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Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince
Arjuna is the immortal tale of one of India's greatest heroes. These pages retell in riveting detail the story of the Pandava Warrior-Prince who has captured the imagination of millions across centuries. This is the intense and human story of his loves, friendship, ambitions, weaknesses and follies, as well as his untimely death and revival, his stint as a eunuch, and the innermost reaches of his thoughts. Told in a refreshingly modern and humourous style and set against the staggering backdrop of the Mahabharata. Arjunas story appeals equally to the average, discerning reader and the scholar. It spans the epic journey from before his birth, when omens foretold his greatness, across the fabled, wondrous landscape that was his life.
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
86 people are currently reading
1841 people want to read
About the author
Anuja Chandramouli
16 books411 followersAnuja Chandramouli is a bestselling Indian author and New Age Indian Classicist. Her highly acclaimed debut novel, Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince, was named by Amazon India as one of the top 5 books in the Indian Writing category for the year 2013. Kamadeva: The God of Desire and Shakti: The Divine Feminine are her other bestsellers. Currently all three books are being translated into Hindi, Marathi, Gujarathi and Bengali, a real achievement for one so young. Her epic fantasies called Yama’s Lieutenant and its sequel has received an overwhelming response.
Her books on Kartikeya, Padmavati and Prithviraj Chauhan have been very successful. Her latest book is Ganga: The Constant Goddess.
An accomplished orator, she regularly conducts workshops on Creative Writing, Story Telling and Mythology in schools, colleges and various other platforms. Her motivational speeches have also been well received. According to Chandramouli, her work with youngsters in the rural belt helping them improve their Spoken English and Writing skills has been wonderfully satisfying and enriching.
This happily married, mother of two little girls, lives in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. She is a student of classical dance and Yoga.
Email: anujamouli@gmail.com
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/authoranujac...
Her books on Kartikeya, Padmavati and Prithviraj Chauhan have been very successful. Her latest book is Ganga: The Constant Goddess.
An accomplished orator, she regularly conducts workshops on Creative Writing, Story Telling and Mythology in schools, colleges and various other platforms. Her motivational speeches have also been well received. According to Chandramouli, her work with youngsters in the rural belt helping them improve their Spoken English and Writing skills has been wonderfully satisfying and enriching.
This happily married, mother of two little girls, lives in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. She is a student of classical dance and Yoga.
Email: anujamouli@gmail.com
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/authoranujac...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
February 17, 2017
Dabbling with Indian Mythology is in and you will not hear me complain about it. Indian Mythology has always interested me. It started with my mother and grandmother telling me stories as a child and the interest still continues. And you have to admit that they are much more appealing than the not-so-heart-warming-love-stories that have flooded the market. I mean it is not really difficult to choose between titles like ‘Of Course I Love You! Till I Find Someome Better’ and ‘Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior – Prince’… I’d choose my warrior prince every single time.
‘Arjuna’ is a character from Mahabharat that has always intrigued me. I mean his dedication to the art of archery is really commendable. He had me at the incident when during his lessons he saw only the bird’s eye instead of everything else like those around him. So, while picking up this book, I had really high expectation from it.
Anuja Chandramouli has expertly woven in the story of Arjuna’s life in this novel with her crisp language and smooth flow of writing. The chapters were clear and each complete in its own right. It was almost easy to imagine that I was reading a series of short stories relating to the same cast. Yet they connected and complimented each other very well to form a novel that can claim some acclaim.
The problem that comes when you are playing with such mythological characters is the fact that these characters have always been a part of our lives and we all feel that we know them, be it through the school curriculum or through B.R.Chopra’s Mega serial. Picking up a book about him, I already had an image of Arjuna in my mind. The author here has stuck to portraying Arjuna as we all know him. The stories narrated are also the ones that we have always known about him. She has stuck to the original version and has only added interesting bits of titbits here and there. Though that fact made it more comfortable for me to read the book, I couldn’t help but wonder if there could have been more to the book had the author chosen to take a different approach.
Overall, it surely made for an interesting and entertaining read.
‘Arjuna’ is a character from Mahabharat that has always intrigued me. I mean his dedication to the art of archery is really commendable. He had me at the incident when during his lessons he saw only the bird’s eye instead of everything else like those around him. So, while picking up this book, I had really high expectation from it.
Anuja Chandramouli has expertly woven in the story of Arjuna’s life in this novel with her crisp language and smooth flow of writing. The chapters were clear and each complete in its own right. It was almost easy to imagine that I was reading a series of short stories relating to the same cast. Yet they connected and complimented each other very well to form a novel that can claim some acclaim.
The problem that comes when you are playing with such mythological characters is the fact that these characters have always been a part of our lives and we all feel that we know them, be it through the school curriculum or through B.R.Chopra’s Mega serial. Picking up a book about him, I already had an image of Arjuna in my mind. The author here has stuck to portraying Arjuna as we all know him. The stories narrated are also the ones that we have always known about him. She has stuck to the original version and has only added interesting bits of titbits here and there. Though that fact made it more comfortable for me to read the book, I couldn’t help but wonder if there could have been more to the book had the author chosen to take a different approach.
Overall, it surely made for an interesting and entertaining read.
November 9, 2014
This book cheats the reader of the full experience of reading the Mahabharata. When you read or watch the Mahabharata, as it is properly told, you go through a variety of human emotions, you feel for the tragedies and victories of the glorious characters. This book for one, has structural issues. In the first half of the book, it jumps around a lot, giving background stories for everything and while it is informative of the author to do that, it does not make for the best reading experience.
Also, the books reads more like a straight told summary of the Mahabharata than a book about Arjun and his own opinions and thoughts. The book is simpler than it needs to be, the writing is once again, a little too simple. (This could be called a very, very simple re-telling of the Mahabharat perhaps for people who are looking for easy reads?)
Surprisingly, I did not feel anything while reading this. The Mahabharata has many climactic scenes which have always been close to the reader's heart - the death of Abhimanyu, the tragedy of Karna, etc. But this book always seemed like the author was in a rush to tell the story. It did not pause for drama, so to say, and that really took away from the reading experience.
I would not recommend this book to anyone. I would in fact reccommend that the author maybe go back to this book and re-write it with improved writing, structure, detail, description, etc.
When you read this book, you are "informed" of the stories of Arjun but you do not feel them and that is why this was such a disappointing read. I hope to read improved prose by this author in the future.
Also, the books reads more like a straight told summary of the Mahabharata than a book about Arjun and his own opinions and thoughts. The book is simpler than it needs to be, the writing is once again, a little too simple. (This could be called a very, very simple re-telling of the Mahabharat perhaps for people who are looking for easy reads?)
Surprisingly, I did not feel anything while reading this. The Mahabharata has many climactic scenes which have always been close to the reader's heart - the death of Abhimanyu, the tragedy of Karna, etc. But this book always seemed like the author was in a rush to tell the story. It did not pause for drama, so to say, and that really took away from the reading experience.
I would not recommend this book to anyone. I would in fact reccommend that the author maybe go back to this book and re-write it with improved writing, structure, detail, description, etc.
When you read this book, you are "informed" of the stories of Arjun but you do not feel them and that is why this was such a disappointing read. I hope to read improved prose by this author in the future.
August 22, 2014
The most important thing about my reviews of any book is having felt satisfaction after reading the last word. And this book did leave me quite satisfied. Now, here are the things to love/hate about the book:
Love:
1. It got me hooked just like Janmejaya, who always wondered about his illustrious great-grandfather.
2. I liked how the author didn't make him completely idealistic and fault-less (honestly, I expected it that way for some reason) On many occasions, his faults were highlighted with the metaphoric neon signs, which irritated me, as a reader. His pride most of all would make you roll your eyes. But I liked it, because if the story didn't point out his faults, I wouldn't have liked it.
3. His friendship with Krishna. In the end, you would realise that Arjuna was Arjuna, because of Krishna, and that no one has control over fate, over what will be happen. You may hate that fact as much as you want, fill your heart with venom because you can't change things, but you will have no control, whatsoever, over what is pre-destined for you. And if you realise that, you'll find endless peace in your life.
4. I loved that segment where Karna was compared to Arjuna. They're in fact very similar, but opposite sides of the same coin. Karna's story makes you actually like the magnanimous but naive, ignorant Duryodhana as well. Loved, the way the author makes you understand where Duryodhana comes from as well, especially when in one scene Duryodhana was more likeable than Arjuna. That showed that in the end, there is no right/wrong. Just Dharma and Adharma.
5. His love for his beloved ones, was most interesting to read about in this story. Be it his wife, brothers, Krishna, mother, etc.
6. An especially cute scene towards the end where he gets scared of Gandhari, is most endearing! Haha!
Hate:
1. Disregard for Draupadi's story. I felt like Draupadi was inserted in the storyline in a very haphazard manner because the author remembered "Oh! His first wife! Gotta write about her as well!" A lot of incidents that occurred between the two were also missing, especially the events that shaped their lives, like where Arjuna catches Yudhishtira touching Draypadi's feet while she was sleeping. It was an interesting scene, and the author didn't mention it. :|
Anyway, I'd rate it 3.5/5. It was a cool read.
Love:
1. It got me hooked just like Janmejaya, who always wondered about his illustrious great-grandfather.
2. I liked how the author didn't make him completely idealistic and fault-less (honestly, I expected it that way for some reason) On many occasions, his faults were highlighted with the metaphoric neon signs, which irritated me, as a reader. His pride most of all would make you roll your eyes. But I liked it, because if the story didn't point out his faults, I wouldn't have liked it.
3. His friendship with Krishna. In the end, you would realise that Arjuna was Arjuna, because of Krishna, and that no one has control over fate, over what will be happen. You may hate that fact as much as you want, fill your heart with venom because you can't change things, but you will have no control, whatsoever, over what is pre-destined for you. And if you realise that, you'll find endless peace in your life.
4. I loved that segment where Karna was compared to Arjuna. They're in fact very similar, but opposite sides of the same coin. Karna's story makes you actually like the magnanimous but naive, ignorant Duryodhana as well. Loved, the way the author makes you understand where Duryodhana comes from as well, especially when in one scene Duryodhana was more likeable than Arjuna. That showed that in the end, there is no right/wrong. Just Dharma and Adharma.
5. His love for his beloved ones, was most interesting to read about in this story. Be it his wife, brothers, Krishna, mother, etc.
6. An especially cute scene towards the end where he gets scared of Gandhari, is most endearing! Haha!
Hate:
1. Disregard for Draupadi's story. I felt like Draupadi was inserted in the storyline in a very haphazard manner because the author remembered "Oh! His first wife! Gotta write about her as well!" A lot of incidents that occurred between the two were also missing, especially the events that shaped their lives, like where Arjuna catches Yudhishtira touching Draypadi's feet while she was sleeping. It was an interesting scene, and the author didn't mention it. :|
Anyway, I'd rate it 3.5/5. It was a cool read.
March 8, 2015
Although Arjuna lives a life of brave warrior in the hearts of million Indians, I would call him a weak-indecisive soul. He can never make it to my heart, no matter what it takes. He had everything that other princes of his time longed for. He was marked favorite by the big shots of his time which ultimately resulted in the victory of Pandavas in Kurushetra war.
But, his indecisiveness I call it, paved way for a lot of troubles.
Arjuna_The Saga Of Warrior Prince by Anuja Chandramouli is just another rendition for Mahabarat, and this time it is from Arjuna's point of view. The thing that distinguishes this one from the other books is that, this one discusses deeply about the other wives of Arjuna :P ! Repetition of known stories left me yawning. On the whole, I did not understand whether the author glorified him or trolled him ! This book is a huge let down for all Arjuna fanatics !
If you want to read Vyaasa Mahabharat once again, go for this one.
But, his indecisiveness I call it, paved way for a lot of troubles.
Arjuna_The Saga Of Warrior Prince by Anuja Chandramouli is just another rendition for Mahabarat, and this time it is from Arjuna's point of view. The thing that distinguishes this one from the other books is that, this one discusses deeply about the other wives of Arjuna :P ! Repetition of known stories left me yawning. On the whole, I did not understand whether the author glorified him or trolled him ! This book is a huge let down for all Arjuna fanatics !
If you want to read Vyaasa Mahabharat once again, go for this one.
September 7, 2020
The matter within does not do justice to the title, unfortunately. The book dwelt way too much in detail about ancestors and gods & it just rushes through some really important, dramatic and decisive incidents of the epic, which if had been written well about, would’ve made it a tad more interesting to read. (Like the episode of Draupadi’s disrobing!!)
The incident of the house of lac was nowhere mentioned which was really surprising! There’s barely any mention of Durdyodhan’s scheming uncle Shakuni, who played a pivotal role in kindling the hatred between the Kuru brothers.
I also felt a lack of sense of continuity as the story jumps from one backstory to a whole different one and also from the present to future. It simply gives a loose storyline of the Mahabharata; which in itself is inadequate to be titled “Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince: Arjuna”
The incident of the house of lac was nowhere mentioned which was really surprising! There’s barely any mention of Durdyodhan’s scheming uncle Shakuni, who played a pivotal role in kindling the hatred between the Kuru brothers.
I also felt a lack of sense of continuity as the story jumps from one backstory to a whole different one and also from the present to future. It simply gives a loose storyline of the Mahabharata; which in itself is inadequate to be titled “Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince: Arjuna”
September 12, 2014
This was just 'Mahabharata Retold'. There were but mere parts in Arjuna's point of view, and just ending the story with his POV DOES NOT make it his story! I was expecting something of the range of 'Second Turn' by MT Vasudevan Nair, a rendition of Mahabharata in Bheema's POV, a true timeless classic. But this fell short of my expectations by light years. The narrative is patchy at times, and the language is hardly contemporary. There is hardly any new information of the Mahabharata even - I mean, for those who watched BR Chopra's epic production 'Mahabharat'. The only parts I really enjoyed and liked were those where Karna's story and POV is narrated. The writer could have at least explored a different rendition style or a true POV.
January 7, 2018
Sigh, nothing new here. Just a retelling of the Mahabharata with really no new perspectives or angles. Sorely disappointed
November 10, 2013
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Book Review: Arjuna by Anuja Chandramouli: Huge Restitution Before The Final Journey
Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince ARJUNA by Anuja Chandramouli has been excellently stitched and smartly handled the mighty complex story of Mahabharata. Right since the childhood of an Indian few epic characters are so powerfully earmarked in his mind that they never go off right through his entire lifecycle. Arjuna is one of those characters that we start encountering during our early childhood days. Arjuna is one of the strongest characters of the mythological epic Mahabharata.
Arjuna by Anuja Chandramouli focuses Arjuna on the central stage with all other significant characters playing around. The story tells about Arjuna's love, friendship, learning, achievements, struggles, fights, wars, and tough times in his life. This well researched story has been written in a modern style with the basic theme of Mahabharata. The book begins with a select cast of characters that will definitely help you in getting a brief of each character well in advance before jumping into the pond. I did refer to it at times while reading this interesting book. This book is a long journey starting with forefathers of Arjuna and taking you through the complete lifecycle of Arjuna. A great amount of information related this the epic mythological Mahabharata that you will not be aware of, is presented here in this book.
Oveall if you see, Mahabharata is one of the most complex sagas in Indian Mythology. The story of Mahabharata is too complex, about the births and deaths, about relationships, about marriages and children, about their counts etc; that you certainly get lost at some or the other turn while riding through this journey. Few points that I would like to highlight regarding this book - Arjuna, and the writer - Anuja Chandramouli are listed below:
1. It is well appreciating on part of the author to take up this challenging task of handling such a complex story keeping in mind present day's readers mindset and thus presenting it in a modern style and penning it down in a 360 odd pages interesting read.
2. The sequence and inter crossing of incidents makes reader lose the track while reading, though best of the efforts have been made by the writer in handling it. Incidents happening at a later stage are told earlier thereby creating a little confusion.
3. I wished if this story had been written in a narrative style with 2 or 3 main characters in line - Arjuna, Krishna and Duryodhana. This way it would have become more interesting and would have removed some of the boredom encountered during the current style of reading. This would required an entirely different style of writing, though!
4. Few of the words were totally off the track and did not match with the seriousness of this epic mythological drama. For example using 'babes' in place of 'babies' made it a matter of laugh and shelved off all the seriousness the story was carrying.
5. Intense style of writing loses track at many instances and all of a sudden you start feeling you are reading a normal story with all seriousness and intensity lost.
6. Despite some shortfalls I would recommend this book to all readers interested in Indian Mythology as it delivers lot of important information about Arjuna and other characters of Mahabharata.
7. A glossary at the end is definitely going to help you.
8. Sequencing of 21 chapters in this 360 odd pages book has been done superbly.
Book Review: Arjuna by Anuja Chandramouli: Huge Restitution Before The Final Journey
Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince ARJUNA by Anuja Chandramouli has been excellently stitched and smartly handled the mighty complex story of Mahabharata. Right since the childhood of an Indian few epic characters are so powerfully earmarked in his mind that they never go off right through his entire lifecycle. Arjuna is one of those characters that we start encountering during our early childhood days. Arjuna is one of the strongest characters of the mythological epic Mahabharata.
Arjuna by Anuja Chandramouli focuses Arjuna on the central stage with all other significant characters playing around. The story tells about Arjuna's love, friendship, learning, achievements, struggles, fights, wars, and tough times in his life. This well researched story has been written in a modern style with the basic theme of Mahabharata. The book begins with a select cast of characters that will definitely help you in getting a brief of each character well in advance before jumping into the pond. I did refer to it at times while reading this interesting book. This book is a long journey starting with forefathers of Arjuna and taking you through the complete lifecycle of Arjuna. A great amount of information related this the epic mythological Mahabharata that you will not be aware of, is presented here in this book.
Oveall if you see, Mahabharata is one of the most complex sagas in Indian Mythology. The story of Mahabharata is too complex, about the births and deaths, about relationships, about marriages and children, about their counts etc; that you certainly get lost at some or the other turn while riding through this journey. Few points that I would like to highlight regarding this book - Arjuna, and the writer - Anuja Chandramouli are listed below:
1. It is well appreciating on part of the author to take up this challenging task of handling such a complex story keeping in mind present day's readers mindset and thus presenting it in a modern style and penning it down in a 360 odd pages interesting read.
2. The sequence and inter crossing of incidents makes reader lose the track while reading, though best of the efforts have been made by the writer in handling it. Incidents happening at a later stage are told earlier thereby creating a little confusion.
3. I wished if this story had been written in a narrative style with 2 or 3 main characters in line - Arjuna, Krishna and Duryodhana. This way it would have become more interesting and would have removed some of the boredom encountered during the current style of reading. This would required an entirely different style of writing, though!
4. Few of the words were totally off the track and did not match with the seriousness of this epic mythological drama. For example using 'babes' in place of 'babies' made it a matter of laugh and shelved off all the seriousness the story was carrying.
5. Intense style of writing loses track at many instances and all of a sudden you start feeling you are reading a normal story with all seriousness and intensity lost.
6. Despite some shortfalls I would recommend this book to all readers interested in Indian Mythology as it delivers lot of important information about Arjuna and other characters of Mahabharata.
7. A glossary at the end is definitely going to help you.
8. Sequencing of 21 chapters in this 360 odd pages book has been done superbly.
February 16, 2025
This fascinating restating of the Mahabharata through the eyes of its most renowned hero, Arjuna, presents a overpoweringly humanized version of the warrior-prince, exploring his strengths, vulnerabilities, and moral dilemmas. Chandramouli’s narrative is rich and evocative, blending mythology with modern storytelling techniques. She delves into Arjuna’s relationships, his inner engagements, and his journey from an ambitious young prince to the legendary figure shaped by fate and duty. The book also offers fresh perspectives on other key characters, making it a convincing read for both mythology enthusiasts and newcomers to the epic. While the prose is engaging, at times the detailed descriptions slow down the pacing. However, the depth of character development and philosophical undertones make up for this, offering readers a thought-provoking exploration of destiny, righteousness, and human failings. Generally, this book stands out as a well-researched and immersive recapping, that brings new life to an ancient legend. I enjoyed it. I am a Mahabharata buff. Yet it gave me key-value points. You try it out as well.
March 14, 2013
Writing mythology based fiction is difficult as many people might have heard/read different versions of the story. Making the work is really interesting is really important to make the reader to read and enjoy the book. Book is easy and quick read.
October 16, 2013
This review first appeared on my blog http://satyasurya.wordpress.com/2013/...
Having heard Mahabharata stories from my grandparents, parents and uncles and having watched it as a kid on TV, I was always drawn towards the epic and the essence it tries to tell us. I liked the epic so much that I read an abridged Telugu version of Mahabharata when I was just a seven-year old. That’s Mahabharata for me. The world’s largest epic (1,00,000 verses) and worshipped as the panchama veda, Mahabharata is a story that encompasses many stories. As we read the story of the warring cousins the Pandavas and the Kauravas, we also get to read many stories of many other people who are either directly or indirectly related to the cousins who fought the great war in the battlefields of Kurukshetra.
Was blessed to read Anuja Chandramouli’s “Saga of a pandava warrior prince : Arjuna” this week. This, to me is one of the best books that retells Mahabharata in English. Told from an Arjuna centric perspective, this book narrates the entire Mahabharata katha with a focus on Pandava madhyama (3rd of 5 sons of Pandu). His skills ,his follies and the good bad and ugly events of his life.
Written in simple English and ornated with wonderful words, this book is definitely a great read. It is a page turner and the pace of the story and the way Anuja maintained it throughout was flawless and awesome. The magnum opus of the book is that it stays as close as possible to the original text of Veda Vyasa. The author does not give-in to any bias or does not depict any favoritism on any of the characters as she takes us through the tales of one of the noblest souls ever born.
Again, I am extremely happy that someone has cared to narrate the story again and bring in the importance of Arjuna to the fore, however, before I get into that let me ask a simple question.
Why should we read about Arjuna ?
1. One of the greatest gifts of Mahabharata to humanity is the Divine song or the Bhagavad Gita. Considered the most important book of wisdom (by the followers of Sanatana Dharma, Bhagavad Gita , the 700 sloka scripture is a conversation between Pandava prince Arjuna and Lord Sri Krishna. This conversation that happened in battle fields of Kurukshetra dispels many myths, contains an enormous amount of knowledge on karma,bhakti and Jnana paths and guides seekers on a variety of theological and philosophical issues.
Here Lord Krishna is the manifestation of God himself, Krishnaavataara is the poornaavataara or the complete avataara of Narayana. So , he imparts knowledge. Now look at the person whom He chose to impart the knowledge to. It is Arjuna, he is the nara (man, mortal) who received the knowledge from Narayana (God). If he was just another warrior prince who happened to be a good friend of Lord Krishna and had Lord Krishna always by his side to bail him out of troubles , why would the Lord choose Arjuna to impart the divine knowledge?
2. Of all the 105 warring cousins it was only Arjuna’s line(Vamsa-Lineage) that was there to live and rule the empire of kurus. Every one else lost their kith & kin and even their own sons and grand children, what was so special in Arjuna that only he was blessed with this and everyone else was not ?
If not anything else, atleast to get the answers of these questions we ought to read about Lord Krishna’s ishta sakha (Best Friend ) Arjuna. Anuja Chandramouli in her book tries and succeeds in bringing out the self-control, discipline, reverence
for elders ,the virtues, the thirst for knowledge and the reverence for dharma possessed by Arjuna. I say Anuja unbiased while dealing Arjuna’s story as she does not resist herself from pointing out the follies of the great man.
Of late, though we are reading and seeing a lot of Mahabharata katha, the biases or the internal inclinations of many of the writers (may be screenplay writers, authors etc… ) are effecting the outcome of the book/movie/serial and we end up seeing a slightly or heavily distorted version of Mahabharata (for example: if you see the movie Dana Veera Sura Karna in Telugu, you see Karna being eulogized and Arjuna not given enough importance.). Writing a book on Mahabharata and writing it without any distortion or bias is in itself a herculean task and I commend Anuja for doing that.
The size of the book is also good , it’s 356 pages and I feel an ideal size for any book. Anuja had to cover 18 parvas (chapters) of Mahabharatha and doing it 356 pages is really awesome. Now, one more thing, as I said before, the story has too many stories inside it. So the reader has to actually remember what happened in the past to understand why a particular person is behaving in a particular way in a given situation. For example, why Arjuna had to use the mighty Paasupatha astra on Jayadratha or why Dustadyumna attacks Drona inspite of Arjuna’s disapproval on the 15th day of the battle. Anuja has come up with a smart answer to this, she gives us a short paragraph or two that either gives us the context or when a particular thing is happening, she will tell us how this incident is going to change some thing else in the future. (For Eg.While narrating the Khandavadahana episode, she tells us abount a serpent escaping there, she also tells how it ends up becoming the nagastra and even takes us to the battle scene where it is used. Nice one. ) Very well handled mam, take a bow.
One minor glitch I found in the book is the playful jibes Arjuna and Bhima keep having at each other, never read about this in any of the books before, so I am not sure about them. Then I felt Shishupala’s story also had few details missing. Again the author must have a skipped a few details as she was trying to narrate the story from Arjuna’s standpoint.
However, in spite of all this stuff , the book is still one of the best ones we should be reading. Before I conclude I would say one thing, they say that one should read Mahabharata when he is 8-15 years old, for it teaches one about the world , the psychology of people, the good,bad and ugly sides of humanity and about the deceitful, cunning and scheming people who surround any person. We should read it because it teaches us on why it is important to be disciplined, truthful and virtuous in our lives. It’s never late to learn. Hence, we should be reading it. Then, we all have this onerous task and responsibility of passing these stories and lessons on to our next generations. Weren’t we the lucky ones who heard about all this from our parents and grand parents and corrected few errant strides of ours. In today’s world, in the age of Cartoon Networks and Pogos if re-read these stories and tell it to our kids as dinner table tales or bed time tales, it would (i) increase the ethics and values in them (ii) increase our bonding with them. Everyone who has kids at home and has plans of raising them in an orderly and disciplined manner must read Mahabharata and teach the kids the virtues of Pandavas. This book is of great help in doing that. It will not only help the reader tell his kids about story of Mahabharata but will also help him/her explain why and where Arjuna is a cut above the rest and give his/her kids one of the best lessons of their lives.
Again, I thank Anuja for the fantastic book and thank the publishers for bringing such a good book to light. I appeal to the people to read the book for it is such a nice and educating one.
Happy Reading
Book —————- Arjuna : Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince
Publisher ——– Leadstart Publishing
Price —————- 250
Having heard Mahabharata stories from my grandparents, parents and uncles and having watched it as a kid on TV, I was always drawn towards the epic and the essence it tries to tell us. I liked the epic so much that I read an abridged Telugu version of Mahabharata when I was just a seven-year old. That’s Mahabharata for me. The world’s largest epic (1,00,000 verses) and worshipped as the panchama veda, Mahabharata is a story that encompasses many stories. As we read the story of the warring cousins the Pandavas and the Kauravas, we also get to read many stories of many other people who are either directly or indirectly related to the cousins who fought the great war in the battlefields of Kurukshetra.
Was blessed to read Anuja Chandramouli’s “Saga of a pandava warrior prince : Arjuna” this week. This, to me is one of the best books that retells Mahabharata in English. Told from an Arjuna centric perspective, this book narrates the entire Mahabharata katha with a focus on Pandava madhyama (3rd of 5 sons of Pandu). His skills ,his follies and the good bad and ugly events of his life.
Written in simple English and ornated with wonderful words, this book is definitely a great read. It is a page turner and the pace of the story and the way Anuja maintained it throughout was flawless and awesome. The magnum opus of the book is that it stays as close as possible to the original text of Veda Vyasa. The author does not give-in to any bias or does not depict any favoritism on any of the characters as she takes us through the tales of one of the noblest souls ever born.
Again, I am extremely happy that someone has cared to narrate the story again and bring in the importance of Arjuna to the fore, however, before I get into that let me ask a simple question.
Why should we read about Arjuna ?
1. One of the greatest gifts of Mahabharata to humanity is the Divine song or the Bhagavad Gita. Considered the most important book of wisdom (by the followers of Sanatana Dharma, Bhagavad Gita , the 700 sloka scripture is a conversation between Pandava prince Arjuna and Lord Sri Krishna. This conversation that happened in battle fields of Kurukshetra dispels many myths, contains an enormous amount of knowledge on karma,bhakti and Jnana paths and guides seekers on a variety of theological and philosophical issues.
Here Lord Krishna is the manifestation of God himself, Krishnaavataara is the poornaavataara or the complete avataara of Narayana. So , he imparts knowledge. Now look at the person whom He chose to impart the knowledge to. It is Arjuna, he is the nara (man, mortal) who received the knowledge from Narayana (God). If he was just another warrior prince who happened to be a good friend of Lord Krishna and had Lord Krishna always by his side to bail him out of troubles , why would the Lord choose Arjuna to impart the divine knowledge?
2. Of all the 105 warring cousins it was only Arjuna’s line(Vamsa-Lineage) that was there to live and rule the empire of kurus. Every one else lost their kith & kin and even their own sons and grand children, what was so special in Arjuna that only he was blessed with this and everyone else was not ?
If not anything else, atleast to get the answers of these questions we ought to read about Lord Krishna’s ishta sakha (Best Friend ) Arjuna. Anuja Chandramouli in her book tries and succeeds in bringing out the self-control, discipline, reverence
for elders ,the virtues, the thirst for knowledge and the reverence for dharma possessed by Arjuna. I say Anuja unbiased while dealing Arjuna’s story as she does not resist herself from pointing out the follies of the great man.
Of late, though we are reading and seeing a lot of Mahabharata katha, the biases or the internal inclinations of many of the writers (may be screenplay writers, authors etc… ) are effecting the outcome of the book/movie/serial and we end up seeing a slightly or heavily distorted version of Mahabharata (for example: if you see the movie Dana Veera Sura Karna in Telugu, you see Karna being eulogized and Arjuna not given enough importance.). Writing a book on Mahabharata and writing it without any distortion or bias is in itself a herculean task and I commend Anuja for doing that.
The size of the book is also good , it’s 356 pages and I feel an ideal size for any book. Anuja had to cover 18 parvas (chapters) of Mahabharatha and doing it 356 pages is really awesome. Now, one more thing, as I said before, the story has too many stories inside it. So the reader has to actually remember what happened in the past to understand why a particular person is behaving in a particular way in a given situation. For example, why Arjuna had to use the mighty Paasupatha astra on Jayadratha or why Dustadyumna attacks Drona inspite of Arjuna’s disapproval on the 15th day of the battle. Anuja has come up with a smart answer to this, she gives us a short paragraph or two that either gives us the context or when a particular thing is happening, she will tell us how this incident is going to change some thing else in the future. (For Eg.While narrating the Khandavadahana episode, she tells us abount a serpent escaping there, she also tells how it ends up becoming the nagastra and even takes us to the battle scene where it is used. Nice one. ) Very well handled mam, take a bow.
One minor glitch I found in the book is the playful jibes Arjuna and Bhima keep having at each other, never read about this in any of the books before, so I am not sure about them. Then I felt Shishupala’s story also had few details missing. Again the author must have a skipped a few details as she was trying to narrate the story from Arjuna’s standpoint.
However, in spite of all this stuff , the book is still one of the best ones we should be reading. Before I conclude I would say one thing, they say that one should read Mahabharata when he is 8-15 years old, for it teaches one about the world , the psychology of people, the good,bad and ugly sides of humanity and about the deceitful, cunning and scheming people who surround any person. We should read it because it teaches us on why it is important to be disciplined, truthful and virtuous in our lives. It’s never late to learn. Hence, we should be reading it. Then, we all have this onerous task and responsibility of passing these stories and lessons on to our next generations. Weren’t we the lucky ones who heard about all this from our parents and grand parents and corrected few errant strides of ours. In today’s world, in the age of Cartoon Networks and Pogos if re-read these stories and tell it to our kids as dinner table tales or bed time tales, it would (i) increase the ethics and values in them (ii) increase our bonding with them. Everyone who has kids at home and has plans of raising them in an orderly and disciplined manner must read Mahabharata and teach the kids the virtues of Pandavas. This book is of great help in doing that. It will not only help the reader tell his kids about story of Mahabharata but will also help him/her explain why and where Arjuna is a cut above the rest and give his/her kids one of the best lessons of their lives.
Again, I thank Anuja for the fantastic book and thank the publishers for bringing such a good book to light. I appeal to the people to read the book for it is such a nice and educating one.
Happy Reading
Book —————- Arjuna : Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince
Publisher ——– Leadstart Publishing
Price —————- 250
August 19, 2018
Rating: 1/5
Who doesn't know Arjuna, the third Pandava prince, husband of Draupadi, Sakha of Shri Krishna & the world's renowned archer, from the epic poem of the Mahabharata? Every Indian while growing up had watched Mahabharata by B.R. Chopra, telecasted in Doordarshan in the 80s' or the Mahabharata by Swastik Productions Pvt, telecasted in star plus in 20s'. So the image & story of Arjuna has been embedded in our mind & heart from our childhood, whether through folklore, grandma's bedtime stories, films, tv shows or books.
For me, Arjuna was the most prominent & charismatic male character in the Mahabharata whose stories fascinated me from my childhood. He was known by many names --- 'Arjun', son of Pritha, 'Partha' son of Pritha, 'Phalguna' one who born under the star Phalguni, 'Kiriti' who was presented with a golden diadem by Indra, 'Swetavahana' rider of a divine chariot, 'Jishnu' one whose rage is dreadful to behold & who became scourge of three worlds, 'Bibhatsu' one who is fair & ethical in conduct, 'Vijaya' one who never lose a battle, 'Savyasachi' one who is ambidextrous, 'Dhananjaya' one who brings prosperity wherever he goes --- & had various facets & shades in his character, but who Arjuna really was? The author Anuja Chandramouli attempted to answer this question in her debut novel Arjuna Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince.
Now coming to my view about the book, it was written in simple language, which is quite too simple for me. Each chapter tells you some incidents from Arjuna's life, like short stories. Judging from its name I was expecting the book to be a character-driven story, that it will portray the Mahabharata from Arjuna's POV, something like The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, but to my utter disappointment, I was wrong. The book is nothing but a summarised retelling of the Mahabharata. There was no characterization, dialogues were seemed to be put forcefully & lots of backward forward storytelling makes the storyline confusing. The first half of the book is very fast pace & many important incidents are either ignored or written hurriedly, while the 2nd half felt too dragging. Long conversations, characters background stories & descriptions of the battle scenes are used to unnecessarily stretched the chapters long. The relation which Arjun share with Drupadi is disregarded. She comes only in a few pages in the entire book, while the story of Karna is elaborately described in the 2nd half as if it was his story, not Arjuna's.
After completing the book, I was feeling like why the hell I read this book. Its complete waste of time. I would not recommend this book to anyone. I will give 1 star out of 5 & that too for the author's boldness to write about such a larger than life characters in her debut novel.
Who doesn't know Arjuna, the third Pandava prince, husband of Draupadi, Sakha of Shri Krishna & the world's renowned archer, from the epic poem of the Mahabharata? Every Indian while growing up had watched Mahabharata by B.R. Chopra, telecasted in Doordarshan in the 80s' or the Mahabharata by Swastik Productions Pvt, telecasted in star plus in 20s'. So the image & story of Arjuna has been embedded in our mind & heart from our childhood, whether through folklore, grandma's bedtime stories, films, tv shows or books.
For me, Arjuna was the most prominent & charismatic male character in the Mahabharata whose stories fascinated me from my childhood. He was known by many names --- 'Arjun', son of Pritha, 'Partha' son of Pritha, 'Phalguna' one who born under the star Phalguni, 'Kiriti' who was presented with a golden diadem by Indra, 'Swetavahana' rider of a divine chariot, 'Jishnu' one whose rage is dreadful to behold & who became scourge of three worlds, 'Bibhatsu' one who is fair & ethical in conduct, 'Vijaya' one who never lose a battle, 'Savyasachi' one who is ambidextrous, 'Dhananjaya' one who brings prosperity wherever he goes --- & had various facets & shades in his character, but who Arjuna really was? The author Anuja Chandramouli attempted to answer this question in her debut novel Arjuna Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince.
Now coming to my view about the book, it was written in simple language, which is quite too simple for me. Each chapter tells you some incidents from Arjuna's life, like short stories. Judging from its name I was expecting the book to be a character-driven story, that it will portray the Mahabharata from Arjuna's POV, something like The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, but to my utter disappointment, I was wrong. The book is nothing but a summarised retelling of the Mahabharata. There was no characterization, dialogues were seemed to be put forcefully & lots of backward forward storytelling makes the storyline confusing. The first half of the book is very fast pace & many important incidents are either ignored or written hurriedly, while the 2nd half felt too dragging. Long conversations, characters background stories & descriptions of the battle scenes are used to unnecessarily stretched the chapters long. The relation which Arjun share with Drupadi is disregarded. She comes only in a few pages in the entire book, while the story of Karna is elaborately described in the 2nd half as if it was his story, not Arjuna's.
After completing the book, I was feeling like why the hell I read this book. Its complete waste of time. I would not recommend this book to anyone. I will give 1 star out of 5 & that too for the author's boldness to write about such a larger than life characters in her debut novel.
April 15, 2013
By Anuja Chandramouli. Grade: B+
Arjuna
Arjuna is the immortal tale of one of India’s greatest heroes. These pages retell in riveting detail the story of the Pandava Warrior-Prince who has captured the imagination of millions across centuries. This is the intense and human story of his loves, friendship, ambitions, weaknesses and follies, as well as his untimely death and revival, his stint as a eunuch, and the innermost reaches of his thoughts. Told in a refreshingly modern and humourous style and set against the staggering backdrop of the Mahabharata. Arjunas story appeals equally to the average, discerning reader and the scholar. It spans the epic journey from before his birth, when omens foretold his greatness, across the fabled, wondrous landscape that was his life.
This book was sent to me by the author herself for the purpose of review for VoB – I took my time getting to read this one, as I was still enamored by the starkly vivid world of Acacia created by David Anthony Durham in the concluding volume to the famed Acacia trilogy.
Arjuna brought me to back to India. And how. Back to the world I’ve always loved right from my first brush with India’s finest epic fantasy known to one and all as the MahaBharata. And I say this again, against the backdrop of this vast and fantastically detailed epic, of late I’ve seen countless stories spring up. And not a single one do I tire of.
Anuja’s triumphant debut lays out in lavish detail the life of the greatest warrior of the epic Mahabharata times, the pandava prince Arjuna. Fast read, written in a competent prose and the action keeps moving along at a steady clip. There are no surprises here; we’ve grown up on this story, right? So I was curious to see how differently she treated this one.
Well, for starters you might argue that by singling out Arjuna alone, who arguably enough hasn’t seen his fair share of the mytho-fantasy book-mentions or devotee-vote banks, she has got it right. A book dedicated to the exploits of the greatest archer/warrior of the MBH story written from his point of view, Arjuna is a definite page-turner. It helps that Arjuna being the most gifted archer of the lot, gets involved in most of the interesting action that happens in these times. Most of the initial parts of the book focuses on the character growth of Arjuna as he grows into his inheritance, the tag of being the greatest warrior. In the beginning though, Anuja takes her time setting up the context to the birth of the Pandavas – the narrative zips across events blurring timelines and it didn’t help that the author hopped from one event to the other instead of building it up chronologically. Maybe this was deliberate but I personally felt it jarred a little. But quickly sifting through the tumultuous childhood of Pandavas and Kauravas, Anuja takes through Arjuna’s journey to the Naga lands, the eastern provinces (Manipur), the famous Draupadi Swayamvar, his quest for celestial weapons that pits him against Gods and Asuras alike, his exile and the year spent as a transvestite dance teacher – all forming a nice pattern weaving into the larger scheme of things, building up towards the formidable eighteen-day war that is the final confrontation between the cousins, the Kauravas and Pandavas.
This is touted to be an often hilarious rehash of the Mahabharata times through the lens of Arjuna – while for most parts the story reads like a documentary with minimal fictional intervention, the latter half of the novel that concentrates on the war is a bit more lively – interspersed with dialogues and action. As is expected, you cannot really do justice to the larger story arc without bringing in viewpoints of other major characters in this titanic struggle for power. So Anuja deftly weaves in interesting side stories of Krishna, Karna and Drona, among the many other colorful characters who lent vibrancy to the proceedings.
This is another of those books that stands tall on the shoulder of giants – well researched and competently delivered. Anuja’s prose is lively and drives the narrative forwards in spurts – Perhaps a slow start that chugs along in the middle and really picks up heated pace towards the latter halves. But it doesn’t really deliver anything new to the table. If you haven’t read any MBH versions before, you are definitely in for a treat. Rajagopalachari’s Mahabharata still remains my favorite any day – Govinda brought a new spin to the proceedings – mixing fact with fiction and magic. Ashok Banker’s retelling now with three parts out crowds the bookshelves of most retail bookstores. So in a world where everybody is scampering to cash in on the hype and success created by the rich landscape of India mythofantasy, Arjuna is more of the same wine in a slightly new bottle. Arjuna is probably an incredibly stereotypical protagonist and the plot is also very predictable due to its own been-there-done-that qualities. That being said, I realize that not everything has to be new, fresh and inventive to be enjoyable. Go soak yourself in those wonderful times again – where Gods walked the earth and the best of us got a chance to wield weapons against evil and triumph against odds.
Originally reviewed at http://vaultofbooks.com/
Arjuna
Arjuna is the immortal tale of one of India’s greatest heroes. These pages retell in riveting detail the story of the Pandava Warrior-Prince who has captured the imagination of millions across centuries. This is the intense and human story of his loves, friendship, ambitions, weaknesses and follies, as well as his untimely death and revival, his stint as a eunuch, and the innermost reaches of his thoughts. Told in a refreshingly modern and humourous style and set against the staggering backdrop of the Mahabharata. Arjunas story appeals equally to the average, discerning reader and the scholar. It spans the epic journey from before his birth, when omens foretold his greatness, across the fabled, wondrous landscape that was his life.
This book was sent to me by the author herself for the purpose of review for VoB – I took my time getting to read this one, as I was still enamored by the starkly vivid world of Acacia created by David Anthony Durham in the concluding volume to the famed Acacia trilogy.
Arjuna brought me to back to India. And how. Back to the world I’ve always loved right from my first brush with India’s finest epic fantasy known to one and all as the MahaBharata. And I say this again, against the backdrop of this vast and fantastically detailed epic, of late I’ve seen countless stories spring up. And not a single one do I tire of.
Anuja’s triumphant debut lays out in lavish detail the life of the greatest warrior of the epic Mahabharata times, the pandava prince Arjuna. Fast read, written in a competent prose and the action keeps moving along at a steady clip. There are no surprises here; we’ve grown up on this story, right? So I was curious to see how differently she treated this one.
Well, for starters you might argue that by singling out Arjuna alone, who arguably enough hasn’t seen his fair share of the mytho-fantasy book-mentions or devotee-vote banks, she has got it right. A book dedicated to the exploits of the greatest archer/warrior of the MBH story written from his point of view, Arjuna is a definite page-turner. It helps that Arjuna being the most gifted archer of the lot, gets involved in most of the interesting action that happens in these times. Most of the initial parts of the book focuses on the character growth of Arjuna as he grows into his inheritance, the tag of being the greatest warrior. In the beginning though, Anuja takes her time setting up the context to the birth of the Pandavas – the narrative zips across events blurring timelines and it didn’t help that the author hopped from one event to the other instead of building it up chronologically. Maybe this was deliberate but I personally felt it jarred a little. But quickly sifting through the tumultuous childhood of Pandavas and Kauravas, Anuja takes through Arjuna’s journey to the Naga lands, the eastern provinces (Manipur), the famous Draupadi Swayamvar, his quest for celestial weapons that pits him against Gods and Asuras alike, his exile and the year spent as a transvestite dance teacher – all forming a nice pattern weaving into the larger scheme of things, building up towards the formidable eighteen-day war that is the final confrontation between the cousins, the Kauravas and Pandavas.
This is touted to be an often hilarious rehash of the Mahabharata times through the lens of Arjuna – while for most parts the story reads like a documentary with minimal fictional intervention, the latter half of the novel that concentrates on the war is a bit more lively – interspersed with dialogues and action. As is expected, you cannot really do justice to the larger story arc without bringing in viewpoints of other major characters in this titanic struggle for power. So Anuja deftly weaves in interesting side stories of Krishna, Karna and Drona, among the many other colorful characters who lent vibrancy to the proceedings.
This is another of those books that stands tall on the shoulder of giants – well researched and competently delivered. Anuja’s prose is lively and drives the narrative forwards in spurts – Perhaps a slow start that chugs along in the middle and really picks up heated pace towards the latter halves. But it doesn’t really deliver anything new to the table. If you haven’t read any MBH versions before, you are definitely in for a treat. Rajagopalachari’s Mahabharata still remains my favorite any day – Govinda brought a new spin to the proceedings – mixing fact with fiction and magic. Ashok Banker’s retelling now with three parts out crowds the bookshelves of most retail bookstores. So in a world where everybody is scampering to cash in on the hype and success created by the rich landscape of India mythofantasy, Arjuna is more of the same wine in a slightly new bottle. Arjuna is probably an incredibly stereotypical protagonist and the plot is also very predictable due to its own been-there-done-that qualities. That being said, I realize that not everything has to be new, fresh and inventive to be enjoyable. Go soak yourself in those wonderful times again – where Gods walked the earth and the best of us got a chance to wield weapons against evil and triumph against odds.
Originally reviewed at http://vaultofbooks.com/
May 12, 2013
Mahabharata is a fascinating, mammoth work of fiction with millions of sub-plots. Personally I have found Mahabharata much more intriguing than Ramayana. The sheer amount of conflicts, latent themes and contradictions engage your mind in constant debate. (The only other book that has turned over my mind is perhaps Wuthering Heights.) No wonder dozens of variants and narratives for the same story exist. Not only variants, the whole saga has been written from perspective of so many characters such as Draupadi (The Palace of Illusions), Duryodhana (Mahabharta ki ek saanjh), Karna (Karna ki atamkatha), Bhima (Randamoozham) and so on. Arjun is a similar attempt with Arjuna, the third Pandava in focus.
Now, telling a story with Arjuna in focus (notice I do not say Arjuna's perspective) definitely means you will have a cause to regard the story of Pandavas closely as well. Even with five different personalities, the five brothers presented a single entity as Pandavas. (Panchali only solidified that unit.)
The language of the is simple and does not draw away from the story, and often it feels like a book is a collection of parables. I treated this book as a refresher of all the stories I have read before in Mahabharata. Also, book didn't always attempt to present the events in chronology and the way it was presented, I assumed that it was expected that readers are familiar with Mahabharata. This, though I gather may have been intentional on author's part, was a mild irritant to me. In terms of narrating history and choices of sub-plots with Arjuna as focus, the book has been successful. However, did it provide occasions to pause and debate or throw a light on a philosophical perspective, or bring out innermost conflicts of Arjuna (other than those well-known at battlefield)? In that, book is wanting. Other than few notions of Arjuna - his arrogance that humanizes him, his mild indignation at what he thinks is Bhima's naivety and lastly, his belated realisation of everlasting love for Draupadi - Arjuna remains same character that we knew him. Book doesn't conjure anything new in in our minds. For example, Mahabharat ki ek saanjh is compelling in presenting an argument from Duryodhan's perspective. But then, as I clarified, it is not really a perspective book. It is a re-telling where Arjuna lies at the crux of it. It is fast read and worth a trip down the memory lane of your favorite epic.
P.S: 1. I noted a disconcerting gender usage. When Arjuna hits Duryodhan in his nails in the battle, he 'cries like a girl'. Oh, no.
2. It was a relief to once again read a mythology book where the characters did not say, 'hell, yeah'. Touche! ;) Also, unlike last few review copies I read, the editing was decent and I didn't not find any of those punctuation issues that are eye sores when reading a book.
Now, telling a story with Arjuna in focus (notice I do not say Arjuna's perspective) definitely means you will have a cause to regard the story of Pandavas closely as well. Even with five different personalities, the five brothers presented a single entity as Pandavas. (Panchali only solidified that unit.)
The language of the is simple and does not draw away from the story, and often it feels like a book is a collection of parables. I treated this book as a refresher of all the stories I have read before in Mahabharata. Also, book didn't always attempt to present the events in chronology and the way it was presented, I assumed that it was expected that readers are familiar with Mahabharata. This, though I gather may have been intentional on author's part, was a mild irritant to me. In terms of narrating history and choices of sub-plots with Arjuna as focus, the book has been successful. However, did it provide occasions to pause and debate or throw a light on a philosophical perspective, or bring out innermost conflicts of Arjuna (other than those well-known at battlefield)? In that, book is wanting. Other than few notions of Arjuna - his arrogance that humanizes him, his mild indignation at what he thinks is Bhima's naivety and lastly, his belated realisation of everlasting love for Draupadi - Arjuna remains same character that we knew him. Book doesn't conjure anything new in in our minds. For example, Mahabharat ki ek saanjh is compelling in presenting an argument from Duryodhan's perspective. But then, as I clarified, it is not really a perspective book. It is a re-telling where Arjuna lies at the crux of it. It is fast read and worth a trip down the memory lane of your favorite epic.
P.S: 1. I noted a disconcerting gender usage. When Arjuna hits Duryodhan in his nails in the battle, he 'cries like a girl'. Oh, no.
2. It was a relief to once again read a mythology book where the characters did not say, 'hell, yeah'. Touche! ;) Also, unlike last few review copies I read, the editing was decent and I didn't not find any of those punctuation issues that are eye sores when reading a book.
December 16, 2013
‘Arjuna – Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince’ by Anuja Chandramouli is a healthy if temporary respite from the slew of over-dramatized, barely-researched, ‘so-called’ modern renderings of the Indian classics which have become run-of-the-mill, cash cows for the publishers. Book Stores/ Libraries are inundated with these books and their shelve life, as such is pretty low.
But this book stands out, for the reasons mentioned below:
1. Sticks to the story
2. Author does not enmesh her fantasy into the basic plot, nor does she try to add more spice
3. the book does not excessively demonize/eulogize any character
4. A crisp and lucid retelling (much similar to C. Rajagopalachari’s retelling of the epics)
This book is a careful narration, a blow-by-blow account, of the life of the third Pandava – the not quite indisputably, greatest archer ever, Arjuna. The painstaking research of the author shows through the pages as we are transported back to that holy age where Gods deemed it fit to take Avatars to rid the Earth of the demons galore.
We have, of course, vicariously lived the lives of Bhishma, Drona, Arjuna, Yudhisthir, Draupadi, Bhima, Duryodhana, Karna and all the other characters – the many recitals in the lap of our Grandma, Ramanand Sagar’s televised rendition, the various ‘Illustrated Mahabharat for Children’ we read and of course, the philosophical discourse on karma, causality and how difficult is it to be good, being some of the means through which we have kept the legend alive and kicking.
Mahabharat is imbued in the blood stream of all Indians.
Much of the allure that the legend holds is due to the fact that it is imperfect. All characters are flawed and their actions subject to various interpretations. No other legend would have been as much scrutinized or carefully sifted through as this must have been. This book might not have a takeout message (others might say, it has multiple!), but it can be definitely divined through any of the various lens you care to look through. And you can choose not to accept. Gita is not a religious propaganda, it is a philosophical discourse - you either accept it or not, it is upto you.
And Ms. Chandramouli has stayed true to the spirit of Mahabharat. Though she writes about the Gandeeva wielding, champion of Kurukshetra, Arjuna, she by no means lavish tremendous praise on our hero. Even, Arjuna can be conceited; even Arjuna can wallow in the pool of hubris. The author could have easily glossed over the fact, like so many of us Indians like to do (we like Arjuna damn too much to not ignore his failings). But she did not.
I recommend you to read this book to get a well-informed account of Arjuna. It is engaging, entertaining and informative – all at the same time.
November 27, 2013
It is never easy for an author to pick up a character of the Mahabharata and write a novel on it. Mahabharata itself is so well etched in our psyche that etching a character out of it, is never easy. Anuja Chandramouli brings in the story of Arjuna in her book with the same name.
To be honest Ved Vyas has carved each character so complexly and with so many shades to them, that it might even take a lifetime to perfectly understand one character as a whole. Arjuna is the hero, he has all the traits to rise above his destiny including the one of being a prince, however he is equally human and flawed. That is the best part of this book. Chandramouli has not tried even once to portrait Arjuna as a super human or a demi God. Chandramouli’s Arjuna is flesh and blood and therefore one can relate to it.
In the book, the author has not added much of her own. In most part it is retelling of the Mahabharata. It begins with the Janamejaya, son of Parikshit and grandson of Arjuna who was ailing and Ved Vyasa authorizing his disciple Vaishampayana to narrate the whole Mahabharata to him. It is through the eyes of Arjuna. Though there are a lot of moving back and forth in the stories, yet the writer should be credited of maintaining the flow. Though most of the stories are well known, yet something like Arjuna’s rendezvous with Hanuman is lesser known, that it was a delight reading about it. It could had been a brighter book, had the author tried more to prod into the psyche of Arjuna and retold everything through his emotions rather than retelling what is well known.
The book is well written, the language and presentation being simple. Even if one is not well versed with the epic, reading this book won’t make them feel lost. This book is specially recommended to the people who are born in the nineties and after, because they were not there when B R Chopra’s Mahabharata left every Indian breathless and when they were growing up, stories and books were slowly being replaced by the Internet and video games. And for the others, I suggest, winters are here, you won’t really mind a cup of chaai and a date with Arjuna. Come on, he is one man we can never get too much of. Mark this book as your winter read. Not something you will regret.
To be honest Ved Vyas has carved each character so complexly and with so many shades to them, that it might even take a lifetime to perfectly understand one character as a whole. Arjuna is the hero, he has all the traits to rise above his destiny including the one of being a prince, however he is equally human and flawed. That is the best part of this book. Chandramouli has not tried even once to portrait Arjuna as a super human or a demi God. Chandramouli’s Arjuna is flesh and blood and therefore one can relate to it.
In the book, the author has not added much of her own. In most part it is retelling of the Mahabharata. It begins with the Janamejaya, son of Parikshit and grandson of Arjuna who was ailing and Ved Vyasa authorizing his disciple Vaishampayana to narrate the whole Mahabharata to him. It is through the eyes of Arjuna. Though there are a lot of moving back and forth in the stories, yet the writer should be credited of maintaining the flow. Though most of the stories are well known, yet something like Arjuna’s rendezvous with Hanuman is lesser known, that it was a delight reading about it. It could had been a brighter book, had the author tried more to prod into the psyche of Arjuna and retold everything through his emotions rather than retelling what is well known.
The book is well written, the language and presentation being simple. Even if one is not well versed with the epic, reading this book won’t make them feel lost. This book is specially recommended to the people who are born in the nineties and after, because they were not there when B R Chopra’s Mahabharata left every Indian breathless and when they were growing up, stories and books were slowly being replaced by the Internet and video games. And for the others, I suggest, winters are here, you won’t really mind a cup of chaai and a date with Arjuna. Come on, he is one man we can never get too much of. Mark this book as your winter read. Not something you will regret.
September 8, 2019
This book review is not about how great the lore on Arjuna is or what it reveals. Instead it is a non-spoiler on that (and an enticement into it) by rather showing him an actual historic figure in reality, more worth knowing than near any other political leader in the past 5K years.
All the more interesting is more or less no one among the Billions today now know of him and his times at all except as some almost demi-god in Hindic Scripture they have half forgotten.
Colonialist Scholarship of the British “chronologically reductionist school” of the 1800’s - so unconsciously (or consciously?) adverse to India’s antiquity - would have you believe the Great King Arjuna of the Mahabharatta dates to around 1,800-1,100 BC variously. Realizing the foolishness of this wiki now places no date on him at all. So when did he live and why care?
We who are Hindu in spirit, gnosis and reason know the truly historic figure of Krishna spoke to Arjuna directly as recorded in the Mahabharatta thus making them contemporaries. Hinduism has exact dates for the last incarnation of Krishna per detailed publications of the Arya Samaj in the 1800’s, and my friend the Hindu Scholar Vedveer Arya’s erudite elucidations minus his 660 figure, and per Lady Hahn’s exactness - all of whom show Krishna passed when his great city Dwarka sank with him, commencing the era of Kali Yuga: 3,102 BC. Cremo the scientist and Hare Krishna devotee confirms this date.
Dwarka has been recently discovered too (as even the popular Sadh Ghuru and Graham Hancock are abreast of); but even Alexander the Great knew of it and people have forgotten this. It sank east of Taprobane (Taprobane existing into the 1500’s AD).
The big recent rave on Utzi the Ice Man found high upon the Tyrol Mountain Pass helping us know more about people’s from 3K BC “because we have no history now going so far back on this period of man” shows you just how dumb man has devolved historically concerning knowing where we come from and this time period.
I would consider 3K BC recent compared to the deeper epochal lore I have records on. I could write three 800 page books on history from such a, for me, late period; and in great detail, and it would just be beginning to speak of things then as well (so could any esoteric historian worth his salt). But find someone in the mechanogentsia, I mean intelligentsia, today who could do the same. You would be hard pressed to find one.
Also we know Arjuna was father of the Pandu and Panchala Empire in his day and no local ruler at all but recorded to be a pan-global ruler.
Of this sort we may, for the first time in “known” history, begin having again among mankind in the next couple decades, so we should take note of him and his period. Finding a date on him helps us historically hone in on his reign and what he did as a world ruler that we may learn what it was and what that may be like for man again in the future soon coming.
We can know much about him historically merely by discovering the region he reigned from. He was said to have founded the region of Haryappa and was head of the Aryappan culture (a now Punjab culture in Pakistan). This shows affiliation with the region of Aryatta, more his headquarters, further Northwest of it (mentioned by Alexander the Great’s biographer Arran as being called Northerly Aryanna). It’s southern colonies are recently being excavated Northeast of Iraq and Babylon and dating to 4K BC. They recently discovered the Arkaim site too not far from Aryatta in the North. Sumerian culture locates Aryatta Northeast of them as their previous sacred land in their texts but till recently it was a mystery to scholars. Only recently have we discovered the outskirts of this Aryatta in excavations, and the archeologists are showing it preceded Mesopotamia as the true cradle of world culture from 4K-3K BC. It shares in common with Arkaim, Haryappa and the Sumerian Arwassag peoples most of the same symbols and emblems made upon their pottery and other artifacts found in early Troy minora of Western Turkey as well (the earliest historians show the Phrygians a type of Parthian - on Aryatta being a Parthian region see below).
I knew of this region Aryanna or Aryatta - or Arhat as Lady Hahn calls it - 20 years ago, but modern archeology and scholarship are just now catching up. In fact I once discovered a short poem confirming my thoughts a few years ago that was said to be from early English King Alfred the Great (“Elf Friend”) where he speaks of traversing the world looking in great longing for the citadel man first came out of again after the cataclysm to find the hidden wisdom and he gives such same locale now covered in sand. Does not Cato the Great and first historian of Rome say man began again in Saga Scythia after the great cataclysm? And a few years before that I was reading Al Biruni who locates the Hyrcanians as first coming out from this region (called Huarez - place of the Wizards - in Avestan texts - also Waziristan was said to be founded by them). He says they are the most direct descendants of the first Peshdadian people’s who came after the last Cataclysm which he variously dates to 9.5K BC then 6.1K BC then 3.2K BC in different parts of his texts. This he does as many later chronologers do, confusing the True Flood (9.5K) with the more Northern Dardanic/Doggerland Flood (6.1K) with the so called Noahic Samothracian Black Sea Flood (3.1K) respectively. What is interesting is he says everything the Jews and Christians got for their own texts they derived (or he almost says “knicked”) from these Hyrcanian Hebrews.
What is even of further interest to all you Arthur Koestler 13th Tribe fans (and I don’t go into this much lest I end up like him) is Epiphanius, in his autobiography (which I deem authentic and dates to less than 100 years from standard dates on Jesus’ “transmogrification”) confirms Al Biruni’s statements. He describes himself as an amorite canaanite practicing at first the Hebrew religion which he says his people all took from the Hyrcanian Hebrews whom they displaced in Palestine. He also describes them as having blond hair and blue eyes and living out among deserted temples in the deserts in small numbers to the Northeast of Palestine and as being basically extinct (we do know ancient Hebrew is no different from Phoenician in language and quite different from the Amoraim dialect, the later Judean language of the Talmud period). I don’t see why this must be such a shock though to academia when even apocryphal texts (once included within Old Testament collections and dating to BC times) spoke of Jacob as having blond hair and the only tribes of his of considerable visibility left being Benjamin’s and Judah’s to the southwest, which, per the Bible itself, were “replaced almost fully by the intermarrying of canaanites among them.”
Also Jesus in the gnostic gospels was called “the Mariana” which meant then one from such region (Merv, called before Mary then, a citadel just where I am saying and a little above Hyrcania then). Gurdjieff said this city is of central importance to mankind understanding it’s own roots and where the Naqshbandhi Sufi’s came out from whom he was trained by. He calls the true Hebrew Hyrcanians the Khevsars - as in the Abkhazars who had their names robbed from them as Herodotus implies speaking of the “fake Royal Scythians” who displaced the Melanchlaenae true Chaldeans and true Royal Scythians - see our dear lady Gimbutas the eminent Anthroplologist and Archeologist on how the Kurgans did this. Schonfeld I think shows very well Jesus to have been Royal Hyrcanian of the Hyrcanian Kingline like the Hyrcanus kings in his day (and which Josephus said they as Judaeans would take all their Kings from out of. But Hyrcanians were Parthians, Passargadae! It is interesting a Roman medieval traveller to upper Israel said the Essenes of the same bloodline of Christ were still left in small number when he went and they call them the Passagini). And Paterculus who served in Tiberius’ army and lived in Christ’s day mentions a young boy Parthian King whom Gaius met who received the title from Gaius (before Gaius was murdered) joyously as was due him: “King of Kings” (which Jesus was said to be called in a derailing way). Gaius was Emperor Augustus’ adopted Grandson. Emperor Augustus (whose father was Rome’s ambassador to the east) said his main criminal charge against Pompeius and Antony was that they both at different times instead of acknowledging the Parthian King as King of Kings robbed him.
Also records of Hadrian meeting these Parthian kings say they had a strange custom of not whipping horses around them. As Nietzsche was an initiate claiming practice into the same Chaldean inner Solar religion as Emperor Julian in his writings, it is no coincidence then his last gesture he made before they locked him up for syphilitic madness was bursting into tears on seeing a man whipping a horse in front of him and roughly stopping him. May this be the true sword of Damocles above this generations’ passive agressive heads.
But all this digression to show Hyrcanian, Parthian, Old Phoenician, Old Hebrew Marionites came out from Arwassag’s people and regions - thus proving how central Arjuna and his people’s and kingdom were and are to History.
I have come across a very ancient text once I must relocate among my notes which states the ancient culture of Ar(h)at were the true biblical “Noahics” and they came first from the east out of the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea (where Gurdjieff locates Koorkali - main citadel of the globe after the Atlantean period) where was Arat (“on the plane of Shinar” per scripture - in the exact same place the historian Arran locates N. Aryanna) and then founded a more southern colony of theirs as Ur-Arat (ur means south as in Urn in the archaic mesopotamian languages - Urma and Harran are located just south of Ararat beside present “Iran”). Thus the whole lore on “Noah’s Ark landing on Mount “Ararat” around 3,250-3,102 BC as someone once dear to me and an american astronaut once went looking for. These first people’s went from Arat to Ararat it said. And thus the Biblical statement of “Arpachshad (Arjuna), first king, being born 2 years after the flood.”
I’m not going to go into which king this would be who is mentioned in the Shah Nameh but he is mentioned in that under other garb and he is mentioned as a first King among the Armenian texts predating Moses Chorenensis texts. Also Gurdjieff retained ancient Ashok lore dating the real “Flood” to 9,654 BC as modern Science and the Greeks show but this same tradition also mentions a lesser “Noahic” flood around 3,250-3,102 BC by adding the number of generations after the 9K greater one; see MRM. This confirms the dating of the flood when Krishna sank and the Old Testament chronology on this flood which show Phelasghines and Nephilim surviving at different places in it’s passages thus proving the Bible, like Hindu texts, blends multiple archaic periods of different periods in ancient times into one text unpackable unless one knows how to. I am not original to claiming archaic Chronology does this, David Stuart has noted the same on Mayan Chronology and he is a standard academic, narrow-visioned, modern skeptic (quite kind and erudite in the little he knows though).
The murals excavated in Haryappa or Aryappa in Pakistan date to about 2,800 BC or earlier and this culture’s main emblem was the Phoenix. Now Josephus and Malalas show the Old Testament’s “Arpachshad” (also written “Arwassag” in ancient texts of the Bible and in Sumerian texts mentioning such world-king and his people’s) was called Phoenix and father of the Phoenicians and early king the true Palatinate Romans trace their herculean descent from.
That the Hindic Panchala empire (descended from Arjuna per hindic scripture) were the Phoenician’s was something early Victorian scholars were absolutely correct on the trail of before such was squashed by witless vehement skeptics of limited historiology. Also the emblem of China’s first world king Pho Hsi dating back to the 3K BC period in Chinese Chronology was that of the Phoenix per the I Ching (their globally ruling divine twin kings being said to be descended from him a few generations later which is also mentioned in Egyptian King Line texts of the twin kings from Aha, and Sumerian King Line Texts of the twin kings eventually from Asa, and Hindic texts obviously - all of which date these figures to the 3,200-2,800 BC range).
The Book of Seth is the root text revealed by Manetho and still the most primordial backbone all present egyptian chronological scholarship hangs on and it clearly speaks of Aha the first King (of this era) and of the divine twin kings who built some pyramids who were descended from him. It dates him to around 2,850 BC at end of his life using all it’s chronological figures going backward from known dates of the Egyptian Pharaoh Kings like Khenemibre Amosis.
Now I will end with the most interesting thing of all to entice you. I have a whole mini booklet I will reveal some time on perhaps the most famous author of our day’s words on his own writings: all quotes from his introductions and letters and interviews and works where he says in so many ways what he was writing as a similitude on Archaic Northern Lore was not mere fiction but historically minded. He was not making metaphors but rather, other than some of the characters and their lines, all takes place on this earth in remote antiquity, not another. And he tried to make it all a recapitulation of old Northern Lore for it’s background and regions and main motifs as much as possible.
Well as one who night and day daily has studied all Cultures most ancient epochs for 30 years I can tell you this sneaker placed about everything and the kitchen sink into his so called fiction and knew more than me. He places one of his most central characters, and first world King after the conflagration, to about 3,250 BC he even says. Tony of Mallorn can tell you more and how such coincides with Lady Hahn’s figures. Suffice to say this King’s line was called the Teleghonari as I have discovered in ancient texts; I will not reveal his similar name for this line lest you wiki it (nor reveal which modern popular author I am speaking of here, though it should be easy to tell).
https://youtu.be/1t4KLOm7pO0
All the more interesting is more or less no one among the Billions today now know of him and his times at all except as some almost demi-god in Hindic Scripture they have half forgotten.
Colonialist Scholarship of the British “chronologically reductionist school” of the 1800’s - so unconsciously (or consciously?) adverse to India’s antiquity - would have you believe the Great King Arjuna of the Mahabharatta dates to around 1,800-1,100 BC variously. Realizing the foolishness of this wiki now places no date on him at all. So when did he live and why care?
We who are Hindu in spirit, gnosis and reason know the truly historic figure of Krishna spoke to Arjuna directly as recorded in the Mahabharatta thus making them contemporaries. Hinduism has exact dates for the last incarnation of Krishna per detailed publications of the Arya Samaj in the 1800’s, and my friend the Hindu Scholar Vedveer Arya’s erudite elucidations minus his 660 figure, and per Lady Hahn’s exactness - all of whom show Krishna passed when his great city Dwarka sank with him, commencing the era of Kali Yuga: 3,102 BC. Cremo the scientist and Hare Krishna devotee confirms this date.
Dwarka has been recently discovered too (as even the popular Sadh Ghuru and Graham Hancock are abreast of); but even Alexander the Great knew of it and people have forgotten this. It sank east of Taprobane (Taprobane existing into the 1500’s AD).
The big recent rave on Utzi the Ice Man found high upon the Tyrol Mountain Pass helping us know more about people’s from 3K BC “because we have no history now going so far back on this period of man” shows you just how dumb man has devolved historically concerning knowing where we come from and this time period.
I would consider 3K BC recent compared to the deeper epochal lore I have records on. I could write three 800 page books on history from such a, for me, late period; and in great detail, and it would just be beginning to speak of things then as well (so could any esoteric historian worth his salt). But find someone in the mechanogentsia, I mean intelligentsia, today who could do the same. You would be hard pressed to find one.
Also we know Arjuna was father of the Pandu and Panchala Empire in his day and no local ruler at all but recorded to be a pan-global ruler.
Of this sort we may, for the first time in “known” history, begin having again among mankind in the next couple decades, so we should take note of him and his period. Finding a date on him helps us historically hone in on his reign and what he did as a world ruler that we may learn what it was and what that may be like for man again in the future soon coming.
We can know much about him historically merely by discovering the region he reigned from. He was said to have founded the region of Haryappa and was head of the Aryappan culture (a now Punjab culture in Pakistan). This shows affiliation with the region of Aryatta, more his headquarters, further Northwest of it (mentioned by Alexander the Great’s biographer Arran as being called Northerly Aryanna). It’s southern colonies are recently being excavated Northeast of Iraq and Babylon and dating to 4K BC. They recently discovered the Arkaim site too not far from Aryatta in the North. Sumerian culture locates Aryatta Northeast of them as their previous sacred land in their texts but till recently it was a mystery to scholars. Only recently have we discovered the outskirts of this Aryatta in excavations, and the archeologists are showing it preceded Mesopotamia as the true cradle of world culture from 4K-3K BC. It shares in common with Arkaim, Haryappa and the Sumerian Arwassag peoples most of the same symbols and emblems made upon their pottery and other artifacts found in early Troy minora of Western Turkey as well (the earliest historians show the Phrygians a type of Parthian - on Aryatta being a Parthian region see below).
I knew of this region Aryanna or Aryatta - or Arhat as Lady Hahn calls it - 20 years ago, but modern archeology and scholarship are just now catching up. In fact I once discovered a short poem confirming my thoughts a few years ago that was said to be from early English King Alfred the Great (“Elf Friend”) where he speaks of traversing the world looking in great longing for the citadel man first came out of again after the cataclysm to find the hidden wisdom and he gives such same locale now covered in sand. Does not Cato the Great and first historian of Rome say man began again in Saga Scythia after the great cataclysm? And a few years before that I was reading Al Biruni who locates the Hyrcanians as first coming out from this region (called Huarez - place of the Wizards - in Avestan texts - also Waziristan was said to be founded by them). He says they are the most direct descendants of the first Peshdadian people’s who came after the last Cataclysm which he variously dates to 9.5K BC then 6.1K BC then 3.2K BC in different parts of his texts. This he does as many later chronologers do, confusing the True Flood (9.5K) with the more Northern Dardanic/Doggerland Flood (6.1K) with the so called Noahic Samothracian Black Sea Flood (3.1K) respectively. What is interesting is he says everything the Jews and Christians got for their own texts they derived (or he almost says “knicked”) from these Hyrcanian Hebrews.
What is even of further interest to all you Arthur Koestler 13th Tribe fans (and I don’t go into this much lest I end up like him) is Epiphanius, in his autobiography (which I deem authentic and dates to less than 100 years from standard dates on Jesus’ “transmogrification”) confirms Al Biruni’s statements. He describes himself as an amorite canaanite practicing at first the Hebrew religion which he says his people all took from the Hyrcanian Hebrews whom they displaced in Palestine. He also describes them as having blond hair and blue eyes and living out among deserted temples in the deserts in small numbers to the Northeast of Palestine and as being basically extinct (we do know ancient Hebrew is no different from Phoenician in language and quite different from the Amoraim dialect, the later Judean language of the Talmud period). I don’t see why this must be such a shock though to academia when even apocryphal texts (once included within Old Testament collections and dating to BC times) spoke of Jacob as having blond hair and the only tribes of his of considerable visibility left being Benjamin’s and Judah’s to the southwest, which, per the Bible itself, were “replaced almost fully by the intermarrying of canaanites among them.”
Also Jesus in the gnostic gospels was called “the Mariana” which meant then one from such region (Merv, called before Mary then, a citadel just where I am saying and a little above Hyrcania then). Gurdjieff said this city is of central importance to mankind understanding it’s own roots and where the Naqshbandhi Sufi’s came out from whom he was trained by. He calls the true Hebrew Hyrcanians the Khevsars - as in the Abkhazars who had their names robbed from them as Herodotus implies speaking of the “fake Royal Scythians” who displaced the Melanchlaenae true Chaldeans and true Royal Scythians - see our dear lady Gimbutas the eminent Anthroplologist and Archeologist on how the Kurgans did this. Schonfeld I think shows very well Jesus to have been Royal Hyrcanian of the Hyrcanian Kingline like the Hyrcanus kings in his day (and which Josephus said they as Judaeans would take all their Kings from out of. But Hyrcanians were Parthians, Passargadae! It is interesting a Roman medieval traveller to upper Israel said the Essenes of the same bloodline of Christ were still left in small number when he went and they call them the Passagini). And Paterculus who served in Tiberius’ army and lived in Christ’s day mentions a young boy Parthian King whom Gaius met who received the title from Gaius (before Gaius was murdered) joyously as was due him: “King of Kings” (which Jesus was said to be called in a derailing way). Gaius was Emperor Augustus’ adopted Grandson. Emperor Augustus (whose father was Rome’s ambassador to the east) said his main criminal charge against Pompeius and Antony was that they both at different times instead of acknowledging the Parthian King as King of Kings robbed him.
Also records of Hadrian meeting these Parthian kings say they had a strange custom of not whipping horses around them. As Nietzsche was an initiate claiming practice into the same Chaldean inner Solar religion as Emperor Julian in his writings, it is no coincidence then his last gesture he made before they locked him up for syphilitic madness was bursting into tears on seeing a man whipping a horse in front of him and roughly stopping him. May this be the true sword of Damocles above this generations’ passive agressive heads.
But all this digression to show Hyrcanian, Parthian, Old Phoenician, Old Hebrew Marionites came out from Arwassag’s people and regions - thus proving how central Arjuna and his people’s and kingdom were and are to History.
I have come across a very ancient text once I must relocate among my notes which states the ancient culture of Ar(h)at were the true biblical “Noahics” and they came first from the east out of the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea (where Gurdjieff locates Koorkali - main citadel of the globe after the Atlantean period) where was Arat (“on the plane of Shinar” per scripture - in the exact same place the historian Arran locates N. Aryanna) and then founded a more southern colony of theirs as Ur-Arat (ur means south as in Urn in the archaic mesopotamian languages - Urma and Harran are located just south of Ararat beside present “Iran”). Thus the whole lore on “Noah’s Ark landing on Mount “Ararat” around 3,250-3,102 BC as someone once dear to me and an american astronaut once went looking for. These first people’s went from Arat to Ararat it said. And thus the Biblical statement of “Arpachshad (Arjuna), first king, being born 2 years after the flood.”
I’m not going to go into which king this would be who is mentioned in the Shah Nameh but he is mentioned in that under other garb and he is mentioned as a first King among the Armenian texts predating Moses Chorenensis texts. Also Gurdjieff retained ancient Ashok lore dating the real “Flood” to 9,654 BC as modern Science and the Greeks show but this same tradition also mentions a lesser “Noahic” flood around 3,250-3,102 BC by adding the number of generations after the 9K greater one; see MRM. This confirms the dating of the flood when Krishna sank and the Old Testament chronology on this flood which show Phelasghines and Nephilim surviving at different places in it’s passages thus proving the Bible, like Hindu texts, blends multiple archaic periods of different periods in ancient times into one text unpackable unless one knows how to. I am not original to claiming archaic Chronology does this, David Stuart has noted the same on Mayan Chronology and he is a standard academic, narrow-visioned, modern skeptic (quite kind and erudite in the little he knows though).
The murals excavated in Haryappa or Aryappa in Pakistan date to about 2,800 BC or earlier and this culture’s main emblem was the Phoenix. Now Josephus and Malalas show the Old Testament’s “Arpachshad” (also written “Arwassag” in ancient texts of the Bible and in Sumerian texts mentioning such world-king and his people’s) was called Phoenix and father of the Phoenicians and early king the true Palatinate Romans trace their herculean descent from.
That the Hindic Panchala empire (descended from Arjuna per hindic scripture) were the Phoenician’s was something early Victorian scholars were absolutely correct on the trail of before such was squashed by witless vehement skeptics of limited historiology. Also the emblem of China’s first world king Pho Hsi dating back to the 3K BC period in Chinese Chronology was that of the Phoenix per the I Ching (their globally ruling divine twin kings being said to be descended from him a few generations later which is also mentioned in Egyptian King Line texts of the twin kings from Aha, and Sumerian King Line Texts of the twin kings eventually from Asa, and Hindic texts obviously - all of which date these figures to the 3,200-2,800 BC range).
The Book of Seth is the root text revealed by Manetho and still the most primordial backbone all present egyptian chronological scholarship hangs on and it clearly speaks of Aha the first King (of this era) and of the divine twin kings who built some pyramids who were descended from him. It dates him to around 2,850 BC at end of his life using all it’s chronological figures going backward from known dates of the Egyptian Pharaoh Kings like Khenemibre Amosis.
Now I will end with the most interesting thing of all to entice you. I have a whole mini booklet I will reveal some time on perhaps the most famous author of our day’s words on his own writings: all quotes from his introductions and letters and interviews and works where he says in so many ways what he was writing as a similitude on Archaic Northern Lore was not mere fiction but historically minded. He was not making metaphors but rather, other than some of the characters and their lines, all takes place on this earth in remote antiquity, not another. And he tried to make it all a recapitulation of old Northern Lore for it’s background and regions and main motifs as much as possible.
Well as one who night and day daily has studied all Cultures most ancient epochs for 30 years I can tell you this sneaker placed about everything and the kitchen sink into his so called fiction and knew more than me. He places one of his most central characters, and first world King after the conflagration, to about 3,250 BC he even says. Tony of Mallorn can tell you more and how such coincides with Lady Hahn’s figures. Suffice to say this King’s line was called the Teleghonari as I have discovered in ancient texts; I will not reveal his similar name for this line lest you wiki it (nor reveal which modern popular author I am speaking of here, though it should be easy to tell).
https://youtu.be/1t4KLOm7pO0
October 13, 2013
When I first read the title of the book and saw the cover (good work their too) I was under the impression that it would primarily be Arjuna’s story or Mahabharata from Arjuna’s perspective but unfortunately it is not so. It is Mahabharata retold and there are very few stories about Arjuna that are new (or new to me at least). The latter half of the book talks so much about Krishna that it sometimes appear that the book is about Krishna. Similar problems figure at different places within the book and many times you would wonder where is Arjuna in all this?
The author tried to include a little bit of everyone’s story and that is where it all went wrong. I didn’t want to read Mahabharata again, I wanted to read about Arjuna- the greatest warrior the world has ever produced, his personality, his traits, his rights, his wrongs that are yet unknown.
And though the writing is technically very good and the book reads very easy, the author fails to stir emotions for the protagonist in reader’s heart and mind. I didn’t feel anything for Arjuna, no sorrow, no happiness, nothing at all. It fails for a reader like me. You as an author need to make me feel it, make me happy, sad, laugh with the characters.
Complete review on my blog: http://bit.ly/16YiAPP
The author tried to include a little bit of everyone’s story and that is where it all went wrong. I didn’t want to read Mahabharata again, I wanted to read about Arjuna- the greatest warrior the world has ever produced, his personality, his traits, his rights, his wrongs that are yet unknown.
And though the writing is technically very good and the book reads very easy, the author fails to stir emotions for the protagonist in reader’s heart and mind. I didn’t feel anything for Arjuna, no sorrow, no happiness, nothing at all. It fails for a reader like me. You as an author need to make me feel it, make me happy, sad, laugh with the characters.
Complete review on my blog: http://bit.ly/16YiAPP
April 11, 2013
This 360-page dedication to Veda Vyasa, truly the finest storyteller ever, is solely a retelling of the tale of Arjuna, the valiant warrior of Hindu mythology, and his role in Mahabharata. Mahabharata is by itself a tale with a magical mix of emotions which renders any reader mesmerized. However, the uniqueness of this book lies in fact that the author retold this tale in a simple, quick and fascinating manner.
Though prior knowledge of Mahabharata partially ruined the reading experience for me, anyone who doesn’t know much about Mahabharata and Arjuna would surely find this very captivating. In the last eight chapters, many times I found myself unfathomably immersed in the proceedings of the book. So much, that when Abhimanyu and Karna died, I literally cried. And slowly, as I came down the emotional cliff, I stood there wondering whether it was the author’s writing or charm of the epic that made me cry. Though I believe it was the latter, fluid and strong-woven writing in this book cannot be denied of its deserved credit...
For the full review, visit IndiaBookStore.
Though prior knowledge of Mahabharata partially ruined the reading experience for me, anyone who doesn’t know much about Mahabharata and Arjuna would surely find this very captivating. In the last eight chapters, many times I found myself unfathomably immersed in the proceedings of the book. So much, that when Abhimanyu and Karna died, I literally cried. And slowly, as I came down the emotional cliff, I stood there wondering whether it was the author’s writing or charm of the epic that made me cry. Though I believe it was the latter, fluid and strong-woven writing in this book cannot be denied of its deserved credit...
For the full review, visit IndiaBookStore.
March 29, 2014
Read my complete review on - http://mysundrywritings.blogspot.in/2...
Anuja Chandramouli, in her book has woven the tale of a much revered warrior prince, Arjuna – a treacherous, arrogant, power hungry, self righteous prince – and yet history reveres him as the great epic Mahabharatas’ and Kurukshetras’ most loved and brave warrior! The book, in a simple and lucid language presents the various facets of the third Pandava. It keeps you interested with the most heinous actions, incredible plots and skulduggery of some of the most celebrated heroes of history. The book is no artistic novel, yet a good and simple representation of much sought after facts of Arjuna, his friends, family and enemies. There is not much that you can do with history except for presenting the right facts - if it's interesting, it is, if it's not, then it isn't! Post Devdutt Pattnaiks presentation of the Mahabharata in the book 'Jaya' there has been a plethora in the space of the historical heroes, but we ain't complaining and shooting the messenger as long as he/she presents the right facts - hope they do!!
Anuja Chandramouli, in her book has woven the tale of a much revered warrior prince, Arjuna – a treacherous, arrogant, power hungry, self righteous prince – and yet history reveres him as the great epic Mahabharatas’ and Kurukshetras’ most loved and brave warrior! The book, in a simple and lucid language presents the various facets of the third Pandava. It keeps you interested with the most heinous actions, incredible plots and skulduggery of some of the most celebrated heroes of history. The book is no artistic novel, yet a good and simple representation of much sought after facts of Arjuna, his friends, family and enemies. There is not much that you can do with history except for presenting the right facts - if it's interesting, it is, if it's not, then it isn't! Post Devdutt Pattnaiks presentation of the Mahabharata in the book 'Jaya' there has been a plethora in the space of the historical heroes, but we ain't complaining and shooting the messenger as long as he/she presents the right facts - hope they do!!
June 2, 2013
Its a grand epic and for a debut novel it has been written amazingly well by the author.
When u see our history there's a lot which has been said and written and some people have come up with their own point of views.
Criticism is a part and parcel of writing but not when u capture the emotions of a character which lived thousands of years ago.
An author always gives their best shot to present the story in best of the manner and Anuja mam has done it perfectly. :)
There are no flaws in the novel. Narration is excellent. Its just that u have to see the history through Arjuna's eyes this time and its a very bold attempt.
People need to give some credit to the author for presenting the facts and not modifying it for her own benefit. :)
Its not a modern day rom com where u can work ur way out with various ideas.
Very well written and thumbs up for the presentation. :)
The cover of the book is excellent. :)
When u see our history there's a lot which has been said and written and some people have come up with their own point of views.
Criticism is a part and parcel of writing but not when u capture the emotions of a character which lived thousands of years ago.
An author always gives their best shot to present the story in best of the manner and Anuja mam has done it perfectly. :)
There are no flaws in the novel. Narration is excellent. Its just that u have to see the history through Arjuna's eyes this time and its a very bold attempt.
People need to give some credit to the author for presenting the facts and not modifying it for her own benefit. :)
Its not a modern day rom com where u can work ur way out with various ideas.
Very well written and thumbs up for the presentation. :)
The cover of the book is excellent. :)
March 25, 2013
Whenever the tale of Mahabharata is up for discussion, and the character of Arjuna is to be evaluated, a lot of people question the potential of this demigod. A lot suggest, that while Arjuna was no doubt a brave hero, his success could mostly be attributed to Krishna, who manipulated things into his favor. While the argument holds merit this book brings to front the valor of Arjuna, stating explicitly that if he was'destiny's child'there were reasons for him being so. A steady read, a good entertainer.
March 2, 2015
Arjuna is one of the central characters who was dubbed as Destiny's child. Coming across a book that offers his POV was exciting. But, be prepared. The author has just picked up incidents from Mahabharatha and just thrown them into the fray. It is not a bad book and the author's writing style makes up for the disappointment. I felt let down because I was hoping to see how the character of Arjuna came into being, rather than just read Mahabhartha all over again.
November 13, 2015
This is not as much of the story of Arjuna as another retelling of Mahabharata with more focus on Arjuna's part. The author has stayed true to the original narrative, which is a bit disappointing as one would expect a different point of view in case of a retelling of this great epic. The language and the flow of the story kept me hooked, as did the few obscure back-stories. I would rate it 3.5 on 5.
June 1, 2013
The title should have been 'Mahabharta' rather than 'Arjuna'. Bought the book to read about Arjuna,s relationship with every character in detail mahabharta...But highly disappointed as the author duped the reader into reading mahabharta again with little detail of arjuna's relationship with the characters in mahabharta.
June 4, 2013
For those who are well versed with the exploits of pandavas during their exile, this book has nothing new to offer. However we must read it to realise that behind every man's success there are a host of people and the person must also be equally talented to meet those expectations. Overall a good read which will increase the curiosity of people who do know Mahabharata and its greatness!!!
August 30, 2013
This is a classic that provides timeless insights into the challenges of our own times. Highly recommended.Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince
January 31, 2013
WHEN THE BOOK IS GOING TO BE RELEASED BECAUSE WAITING TO READ IT EAGERLY PLEASE REPLY
May 8, 2021
There are many books written based on Mahabharata and the character of Arjun, and very few which stick to the details of the character as written by Vyasa rather than a fictional retelling. Anuja Chandramouli's Arjuna belongs to this category. This is a biography of indestructible Arjuna and his valiant actions.
One of the best aspects I found in this book is the author choose to tell the story not in chronological order of the events which took place in the life of Arjuna but as a non-linear narrative weaving in between the short stories which happened in the background which played an important part not only in the life of Arjuna making him the invincible one but also a part of the grand plan for the making of the Great War. This style of narration makes the book an interesting read going back and forth between the places and persons and the author pulls off this feat with ease.
Another aspect I loved in the book is the amount of research the author put in this book. People who love Mahabharata and especially the greatest archer of all times will find many stories of him pieced together which they might have heard or read through different sources. Instead of presenting her personal opinion of the character, the author stuck to the originality of the people and the events.
If you want to know the story of the valiant prince Arjuna without any authorial prejudices, this book is for you.
One of the best aspects I found in this book is the author choose to tell the story not in chronological order of the events which took place in the life of Arjuna but as a non-linear narrative weaving in between the short stories which happened in the background which played an important part not only in the life of Arjuna making him the invincible one but also a part of the grand plan for the making of the Great War. This style of narration makes the book an interesting read going back and forth between the places and persons and the author pulls off this feat with ease.
Another aspect I loved in the book is the amount of research the author put in this book. People who love Mahabharata and especially the greatest archer of all times will find many stories of him pieced together which they might have heard or read through different sources. Instead of presenting her personal opinion of the character, the author stuck to the originality of the people and the events.
If you want to know the story of the valiant prince Arjuna without any authorial prejudices, this book is for you.
December 10, 2018
I have always loved to read Mahabharata epic from many authors and the epic has always overwhelmed me.The author has done commendable job in presenting facts as per vysya ‘s version of epic.There were some finer back stories which were new to me that I have learnt from this book .
Overall the prejudice of high class birth still remains to this day in bharath.I’m appalled at drona and parasurama spurning on karna and failing to accept him as a disciple and of ekalavya being chided And segregated ,unfit for being a student by drona.
Also time and again draupati is derided for being Wife to mighty pandavas but the male dominated society has failed to acknowledge how Arjuna is Husband to so many wife’s starting with draupati,subhadra ,chitrangada,uloopi?
I’m still amazed at the turn of events of Mahabharata war and what purpose it has served .
What happens to yuddhistira at the end is missing in this book
This book is a good starting point for any one getting to know the great epic .Hats off to writer for not twisting story and staying to the point
Overall the prejudice of high class birth still remains to this day in bharath.I’m appalled at drona and parasurama spurning on karna and failing to accept him as a disciple and of ekalavya being chided And segregated ,unfit for being a student by drona.
Also time and again draupati is derided for being Wife to mighty pandavas but the male dominated society has failed to acknowledge how Arjuna is Husband to so many wife’s starting with draupati,subhadra ,chitrangada,uloopi?
I’m still amazed at the turn of events of Mahabharata war and what purpose it has served .
What happens to yuddhistira at the end is missing in this book
This book is a good starting point for any one getting to know the great epic .Hats off to writer for not twisting story and staying to the point
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