.
I enjoyed this much better than the earlier books because I was able to take wider breaks in between without having to worry about forgetting the direction that the story was going to.
The paper and book quality was much better than Sons of Sita or other books in the Ramayana series!
July 11, 2013
Amazing, mind captivating and spurs the mind centuries back.Its a great read, but my reccommendation would be to wait for the complete series to be out, because its going to be a long wait.
A tip to the reader: Its full of heirarchies and family trees, so don't get too overwhelmed by it, it will make sense in the end :D
Ashok Banker is one of the very few Indian Authors who has stayed true to the translation without losing focus on the whole picture. epics like Mahabharata or Ramayana that is changed and keeps changing with each retelling requires a lot of effort and filtering to decide which is the real story and which is just the biased inclination of the story teller. Banker didnt put his perspective, so that gives the reader the joy of coming up with their own perspectives and reaching their own conclusions. A story teller's aim is to ignite the listener's mind and in that view Banker has accomplished it!
A tip to the reader: Its full of heirarchies and family trees, so don't get too overwhelmed by it, it will make sense in the end :D
Ashok Banker is one of the very few Indian Authors who has stayed true to the translation without losing focus on the whole picture. epics like Mahabharata or Ramayana that is changed and keeps changing with each retelling requires a lot of effort and filtering to decide which is the real story and which is just the biased inclination of the story teller. Banker didnt put his perspective, so that gives the reader the joy of coming up with their own perspectives and reaching their own conclusions. A story teller's aim is to ignite the listener's mind and in that view Banker has accomplished it!
October 25, 2014
The MBA series by Ashok K Banker was recommended by one of my friends in one of the forums. We were discussing about the books based on the theme of Mahabharata & she told me about MBA series. I personally went through the reviews & bought one from Flipkart. As told by my friend the narration & writing style of the writer is quite good. This is my first book written by this writer and I'm quite impressed with the way he has narrated the parts of the epic poem.
I had some gaps regarding the story of Parasurama but the book has helped me to fills those gaps & reminded me of many more other stories, parts which were told by my grandmom whem I was a child like the tale of Garuda & his mother's enslavement by their cousins the Nagas, Churning of the sea for Ambrosia better known as 'Amrit Manathan' & the wars followed by it and many more.
Will definitely grab the 2nd part of the series "Seeds of War"
I had some gaps regarding the story of Parasurama but the book has helped me to fills those gaps & reminded me of many more other stories, parts which were told by my grandmom whem I was a child like the tale of Garuda & his mother's enslavement by their cousins the Nagas, Churning of the sea for Ambrosia better known as 'Amrit Manathan' & the wars followed by it and many more.
Will definitely grab the 2nd part of the series "Seeds of War"
October 21, 2012
Its a laborious read with a lot of meaningless names. Ashok K. Banker may probably just be following the path of the Mahabharatha poem but does not add any meaningful details. He does not try and explain actions or supernatural acts and just states it. Leaving the reader bored and not caring. The story of Parshuram occurs hundreds of years before the story of Dushyant and Shakuntala who are the monarchs who sire the kuru race. However Bhishma (born hundreds of years later after Dushyant and Shakuntala is supposed to have bettered Parshuram in duel??? The periods are just not related and it would have been better if the writer had taken the pains to connect the stories rather than just state them.
Since a lot of Hindi words appear the author should have given glossary at the end with their meaning for easy reference.
Could have been better.
Since a lot of Hindi words appear the author should have given glossary at the end with their meaning for easy reference.
Could have been better.
August 14, 2013
The book is exactly what it is named.. A forest of stories.. Shooting up from various places like various branches of a tree in a forest. The branches start from one tree, merge onto other branches and before you know you are happily lost Inn the forest. Stop worrying about which branch leads to where and enjoy the forest you are immersed in..
It's a far cry from banker's earlier books. It does not follow a linear path but twists and turns through lots of starts and ends. However it prepares you for the next mahabharata book nevertheless.
However unlike ramayana which was authors adaptation of ramayana, mahabharat follows the epic story by the book. The stories are told as they are told in the epic 'granth' and thus becomes a bit unbelievable compared to ramayana which had, lets say, a more human touch.
Nevertheless waiting eagwrly for next book.
It's a far cry from banker's earlier books. It does not follow a linear path but twists and turns through lots of starts and ends. However it prepares you for the next mahabharata book nevertheless.
However unlike ramayana which was authors adaptation of ramayana, mahabharat follows the epic story by the book. The stories are told as they are told in the epic 'granth' and thus becomes a bit unbelievable compared to ramayana which had, lets say, a more human touch.
Nevertheless waiting eagwrly for next book.
February 20, 2015
Who doesn't love the epic tale of Mahabharatha? It is without doubt the most mesmerizing and the most magical of all tales in the history of mankind. As any regular child in an Indian household, I have grown up to the story in its various forms - from an over imaginative grandma's versions to accomplished writers' (both contemporary and otherwise) renditions. Everyone is fascinated by the Mahabharatha, and I feel that it calls on to every story teller's imaginations, hence making it impossible to stay true to the original epic written by Ved Vyasa in Sanskrit. And this is probably the best thing about The Forest of Stories.
Read full review:
http://damonologue.blogspot.in/2012/0...
Read full review:
http://damonologue.blogspot.in/2012/0...
November 12, 2012
I got hold of this because it covered my favorite area of reading, Mahabharata. How can i not read something on Mahabharata..
The book however explores different aspects of the immortal story. it began with the creation of world and prajapatis and their sons and daughters. Then the book talks about the famous snake sacrifice which was done by king Janamejaya, son of parikshit.
This book basically lies down the basic framework for the the War which took place.
The characters like King Dushyant, Shkuntala, Bhrigu Rishi and others have been discussed.
At times i felt it was little unnecessary, but then thats the way it is, mahabharata has different versions, this was one of them
The book however explores different aspects of the immortal story. it began with the creation of world and prajapatis and their sons and daughters. Then the book talks about the famous snake sacrifice which was done by king Janamejaya, son of parikshit.
This book basically lies down the basic framework for the the War which took place.
The characters like King Dushyant, Shkuntala, Bhrigu Rishi and others have been discussed.
At times i felt it was little unnecessary, but then thats the way it is, mahabharata has different versions, this was one of them
April 5, 2013
The power of a story is not just in the plot, but in the narration as well. The ability of the author to hold the attention of the reader through the book with just his words to me tells a lot of the book itself. I found this book to be that sort of end-to-end brilliance. I usually associate that phrase end-to-end with thrillers, but this mythology masterpiece definitely merits it.
From the get-go, you are drawn into the tale and its interest is such that you don’t stop till the end, or you have to. This is my favorite fiction of the year so far.
A full review: http://wp.me/p2J8yh-2g9
From the get-go, you are drawn into the tale and its interest is such that you don’t stop till the end, or you have to. This is my favorite fiction of the year so far.
A full review: http://wp.me/p2J8yh-2g9
March 10, 2013
I picked up ‘THE FOREST OF STORIES' as mythology interest me. It took me time to read it through. Not that it was boring- but just that it was too heavy. Most of the stories I have read or heard in different forms- so neither it was not anything new- nor was there any special way to make it fun to read. Maybe the age of new era mythology and interpretations is in- and a story told as it was narrated- may not hold interest for long.
http://creative.sulekha.com/the-fores...
http://creative.sulekha.com/the-fores...
December 8, 2015
Ashok K. Banker's retelling of the epic is nice. He brings every myth into 3D reality before our eyes as we begin traversing the vast forest of stories. Forest, because how unrelated a tale might seem to the main storyline at first, in the end we find that it is merely a far-flung branch of the main tree. It is a great tale where the storyteller himself merges with the story. Thus ends the first volume of the greatest epic of mankind, this repository of stories within stories, the Mahabharata.
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