What do you think?
Rate this book
Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life
"Stories can be both entertaining and educative. They can also be insightful and illuminating, especially when they have travelled down the generations, through the centuries, taking on new meanings with each retelling. In this genre-bending book, the first of a series, Amish and Bhavna dive into the priceless treasure trove of the ancient Indian epics, as well as the vast and complex universe of Amish's Meluha (through his Shiva Trilogy and Ram Chandra Series), to explore some of the key concepts of Indian philosophy. What is the ideal interplay between thought and action, taking and giving, self-love and sacrifice? How can we tell right from wrong? What can we do to bring out the best in ourselves, and to live a life with purpose and meaning, not just one fuelled by the ego and material needs? The answers lie in these simple and wise interpretations of our favourite stories by a lovable cast of fictional characters whom you'll enjoy getting to know."
224 pages, Paperback
First published December 28, 2020
198 people are currently reading
934 people want to read
About the author
Amish Tripathi
71 books7,746 followersAmish is an IIM (Kolkata) educated, banker turned award-winning author. The success of his debut book, The Immortals of Meluha (Book 1 of the Shiva Trilogy), encouraged him to give up a fourteen-year-old career in financial services to focus on writing. He is passionate about history, mythology and philosophy, finding beauty and meaning in all world religions.
His 7 books have sold over 5 million copies and been translated into 19 Indian & international languages. His Shiva Trilogy is the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history while his Ram Chandra Series is the second fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history.
In 2019, Amish was appointed to a diplomatic role as Director , The Nehru Centre in London, India's premier cultural centre abroad.
His 7 books have sold over 5 million copies and been translated into 19 Indian & international languages. His Shiva Trilogy is the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history while his Ram Chandra Series is the second fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history.
In 2019, Amish was appointed to a diplomatic role as Director , The Nehru Centre in London, India's premier cultural centre abroad.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
January 30, 2021
Amish Tripathi is India's leading conservative intellectual to me currently and a v.good author. It pains me to read such an ugly, narcissistic work from him. The title says "Decoding the epics for a meaningful life". I love reading commentaries and POVs on Ramayana and Mahabharata. But hey, didnt know Amish's books were the epics referred to !!
The main problem is the continuous references to Amish's fiction and the snippets that the author-duo have posted. How am I supposed to remember all the context having read them years ago ? Why did nobody from his family / team tell him how ugly it felt ? On top of it there were no references to other seminal works.
Secondly, big problems with the format. We have a no. of (real-world) characters discussing on a no. of topics. It felt very artificial and dumbed-down. Perhaps, a solemn conversation between the author-duo might have been far better and more enlightening.
There were a few gems here and there but not enough to make this book worth reading.
The main problem is the continuous references to Amish's fiction and the snippets that the author-duo have posted. How am I supposed to remember all the context having read them years ago ? Why did nobody from his family / team tell him how ugly it felt ? On top of it there were no references to other seminal works.
Secondly, big problems with the format. We have a no. of (real-world) characters discussing on a no. of topics. It felt very artificial and dumbed-down. Perhaps, a solemn conversation between the author-duo might have been far better and more enlightening.
There were a few gems here and there but not enough to make this book worth reading.
December 28, 2021
MY SCRIPT FOR DHARMA BY MR. AMISH TRIPATHI AND MRS. BHAVNA ROY.
So first things first . in the book , Dharma : Decoding the epics for a meaningful life , the epics refer to the Ramayana and the Mahabharata of course , but also the Shiva Trilogy and the Ram Chandra series by Mr. Amish Tripathi too , so needless to say , this book contains spoilers from both these series. So if you havent read any of Mr. Tripathis books and are planning on reading them , i would suggest read those first and only then pick this book up. Now this video does not contain any spoilers , so you can feel free and give some watch time. No seriously , i desperately need more watch hours.
So coming back to the book , the book is basically a conversation between four people. Nachiket , his wife , Gargi and her parents Dharma Raj and Lopamudra. For some reason , i kept picturing Abhi & Niyu in the roles of Nachiket and Gargi while reading the book , so who knows , if one day a movie is made based on the book , perhaps they could play the roles. Comment Abhi and Niyu OP in the comments guys , so that i know youve actually bothered watching the video till here.
Anyways They discuss how these epics should impact our lives and what we should learn from them . That we should think of the characters ,not as characters but as qualities of a human being. I know , I know , this is difficult to understand , but the way the authors explain it in the book , it actually is not that hard. They discuss about Karma , Swadharma , Envy , Humility , Loyalty and several different topics that the characters in the mentioned epics , showcase.
Even if a reader hasn't read any of Mr. Amish's previous works or even in fact isn't familiar with the Ramayana AND the Mahabharata ,which is highly unlikely , the author's have provided enough context for each tale , each story they discuss , that the reader understands whats going on. By context i mean stories and tales from the Ramayana , the Mahabharata and Mr. Amish's books.
This book basically discusses several philosophical topics , in an light and fun manner , so this book is a light and easy way for readers , who mainly only read fiction , to dwelve into the non fiction side more . I personally know a lot of folks , who want to read more non fiction , but even after multiple attempts , they are unable to.
If you have read either the Shiva Trilogy or the Ram Chandra series or both and enjoyed reading them , i highly reccomend this book as the authors dive deeply within the characters and in a way , discuss why they behaved they way they behaved , and what our inner version of that character should do in life in similar situations.
Adios.
So first things first . in the book , Dharma : Decoding the epics for a meaningful life , the epics refer to the Ramayana and the Mahabharata of course , but also the Shiva Trilogy and the Ram Chandra series by Mr. Amish Tripathi too , so needless to say , this book contains spoilers from both these series. So if you havent read any of Mr. Tripathis books and are planning on reading them , i would suggest read those first and only then pick this book up. Now this video does not contain any spoilers , so you can feel free and give some watch time. No seriously , i desperately need more watch hours.
So coming back to the book , the book is basically a conversation between four people. Nachiket , his wife , Gargi and her parents Dharma Raj and Lopamudra. For some reason , i kept picturing Abhi & Niyu in the roles of Nachiket and Gargi while reading the book , so who knows , if one day a movie is made based on the book , perhaps they could play the roles. Comment Abhi and Niyu OP in the comments guys , so that i know youve actually bothered watching the video till here.
Anyways They discuss how these epics should impact our lives and what we should learn from them . That we should think of the characters ,not as characters but as qualities of a human being. I know , I know , this is difficult to understand , but the way the authors explain it in the book , it actually is not that hard. They discuss about Karma , Swadharma , Envy , Humility , Loyalty and several different topics that the characters in the mentioned epics , showcase.
Even if a reader hasn't read any of Mr. Amish's previous works or even in fact isn't familiar with the Ramayana AND the Mahabharata ,which is highly unlikely , the author's have provided enough context for each tale , each story they discuss , that the reader understands whats going on. By context i mean stories and tales from the Ramayana , the Mahabharata and Mr. Amish's books.
This book basically discusses several philosophical topics , in an light and fun manner , so this book is a light and easy way for readers , who mainly only read fiction , to dwelve into the non fiction side more . I personally know a lot of folks , who want to read more non fiction , but even after multiple attempts , they are unable to.
If you have read either the Shiva Trilogy or the Ram Chandra series or both and enjoyed reading them , i highly reccomend this book as the authors dive deeply within the characters and in a way , discuss why they behaved they way they behaved , and what our inner version of that character should do in life in similar situations.
Adios.
February 1, 2021
The Indic Book Club most generously sent me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
Amish is undeniably one of India’s most celebrated writers of the past decade. One big reason for this is the modern and accessible fashion of his writing, which allows him to gather a range of readers, from young children to middle aged adults, occasional and light readers to serious and voracious ones. It then expected that these varying demographics find value in different aspects of his works. For me, I enjoy his books because of the genre; I love reading about Indian epics and historical fiction, especially those which allow me a semblance of familiarity with the fading culture we have inherited. Amish also puts in great research for his books, which is evident from the descriptions of historically significant locations, and the elements of tradition he weaves into his storytelling. He is also someone who is always connecting these epics with our times, which is quite evident for any reader of his book.
