धर्म

Mahasamar #4

by नरेंद्र कोहली, Narendra Kohli

प्राख्यात कथाओं का पुन:सृजन उन कथाओं का संशोधन अथवा पुनर्लेखन नहीं होता; वह उनका युग-सापेक्ष अनुकूलन मात्र भी नहीं होता। पीपल के बीज से उत्पन्न प्रत्येक वृक्ष पीपल होते हुए भी, स्वयं में एक स्वतंत्र आस्तित्व होता है; वह न किसी का अनुसरण है, न किसी का नया संस्करण ! मौलिक उपन्यास का भी यही सत्य है। मानवता के शाश्वत प्रश्नों का साक्षात्कार लेखक अपने गली-मुहल्ले, नगर-देश, समाचारपत्रों तथा समाकालीन इतिहास में आबद्ध होकर भी करता है; और मानव सभ्यता तथा संस्कृति की संपूर्ण जातीय स्मृति के सम्मुख बैठकर भी। पौराणिक उपन्यास कार के ‘प्राचीन’ में घिरकर प्रगति के प्रति अंधे हो जाने की संभावना उतनी ही घातक है, जितनी समकालीन लेखक की समसामयिक पत्रकारिता में बंदी हो एक खंड-सत्य को पूर्ण सत्य मानने की मूढ़ता। सृजक साहित्यकार का सत्य अपने काल-खंड का अंग होते हुए भी, खंडों के अतिक्रमण का लक्ष्य लेकर चलता है नरेन्द्र कोहली का नया उपन्यास है ‘महासमर’। घटनाएँ तथा पात्र महाभारत से संबद्ध हैं; किंतु यह कृति एक उपन्यास है- आज के एक लेखन का मौलिक

Genres: Fiction, Mythology

386 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Padmashree Narendra Kohli is one of the most eminent and well-known Hindi writers of our times. His novel based on the Ram-Katha, Abhyuday, shifted the course of Hindi novel-writing. Another of his novels, Mahasamar, based on the Pandava-katha went on to become just as popular. His novel-series, Todo Kara Todo is considered the greatest and foremost novel in any language on the life of Swami Vivekananda. Abhigyan, Vasudev, Sharnam, Aatmaswikriti, Varunaputri, Sagar-Manthan, Ahalya etc. are his other well-known works. Apart from the Padmashree, he has also been awarded the Hindi Akademi award; Delhi Salaka Samman; Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthaan award; Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Samman, Lucknow; K.K. Birla Foundation award; Vyasa Samman, New Delhi; Madhya Pradesh government and Bhopal’s Maithili Sharan Gupt Rashtriya Samman, among numerous other honours.

डॉ॰ नरेन्द्र कोहली (जन्म ६ जनवरी १९४०, निधन १७ अप्रैल २०२१, चैत्र शुक्ल पंचमी, नवरात्रि) प्रसिद्ध हिन्दी साहित्यकार हैं। उन्होंने साहित्य के सभी प्रमुख विधाओं (यथा उपन्यास, व्यंग्य, नाटक, कहानी) एवं गौण विधाओं (यथा संस्मरण, निबंध, पत्र आदि) और आलोचनात्मक साहित्य में अपनी लेखनी चलाई है। उन्होंने शताधिक श्रेष्ठ ग्रंथों का सृजन किया है। हिन्दी साहित्य में 'महाकाव्यात्मक उपन्यास' की विधा को प्रारंभ करने का श्रेय नरेंद्र कोहली को ही जाता है। पौराणिक एवं ऐतिहासिक चरित्रों की गुत्थियों को सुलझाते हुए उनके माध्यम से आधुनिक सामाज की समस्याओं एवं उनके समाधान को समाज के समक्ष प्रस्तुत करना कोहली की अन्यतम विशेषता है। कोहलीजी सांस्कृतिक राष्ट्रवादी साहित्यकार हैं, जिन्होंने अपनी रचनाओं के माध्यम से भारतीय जीवन-शैली एवं दर्शन का सम्यक् परिचय करवाया है। जनवरी, २०१७ में उन्हें पद्मश्री से सम्मानित किया गया।

Reviews

[Pratyush Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read.

