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Krishna Krishna
This is the English translation of Indira Parthasarathy's Tamil Novel, 'Krishna Krishna'. The author has himself translated this into English.
India Parthasarathy's Krishna Krishna is not only an amalgam of the Harivamsam, Sri Bhagvatam, Vishnu puranam and the Mahabharata-all epics that feature the lord of Vrindavan-but a vehicle that carries their cultural and aesthetic themes into a literary discussion of the idea of Krishna.
The author calls Krishna a metaphor that 'fulfils all the dark and lurking desires in our deep unconscious and represents the collective vision of the community as a whole' In his view, Krishna cannot be judged by the 'moral yardstick' set for others.
The wandering sage Narada is the narrator of the story of Krishna Krishna Begining with Jara, the hunter, shooting an arrow at Krishna's feet in the aftermath of the Kurukshetra war, the author has Narada tell the story of Krishna as revealed to Jara by Krishna.
About the author
Indira Parthasarathy is the nom de plume of Professor R Parthasarathy, a well known, contemporary Indian author writing in Tamil. He has received several awards for his writing, including some of the highest honours in the fields of Indian literature and performing arts. The prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi and Sahitya Akademi awards and Saraswati Samman are among these. He has published several novels, anthologies of short stories, plays and essays. As an academician, he had a distinguished career in the Delhi, Warsaw (Poland) and Pondicherry Universities. As a visiting scholar at various Canadian Universities, he gave lectures on Indian philosophy and culture during the winter semester in 1985. A founder-director of the School of Performing Arts, Pondicherry University, he served there as Director of Culture for four years (1988-1992).
India Parthasarathy's Krishna Krishna is not only an amalgam of the Harivamsam, Sri Bhagvatam, Vishnu puranam and the Mahabharata-all epics that feature the lord of Vrindavan-but a vehicle that carries their cultural and aesthetic themes into a literary discussion of the idea of Krishna.
The author calls Krishna a metaphor that 'fulfils all the dark and lurking desires in our deep unconscious and represents the collective vision of the community as a whole' In his view, Krishna cannot be judged by the 'moral yardstick' set for others.
The wandering sage Narada is the narrator of the story of Krishna Krishna Begining with Jara, the hunter, shooting an arrow at Krishna's feet in the aftermath of the Kurukshetra war, the author has Narada tell the story of Krishna as revealed to Jara by Krishna.
About the author
Indira Parthasarathy is the nom de plume of Professor R Parthasarathy, a well known, contemporary Indian author writing in Tamil. He has received several awards for his writing, including some of the highest honours in the fields of Indian literature and performing arts. The prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi and Sahitya Akademi awards and Saraswati Samman are among these. He has published several novels, anthologies of short stories, plays and essays. As an academician, he had a distinguished career in the Delhi, Warsaw (Poland) and Pondicherry Universities. As a visiting scholar at various Canadian Universities, he gave lectures on Indian philosophy and culture during the winter semester in 1985. A founder-director of the School of Performing Arts, Pondicherry University, he served there as Director of Culture for four years (1988-1992).
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1994
23 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Indira Parthasarathy
39 books75 followersIndira Parthasarathy (commonly known as Ee. Paa.) is the pen name of R. Parthasarathy. Born on July 10, 1930 in Chennai in a traditional Iyengar family. He has received Indian government's Padma Shri award for the year 2010. He has written several short stories, plays and novels in Tamil that have been translated in several Indian and world languages.
He has carved a special niche for himself in Tamil literature - his characters, mostly urban intellectuals, speak very openly and analyze deeply what others say. Most of his novels are set in Delhi, where he lived during his working years, or in the Srirangam area of Tamil Nadu, where he spent his childhood. Some of his novels, such as "Kuruthi Punal" intermingle these two milieus.
He has won several awards including the Sangeeth Natak Academy, Sahitya Academy and Saraswathi Samman Award. He is the only Tamil writer to have won both the Sangeeth Natak and Sahitya Academy Award.
He has carved a special niche for himself in Tamil literature - his characters, mostly urban intellectuals, speak very openly and analyze deeply what others say. Most of his novels are set in Delhi, where he lived during his working years, or in the Srirangam area of Tamil Nadu, where he spent his childhood. Some of his novels, such as "Kuruthi Punal" intermingle these two milieus.
He has won several awards including the Sangeeth Natak Academy, Sahitya Academy and Saraswathi Samman Award. He is the only Tamil writer to have won both the Sangeeth Natak and Sahitya Academy Award.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 22, 2021
What a fascinating tongue in cheek narrative that just got a fantastic lift by the narrator - Revathi Sankaran! Though I had it in my TBR, I picked it after it got recoed on Bigg Boss (I knew some good would come of it). A book on Krishna that talks of Politics, Existential crisis, Paradise Lost and Shakespear!
Have much to say about the construct and the narration. Narrated by Narada - the first journalist - the story narrated by Krishna to the hunter Jara. The construct allows the author to play with the reader, sometimes Narada abdicating responsibility. All the English phrases used are planted by design. Complex concepts like Non-Linear narrative were explained with swag. The harikatha style narration and the song in front of each chapter was a fantastic innovation by the audiobook makers.
Coming to the content - the book takes a very non-preachy cool approach to the need for Krishna. It talks about how the role of Krishna gets interpreted by every generation to make it relevant and the concept of Dharma being a very vague political tool. Revisiting the parts of when he grew up in Brindavan with Gopikas, the role in Mahabharatha and the Yadava in-fighting were refreshing. I loved the last reimagination of meeting Radha as a old woman.
This is a book that I would love to listen again sometime - like re-watching a favorite movie. One of the best reads of the year.
Have much to say about the construct and the narration. Narrated by Narada - the first journalist - the story narrated by Krishna to the hunter Jara. The construct allows the author to play with the reader, sometimes Narada abdicating responsibility. All the English phrases used are planted by design. Complex concepts like Non-Linear narrative were explained with swag. The harikatha style narration and the song in front of each chapter was a fantastic innovation by the audiobook makers.
Coming to the content - the book takes a very non-preachy cool approach to the need for Krishna. It talks about how the role of Krishna gets interpreted by every generation to make it relevant and the concept of Dharma being a very vague political tool. Revisiting the parts of when he grew up in Brindavan with Gopikas, the role in Mahabharatha and the Yadava in-fighting were refreshing. I loved the last reimagination of meeting Radha as a old woman.
This is a book that I would love to listen again sometime - like re-watching a favorite movie. One of the best reads of the year.
November 21, 2020
ரேவதி சங்கரன் அவர்களின் குரலில் துப்பறியும் சாம்புவிற்கு பிறகு கேட்கும் ஒலிப்புத்தகம். இப்போது Storytel இல் கிடைக்கிறது. நவீன நாவலை ஒரு நிகழ்த்துக்கலை மாதிரியே ஒலி வடிவில் வழங்கியுள்ளார். ஏறக்குறைய 5 மணி நேரமும் தொய்வில்லாமல் கேட்க முடிகிறது. மகாபாரதக் கதையை சூதர்கள் சொன்னதாக அல்லாமல் கிருஷ்ணன் தன் மேல் அம்பு எய்திய வேடன் ஜராவிற்கு சொன்னதாகவும் பிறகு ஜரா நாரதருக்கு சொன்னதாகவும் இபா எழுதியுள்ளார். சில இடங்களில் கதா காலேட்சேபம் கேட்பது போலவே உள்ளது, நவீன நாவலை ஒரு பழமையான வடிவத்தில் கேட்பது போல!
February 12, 2022
Enjoyed every minute of it! When it comes to Krishna, I have to say, I am totally biased! In the author's words and some of mine, Krishna is a multi-faceted, unpredictable, charming, clever, mischievous, devious, political, but not the main character in Mahabharata, one of the epics of India. This is a retelling of his story. Mahabharata (Tuklak magazine Tamil version) is one of the first books I read and I don't even know how or why but, Krishna is so magnetic that I have been a fan ever since.
I read this book in one sitting on a single day and loved it! Even though I have an idea of Mahabharata, I did not know a lot of the stories given in this book, so for a retelling, it felt new.
With Krishna as the main character, it can become preachy or very religious, but the author has managed to tell the story in a neutral and contemporary tone that everyone can relate to. Speaking of story-telling, using Narada, a mischievous story-teller and a journalist as a narrator made the novel all the more lively and fun. All the female characters in this novel were strong-willed, intelligent and chose their own way. To read about such women in ancient India was great.
An excellent read!
I read this book in one sitting on a single day and loved it! Even though I have an idea of Mahabharata, I did not know a lot of the stories given in this book, so for a retelling, it felt new.
With Krishna as the main character, it can become preachy or very religious, but the author has managed to tell the story in a neutral and contemporary tone that everyone can relate to. Speaking of story-telling, using Narada, a mischievous story-teller and a journalist as a narrator made the novel all the more lively and fun. All the female characters in this novel were strong-willed, intelligent and chose their own way. To read about such women in ancient India was great.
An excellent read!
March 28, 2016
மகாபாரத கிருஷ்ணனின் கதையை மாறுபட்ட கோணத்தில் இந்திரா பார்த்தசாரதி, அவருக்கே உரித்தான உரையாடல் மிகுந்த நடையில் கூறியுள்ளார். மகாபாரத கால கிருஷ்ணன் செயல்களை இன்றைய அரசியல்வாதிகள் மற்றும் corporate CEOக்களின் செயல்களுடன் ஒப்பிட்டு நவீன நடை யில் மிகுந்த சுவாரஸ்யத்துடன் எழுதியுள்ளார். . .
July 15, 2020
Sarvam sri krishnarpanamasthu
Awesome book
Unputdownable
Like Geeta, this book is relevant to all ages and I recommend for all readers in Tamil
Awesome book
Unputdownable
Like Geeta, this book is relevant to all ages and I recommend for all readers in Tamil
August 31, 2023
Indira parthasarathy sir has done a unique attempt of trying to read krishna and explain it via him. Jara the hunter hits krishna leg assuming it to be a fruit, later realises his mistake asks krishna for mercy. Krishna on return tells he has been waiting for him to hit, also explains his story and his side of things also answering questions from jara. Naradha hearing this from jara presents the same to us.
What is unique about the book is the flow. Though it goes before and after moving between different phases, the simplicity of how things are kept makes this a page turner. It is interesting to see how the same krishna seen by the world as a womeniser actually has fought for the right of women in true sense. All women characters that the book talks about are all unique, different and bold. Krishna seems not only the saviour of his friends but also lot of women and their internal wishes.
The forward thinking and openess of krishna as a person, father, grand father and human being does not seem to have rightly understood or rightly presented to us. It also makes us understand why krishna is a complex character and needs lot of thinking to actually see things in the way the author has deduced. One phrase where he says though rama has been plain and simple is being seeing with eyes of pity, while krishna trying to be accomadative is seen cunning and without empathy is very thought provoking. Since the book presents these kinds of things it is very different from a normal read and that makes this book special.
Go for it you will enjoy it for sure be it a supporter or opposer of lord krishna. Highly recommended. Thanks indria parthasarathy sir for presenting this books.
What is unique about the book is the flow. Though it goes before and after moving between different phases, the simplicity of how things are kept makes this a page turner. It is interesting to see how the same krishna seen by the world as a womeniser actually has fought for the right of women in true sense. All women characters that the book talks about are all unique, different and bold. Krishna seems not only the saviour of his friends but also lot of women and their internal wishes.
The forward thinking and openess of krishna as a person, father, grand father and human being does not seem to have rightly understood or rightly presented to us. It also makes us understand why krishna is a complex character and needs lot of thinking to actually see things in the way the author has deduced. One phrase where he says though rama has been plain and simple is being seeing with eyes of pity, while krishna trying to be accomadative is seen cunning and without empathy is very thought provoking. Since the book presents these kinds of things it is very different from a normal read and that makes this book special.
Go for it you will enjoy it for sure be it a supporter or opposer of lord krishna. Highly recommended. Thanks indria parthasarathy sir for presenting this books.
October 8, 2017
You feel like reading this novel again and again just for the author's skill in narration. The scenes in Mahabharata got enriched by Indira Parthasarathy. A must read for all. Dharma was discussed in many pages in a detailed manner. A gist of Mahabharata which will definitely creates an interest in the epic.
March 9, 2022
Another audiobook from StoryTel. Narration by Revathi Sankaran was just perfect. A book where I have so many bookmarks, to revisit later. Dialogues between Krishna-Draupadi, Krishna-Radha brought tears: of joy, of yearning!
May 13, 2017
Must read for anyone interested in Hinduism
Awesome flow to the writing, almost you live with Krishna throughout the book. Don't miss this awesome book on our beloved Sri Krishna.
Awesome flow to the writing, almost you live with Krishna throughout the book. Don't miss this awesome book on our beloved Sri Krishna.
June 28, 2017
Story of Krishna
Different perspective. Really interesting read. Each one can has something to learn from this book. I strongly recommend this book.
Different perspective. Really interesting read. Each one can has something to learn from this book. I strongly recommend this book.
December 31, 2025
Rating 4.5 stars. Adding another fav read to my list of favs for the year 2025, that too in the last three days of the year, happy !!
April 13, 2012
a different style
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2016
The author makes us look Krishna in a different perspective.. A nice read...
September 11, 2015
short story of mahabharatham but big thinks new way and new explanations of the krishnas life. new characters any way good books for readings.
April 19, 2017
of the many great retellings of Krishna's life, this is one!!!
Currently reading
July 12, 2017Never read like this. Informative and interesting in reading. Rating should be more than 10. Fantastic Novel and all, who are real lovers of reading, must read this novel. If u take for reading, you will never let down the book till the end. Thanking you T.R.JAYABAL
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews