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Bhima
I am half-man, half-superhuman. I am the mightiest warrior of my
time. I have violated my dharma and murdered a man in cold blood.
I have, single-handed, wiped out a whole generation of my kinsmen.
I have committed acts of unspeakable brutality on the battlefield.
I have done it all for the love of one woman. A woman who loves
my brother.
I am Bhima, the second Pandava. This is my story.
Possessed of amazing strength, fierce loyalty and great
tenderness, Bhima as a character is almost always eclipsed
by Yudhishtira and Arjuna. In spite of his many virtues,
he is destined to be remembered as all brawn and biceps.
Now, in Vikas Singh’s retelling of the Mahabharata,
India’s greatest epic is narrated through the eyes of a
hero who has never got his due. A fascinating account
of a fascinating character—his extraordinary courage,
his obsessive love for Draupadi, his deeply conflicted
emotions about his brother, Arjun—this stunning work,
written in a racy, entertaining style, provides the definitive
answer to the question: What was it like to be Bhima?
time. I have violated my dharma and murdered a man in cold blood.
I have, single-handed, wiped out a whole generation of my kinsmen.
I have committed acts of unspeakable brutality on the battlefield.
I have done it all for the love of one woman. A woman who loves
my brother.
I am Bhima, the second Pandava. This is my story.
Possessed of amazing strength, fierce loyalty and great
tenderness, Bhima as a character is almost always eclipsed
by Yudhishtira and Arjuna. In spite of his many virtues,
he is destined to be remembered as all brawn and biceps.
Now, in Vikas Singh’s retelling of the Mahabharata,
India’s greatest epic is narrated through the eyes of a
hero who has never got his due. A fascinating account
of a fascinating character—his extraordinary courage,
his obsessive love for Draupadi, his deeply conflicted
emotions about his brother, Arjun—this stunning work,
written in a racy, entertaining style, provides the definitive
answer to the question: What was it like to be Bhima?
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 7, 2015
About the author
Vikas Singh
52 books23 followersVikas Singh is a self-confessed word addict, who obsessively reads anything that comes his way, be it a newspaper or the label on a cough syrup bottle. An Army kid, he spent most of his early life moving from one place to another with books being his only constant companion. A love-affair that is on even today, with the repertoire varying from military history to cartoon histories and non-fiction to pulp fiction.
Now a senior journalist, Vikas lives in Delhi with his wife and daughter in a house that seems to have more books than furniture. Having co-authored a brief, breezy history of knowledge, 'The Know of Things', with Derek O'Brien, Jug Suraiya and Bunny Suraiya, The Big Fix is Vikas's first novel, though definitely not his last.
Now a senior journalist, Vikas lives in Delhi with his wife and daughter in a house that seems to have more books than furniture. Having co-authored a brief, breezy history of knowledge, 'The Know of Things', with Derek O'Brien, Jug Suraiya and Bunny Suraiya, The Big Fix is Vikas's first novel, though definitely not his last.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 38 reviews
May 2, 2017
Epic - Mahabharata is so vast that one can write a complete novel on its characters individually. Recently many mythological or alternate history novels are becoming popular, Vikas Singh has portrayed less individually discussed character in his book. Bhima, second pandava, who was always in shadow of either Yudhisthira or Arjuna is narrating story from his point of view in this book.
There is no point for me to narrate Mahabharata story from Pandava's side as it is well-known. Story was narrated in first person like Bhima is reliving it. For those who have thought Bhima was a mindless fighter to aid Yudhisthira, story tells how he would have felt about that opinion.
Detailed review can be found at http://chevusread.blogspot.in/2016/09...
There is no point for me to narrate Mahabharata story from Pandava's side as it is well-known. Story was narrated in first person like Bhima is reliving it. For those who have thought Bhima was a mindless fighter to aid Yudhisthira, story tells how he would have felt about that opinion.
Detailed review can be found at http://chevusread.blogspot.in/2016/09...
January 13, 2016
FIRST IMPRESSION:
Any book on mythology captures my attention in a way many other genres don't. But of late, there have been too many books giving alternative views on some 'lesser known' characters. This made me a little ambivalent about taking this book up. But what actually convinced me was the cover. Simple, impressive and somehow saying a lot more about the story. The summary was another positive factor that piqued my curiosity enough to pick this book up. But from the prologue, there was no turning back.
REVIEW:
Bhima - little known warrior prince. 'Little known' because, even though he was famous for being a Pandava, a separate identity exclusively for him did not exist. To everyone who had read or heard about or even simply heard spin offs from the Mahabaratha, Bhima exists as a part of a whole unit. Yes he was strong and sturdy, a gluttony brute. And he killed Duryodhana, sired children with Rakshasis, and most important of all, was a simpleton, sandwiched on both ends by a righteous, goody two shoes upholder of Dharma, Yudishtra and an adventurous, talented, famous archer Arjun on the other. Beyond these obvious facts, we know very little about Bhima.
This book thankfully takes up the task of telling us readers about the little known in depth life of Bhima as an individual who had a name and heart and mind of his own. It is narrated in first person and tries (as much as possible) to narrate everything that happened in his life in a chronological order without missing many things. The book surprised me for the better. Having always read about Bhima as a strong man, I was as surprised as Draupadi to realise that he could be gentle and have a thoughtful mind too. It is not that these two qualities really do not go together, but Bhima had always been praised for his brute strength and never much for his wit and intelligence. But when he gave love advice to Draupadi after the love of her life Arjun brought home Subhadra, and when he insisted Subhadra just smile at him in welcome instead of touching his feet, we know of a Bhima who is kind, gentle and mature enough to hide the pain of his cold rejection at the hands of Draupadi and console her instead of hurting her back when he had the chance.
Not only there. In this riveting first person account, we get to know about some lesser known branching stories of the Mahabharatha - a life that was exclusively Bhima's. We know of Hidimba and Hidimbi, of his experiences in cooking, of the way he treats the women in his life and of his first ever account with a Naga. The strength of the narrative lies in the self deprecating casual tone of the character that is Bhima. If the author had tried to glorify a hidden warrior pushed to the background by his more illustrious brothers and cousins, it would not have worked well for me. But the author has managed to talk about Bhima in what are written as his own words. The honest assessments he makes about himself endear reader to the surprisingly multifaceted character that is Bhima. And yes, I still call it surprising because we have all been inadvertently conditioned to think of Bhima in a particular way. This book will surely change all that.
But the book does have its shortcomings. Even while talking about the very human emotions of lust, jealousy and envy, Bhima is made out to be someone who feels all this in excess and reminds himself to control those wayward thoughts. In the way he lusts after Draupadi and then realises his folly or in the place where he always feels jealous of Arjun but quickly chastises himself, I get a Draco Malfoy-esque feel (oh yes, in his irritation about 'Potter') without the malicious intention. But Bhima as an emotional sensitive man has many chances to explain his side of the arguments effectively. A style that was a mild irritant for me all through the book was the modern language that didn't somehow fit the mythology theme. Agreed that the book's aim was to make the character of Bhima relatable, but the usage of modern slang language did not go well with what we surely know is a story set thousands of years, even eons ago. This is not a deal breaker but might seriously offend some purists - along with the detailed description of lustful scenes.
Overall, a nicely written clear book about a man who was forced to remain in the shadows. The first person narrative did it!
WHAT I LIKED:
•The story and its perspective
•Interesting stories about Bhima's life
•His interactions with Draupadi that reveal many of his emotions. This goes to show just how strong unrequited love could be.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
•The modernised language left me feeling a little unsettled at times
•Even though the author has clearly tried to avoid it, this book inadvertently projects Bhima as a resentful, envious character. Not the best thing to happen to a book that wanted to sing about the unsung hero
VERDICT:
Bhima gets his due, finally! Go for this book if you really like mythology stories talking about the alternative perspective. But if you have read too many of them already, the contradictions might just make you pull your hair out in frustration.
This is a book I really enjoyed reading. This might not be the only 'official' version of the other side of Bhima, but it surely is one amazing read.
RATING: 3.8/5
I received the copy of this book from WritersMelon in exchange for an honest review
Any book on mythology captures my attention in a way many other genres don't. But of late, there have been too many books giving alternative views on some 'lesser known' characters. This made me a little ambivalent about taking this book up. But what actually convinced me was the cover. Simple, impressive and somehow saying a lot more about the story. The summary was another positive factor that piqued my curiosity enough to pick this book up. But from the prologue, there was no turning back.
REVIEW:
Bhima - little known warrior prince. 'Little known' because, even though he was famous for being a Pandava, a separate identity exclusively for him did not exist. To everyone who had read or heard about or even simply heard spin offs from the Mahabaratha, Bhima exists as a part of a whole unit. Yes he was strong and sturdy, a gluttony brute. And he killed Duryodhana, sired children with Rakshasis, and most important of all, was a simpleton, sandwiched on both ends by a righteous, goody two shoes upholder of Dharma, Yudishtra and an adventurous, talented, famous archer Arjun on the other. Beyond these obvious facts, we know very little about Bhima.
This book thankfully takes up the task of telling us readers about the little known in depth life of Bhima as an individual who had a name and heart and mind of his own. It is narrated in first person and tries (as much as possible) to narrate everything that happened in his life in a chronological order without missing many things. The book surprised me for the better. Having always read about Bhima as a strong man, I was as surprised as Draupadi to realise that he could be gentle and have a thoughtful mind too. It is not that these two qualities really do not go together, but Bhima had always been praised for his brute strength and never much for his wit and intelligence. But when he gave love advice to Draupadi after the love of her life Arjun brought home Subhadra, and when he insisted Subhadra just smile at him in welcome instead of touching his feet, we know of a Bhima who is kind, gentle and mature enough to hide the pain of his cold rejection at the hands of Draupadi and console her instead of hurting her back when he had the chance.
Not only there. In this riveting first person account, we get to know about some lesser known branching stories of the Mahabharatha - a life that was exclusively Bhima's. We know of Hidimba and Hidimbi, of his experiences in cooking, of the way he treats the women in his life and of his first ever account with a Naga. The strength of the narrative lies in the self deprecating casual tone of the character that is Bhima. If the author had tried to glorify a hidden warrior pushed to the background by his more illustrious brothers and cousins, it would not have worked well for me. But the author has managed to talk about Bhima in what are written as his own words. The honest assessments he makes about himself endear reader to the surprisingly multifaceted character that is Bhima. And yes, I still call it surprising because we have all been inadvertently conditioned to think of Bhima in a particular way. This book will surely change all that.
But the book does have its shortcomings. Even while talking about the very human emotions of lust, jealousy and envy, Bhima is made out to be someone who feels all this in excess and reminds himself to control those wayward thoughts. In the way he lusts after Draupadi and then realises his folly or in the place where he always feels jealous of Arjun but quickly chastises himself, I get a Draco Malfoy-esque feel (oh yes, in his irritation about 'Potter') without the malicious intention. But Bhima as an emotional sensitive man has many chances to explain his side of the arguments effectively. A style that was a mild irritant for me all through the book was the modern language that didn't somehow fit the mythology theme. Agreed that the book's aim was to make the character of Bhima relatable, but the usage of modern slang language did not go well with what we surely know is a story set thousands of years, even eons ago. This is not a deal breaker but might seriously offend some purists - along with the detailed description of lustful scenes.
Overall, a nicely written clear book about a man who was forced to remain in the shadows. The first person narrative did it!
WHAT I LIKED:
•The story and its perspective
•Interesting stories about Bhima's life
•His interactions with Draupadi that reveal many of his emotions. This goes to show just how strong unrequited love could be.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
•The modernised language left me feeling a little unsettled at times
•Even though the author has clearly tried to avoid it, this book inadvertently projects Bhima as a resentful, envious character. Not the best thing to happen to a book that wanted to sing about the unsung hero
VERDICT:
Bhima gets his due, finally! Go for this book if you really like mythology stories talking about the alternative perspective. But if you have read too many of them already, the contradictions might just make you pull your hair out in frustration.
This is a book I really enjoyed reading. This might not be the only 'official' version of the other side of Bhima, but it surely is one amazing read.
RATING: 3.8/5
I received the copy of this book from WritersMelon in exchange for an honest review
November 11, 2015
Bhima A review
There is a proverb in Bengali which says that there is nothing going on in the world that has not been spoken of in the Mahabharata. This truly all encompassing epic with its many versions, both ancient and modern continue to fascinate. We have had the story retold from Draupadi’s perspective, Krishna’s view, Karna’s eyes, and even Karna’s wives version. We have had philosophical interpretation, rational ones, even a subaltern version. The author, in his acknowledgements, has mentioned some of them. But I was missing one prom the point of view of my childhood hero, Bhima. Vikash Sing has finally and brilliantly filled this gap.
The book has already received rave reviews from the ruling tsars of the fantasy mythology genre, and quite deservingly.
As the subtitle of the book puts it, Bhima was the man in the shadows. The strongest Pandav, often the brunt of protecting his family and risking his life for them fell on his broad shoulders. The glory was hogged by his glamorous brother Arjun, the power by his wimpy brother Yudhistir, while he remained in the shadows.
The book focuses on those incidents of the Mahabharata where Bhima plays starring role, the poisoning, the slaying of Bakasura , Hidimba , Jarasandh, and Kichak, rescuing Draupadi from Jayadrath, the encounter with Hanuman, the quest for the celestial flowers, and later, in the war, the keeping of his vow by destroying the Kaurava brothers, with particularly gory end of Dushasan and the literally below the belt finish to the duel with Duryodan.
Thus it was he who avenged Draupadi’s humiliation and single handed eliminated all possible rivals to the throne, mostly in single hand to hand combat. Yet his role in keeping the family alive and winning the war is lost in the paeans sung to the duplicitous Krishna, or the vacillating Arjun.
His tragedy was particularly poignant in that he was the one who truly loved Draupadi, and protected and cared for her always. He was the only one among her five husbands not to take other wives , and who avenged Draupadi’s personal insults in the war and earlier during their exile. His fight was not to recover their kingdom or serve any noble person, but to help the woman he loved. And all along, this woman loves his brother.
In the end too, he eschews heaven to keep Draupadi company till the very end when she falls by the wayside during their trek to heaven.
The author has played around with the more traditional versions for the sake of the plot, but that is justified literary licence.
He also attempts to rationalise on the Devas, surrogate dads and Daivi Ashtras or WMDs by using Erik Danikens theory that the Devas are extra terrestrials.
I recommend that fans of mythology, fantasy or fanfics must give this a try, and those not into this genre, to try something new, and this may be a good introduction.
There is a proverb in Bengali which says that there is nothing going on in the world that has not been spoken of in the Mahabharata. This truly all encompassing epic with its many versions, both ancient and modern continue to fascinate. We have had the story retold from Draupadi’s perspective, Krishna’s view, Karna’s eyes, and even Karna’s wives version. We have had philosophical interpretation, rational ones, even a subaltern version. The author, in his acknowledgements, has mentioned some of them. But I was missing one prom the point of view of my childhood hero, Bhima. Vikash Sing has finally and brilliantly filled this gap.
The book has already received rave reviews from the ruling tsars of the fantasy mythology genre, and quite deservingly.
As the subtitle of the book puts it, Bhima was the man in the shadows. The strongest Pandav, often the brunt of protecting his family and risking his life for them fell on his broad shoulders. The glory was hogged by his glamorous brother Arjun, the power by his wimpy brother Yudhistir, while he remained in the shadows.
The book focuses on those incidents of the Mahabharata where Bhima plays starring role, the poisoning, the slaying of Bakasura , Hidimba , Jarasandh, and Kichak, rescuing Draupadi from Jayadrath, the encounter with Hanuman, the quest for the celestial flowers, and later, in the war, the keeping of his vow by destroying the Kaurava brothers, with particularly gory end of Dushasan and the literally below the belt finish to the duel with Duryodan.
Thus it was he who avenged Draupadi’s humiliation and single handed eliminated all possible rivals to the throne, mostly in single hand to hand combat. Yet his role in keeping the family alive and winning the war is lost in the paeans sung to the duplicitous Krishna, or the vacillating Arjun.
His tragedy was particularly poignant in that he was the one who truly loved Draupadi, and protected and cared for her always. He was the only one among her five husbands not to take other wives , and who avenged Draupadi’s personal insults in the war and earlier during their exile. His fight was not to recover their kingdom or serve any noble person, but to help the woman he loved. And all along, this woman loves his brother.
In the end too, he eschews heaven to keep Draupadi company till the very end when she falls by the wayside during their trek to heaven.
The author has played around with the more traditional versions for the sake of the plot, but that is justified literary licence.
He also attempts to rationalise on the Devas, surrogate dads and Daivi Ashtras or WMDs by using Erik Danikens theory that the Devas are extra terrestrials.
I recommend that fans of mythology, fantasy or fanfics must give this a try, and those not into this genre, to try something new, and this may be a good introduction.
October 3, 2017
What a read.Hats off to Vikas Singh.Mightily impressive when it comes to a literary magnum opus I feel this falls right in that bracket.The writer has light years to go in his literary success journey.The story of Mahabharata from the eyes of Bhima.What a character .An antithesis of Arjun and a hero in every right.
December 28, 2015
Read my review on:
https://pgalmora.wordpress.com/2015/1...
https://pgalmora.wordpress.com/2015/1...
June 21, 2018
My fascination for Mythology keeps drawing me towards books related to the subject. The epic of Mahabharata is one such story that every Indian never gets bored of. So how can I? This book focuses on one character from Mahabharata. Bhima, the mighty warrior who is powerful, focused, loyal, abides by dharma and yet somehow shadowed.
Much of the narrative revolves around Bhima's passionate love for Draupadi which she is never able to understand or perhaps, ignores throughout their life. There are stories which I already knew but I never saw them through Bhima's perspective. These perspectives create a whole together new image of Bhima. After a few chapters, one tends to develop sympathy towards Bhim who does so much for his brothers without any complaints and passionately loves Draupadi hoping for just an ounce of love and care from her. It's heartbreaking to read.
There is a certain charm in the writing style. The language is like laminar flow of water. It is soothing, smooth and engaging. It's been quite a while since I read a book written so beautifully. I hope the author continues writing.
Author was inspired to write this book after reading Bhima by Vasudev Nair. That book is already in my reading queue which now I must take up for reading in coming months. Can't afford to miss that.
Much of the narrative revolves around Bhima's passionate love for Draupadi which she is never able to understand or perhaps, ignores throughout their life. There are stories which I already knew but I never saw them through Bhima's perspective. These perspectives create a whole together new image of Bhima. After a few chapters, one tends to develop sympathy towards Bhim who does so much for his brothers without any complaints and passionately loves Draupadi hoping for just an ounce of love and care from her. It's heartbreaking to read.
There is a certain charm in the writing style. The language is like laminar flow of water. It is soothing, smooth and engaging. It's been quite a while since I read a book written so beautifully. I hope the author continues writing.
Author was inspired to write this book after reading Bhima by Vasudev Nair. That book is already in my reading queue which now I must take up for reading in coming months. Can't afford to miss that.
July 31, 2025
This book gives a perspective on how Bhima’s life is all about living in the shadow of Arjuna’s fame and being a third wheel in his love life with Draupadi. This is a narration from Bhima with this perspective. Enjoyed reading it. I always have a complaint on authors not providing a prologue on aspects where they took creative freedom and it stays same with this book
December 28, 2017
They say,” If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.” and rightly so, there has been a surge in the number of ways the age old myths are being perceived and portrayed by a lot of the new age authors, each presenting a beautiful perspective. In today’s world, we have a hundred perspectives to the same story to justify the past and to pioneer the current generation to think and learn from these stories. Bhima, the man in the shadows is one such attempt to glorify the mightiest warrior during the Mahabharat times.
Bhima, The man in the shadows, does not offer a prototypical perspective. Through this story, Vikas tries to justify Bhima’s actions, his unquestioned loyalty to Yudhisthira, his fanatical love for Draupadi and most of all his take on Dharma.
The author has done a commendable job in narrating Bhima’s personal life and his relationships with each of his wives. It is said that, “Love is hard to find, hard to keep and hard to forget.” Hidimbi found her one true love in Bhima but did Bhima feel the same way and did he have a choice in influencing his brief time with her are questions that get answers in this book.
If the saddest word in the whole word it almost, Bhima and Draupadi were almost in love. She was almost good for him and they almost made it. Except, they didn’t and instead gave way to a beautiful tragic love story. While Bhima is truly, madly and deeply in love with Draupadi, Draupadi sees it as nothing more than a mere obligation for she is in love with the man who won her hand at her Swayamvara. Maybe, Bhima and Draupadi had a chance if time permitted and maybe they were just not destined to be. Vikas has portrayed this complicated relationship beautifully.
In addition, Bhima’s relationship with his sons and especially Ghatotkach is truly heart wrenching. Bhima’s regret in not being there for his son during his childhood, his turmoil in being a good father and dealing with the various insecurities attached to this relationship have been excellently narrated.
A new perspective in this book was with regards to the concept of gods. Unlike other books and stories we gods are perceived as magical beings with divine powers and celestial weapons, Vikas portrays gods as aliens from a parallel universe with technology that has far surpassed the technology on earth and how they manage to use techniques like telepathy and inter dimensional portals to communicate and travel to earth. Going to this sort of imagination was indeed refreshing.
While the book has a single motive to put across Bhima’s perspective, it seemed like a lot of the real story seems to have been manipulated to make Bhima seem as the ultimate hero devoid of any credit or glory although it isn’t the case. The reason this concept did not appeal is because Bhima does have his fair share of glory in today’s world, to the extent that there are cartoons made to glorify Bhima’s strength. His contribution to the victory of Pandava’s was never taken for granted in the first place. So, to put across a view such as this seems very ironical.
What I personally would have preferred was to portray Bhima as the celebrated warrior that he is, how he was cherished as the brute force of the Pandava army and how he failed miserably in chiseling his character to attain intellectual superiority.
All in all, while the story does a fantastic job in helping us understand the various relationships Bhima held dear in his life, it also exaggerates the other aspects just to add to the viability of the story. I would suggest you to read it to get understand a simple, uncomplicated man and his relationships.
Final Verdict : Read this book to see an emotional and tender side of the mighty pandava warrior Bhima.
Bhima, The man in the shadows, does not offer a prototypical perspective. Through this story, Vikas tries to justify Bhima’s actions, his unquestioned loyalty to Yudhisthira, his fanatical love for Draupadi and most of all his take on Dharma.
The author has done a commendable job in narrating Bhima’s personal life and his relationships with each of his wives. It is said that, “Love is hard to find, hard to keep and hard to forget.” Hidimbi found her one true love in Bhima but did Bhima feel the same way and did he have a choice in influencing his brief time with her are questions that get answers in this book.
If the saddest word in the whole word it almost, Bhima and Draupadi were almost in love. She was almost good for him and they almost made it. Except, they didn’t and instead gave way to a beautiful tragic love story. While Bhima is truly, madly and deeply in love with Draupadi, Draupadi sees it as nothing more than a mere obligation for she is in love with the man who won her hand at her Swayamvara. Maybe, Bhima and Draupadi had a chance if time permitted and maybe they were just not destined to be. Vikas has portrayed this complicated relationship beautifully.
In addition, Bhima’s relationship with his sons and especially Ghatotkach is truly heart wrenching. Bhima’s regret in not being there for his son during his childhood, his turmoil in being a good father and dealing with the various insecurities attached to this relationship have been excellently narrated.
A new perspective in this book was with regards to the concept of gods. Unlike other books and stories we gods are perceived as magical beings with divine powers and celestial weapons, Vikas portrays gods as aliens from a parallel universe with technology that has far surpassed the technology on earth and how they manage to use techniques like telepathy and inter dimensional portals to communicate and travel to earth. Going to this sort of imagination was indeed refreshing.
While the book has a single motive to put across Bhima’s perspective, it seemed like a lot of the real story seems to have been manipulated to make Bhima seem as the ultimate hero devoid of any credit or glory although it isn’t the case. The reason this concept did not appeal is because Bhima does have his fair share of glory in today’s world, to the extent that there are cartoons made to glorify Bhima’s strength. His contribution to the victory of Pandava’s was never taken for granted in the first place. So, to put across a view such as this seems very ironical.
What I personally would have preferred was to portray Bhima as the celebrated warrior that he is, how he was cherished as the brute force of the Pandava army and how he failed miserably in chiseling his character to attain intellectual superiority.
All in all, while the story does a fantastic job in helping us understand the various relationships Bhima held dear in his life, it also exaggerates the other aspects just to add to the viability of the story. I would suggest you to read it to get understand a simple, uncomplicated man and his relationships.
Final Verdict : Read this book to see an emotional and tender side of the mighty pandava warrior Bhima.
March 4, 2018
Most of us are well informed of the five Pandava brothers who played a great role in the Mahabarath war. This book is re-told in Bhima, the second Pandava’s point of view.
We are familiar with Arjun the great archer and Yudhishtira, the cause of the fall of Indraprastha.But we rarely hear about Bhima. All we know about him is that he is bulky and strong. But what about his achievements? We know that Draupadi had loved Arjun more than life itself, but did he reciprocate her feelings!
Bhima is always overshadowed by his older brother who seems wise but isn’t wise at all. For if he was, he’d walk out of the gambling hall of Hastinapura the moment he was forced to gamble away his brothers!
This story depicts how Bhima feels playing second fiddle to Arjun and Yudishtra. The way Vikas wrote or more aptly imagined the love Bhima showed Draupadi and accepting that she will never love him the way she does Arjun or more than that is profound in its own way.
The five brother declare war against their cousins The Kauravas, as an answer for the humiliation they went through and Draupadi was put to. But it was Bhima who was more hurt than the rest! He swore to bathe her in Durchadahana’s blood and tear open Duryodhana’s thigh! If it wasn’t for Yudhishtra’s foolishness they needn’t have to go into exile for 14 years.
Bhima is more valiant and honorable than he is regarded for! He is taken for granted by his siblings and Draupadi! But he still loves her with all his heart and obeys Yudishtra except that one time when he decided to stay back with Draupadi when they took their final journey towards The Himalayas.
This whole book is narrated from the moment Bhima kills Durchadhana and brings his blood back into Draupadi’s camp!
Other things I liked about this book was the depiction of Devas as aliens with the advanced technology of weaponry and life support systems. Which gives you the Sci-Fi feels!
When I hit the final page, my respect for Bhima doubled in volume.
We are familiar with Arjun the great archer and Yudhishtira, the cause of the fall of Indraprastha.But we rarely hear about Bhima. All we know about him is that he is bulky and strong. But what about his achievements? We know that Draupadi had loved Arjun more than life itself, but did he reciprocate her feelings!
Bhima is always overshadowed by his older brother who seems wise but isn’t wise at all. For if he was, he’d walk out of the gambling hall of Hastinapura the moment he was forced to gamble away his brothers!
This story depicts how Bhima feels playing second fiddle to Arjun and Yudishtra. The way Vikas wrote or more aptly imagined the love Bhima showed Draupadi and accepting that she will never love him the way she does Arjun or more than that is profound in its own way.
The five brother declare war against their cousins The Kauravas, as an answer for the humiliation they went through and Draupadi was put to. But it was Bhima who was more hurt than the rest! He swore to bathe her in Durchadahana’s blood and tear open Duryodhana’s thigh! If it wasn’t for Yudhishtra’s foolishness they needn’t have to go into exile for 14 years.
Bhima is more valiant and honorable than he is regarded for! He is taken for granted by his siblings and Draupadi! But he still loves her with all his heart and obeys Yudishtra except that one time when he decided to stay back with Draupadi when they took their final journey towards The Himalayas.
This whole book is narrated from the moment Bhima kills Durchadhana and brings his blood back into Draupadi’s camp!
Other things I liked about this book was the depiction of Devas as aliens with the advanced technology of weaponry and life support systems. Which gives you the Sci-Fi feels!
When I hit the final page, my respect for Bhima doubled in volume.
July 17, 2017
This was quite possibly one of the worst re-tellings of the Mahabharat that I've ever read (and I've read a lot!) I was interested in the possibility of focussing on Bhima's perspective because it's never been done before. Unfortunately, the author squandered the opportunity to explore the complex relationships between Bhima, Arjuna and Draupadi. If only he had spent more time on that, and less time on trying to bring in unnecessary modern scientific explanations into the story, this may have been a much better book. I really didn't think knowing that the Devas were aliens, or that modern warfare was used in Kurukshetra helped this re-telling in any manner. On some level, I think the author saw the gaps in his tale because he spent a lot of time addressing the likely criticisms through his acknowledgements section. Again, if he'd spent time on tightening his prose to address the gaps vs. writing a defense of his work, he would've been better off.
If you're looking for well researched retellings of this epic, I'd recommend Ashok Banker, Kavita Kane, Anand Neelakantan and Chitra Divakaruni. Please do yourself a favor and give this a miss!
If you're looking for well researched retellings of this epic, I'd recommend Ashok Banker, Kavita Kane, Anand Neelakantan and Chitra Divakaruni. Please do yourself a favor and give this a miss!
March 9, 2016
The book concatenates to the list of books who look at the grand scripture from the lens of its pivotal characters ( pretty confident there will be more)
Bhima has been a very graphic symbol in our imagination, mostly on account of his strapping brawn and unparalleled strength. The book tries to dig deeper into his emotional quotient - blossomed, tested, triumphed and devastated by situational stimulus in the life of Pandavas.
Although the book presents a better illustration of some instances, albeit known- the interaction with hanuman, ghatotkacha, questioning Krishna which make for interesting reading. But the endeavor falls flat with use of too much colloquialism. To make it more accessible to a contemporary reader, the language dilutes the essence- failing to either boast of powerful lines or powerful narrative.
The mighty warrior's mace of narration doesn't turn out to be the strongest of them all.
Bhima has been a very graphic symbol in our imagination, mostly on account of his strapping brawn and unparalleled strength. The book tries to dig deeper into his emotional quotient - blossomed, tested, triumphed and devastated by situational stimulus in the life of Pandavas.
Although the book presents a better illustration of some instances, albeit known- the interaction with hanuman, ghatotkacha, questioning Krishna which make for interesting reading. But the endeavor falls flat with use of too much colloquialism. To make it more accessible to a contemporary reader, the language dilutes the essence- failing to either boast of powerful lines or powerful narrative.
The mighty warrior's mace of narration doesn't turn out to be the strongest of them all.
December 27, 2017
i just love bhima. the way this book has put forth bhima's pov is just amazing. reading this book you just fall in love with bhima. are feeling his happiness or his love or his sadness with him as if you are right there, right besides bhima going through every emotional turmoil he goes through you feel it and then you cannot help yourself and just fall in love with him. and just like bhima i just wished draupadi would have fallen in love with him instead of arjun. its a beautiful book and if you got to read it.
March 29, 2021
BHIMA: - THE MAN IN THE SHADOW
BY
Vikash Singh, Author
Most of the happened things are visibly quite known; however, it was thrilling to once go across selective events of Mahabharat from the having sight of the mighty Bhima who ever felt neglected and shadowed next to a great archer, Arjun. There were many greater archer than Arjun like Karn, Eklavya but it was only Arjun who was projected at the sake of else by kingdom as well as people who were holding power. It was Bhima who fought with extreme valour and killed most of the kin of the Duryodhan. Some of them were killed brutally and while doing so Bhima felt relieved and happiness outpoured as he took an exceptional brutal revenge. But credit has never been given to him like late P.V.Narshima Rao and Manmohan Singh whose made cherished contribution have been so easily discredited. Such mischief was brought into application during those time as well. Even god looked like helpless at many times without this mischief card.
This took me to having thinking pattern of that time relating to society and so on. Things are manifesting itself that people were not so economically prosperous. People were poor and had to struggle a lot for getting basic amenities. There was discrimination prevalent which inflicted. Tactics and opting of the short route were common practice being followed. Every ethics and set protocol were thrown away whilst fighting great war wherein god was also participating either directly or indirectly only with a view to safeguard their having interest as well as lingering monopolies since centuries.
BY
Vikash Singh, Author
Most of the happened things are visibly quite known; however, it was thrilling to once go across selective events of Mahabharat from the having sight of the mighty Bhima who ever felt neglected and shadowed next to a great archer, Arjun. There were many greater archer than Arjun like Karn, Eklavya but it was only Arjun who was projected at the sake of else by kingdom as well as people who were holding power. It was Bhima who fought with extreme valour and killed most of the kin of the Duryodhan. Some of them were killed brutally and while doing so Bhima felt relieved and happiness outpoured as he took an exceptional brutal revenge. But credit has never been given to him like late P.V.Narshima Rao and Manmohan Singh whose made cherished contribution have been so easily discredited. Such mischief was brought into application during those time as well. Even god looked like helpless at many times without this mischief card.
This took me to having thinking pattern of that time relating to society and so on. Things are manifesting itself that people were not so economically prosperous. People were poor and had to struggle a lot for getting basic amenities. There was discrimination prevalent which inflicted. Tactics and opting of the short route were common practice being followed. Every ethics and set protocol were thrown away whilst fighting great war wherein god was also participating either directly or indirectly only with a view to safeguard their having interest as well as lingering monopolies since centuries.
August 11, 2019
Loved the way bhima has been depicted in this book, I could virtually feel for the man. I just so badly hoped that this could have been a long drawn trilogy or something as there was so much scope to develop so many characters that have not been told before, be it hidimbi, jarasandha , jarasandha's fight with Krishna(maybe it would not have been relevant, but it would have given a better connect to the reason for Krishna plotting his downfall), bhima's childhood would have been another half a book in itself.
I hope the author comes up with something more elaborate, I felt like the characters were fading away before they could be properly established and it lead to a feeling or "arrrrrrrgh, there's so much more to know or visualize".
Loved this attempt nevertheless , keep writing Vikas.
I hope the author comes up with something more elaborate, I felt like the characters were fading away before they could be properly established and it lead to a feeling or "arrrrrrrgh, there's so much more to know or visualize".
Loved this attempt nevertheless , keep writing Vikas.
January 31, 2017
When you are little, it is but natural that your grandparents will tell you the stories of Mahabharata. Like the others, I also was made to know about these stories and to be honest, I got totally hooked with them. I always loved the manipulation of Krishna, the sweetness of Subhadra, mighty warrior Arjuna and the great Karna. But, in these characters, another mighty hero who got sidelined was the second son of King Pandu, Bhima. This book is about Bhima who was indeed the man in the shadows.
Check my review link to know more :D
https://bewitchinglyparanoid.wordpres...
Check my review link to know more :D
https://bewitchinglyparanoid.wordpres...
July 7, 2018
The author had done a good job in putting up things through Bhima's perspective. Though most of the story has an underlying tone of his romantic relationship with Draupadi it has represented other characters with required depth precisely. It not only depicts Bhima's legendary prowess but also his softer, understanding and caring side. The book tells us that Bhima is not just the brute and "muscle" of the team like shown in television series and other novellas but also the empathetic part or "heart" of the Pandavas. A good book for light reading.
May 3, 2020
The book represents the five Pandavas as 14 year old boys, easily influenced by any one and never devoid of conjugal fantasies.
Bhima is almost always in an emotional turmoil and is replete with self pity.
He does little or nothing to help himself and there is no narration surrounding evolution or character development of him as a warrior.
Bhima is reduced to the friendzoned husband of Draupadi who is aroused even by her shadow.
The book does little or no justice to the greatness of Bhima.
The writing is not engaging and it is very easy to lose interest while reading this book.
Bhima is almost always in an emotional turmoil and is replete with self pity.
He does little or nothing to help himself and there is no narration surrounding evolution or character development of him as a warrior.
Bhima is reduced to the friendzoned husband of Draupadi who is aroused even by her shadow.
The book does little or no justice to the greatness of Bhima.
The writing is not engaging and it is very easy to lose interest while reading this book.
June 10, 2018
The author is more than able to write a mean book which stands on its own and is a worthy adaptation of The Mahabharata. The book more or less sticks to the proceedings from the epic, but gives a new narration or background for the explanation of why such a such event occurred by the use of colloquial language
https://nairsudhir.wordpress.com/2018...
https://nairsudhir.wordpress.com/2018...
November 28, 2018
Good read...
Though he killed all of the brothers but we hardly talk about him.. it's always his brothers that take the lime light and it was the best thing Vikas Singh did; narrating the story of the unsung hero and he did it in his own way without disturbing the base of the original story.. a big thumbs up for that... And yes definitely it's a must read...
Though he killed all of the brothers but we hardly talk about him.. it's always his brothers that take the lime light and it was the best thing Vikas Singh did; narrating the story of the unsung hero and he did it in his own way without disturbing the base of the original story.. a big thumbs up for that... And yes definitely it's a must read...
June 21, 2017
Really interesting story. I did not know quite a lot about Bhima, as the Mahabharata is mostly told from Arjun or Krishna's perspective. So this one gives you a completely different perspective on things.
Bhima is clearly the unsung hero!
Bhima is clearly the unsung hero!
May 6, 2018
A very good attempt to write about an unsung hero of the great epic. However, the subject deserved a more elevated and reverent style as compared to the racy and casual undertone used in the book. This took away the grandeur and the gravity of the setting
March 19, 2021
Racy and absolutely splendid
Increasingly, authors try to 'humanize' our epics. That in itself is a challenge, given the emotional and spiritual value we attach to them. Given this scenario, BHIMA is an outstanding effort!
Increasingly, authors try to 'humanize' our epics. That in itself is a challenge, given the emotional and spiritual value we attach to them. Given this scenario, BHIMA is an outstanding effort!
August 19, 2019
View of a great warrior
A book which is written in the modern way and a very personal view of a great warrior and his feeling being a second fiddle through out
A book which is written in the modern way and a very personal view of a great warrior and his feeling being a second fiddle through out
August 3, 2021
One time Read 👍
January 18, 2023
Fresh perspective,a little too intense at points and not consistent, could've introduced modern concepts more subtly
May 10, 2023
"Heaven is meaningless if Draupadi is not there beside me." 🥹
November 10, 2015
Having grown up listening stories of Mahabharata, when WritersMelon sent me the book for review I was eagerly awaiting its arrival.
I fell in love with Karna, one of the villains of the great epic after reading Mrityunjaya by Shivaji Sawant and I was expecting this story in similar vein with great characterisation and detailed narration of various events.
Mahabharata is one such epic which has hordes of characters with their lives intertwined in a complex web of events. All characters vie for attention with their own sets of virtues and vices, fortitudes and foibles.
All characters are the protagonist in their individual capacity and the epic has the potential of stretching into thousand different stories from each and every character’s point of view. And author Vikas Singh, has chosen mighty and powerful Bhima to speak out and tell his side of story.
Vikas Singh has woven the story about Bhima's feelings for Draupadi. The story again and again brings to fore the attraction of Bhima towards a wife who he shares with his four brothers.
However,the story fails to highlight Bhima's virtues properly. From the beginning of the story Bhima starts lamenting against all people around him from his mother to his teacher to a wife who has eyes only for Arjun and even in the most passionate moments remembers his younger sibling and so on. He feels he never gets credit for the wars he has fought.
Author's Bhima looks like one who blows a trumpet of his own exploits and keeps cribbing. He seems to be always jealous. Bhima looks under-confident person in the story.The passionate episodes in the story are not described delicately but are racy and undesirable.
Bhima was never in shadows....he was considered the most powerful....most of his exploits and adventures are known to many. He was not under-confident even or else he would have succumbed to his own flaws.
The story is an injustice to a great warrior and is good for readers who are interested in reading a juicy racy story without much details of history and mythology.
I fell in love with Karna, one of the villains of the great epic after reading Mrityunjaya by Shivaji Sawant and I was expecting this story in similar vein with great characterisation and detailed narration of various events.
Mahabharata is one such epic which has hordes of characters with their lives intertwined in a complex web of events. All characters vie for attention with their own sets of virtues and vices, fortitudes and foibles.
All characters are the protagonist in their individual capacity and the epic has the potential of stretching into thousand different stories from each and every character’s point of view. And author Vikas Singh, has chosen mighty and powerful Bhima to speak out and tell his side of story.
Vikas Singh has woven the story about Bhima's feelings for Draupadi. The story again and again brings to fore the attraction of Bhima towards a wife who he shares with his four brothers.
However,the story fails to highlight Bhima's virtues properly. From the beginning of the story Bhima starts lamenting against all people around him from his mother to his teacher to a wife who has eyes only for Arjun and even in the most passionate moments remembers his younger sibling and so on. He feels he never gets credit for the wars he has fought.
Author's Bhima looks like one who blows a trumpet of his own exploits and keeps cribbing. He seems to be always jealous. Bhima looks under-confident person in the story.The passionate episodes in the story are not described delicately but are racy and undesirable.
Bhima was never in shadows....he was considered the most powerful....most of his exploits and adventures are known to many. He was not under-confident even or else he would have succumbed to his own flaws.
The story is an injustice to a great warrior and is good for readers who are interested in reading a juicy racy story without much details of history and mythology.
October 5, 2015
The Mahabharata told from Bhima’s point of view is a blunt, tongue-in-cheek and yet oddly sensitive take on the eternal epic. Bhima’s unrequited love for his wife Draupadi and his simmering resentment towards his charismatic and illustrious younger brother Arjuna are the key factors driving this narrative.
The tone is irreverent and brimming with sibling disregard for gravitas. I particularly enjoyed the cuss strewn interactions between the brothers and cousins. It somehow made the saga more relatable. For a change, we veer away from the righteousness of Yudhisthira, the much-acclaimed prowess of Arjuna and the mind-bending tricks of Lord Krishna. Sure, we do get glimpses of all these events but through Bhima’s baffled and sometimes resentful eyes.
As the great war unleashes before him, Bhima plays an active role in avenging Draupadi’s humiliation. But he also pays the price as he watches his loved ones die before his eyes. It's a tale littered with lust, love, hate and repentance.
Bhima was so much more than a beefed up, fearless warrior. He hid a soft heart, a straightforward approach to life and a deep desire to see the greatest war in the history of mankind fought with honesty and integrity. The author does justice to the super strong Pandava brother within a restricted space. I enjoyed this book and finished it in a flash.
The tone is irreverent and brimming with sibling disregard for gravitas. I particularly enjoyed the cuss strewn interactions between the brothers and cousins. It somehow made the saga more relatable. For a change, we veer away from the righteousness of Yudhisthira, the much-acclaimed prowess of Arjuna and the mind-bending tricks of Lord Krishna. Sure, we do get glimpses of all these events but through Bhima’s baffled and sometimes resentful eyes.
As the great war unleashes before him, Bhima plays an active role in avenging Draupadi’s humiliation. But he also pays the price as he watches his loved ones die before his eyes. It's a tale littered with lust, love, hate and repentance.
Bhima was so much more than a beefed up, fearless warrior. He hid a soft heart, a straightforward approach to life and a deep desire to see the greatest war in the history of mankind fought with honesty and integrity. The author does justice to the super strong Pandava brother within a restricted space. I enjoyed this book and finished it in a flash.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 38 reviews