[Siddhartha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is fourth part of Mahasamar depicting Pandava's life in their new kingdom to the point Yudhishtra gambles everything and loses it all and going for 12 year Vanavasa. The question is does Dharma mean doing adharma as you believe saying No is adharma? I find the author is trying to whitewash ego and self glorification sacrificing the interests of the rest of the family calling it Dharma. If he's gambling everything only because Dhrutharathrar whom he considers as a father asked him to gamble, even after he believes gambling is immoral and will end up in quarrels and war?Is doing adharma even after knowing it is adharma only because you are being asked to do it by a father-figure only as you consider it as dharma to do everything asked by him?

To me the whole gambling episode, the way it's depicted in the book, is to justify Yudhishtra's actions. It might be true Duryodhana was always jealous of Pandavas and were doing things to destroy them, but at the same time Yudhishtar could have taken his own actions to become a victim. Also, very surprising is that, though it was Krishna who was guiding pandavas to make Yudhishtra to become a samrat, but when they get invitation for gambling, even after Vidur warned them about the evil plan behind the invitation to trap them, they didn't consult Krishna.

In Mahabharatha it's written that Dushasana disrobed Draupadi but in this book when Drapadi calls Krishna's name Dushasana faints and falls down. Maybe the author didn't want to hide the fact that Draupadi was disrobed in front of everyone in the Kuru assembly. Being daughter Drupada whom Bhishma, Drona etc considered as their enemy, none of the elders except Vidurar did anything to stop this disrobing.

I liked the way the author explained many of the incidents but at the same feels he has an intention to portray Yudhishtar as a great person even though in Vyasa's Mahabharata there are many incidents that shows how he was extremely self-centred and was thinking only of portraying himself as a great person at the expense of his brothers, wives and family.

[Mohit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I am just going to stop reviewing this series any more. Or else goodreads will have to figure out how to give 100 stars to any such piece of work. It is a masterpiece.

‘महाभारत’ की कथा पर आधारित ‘महासमर’ का यह चौथा खण्ड है - ‘धर्म’! पाण्डवों को बँटवारे से खाण्डवप्रस्थ मिला है और नियति से कृष्ण। ये कहानी है कृष्ण-सखा की और धर्म के पुनर्वलोकन की। खाण्डव वन से ध्यूतभवन तक की। हस्तिनापुर और मगध की।

If you can read Hindi, don’t miss it, even if this is the only book you end up reading in your lifetime.

[Priyank Goyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unputdownable !!!

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dharm by Narendra Kohli - Mahasamar-4 is about the elder Pandava being declared Crown Prince and efforts by Duryodhana and his uncle Shakuni to kill them started. First, effort to kill them at the combustible forest in Varnawat – Lakashgarah from which they survived with the help of a cave constructed below the palace. Later they won the contest of archery and as a result married Draupadi, daughter of King of Kampilya- Drupad. . The news of marriage of Pandavas with Kampilya Kings Drupad’s daughter came be known to Dhritrashta. He called the Pandavas back to Hastinapur. During the meantime, Duryodhana had been declared Crown Prince. Dhritrashtra understood public pressure and divided his kingdom in two parts- first, Hastinapur to Kauravas and barren and hostile lands of Khandavparahstha to Pandavas. With the help of Krishna and his elder brother Balram the Pandavas went to Khandavaprastha. It was an undeveloped forest and hilly tract. In the book, the description is lively. Drupadi is ultimately happy that they will live in their own palace. Bhim is married to Hidimba but she is living separately in her kingdom. Draupadi understands the feelings of all brothers and binds them in the family. Pandavas developed this area, more people come to inhabit. They constructed a palace named Indraprastha. With the help of saints and religious people, Rajsuya Yagn was held and all Kings honoured Pandavas as their Ruler. Kauravas were also invited at the ending ceremony where they saw the riches of Pandavas and were jealous of their prosperity. In order to revenge them, a plan was made to send Vidur, the Minister and brother of Dhritrashtra to invite the Pandavas to Hastinapur to play dice- gambling. Shakuni has a pair of dice which when rolled, gave the wanted number. Dice was played in the Court Room at Hastinapur. Here Dhritranshtra all his ministers – main being- Bhisma, Dronoacharya, Kripacharya, Vidur were present. Dice was thrown by Duryodhana and number was called by his uncle Shakuni. Thus the Pandavas lost all bids in which they lost their palace, riches, ruled areas, themselves became slaves and lsot their wife Draupadi also. Younger Brother of Duryodhana namded Dusshashana pulled Draupadi by her hair from the Palace and brought her to Court. He tried to pull her clothes calling her a slave won by them during the dice game. Dhritrashtra realised their humiliation and that if Drupadi curses his sons, they will have a bad end. Therefore, he declared that the dice game results are reversed. Duryadhana did not like this and informed his father Dhritrashtra that he will commit suicide. Thus Dhritrashtra said that one final dice game be played. The condition was 12 years living in forest and one year incognito. The Pandavs lost the dice and left to complete the condition. It is a worth reading book. It should be translated in all Indian and foreign languages so that all readers are aware of Indian culture and philosophy.

[Ved Prakash · Rating 3 out of 5]

इस खंड की तीन खासियत है ―

पहला - इसमें इंद्र, अग्नि और नागों/तक्षक को इंसान के रूप में ही दिखाया है। इंद्र और अग्नि शक्तिशाली राजा हैं जिनमे आपस में tussle है। तक्षक का समूह जहरीले अस्त्रों के प्रयोग में निष्णात है। लेकिन कमी ये खलती है कि इंद्र और अग्नि इसी पृथ्वी के शक्तिशाली राजा हैं तो अश्वमेध यज्ञ के समय वे कहाँ हैं और बाद की लड़ाई में भी वे कहाँ हैं ? इनका मानवीयकरण थोपा हुआ लगता है।

दूसरी विशेषता है ― द्यूत के समय युधिष्ठिर की मनोस्थिति और उसके पोजीशन का गहराई से विश्लेषण।

तीसरा : चीरहरण के समय दुशासन के असफल होने का कृष्ण से जुड़ा जो रीज़न दिखाया है वो तर्कसंगत लगता है। इसमें किसी अलौकिक शक्ति या साड़ी की लंबाई बढ़ते जाना नहीं बताया गया है।

इस खंड में महाभारत का ये अंश कवर हुआ है :-

बंजर भूमि और शक्तिशाली राजाओं द्वारा समर्थित असामाजिक तत्वों/दस्यु के नियंत्रण वाला खाण्डव वन पांडवों के हिस्से आया है। अपनी मेहनत और कृष्ण के निर्देशन में काम चलाऊ महल और राज्य स्थापित होता ही है कि अर्जुन 12 सालों के लिए राज्य से बाहर तपस्वी जीवन बिताने को चला जाता है। इन 12 वर्षों में अर्जुन का 3 कन्याओं से विवाह होता है और सुभद्रा को लेकर अर्जुन इंद्रप्रस्थ वापस लौटता है( सुभद्रा-अर्जुन प्रसंग भी कमजोर है, कृत्रिमता झलकी है)। कृष्ण के निर्देशन में अग्नि की सहायता से इंद्र द्वारा संरक्षित खाण्डव वन को जलाकर अपनी संप्रभुता स्थापित कर मय दानव की मदद से अलौकिक महल का निर्माण और राजसूय यज्ञ कर चक्रवर्ती सम्राट बनते हैं पांडव। फिर हस्तिनापुर में द्यूत में सब कुछ गंवाकर वनवास को निकलते हैं।

[knots · Rating 1 out of 5]

More Yudhishthira glorification.There is an attempt to justify his gambling addiction as perseverance to Dharma.I can't take it any more. Arjuna gets more screen time.But Subhadra is treated as a little girl who doesn't know her mind.Apparently she falls for Arjuna 'after' he kidnaps her.There are no Gods in this version.Indra and Agni are all mortals and local powers.Krishna didn't appear in person to rescue Draupadi.Nagas are depicted as expert poisoners rather than snake-folk.All these take away half the fun of the epic.The author's depiction of Shishupala makes interesting reading.Especially his reasons for marrying his daughter with Nakula.

[Yogesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has so many instances of how one should behave, live and work with others. It also makes you think about decisions, decision processes and models of thinking. Imagine Pandvas as as mental models and their discussions will be more meaningful. It has so many leadership lessons.

A must read book. I learnt a quite a few things about Mahabharata events and have never ever had come across the thought processes.

[Abhishek · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books cannot be rated.

[Sachin Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely awesome.

[Manu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can say that mahasamar is the best series i ever read , it is written in superb way, every character, there fight with thereself amazing