With that being said, I will now explain why I have given “Dharma” a four-star review. I feel any potential reader should know that this is not a scholarly treatise on dharma. It is not envisioned to be so, and in the introduction by both authors, they explicitly state that their goal is to start a conversation, to make this bigger-than-life principle a part of the readers’ life and explorations. With that being said, I must add that the following concerns should not take you away from reading this book if you are someone who appreciates Amish’s accessible writing, wants to learn more about dharma, enjoys reading Indian classics and epics, or all of the above. Afterall, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.
Here are my reasons:
1) I did not relate to the characters: I know that the authors characterized Nachiket, Lopamudra, Gargi and Dharma Raj to be ordinary people, a typical progressive but rooted-to-its-traditions Indian family. However, the conversational style of the book somewhere prevented me from to understand their thinking, personality, and emotions. A lot was ‘said’, without it necessarily being ‘shown’. In contrast, I had felt immediately drawn towards Amish and Bhavna’s own journey, which they described in the introduction. Despite them being from my own parents’ generation, I instantly related to their dual learning of Indian and Western traditions, the importance of one’s own roots, and their endeavors to keep Indian culture alive. I remember being vaguely disappointed when the writing switched to everyday characters like Nachiket and his family. Amish and Bhavana had managed to make a connection with me within 3 pages, while I struggled to relate to Nachiket till the 3rd chapter.
2) Amishverse: I feel so conflicted while categorizing this as a drawback, especially because I generally love it when authors cross-reference their previous works into new ones. Here, I did not like it as much because of firstly, the kind of universality that is assumed of Amish’s works. Admittedly, he is catering to his already massive reader-base, who will be familiar with his books and have probably been reading them over the decade like myself. Yet, the concern here isn’t so much about the target audience than it is about the audience for Indian itihaas. I remember Amish speaking of how he researches multiple narratives before creating the universe for his books, and I felt that this could have been the space for him to draw upon those years of research and explain the nuances of dharma in these diverse versions as well as the thought process that went behind creating his bookverse wherein dharma operates. Quite frankly, the presumed universality and appropriateness of Amishverse to explain the intricate concept of dharma could have been avoided, in my opinion.
As I read the introduction again before finishing my review, I understand that these are concerns that the authors have tried to address in the very beginning of the book. I must say that I truly began appreciating the book from the fourth chapter onwards when I was able to settle into the conversational tone of the book. From then on, these concerns mostly vanished. I have already prefaced that although I’ve spent a large part of my review on the concerns, it is only so because I needed to explain my specific problems and not because they overshadowed the book. Rather, I believe they are person-specific issues, and other readers may appreciate the book for these very factors! By the time I finished the book, I had been hooked for two whole days and thoroughly enjoyed reading as well as learning from it. I really liked references to other cultures, because it shows that the concept of dharma can be universally applicable, across regions and times, should a person choose to adopt it as part of their life. There is no doubt that the authors have a lot of knowledge not only about Indian epics but also about Greek and contemporary culture.
Amish is undeniably one of India’s most celebrated writers of the past decade. One big reason for this is the modern and accessible fashion of his writing, which allows him to gather a range of readers, from young children to middle aged adults, occasional and light readers to serious and voracious ones. It then expected that these varying demographics find value in different aspects of his works. For me, I enjoy his books because of the genre; I love reading about Indian epics and historical fiction, especially those which allow me a semblance of familiarity with the fading culture we have inherited. Amish also puts in great research for his books, which is evident from the descriptions of historically significant locations, and the elements of tradition he weaves into his storytelling. He is also someone who is always connecting these epics with our times, which is quite evident for any reader of his book.
With that being said, I will now explain why I have given “Dharma” a four-star review. I feel any potential reader should know that this is not a scholarly treatise on dharma. It is not envisioned to be so, and in the introduction by both authors, they explicitly state that their goal is to start a conversation, to make this bigger-than-life principle a part of the readers’ life and explorations. With that being said, I must add that the following concerns should not take you away from reading this book if you are someone who appreciates Amish’s accessible writing, wants to learn more about dharma, enjoys reading Indian classics and epics, or all of the above. Afterall, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.
Here are my reasons:
1) I did not relate to the characters: I know that the authors characterized Nachiket, Lopamudra, Gargi and Dharma Raj to be ordinary people, a typical progressive but rooted-to-its-traditions Indian family. However, the conversational style of the book somewhere prevented me from to understand their thinking, personality, and emotions. A lot was ‘said’, without it necessarily being ‘shown’. In contrast, I had felt immediately drawn towards Amish and Bhavna’s own journey, which they described in the introduction. Despite them being from my own parents’ generation, I instantly related to their dual learning of Indian and Western traditions, the importance of one’s own roots, and their endeavors to keep Indian culture alive. I remember being vaguely disappointed when the writing switched to everyday characters like Nachiket and his family. Amish and Bhavana had managed to make a connection with me within 3 pages, while I struggled to relate to Nachiket till the 3rd chapter.
2) Amishverse: I feel so conflicted while categorizing this as a drawback, especially because I generally love it when authors cross-reference their previous works into new ones. Here, I did not like it as much because of firstly, the kind of universality that is assumed of Amish’s works. Admittedly, he is catering to his already massive reader-base, who will be familiar with his books and have probably been reading them over the decade like myself. Yet, the concern here isn’t so much about the target audience than it is about the audience for Indian itihaas. I remember Amish speaking of how he researches multiple narratives before creating the universe for his books, and I felt that this could have been the space for him to draw upon those years of research and explain the nuances of dharma in these diverse versions as well as the thought process that went behind creating his bookverse wherein dharma operates. Quite frankly, the presumed universality and appropriateness of Amishverse to explain the intricate concept of dharma could have been avoided, in my opinion.
As I read the introduction again before finishing my review, I understand that these are concerns that the authors have tried to address in the very beginning of the book. I must say that I truly began appreciating the book from the fourth chapter onwards when I was able to settle into the conversational tone of the book. From then on, these concerns mostly vanished. I have already prefaced that although I’ve spent a large part of my review on the concerns, it is only so because I needed to explain my specific problems and not because they overshadowed the book. Rather, I believe they are person-specific issues, and other readers may appreciate the book for these very factors! By the time I finished the book, I had been hooked for two whole days and thoroughly enjoyed reading as well as learning from it. I really liked references to other cultures, because it shows that the concept of dharma can be universally applicable, across regions and times, should a person choose to adopt it as part of their life. There is no doubt that the authors have a lot of knowledge not only about Indian epics but also about Greek and contemporary culture.
January 3, 2021
Too many cooks...
This is not an entirely positive review, which might be apparent enough given the Star Rating I updated, but I felt it important to mention regardless. This might be because the "positive" if any is very limited in my viewpoint.
Cutting straight to the chase (unlike the book...), here we go.
What works:
1. The book has its heart in the right place, about wanting to educate and act as a torchbearer for continuing the legacy of India's dharmic culture.
2. Nothing else actually.
What doesn't work:
1. Everything else.
2. I feel like the book jumps between several different topics without completely addressing them. One would argue that the authors have clarified this in the Introduction, about how they intend to guide the way of thinking rather than provide answers. But to me, the book did neither.
3. It continuously references the "Amish-verse", that is, it references the past books written by Amish.
4. The dialogues between characters seem forced, and the characters always find one way or another to reference Amish's books as guideposts of the tales/characters being referenced. To readers who haven't read the past books, it can be very confusing.
5. No argument ever seems to reach a conclusion. The actions of characters from epics like Mahabharat and Ramayan are questioned, but no attempt is ever made to determine the conclusion. That is also probably why it feels like you are just jumping from one topic to another.
6. The authors could have chosen very specific topics and characters, and stuck to the moral deconstruction of their ideals/choices/dilemmas. However, because they flit between too many of them, nothing significant gets said.
All in all, if you are new to the genre of Myth-Fiction, this book would not be a good place to start. Also if you are already familiar with the epics, it will still leave you feeling unsatisfied, because it never reaches the depth one would expect.
Or maybe that's just me. 2.5/5 stars.
This is not an entirely positive review, which might be apparent enough given the Star Rating I updated, but I felt it important to mention regardless. This might be because the "positive" if any is very limited in my viewpoint.
Cutting straight to the chase (unlike the book...), here we go.
What works:
1. The book has its heart in the right place, about wanting to educate and act as a torchbearer for continuing the legacy of India's dharmic culture.
2. Nothing else actually.
What doesn't work:
1. Everything else.
2. I feel like the book jumps between several different topics without completely addressing them. One would argue that the authors have clarified this in the Introduction, about how they intend to guide the way of thinking rather than provide answers. But to me, the book did neither.
3. It continuously references the "Amish-verse", that is, it references the past books written by Amish.
4. The dialogues between characters seem forced, and the characters always find one way or another to reference Amish's books as guideposts of the tales/characters being referenced. To readers who haven't read the past books, it can be very confusing.
5. No argument ever seems to reach a conclusion. The actions of characters from epics like Mahabharat and Ramayan are questioned, but no attempt is ever made to determine the conclusion. That is also probably why it feels like you are just jumping from one topic to another.
6. The authors could have chosen very specific topics and characters, and stuck to the moral deconstruction of their ideals/choices/dilemmas. However, because they flit between too many of them, nothing significant gets said.
All in all, if you are new to the genre of Myth-Fiction, this book would not be a good place to start. Also if you are already familiar with the epics, it will still leave you feeling unsatisfied, because it never reaches the depth one would expect.
Or maybe that's just me. 2.5/5 stars.
January 2, 2021
I am happy that I got to read this book on 1st of Jan 2021 itself. There are pearls of wisdom here and there in this book. I appreciate how they have tried to mix story telling and spirituality. I am a sucker for literature that talks of self awareness so it would be really unfair if I say I didn't entirely enjoy the book. But I have to mention the biggest downside of the book. Despite the title suggesting to decode the epics, lion's share of the contents are taken from Shiva Trilogy. People who have not read Amish Tripathi's previous books could confuse this content with the actual stories from Mahabharata or Ramayana. If you are a serious reader who wants to dive into the world of Indian mythology or if you would love to start reading up on spiritual/mythological stories please don't even for a second think of starting with this book. I am quite sure "Dharma" have only been able to scratch the surface or perhaps even less.
January 6, 2021
Basic.
April 30, 2021
The narcissism is a big turn off (the characters here refer to Amish's works as one of the popular/foremost interpretations of these concepts)
January 9, 2021
Amish and Bhavna dissect the greats epics of India and bring forth the hidden meaning lying in the texts. Stripping the personification off the emotions and ideals, they show what the heroes and the villains represent and what might be learnt from their lives.
If you have been missing dada-nana ki kahaniya that always had a deeper meaning in them, and a lens to look within, pick this book.
If you have been missing dada-nana ki kahaniya that always had a deeper meaning in them, and a lens to look within, pick this book.
January 16, 2021
Fluid. Flows like a breezy conversation. Touches upon perspectives on confusions that are left unanswered & as matters of debate in the stories of Mahabharata & Ramayana. Most stay true to the ambition of being open ended. A worthy use of time for the curious minds that enjoy discourse
February 15, 2021
Thank you Indic Book club for this intense read. I have been a fan of Amish since the immortals of Meluha.
This book is a discussion amongst a family of four about what Dharma is. It was unexpectedly interesting with reference to epics. It is neither a boring lecture on spirituality nor a motivational book on ethics. It is a lively discussion that engages the reader. The stories that we have heard since our childhood are discussed and these stories and characters are applied onto daily life. Here Dharma is not about religion but about the way of Life. A very interesting and a good read.
But the down point here many of the books and characters discussed here from Amish's previous 2 series and if the reader hasn't read or heard about these and is aware of only the actual epics written so long before, this becomes a little confusing. And a few times the discussion thread just changes abruptly onto new topic. Another point is a new reader who is not familiar with the ancient epics, this book becomes more confusing.
But still I would recommend this book , as once you start reading it, it is difficult to not be part of it and put down easily. Though it is not an edge of seat kind of story but still a book that is hard to put down unfinished.
This book is a discussion amongst a family of four about what Dharma is. It was unexpectedly interesting with reference to epics. It is neither a boring lecture on spirituality nor a motivational book on ethics. It is a lively discussion that engages the reader. The stories that we have heard since our childhood are discussed and these stories and characters are applied onto daily life. Here Dharma is not about religion but about the way of Life. A very interesting and a good read.
But the down point here many of the books and characters discussed here from Amish's previous 2 series and if the reader hasn't read or heard about these and is aware of only the actual epics written so long before, this becomes a little confusing. And a few times the discussion thread just changes abruptly onto new topic. Another point is a new reader who is not familiar with the ancient epics, this book becomes more confusing.
But still I would recommend this book , as once you start reading it, it is difficult to not be part of it and put down easily. Though it is not an edge of seat kind of story but still a book that is hard to put down unfinished.
March 23, 2021
मेरे लिए इसे पूरा पढ़ पाना संभव नहीं, जैसे तैसे कर १०० पन्ने पढ़ें हैं, उन्हीं का सार यहाँ प्रस्तुत करता हूँ। पुस्तक कान्वेंट स्कूल से पढ़े-लिखे अंग्रेजी परिवार में चल रही चर्चाओं पर आधारित है। चर्चा का विषय ‘धर्म’ है, और जिन विषयों पर चर्चा हो रही है, वे भी उत्तम है, काम-क्रोध-कर्म-धर्म-मोक्ष। पर इस चर्चा में किसी भी विषय के तत्त्व निकल कर बहार नहीं आते, अर्थात तत्वहीन चर्चा है।
परिवार में चार सदस्य हैं, नाचिकेत और गार्गी पति पत्नी हैं, और धर्मराज और लोपामुद्रा, गार्गी के माता पिता है। ये चार नाम वेद और उपनिषद् में पूजनीय हैं।
अब कथा आरंभ करते हैं, तो नचिकेत पुणे का रहवाशी है, मुंह में ऑमलेट सैंडविच भरकर और गाड़ी की चावी लेकर वह घर से कार्यालय जाता है, तब गार्गी उससे लौटते समय अपने बाबा धर्मराज से मिलकर आने को कहती है। इन्हीं शब्दों से पुस्तक का शुभारंभ हुआ है, आपको कुछ आपत्तिजनक लगा, नहीं लगा तो कोई नहीं।
शाम को नचिकेत धर्मराज के घर पहुँचता है, और वहीँ ‘कर्म क्या है?’ इस विषय पर “धर्मराज-नचिकेत” संवाद शुरू होता है। बाद में लोपामुद्रा और गार्गी भी आकर इस धर्म संवाद में जुड़ जाती हैं, गार्गी वाइन की बोत्तल से सबके लिए ग्लास में वाइन निकालतीं हैं।
डिनर टेबल पर ऑमलेट और वाइन के साथ धर्म को लेकर चर्चा चल रही है।
पुस्तक का शीर्षक “Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life” भ्रामक है, क्योंकि किसी भी ग्रंथ पर चर्चा इस पुस्तक में नहीं हुई है। अमीश जी यदि अपनी काल्पनिक पुस्तकों को ग्रंथ मानते हों, तब पुस्तक का शीर्षक उनके अनुसार उचित हो सकता है।
चूँकि अमिश ने महाभारत आधारित किसी पुस्तक को नहीं लिखा है, इसलिए महाभारत के विषय की चर्चा के लिए उन्होंने देवदत्त पटनायक की “जया” पुस्तक से सन्दर्भ लिए हैं। मेरे लिए देवदत्त जैसे अधार्मिक और सनातन विरोधियों की पुस्तकें रद्दी के समान है, जो उसकी कल्पना पर आधारित हैं, धर्म पर नहीं।
इस पुस्तक को नॉन-फिक्शन केटेगरी में किस आधार पर रखा गया है, वही समझ नहीं आता, बाक़ी इस पूरी धर्म चर्चा में कोरी कल्पना ही हैं।
मुझे इस पुस्तक में कुछ समझ नहीं आया, कान्वेंट स्कूल के बच्चों के लिए ही है ये पुस्तक, इस तरह की पुस्तक की वाह वाही वे ही कर सकते हैं।
परिवार में चार सदस्य हैं, नाचिकेत और गार्गी पति पत्नी हैं, और धर्मराज और लोपामुद्रा, गार्गी के माता पिता है। ये चार नाम वेद और उपनिषद् में पूजनीय हैं।
अब कथा आरंभ करते हैं, तो नचिकेत पुणे का रहवाशी है, मुंह में ऑमलेट सैंडविच भरकर और गाड़ी की चावी लेकर वह घर से कार्यालय जाता है, तब गार्गी उससे लौटते समय अपने बाबा धर्मराज से मिलकर आने को कहती है। इन्हीं शब्दों से पुस्तक का शुभारंभ हुआ है, आपको कुछ आपत्तिजनक लगा, नहीं लगा तो कोई नहीं।
शाम को नचिकेत धर्मराज के घर पहुँचता है, और वहीँ ‘कर्म क्या है?’ इस विषय पर “धर्मराज-नचिकेत” संवाद शुरू होता है। बाद में लोपामुद्रा और गार्गी भी आकर इस धर्म संवाद में जुड़ जाती हैं, गार्गी वाइन की बोत्तल से सबके लिए ग्लास में वाइन निकालतीं हैं।
डिनर टेबल पर ऑमलेट और वाइन के साथ धर्म को लेकर चर्चा चल रही है।
पुस्तक का शीर्षक “Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life” भ्रामक है, क्योंकि किसी भी ग्रंथ पर चर्चा इस पुस्तक में नहीं हुई है। अमीश जी यदि अपनी काल्पनिक पुस्तकों को ग्रंथ मानते हों, तब पुस्तक का शीर्षक उनके अनुसार उचित हो सकता है।
चूँकि अमिश ने महाभारत आधारित किसी पुस्तक को नहीं लिखा है, इसलिए महाभारत के विषय की चर्चा के लिए उन्होंने देवदत्त पटनायक की “जया” पुस्तक से सन्दर्भ लिए हैं। मेरे लिए देवदत्त जैसे अधार्मिक और सनातन विरोधियों की पुस्तकें रद्दी के समान है, जो उसकी कल्पना पर आधारित हैं, धर्म पर नहीं।
इस पुस्तक को नॉन-फिक्शन केटेगरी में किस आधार पर रखा गया है, वही समझ नहीं आता, बाक़ी इस पूरी धर्म चर्चा में कोरी कल्पना ही हैं।
मुझे इस पुस्तक में कुछ समझ नहीं आया, कान्वेंट स्कूल के बच्चों के लिए ही है ये पुस्तक, इस तरह की पुस्तक की वाह वाही वे ही कर सकते हैं।
December 28, 2020
https://youtu.be/CQWaR2NfGxM full review on youtube
2nd nonfiction book by Amish Tripathi
Dharma: Decoding the Epics for A Meaningful Life", offers practical, philosophical lessons drawn from ancient Hindu epics. It is co-authored by Amish's sister Bhavana Roy.
I enjoyed reading this book
This is a mixture of philosophy+ nonfiction+ mythology
If you're a fan of mythology and nonfiction you will enjoy this.
Here are my favorite chapter
The burden of envy
Listen to your heart
The present is what matters
Quotes -
When you find your purpose and rhythm in the universe, you are in a state of dharma. Even a lion on the hunt is in a state of dharma. And the hunted deer too.’
Remember, what is in the interest of the beehive is always in the interest of the bee. The opposite is not always true.
Check out the full review on youtube
2nd nonfiction book by Amish Tripathi
Dharma: Decoding the Epics for A Meaningful Life", offers practical, philosophical lessons drawn from ancient Hindu epics. It is co-authored by Amish's sister Bhavana Roy.
I enjoyed reading this book
This is a mixture of philosophy+ nonfiction+ mythology
If you're a fan of mythology and nonfiction you will enjoy this.
Here are my favorite chapter
The burden of envy
Listen to your heart
The present is what matters
Quotes -
When you find your purpose and rhythm in the universe, you are in a state of dharma. Even a lion on the hunt is in a state of dharma. And the hunted deer too.’
Remember, what is in the interest of the beehive is always in the interest of the bee. The opposite is not always true.
Check out the full review on youtube
February 25, 2021
Usually love Amish’s books, however did not enjoy this as much. Felt like the stories were dealt with in a superficial manner and judgements were passed. Also would have liked to see the authors’ take on other versions of the epics rather than his own.
December 31, 2021
A good read to highlight virtues required in modern day world using ancient mythological stories.
The only issue is Amish using his own books as reference here and there in the book and praising his own work !!
The only issue is Amish using his own books as reference here and there in the book and praising his own work !!
March 2, 2021
A review of the book by Amish and Bhavna Roy “Dharma – decoding the epics for a meaningful life”
The title of the book is intriguing especially for the youth who are - thanks to the silent revival of our urge to be linked to our roots in Social Media – keen on exploring our ancient wisdom and its application.
The introduction has a common thread that runs across, as an invisible quest for wisdom, the minds of all the persons who are born in Bharat that is still India! Many of us struggle to get answers for our very simple but impact making questions. Some are blessed to have parents who are their Spiritual Gurus too and some are blessed to have found their Spiritual Gurus and for some this kind of books as usherers to find the Brilliant Light called Ancient Wisdom. The mode of sharing conversations to decode Dharma is apt as it gives much wider scope for the authors to come up with series!
Choosing and narrating incidents included in our Vedic Scriptures as unique portions like this by linking the conversations is an effort worth applauding. But the authors should have restricted to “Our Epics”
1. What is Karma – this brief portion should have quoted how Krishna defined Karma in Bhagavad-Gita. This is missing making it incomplete.
2. Swadharma Vs Dharma – Sadly the authors chose to use the Buddhist perspective that makes the conversations alloyed. Bharat and for that matter the humanity must be shared with the unalloyed Sanatana Dharma. Including – rather force fitting Bhuddhist perspective is making this Avaidic and untenable ism as part of Sanatana Dharma. The danger it runs is that youth after reading this kind of narrations feel that Buddhism as part of Sanatana Dharma and Buddha is one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu – this wrong understanding is already prevalent among many!!
This portion needs to be explained well so that readers would have the proper understanding of the terms “Swadharma” and how it is reconciled with the Dharma. Sadly many authors in Bharat chose not to have a cursory look at the works of Acharya Madhva who challenged the Advaita with all Pramanas and he had even established how one must conduct research in his magnum opus Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya (MBTN). Swa Vihita Karma is Swadharma. This is the simple definition Acharya Madhva offered. Many of us chose not to use Acharya Madhva’s works that establish the realistic theism, but we all choose to reinvent the wheel.
It is dangerous to allow interweaving our Epics with narratives by mortals that use words like Meluha. Veda Vyasa’s works must be explained without distorting them in any manner whatsoever. Care shall be taken to unfold the Vyasa Hrudayam in Mahabharatam, Bhagavadgita, Bhagavata and all His works. Amish ventured into this along ago and is continuing in this book too.
Vayuputras, the Lord Rudra’s tribe!! While decoding Epics Amish must have excluded his works. He made his characters in this book quote his works!! Small wonder our elders said: “ParOpadesha kaalaayam sarve Vyaasa Paraasharaah” Amish equated himself with Vyasa and Valmiki.
The boxed text in page numbers 48 and 49 make the reader believe that Amish’s works must be read to under stand Dharma.
The name of the asura Tataka was spelled as Tadaka. Each name given by Vyasa and Valmiki are pregnant with meaning in page no.51.
3. The Burden of envy:
Again the same equation : Mahabharata, Ramayana or Meluha?
Content in the Page numbers 74 and 75 bring in the Bollywood too!
This is obnoxious act while decoding Dharma.
As if we can’t discuss anything without Bollywood including the tenets of Dharma. This is the real burden of envy!!
4. Listen to your heart:
It is important to learn the skill of listening to the heart of Vyasa and Valmiki before re-telling their works. Sadly, Amish listened to his heart that is filled with his fiction that he created out of Mahabharata and Ramayana. I wonder what he would have created had he ventured into creating a fiction out of Srimadbhagavatam!!
I have no comment to make further on this chapter.
5. The case for Humility:
Page numbers 110 to 112 picturized Youdhishtara the incarnation of Samavarti Yama as a person with no humility and a personification of Adharma. This is an epic error!! How can Amish interpret the way he wants, challenging the Vyasa Himself. It is for this purpose that Acharya Madhva gifted to the seekers the MBTN to resolve apparently contradicting incidents and statements that we found in Mahabharata.
Iti – this, Ha- like this, Asa = happened is called Itihasa.
We have Authors who distort our Itihasas quote their works along with our Itihasas!! Great.
This is the ultimate example of Humility.
6. Loyalty is a slippery slope:
Page no. 134 talks of the story gifted by Amish about Ganesh and quotes this to drive significant points about Loyalty. Ganesh likes sad songs that were banned!!! Again Bollywood!! Manna De, Mukesh and the souls of other singers must have possessed Amish!!
Amish reduced Raavana as a smuggler at tender age 15!!
Raavana’s charm was extolled by Nava Vyakarana Pandit Hanuma, just before Raavana.
What will our youth learn from this kind of distortions that are created to attract Hollywood or Bollywood producers to create feature films out of these books by Amish?
Amish quotes Bhagavadgita shloka Shreyaan swadharmo….. as being stated by his character to Shiva!! This is how the reader gets perplexed.
7. The price of Anger:
The choice of Ekalavya incident is apt but it should have been explained taking the exact narration from Mahabharata without giving personal.
This is the real explanation:
Ekalavya lost temper as he is not received vidya from a Guru. Swadharma is to obtain Vidya from Guru. Gurus tame the anger of Shishyas in a lasting manner. This did not happen. If Vidya obtained by self-schooling is used to satisfy anger, it poses danger to the world.
8. No comments on the last chapter.
This book is more of decoding Amish’s works than the epics gifted by Vyasa and Valmiki.
The title of the book is intriguing especially for the youth who are - thanks to the silent revival of our urge to be linked to our roots in Social Media – keen on exploring our ancient wisdom and its application.
The introduction has a common thread that runs across, as an invisible quest for wisdom, the minds of all the persons who are born in Bharat that is still India! Many of us struggle to get answers for our very simple but impact making questions. Some are blessed to have parents who are their Spiritual Gurus too and some are blessed to have found their Spiritual Gurus and for some this kind of books as usherers to find the Brilliant Light called Ancient Wisdom. The mode of sharing conversations to decode Dharma is apt as it gives much wider scope for the authors to come up with series!
Choosing and narrating incidents included in our Vedic Scriptures as unique portions like this by linking the conversations is an effort worth applauding. But the authors should have restricted to “Our Epics”
1. What is Karma – this brief portion should have quoted how Krishna defined Karma in Bhagavad-Gita. This is missing making it incomplete.
2. Swadharma Vs Dharma – Sadly the authors chose to use the Buddhist perspective that makes the conversations alloyed. Bharat and for that matter the humanity must be shared with the unalloyed Sanatana Dharma. Including – rather force fitting Bhuddhist perspective is making this Avaidic and untenable ism as part of Sanatana Dharma. The danger it runs is that youth after reading this kind of narrations feel that Buddhism as part of Sanatana Dharma and Buddha is one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu – this wrong understanding is already prevalent among many!!
This portion needs to be explained well so that readers would have the proper understanding of the terms “Swadharma” and how it is reconciled with the Dharma. Sadly many authors in Bharat chose not to have a cursory look at the works of Acharya Madhva who challenged the Advaita with all Pramanas and he had even established how one must conduct research in his magnum opus Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya (MBTN). Swa Vihita Karma is Swadharma. This is the simple definition Acharya Madhva offered. Many of us chose not to use Acharya Madhva’s works that establish the realistic theism, but we all choose to reinvent the wheel.
It is dangerous to allow interweaving our Epics with narratives by mortals that use words like Meluha. Veda Vyasa’s works must be explained without distorting them in any manner whatsoever. Care shall be taken to unfold the Vyasa Hrudayam in Mahabharatam, Bhagavadgita, Bhagavata and all His works. Amish ventured into this along ago and is continuing in this book too.
Vayuputras, the Lord Rudra’s tribe!! While decoding Epics Amish must have excluded his works. He made his characters in this book quote his works!! Small wonder our elders said: “ParOpadesha kaalaayam sarve Vyaasa Paraasharaah” Amish equated himself with Vyasa and Valmiki.
The boxed text in page numbers 48 and 49 make the reader believe that Amish’s works must be read to under stand Dharma.
The name of the asura Tataka was spelled as Tadaka. Each name given by Vyasa and Valmiki are pregnant with meaning in page no.51.
3. The Burden of envy:
Again the same equation : Mahabharata, Ramayana or Meluha?
Content in the Page numbers 74 and 75 bring in the Bollywood too!
This is obnoxious act while decoding Dharma.
As if we can’t discuss anything without Bollywood including the tenets of Dharma. This is the real burden of envy!!
4. Listen to your heart:
It is important to learn the skill of listening to the heart of Vyasa and Valmiki before re-telling their works. Sadly, Amish listened to his heart that is filled with his fiction that he created out of Mahabharata and Ramayana. I wonder what he would have created had he ventured into creating a fiction out of Srimadbhagavatam!!
I have no comment to make further on this chapter.
5. The case for Humility:
Page numbers 110 to 112 picturized Youdhishtara the incarnation of Samavarti Yama as a person with no humility and a personification of Adharma. This is an epic error!! How can Amish interpret the way he wants, challenging the Vyasa Himself. It is for this purpose that Acharya Madhva gifted to the seekers the MBTN to resolve apparently contradicting incidents and statements that we found in Mahabharata.
Iti – this, Ha- like this, Asa = happened is called Itihasa.
We have Authors who distort our Itihasas quote their works along with our Itihasas!! Great.
This is the ultimate example of Humility.
6. Loyalty is a slippery slope:
Page no. 134 talks of the story gifted by Amish about Ganesh and quotes this to drive significant points about Loyalty. Ganesh likes sad songs that were banned!!! Again Bollywood!! Manna De, Mukesh and the souls of other singers must have possessed Amish!!
Amish reduced Raavana as a smuggler at tender age 15!!
Raavana’s charm was extolled by Nava Vyakarana Pandit Hanuma, just before Raavana.
What will our youth learn from this kind of distortions that are created to attract Hollywood or Bollywood producers to create feature films out of these books by Amish?
Amish quotes Bhagavadgita shloka Shreyaan swadharmo….. as being stated by his character to Shiva!! This is how the reader gets perplexed.
7. The price of Anger:
The choice of Ekalavya incident is apt but it should have been explained taking the exact narration from Mahabharata without giving personal.
This is the real explanation:
Ekalavya lost temper as he is not received vidya from a Guru. Swadharma is to obtain Vidya from Guru. Gurus tame the anger of Shishyas in a lasting manner. This did not happen. If Vidya obtained by self-schooling is used to satisfy anger, it poses danger to the world.
8. No comments on the last chapter.
This book is more of decoding Amish’s works than the epics gifted by Vyasa and Valmiki.
April 22, 2021
I have to start by saying that till now I’ve loved Amish’s previous works. I have found them to be refreshing, thought-provoking and engrossing.
But what a disappointment this book on Dharma from him turned out to be.
Firstly, the “epics” he decodes are astonishingly his own works, which at some point, he quotes quite blithely as if they could be regarded as being on the same level as the Ramayana of Valmiki, or the Mahabharata of Ved Vyasa!
He keeps referring to his own fictionalised characters throughout the book and it was purely irritating. Been years since I’ve read his books and at times I was totally clueless as to what character he was referring to.
Moreover, the characters from the true EPICS are multi-faceted and multi-layered, with a lot of complexity ingrained in their behavior and growth. One needs help to uncover all of that. I neither need help or support to uncover the characters of his fiction work - as life-changing and best selling Amish could believe them to be, it does not interest me to the very least.
This book is verging on being a defilement regarding our original epics with a liberal dose of narcissism.
There were nonetheless some insightful gems and for that I give two stars.
But what a disappointment this book on Dharma from him turned out to be.
Firstly, the “epics” he decodes are astonishingly his own works, which at some point, he quotes quite blithely as if they could be regarded as being on the same level as the Ramayana of Valmiki, or the Mahabharata of Ved Vyasa!
He keeps referring to his own fictionalised characters throughout the book and it was purely irritating. Been years since I’ve read his books and at times I was totally clueless as to what character he was referring to.
Moreover, the characters from the true EPICS are multi-faceted and multi-layered, with a lot of complexity ingrained in their behavior and growth. One needs help to uncover all of that. I neither need help or support to uncover the characters of his fiction work - as life-changing and best selling Amish could believe them to be, it does not interest me to the very least.
This book is verging on being a defilement regarding our original epics with a liberal dose of narcissism.
There were nonetheless some insightful gems and for that I give two stars.
May 29, 2021
Amish Tripathi is one of India's most successful writers today despite coming from a non-writer background. 'Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life' is his second non-fiction work. I am grateful to Indic Book Club for granting me an opportunity to read this book and review it.
This book deals with various concepts of Indian or Hindu philosophy. Amish and Bhavna try to explain the nuances of these concepts in an easily understandable manner by using a model of dialogue between husband, wife, mother-in-law, and father-in-law. These concepts are illustrated with clarity by taking incidents from the actual epics and also from Amish's fiction series' books. Many times, the incidents seemed like some abrupt mentions from these books to me because I have not read those series. The conversations presented in the book between the characters are quite stimulating, to be honest, so much that it feels like the reader is actually a part of the conversation.
This book is a perfect one for beginners in Indic knowledge. It tries to give an idea about complex concepts like karma, dharma, and so on in a way so that anyone who has absolutely zero ideas of these concepts can also develop some understanding certainly after reading the book. It captures the inner conflicts associated with these concepts and narrates that how a black & white view is not correct every time. The delicacies of the nuances regarding the concepts are depicted through the examples of the incidents mentioned.
Overall, this book is a very interesting read for those who wish to know about Indic philosophy and how the learnings can be leveraged in our daily life.
This book deals with various concepts of Indian or Hindu philosophy. Amish and Bhavna try to explain the nuances of these concepts in an easily understandable manner by using a model of dialogue between husband, wife, mother-in-law, and father-in-law. These concepts are illustrated with clarity by taking incidents from the actual epics and also from Amish's fiction series' books. Many times, the incidents seemed like some abrupt mentions from these books to me because I have not read those series. The conversations presented in the book between the characters are quite stimulating, to be honest, so much that it feels like the reader is actually a part of the conversation.
This book is a perfect one for beginners in Indic knowledge. It tries to give an idea about complex concepts like karma, dharma, and so on in a way so that anyone who has absolutely zero ideas of these concepts can also develop some understanding certainly after reading the book. It captures the inner conflicts associated with these concepts and narrates that how a black & white view is not correct every time. The delicacies of the nuances regarding the concepts are depicted through the examples of the incidents mentioned.
Overall, this book is a very interesting read for those who wish to know about Indic philosophy and how the learnings can be leveraged in our daily life.
January 10, 2024
The torture of 196 pages. The book is titled "Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life". The epics decoded were none. No commentary or revered text was referred to in this book, but Amish's books became the sole authority on epics. The analogies were bizarre; one comparison was between Karna (From Mahabharata ) and Ganesh( From an Amish book) and Victor Frankl (The Jew survivor from the Nazi basecamp). The chapters switched from one character to another character and were mostly from Amish books, and if someone had read them 8-9 years back, they would not even remember them and forget about decoding them for a meaningful life.
The book looks like a literature review done by Amish on Amish's books. There have been such a good book on Karna dissection, by Govinda das, and similarly many commentaries have catered to different characters, but here the author has made a mess. No learnings, No takeaways, No meaning just a waste of time.
The book looks like a literature review done by Amish on Amish's books. There have been such a good book on Karna dissection, by Govinda das, and similarly many commentaries have catered to different characters, but here the author has made a mess. No learnings, No takeaways, No meaning just a waste of time.
February 19, 2021
If I have to be completely honest I would say I had huge expectations from the book. The book goes in details about the various characters from the epics. Disheartening part of the stories narrated in this book are that, most of it are basically taken from the fictional work of the author. I felt that the author left a bit of of the narcissism around his work. In the character descriptions by the author the learnings from each of them are really very helpful for every reader, but the descriptions are based on the fictional work which makes it difficult for people to relate. There are various pockets of the book which gives you a fantastic moment of solitude but the overall journey is a little disappointing.
March 3, 2021
I liked the way author tried to touch all the great epics to tell about Dharma, Karma, Envy, Anger, Humility, Loyalty but it is not up to the mark. It would have been better if the anecdotes mentioned in the book are from real Mahabharatha and Ramayana. This book takes references from Amish-fictional-verse which is confusing and annoying. It is deviating a lot from the original characters in the epics.
Quotes: Real responsibility and sacrifice bring joy and satisfaction.
Quotes: Real responsibility and sacrifice bring joy and satisfaction.
April 7, 2022
Takes quite a good amount of characters from mainly Mahabharat ( other few also) and analyze their qualities , not discuss people but qualities and how they effect us....
The final gist is about how you are ... full of DILIGENCE or full of NEGLIGENCE about your shortcomings and your good qualities...
An average read I would say.
The final gist is about how you are ... full of DILIGENCE or full of NEGLIGENCE about your shortcomings and your good qualities...
An average read I would say.
December 26, 2024
There were many good ideas in the book but offset by the constant references to Amish's other books!
March 7, 2021
This book will take you on a very different voyage of philosophical discussions of Amishverse and our Indian mythology . Get ready to get some of the answer you seek from the author why the characters in his book took those decisions and what can we learn from them as well as from the examples of Ramayan and Mahabharat !!
February 18, 2021
In today's busy life, young people don't have enough time to study Indian theology in detail, nor to understand the depth of Sanskrit so that they can translate what is written in the original texts correctly. In such a situation, 'Amish Tripathi & Bhavna Roy' have written a book named "Dharma" to make the path easier for the younger generation to understand The Dharma. The original sources of the various original texts have been threaded into stories and are best presented in the dialogue style of today's youth. The author's attempt to explain an esoteric subject like Dharma through a healthy dialogue tradition is commendable.
At a time when Dharma is being served to the youth in a perverted form, then this book succeeds in explaining Dharma and its related concepts to the youth. In the beginning of the book, the author has explained the subject of Karma before talking about Dharma, which is easily understood by the youth through a healthy discussion. Introduces them to the true nature of Karma. Like what is good Karma, what is bad Karma. What is Dharma, what is SwaDharma. And then according to your Dharma, what kind of Karma should be done while doing your karma. When and how much should be heard of your heart. Karma should also be done in such a way that humanity can also be protected. In which not only human rights can be protected but also the lives of the animals. Giving importance of humility and anger, its profit and loss etc. are also discussed.
And the specialty of the book is that in order to explain the concept of Dharma to the youth, attempts have been made to explain the Indian scriptures and stories as well as what folklore are prevalent in contemporary civilizations. These include a good attempt to explain the concept in a systematic way by linking the events of different occasions with their topics through the stories of Creed's Dudlas, the Egyptian God Osiris, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
Overall, the youth who have less time, and want to understand Indian culture, religion, philosophy, etc., can read this book which succeeds in giving them a brief interview about Dharma and various Indian stories.
Note, this book is not practical for research, it is worth reading only to get acquainted with Dharma in short form... Thank You.
At a time when Dharma is being served to the youth in a perverted form, then this book succeeds in explaining Dharma and its related concepts to the youth. In the beginning of the book, the author has explained the subject of Karma before talking about Dharma, which is easily understood by the youth through a healthy discussion. Introduces them to the true nature of Karma. Like what is good Karma, what is bad Karma. What is Dharma, what is SwaDharma. And then according to your Dharma, what kind of Karma should be done while doing your karma. When and how much should be heard of your heart. Karma should also be done in such a way that humanity can also be protected. In which not only human rights can be protected but also the lives of the animals. Giving importance of humility and anger, its profit and loss etc. are also discussed.
And the specialty of the book is that in order to explain the concept of Dharma to the youth, attempts have been made to explain the Indian scriptures and stories as well as what folklore are prevalent in contemporary civilizations. These include a good attempt to explain the concept in a systematic way by linking the events of different occasions with their topics through the stories of Creed's Dudlas, the Egyptian God Osiris, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
Overall, the youth who have less time, and want to understand Indian culture, religion, philosophy, etc., can read this book which succeeds in giving them a brief interview about Dharma and various Indian stories.
Note, this book is not practical for research, it is worth reading only to get acquainted with Dharma in short form... Thank You.
February 11, 2021
So, there are few wisdom thoughts in this book for which it is 1-star worth.
The title of this book is very misleading. When Amish meant "Decoding the Epics", I thought "the epic, epic". But, I don't know that his previous books are already added to the Indian Epics list(by himself). I found the comparison between the Mahabharatha(which is written few thousands of years ago) vs Amish's previous books throughout this book. Trust me, it will irritate you a lot.
At some point, I felt whether Amish is behind some cheap business strategy of forcing this book readers to read or re-read his previous books. I literally heard his voice in my mind "See, My book has superior thoughts than the typical epis. You have to read/re-read it"
I just completed this book for the sake of completing it. The appropriate title should be "Decoding my previous books for a meaningful life".
And He left some clue for a sequel. Most of this book decodes "Shiva Trilogy". Maybe, he is going to decode the Ramayana series in the sequel.
The title of this book is very misleading. When Amish meant "Decoding the Epics", I thought "the epic, epic". But, I don't know that his previous books are already added to the Indian Epics list(by himself). I found the comparison between the Mahabharatha(which is written few thousands of years ago) vs Amish's previous books throughout this book. Trust me, it will irritate you a lot.
At some point, I felt whether Amish is behind some cheap business strategy of forcing this book readers to read or re-read his previous books. I literally heard his voice in my mind "See, My book has superior thoughts than the typical epis. You have to read/re-read it"
I just completed this book for the sake of completing it. The appropriate title should be "Decoding my previous books for a meaningful life".
And He left some clue for a sequel. Most of this book decodes "Shiva Trilogy". Maybe, he is going to decode the Ramayana series in the sequel.
February 27, 2021
“Dharma- Decoding the epics for a meaningful life”.
This book intends to discuss various aspects of life in the milieu of “Dharma”. It makes an attempt to throw some light on multiple dimensions of life, quoting select sections-characters from the epics, such as Mahabharata and Ramayana. In a way, this book is a simple retelling of the sections from Mahabharata and Ramayana that discusses alongside the expressions of emotions-personality-conflicts etc., faced by the person.
The narration is in the form of a dialogue/conversation between the four characters, Dharma raj-Lopamudra- Nachiket and Gargi, where Nachiket and Gargi play the inquisitive young couple, who want to explore and understand the nuances of karma-dharma etc., and Lopamudra- Dharmaraj , the older couple try to demystify and simplify these concepts to the former. The book has eight major sections, that discusses about “Karma-Dharma and Swadharma- Different shades of emotions like, envy-love-loyalty-anger” and so on. Four characters in the conversation try and explore-understand the nuances of life and Indian value system, through the characters from Mahabharata & Ramayana.
The book discusses about the characters-sections from Mahabharata-Ramayana, not as mere stories, but as the “Qualities” each of these characters embody and emote, of which some are desired and to be emulated for a better living, while some are to be shunned. The book also, in certain sections lays out in front of you “Two faces/versions” of the emotion, of which one will elevate you as a person upholding the “Dharma” while the other subjugates it and is detrimental. For example, “Sacrifice” could be self indulgent and self-less.
It is interesting to note that, when they introduce a character, the authors actually put forth their analysis of the “Motive-Intent and volition” behind every action the character undertook. This analysis of the motive, brings to the fore 1.A possibility that, every seemingly good act/deed may have a different version to it, when the actual motive behind it is known. 2. Self deception and deceiving others. 3. Why the fruits of the deeds are the way they are. 4. Finally, this exemplifies who we should be idealizing and why. Even though, they are only at the psychological level, they could still play an important role in building a person’s life. This book is a neatly done re-telling, that attempts to convey the larger values from our “Itihasas” to some extent.
This book is surely interesting for a reader, who is new to the concepts of “Dharma-Karma-Arishadvarga” and so on. However a reader who is acquainted with these concepts would find the interpretations in the book shallow-superficial and non-gripping. English equivalents to Sanskrit terms and incorporating Greek characters/stories that appear to be similar to the ones from Itihasa, are some of the drawbacks that are non-negotiable. Also, in some sections some concepts make an abrupt appearance.
The book, tries to convey a larger message that our epics like “Mahabharata-Ramayana” are not just simple fanciful stories, but they are the embodiments of great values and nuances of life, essentially centred around “Dharma and karma” adopting which will enable peaceful and fulfilling life.
This book intends to discuss various aspects of life in the milieu of “Dharma”. It makes an attempt to throw some light on multiple dimensions of life, quoting select sections-characters from the epics, such as Mahabharata and Ramayana. In a way, this book is a simple retelling of the sections from Mahabharata and Ramayana that discusses alongside the expressions of emotions-personality-conflicts etc., faced by the person.
The narration is in the form of a dialogue/conversation between the four characters, Dharma raj-Lopamudra- Nachiket and Gargi, where Nachiket and Gargi play the inquisitive young couple, who want to explore and understand the nuances of karma-dharma etc., and Lopamudra- Dharmaraj , the older couple try to demystify and simplify these concepts to the former. The book has eight major sections, that discusses about “Karma-Dharma and Swadharma- Different shades of emotions like, envy-love-loyalty-anger” and so on. Four characters in the conversation try and explore-understand the nuances of life and Indian value system, through the characters from Mahabharata & Ramayana.
The book discusses about the characters-sections from Mahabharata-Ramayana, not as mere stories, but as the “Qualities” each of these characters embody and emote, of which some are desired and to be emulated for a better living, while some are to be shunned. The book also, in certain sections lays out in front of you “Two faces/versions” of the emotion, of which one will elevate you as a person upholding the “Dharma” while the other subjugates it and is detrimental. For example, “Sacrifice” could be self indulgent and self-less.
It is interesting to note that, when they introduce a character, the authors actually put forth their analysis of the “Motive-Intent and volition” behind every action the character undertook. This analysis of the motive, brings to the fore 1.A possibility that, every seemingly good act/deed may have a different version to it, when the actual motive behind it is known. 2. Self deception and deceiving others. 3. Why the fruits of the deeds are the way they are. 4. Finally, this exemplifies who we should be idealizing and why. Even though, they are only at the psychological level, they could still play an important role in building a person’s life. This book is a neatly done re-telling, that attempts to convey the larger values from our “Itihasas” to some extent.
This book is surely interesting for a reader, who is new to the concepts of “Dharma-Karma-Arishadvarga” and so on. However a reader who is acquainted with these concepts would find the interpretations in the book shallow-superficial and non-gripping. English equivalents to Sanskrit terms and incorporating Greek characters/stories that appear to be similar to the ones from Itihasa, are some of the drawbacks that are non-negotiable. Also, in some sections some concepts make an abrupt appearance.
The book, tries to convey a larger message that our epics like “Mahabharata-Ramayana” are not just simple fanciful stories, but they are the embodiments of great values and nuances of life, essentially centred around “Dharma and karma” adopting which will enable peaceful and fulfilling life.
April 24, 2021
Amish Tripathi is a prolific and one of the most celebrated/successful writer in recent times. I always wanted to read his books however, until this book I never got around reading any of his works.
I got the opportunity to read Dharma through generous support by Indic Academy. This book draws examples from Hindu epics (i.e. Ramayana, Mahabharata) and how they are relevant and potentially serve as guiding principles in our increasingly complex modern life. Amish and Bhavna try to convey this by narrating stimulating conversations between two generations, older and wiser father and mother and their younger and curious counterparts, son in law and daughter.
What works for this book is the simple and terse narration with ample examples and backgrounds of each character mentioned in the book (often from Amish's own interpretations, previous Shiva trilogy and Ram series which I have not read). This one is a must read for current and young generation who aspire to jet ahead into modern/technological age and at the same time want to stay grounded with our culture and history.
I got the opportunity to read Dharma through generous support by Indic Academy. This book draws examples from Hindu epics (i.e. Ramayana, Mahabharata) and how they are relevant and potentially serve as guiding principles in our increasingly complex modern life. Amish and Bhavna try to convey this by narrating stimulating conversations between two generations, older and wiser father and mother and their younger and curious counterparts, son in law and daughter.
What works for this book is the simple and terse narration with ample examples and backgrounds of each character mentioned in the book (often from Amish's own interpretations, previous Shiva trilogy and Ram series which I have not read). This one is a must read for current and young generation who aspire to jet ahead into modern/technological age and at the same time want to stay grounded with our culture and history.
March 11, 2021
Family fun time + Epics
You'll definitely have a great time reading this book, the Marathi family through which this book is being narrated, have done their job amazingly. Well, if you haven't completed the Shiva trilogy or even the Ram Chandra series you are about to get some big spoilers.
You'll definitely have a great time reading this book, the Marathi family through which this book is being narrated, have done their job amazingly. Well, if you haven't completed the Shiva trilogy or even the Ram Chandra series you are about to get some big spoilers.
January 26, 2023
Well, there are indeed few nuggets of wisdom in this book. However, I disliked the flow and the way its written.there is a lot of breakages and stories are picked up from Indian mythology so if you are not well versed with Indian epics, it will surly irritate you. But otherwise its a small read so you will definitely find yourself picking some useful lessons and also how well Indian epics are designed with the real and practical societal conundrums.
It will be joy for the ones who love mythologies. Few learnings below:
Ø The culture / tradition is not worship of ashes but preservation of fire.
Ø What is the difference between DHARMA & KARMA ? What is dharma ?
Ø Dharma is perhaps the state of being and a constant attempt to achieve the best of self that can be achieved so perhaps pursuit of that is Dharma ? Is Chinese communist party is a dharma or dharma ? Depending on the stance, same action can be dharma or a dharma - thus is the meaning that we assign to pursuit ?
Ø Wisdom doesn’t invest in simplicity
Ø Pandavas & Kauravas - are the metaphors for the battles that we fight each day internally in our own Kurukshetra - every day we have this war within us - to be good, to stay good and to do good. Which by the way is not easy even for the bravest, as we have to win these demons, and when we fail to do so, we give excuses and justifications to ourselves where as if others do it , we judge them in a second, but we make up stories for ourselves and make them justification.
Ø We are not duty bound to respect base nature in others, if you want to respect someone they should be worthy of it, it’s a two way street.
Ø Love is immersive , it softens hard, you being to see yourself from the eyes of your lover.
Ø Responsible people do the rightful duty, you don’t need to something wrong and label it duty or responsibility. This is delusion one needs to come out from else you will be stuck in the wrong thing always.
Ø A slim line divides right conduct from empty righteousness and to understand what is really responsibility. The sacrifice in real responsibility will give you real joy and satisfaction. Unless of course you are taken by delusion and justify yourself otherwise.
Ø Rightful duty is empowering not debilitating,
Ø Envy & resentment are based on disrespect and it make you devoid of understanding of wanting & having and difference between it. The people who are contended are less likely to be envious. There is no issue with the desire of having and wanting pleasure, but its important to understand that pleasure doesn’t last. One should understand the importance of equanimity.
Ø Strength of character vanquishes uncontrolled appetite.
Ø Our conscious mind is very clever, it can deceit us into believing some task and hide that its virtuous arrogance at the root cause of it.
Ø Questioning ourselves and establishing Bona-fide for oiler thoughts and actions is a deep exercise.
Ø Sex is a biological need if you deny it, it will torment you at the back of your mind, just like not eating food can change you into beast if pursued for long.
Ø Love can overcome the power of lust, lust can go uncontrolled and rein in heavily, but love has power to transform and glue 2 companions together.
Ø Grace evokes grace and it builds a virtuous cycle, if the seeker has humility then the giver should also show some humility and vice-versa.
Ø What is real truth, it is real based on facts or truth is based on intent - which one will you pick ?
Ø The gap between our reality and our thoughts / actions should keep becoming narrow, if it stays the same it means we are unaware or under delusion of our state.
Ø People who only give respect to those who earns it are toughest on themselves, as they will demand the respect from others by their conduct and judge with similar standards.
Ø Anything that is not constantly examined by our higher intelligence cannot be wholly positive.
Ø Knowledge is a capable but cold-hearted master, when our mind is more strong its cold decision where as decision taken from heart are more empathetic. Loyalty , trust and faith are beautiful things but they are also stepping stones towards humility and gratitude. Loyalty is a heart thing.
Ø It is tough to uncover the layers underneath what our ego has build, the reason our unconscious is called that is because we can’t see it directly. It needs and efforts and courage to face one own self.
Ø When we are truly tested we discover our true self , which mostly are hidden to ourselves, beautiful or ugly , strong or weak, hard or soft, steady or escapist, brave or cowardly, envious or UN envious, loving or unloving , benign or malignant. Until then its all theory , in that moment when we discover ourselves from the above we can say that it can either leave us ashamed or proud in its wake.
Ø Excess of anything should be avoided, extremism in any form is not a good thing
Ø A tool must be used appropriately, emotions are tools and thus we should pick them as the context demands and not just react to situation with our impulse driven beahviour.
It will be joy for the ones who love mythologies. Few learnings below:
Ø The culture / tradition is not worship of ashes but preservation of fire.
Ø What is the difference between DHARMA & KARMA ? What is dharma ?
Ø Dharma is perhaps the state of being and a constant attempt to achieve the best of self that can be achieved so perhaps pursuit of that is Dharma ? Is Chinese communist party is a dharma or dharma ? Depending on the stance, same action can be dharma or a dharma - thus is the meaning that we assign to pursuit ?
Ø Wisdom doesn’t invest in simplicity
Ø Pandavas & Kauravas - are the metaphors for the battles that we fight each day internally in our own Kurukshetra - every day we have this war within us - to be good, to stay good and to do good. Which by the way is not easy even for the bravest, as we have to win these demons, and when we fail to do so, we give excuses and justifications to ourselves where as if others do it , we judge them in a second, but we make up stories for ourselves and make them justification.
Ø We are not duty bound to respect base nature in others, if you want to respect someone they should be worthy of it, it’s a two way street.
Ø Love is immersive , it softens hard, you being to see yourself from the eyes of your lover.
Ø Responsible people do the rightful duty, you don’t need to something wrong and label it duty or responsibility. This is delusion one needs to come out from else you will be stuck in the wrong thing always.
Ø A slim line divides right conduct from empty righteousness and to understand what is really responsibility. The sacrifice in real responsibility will give you real joy and satisfaction. Unless of course you are taken by delusion and justify yourself otherwise.
Ø Rightful duty is empowering not debilitating,
Ø Envy & resentment are based on disrespect and it make you devoid of understanding of wanting & having and difference between it. The people who are contended are less likely to be envious. There is no issue with the desire of having and wanting pleasure, but its important to understand that pleasure doesn’t last. One should understand the importance of equanimity.
Ø Strength of character vanquishes uncontrolled appetite.
Ø Our conscious mind is very clever, it can deceit us into believing some task and hide that its virtuous arrogance at the root cause of it.
Ø Questioning ourselves and establishing Bona-fide for oiler thoughts and actions is a deep exercise.
Ø Sex is a biological need if you deny it, it will torment you at the back of your mind, just like not eating food can change you into beast if pursued for long.
Ø Love can overcome the power of lust, lust can go uncontrolled and rein in heavily, but love has power to transform and glue 2 companions together.
Ø Grace evokes grace and it builds a virtuous cycle, if the seeker has humility then the giver should also show some humility and vice-versa.
Ø What is real truth, it is real based on facts or truth is based on intent - which one will you pick ?
Ø The gap between our reality and our thoughts / actions should keep becoming narrow, if it stays the same it means we are unaware or under delusion of our state.
Ø People who only give respect to those who earns it are toughest on themselves, as they will demand the respect from others by their conduct and judge with similar standards.
Ø Anything that is not constantly examined by our higher intelligence cannot be wholly positive.
Ø Knowledge is a capable but cold-hearted master, when our mind is more strong its cold decision where as decision taken from heart are more empathetic. Loyalty , trust and faith are beautiful things but they are also stepping stones towards humility and gratitude. Loyalty is a heart thing.
Ø It is tough to uncover the layers underneath what our ego has build, the reason our unconscious is called that is because we can’t see it directly. It needs and efforts and courage to face one own self.
Ø When we are truly tested we discover our true self , which mostly are hidden to ourselves, beautiful or ugly , strong or weak, hard or soft, steady or escapist, brave or cowardly, envious or UN envious, loving or unloving , benign or malignant. Until then its all theory , in that moment when we discover ourselves from the above we can say that it can either leave us ashamed or proud in its wake.
Ø Excess of anything should be avoided, extremism in any form is not a good thing
Ø A tool must be used appropriately, emotions are tools and thus we should pick them as the context demands and not just react to situation with our impulse driven beahviour.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews