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Sangram Sindhu Gatha #1

अर्थला

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मिट्टी से घड़े बनाने वाले मनुष्य ने हजारों वर्षों में अपना भौतिक ज्ञान बढाकर उसी मिट्टी से यूरेनियम छानना भले ही सीख लिया हो, परन्तु उसके मानसिक विकास की अवस्था आज भी आदिकालीन है ।

काल कोई भी रहा हो - त्रेता, द्वापर या कलियुग । मनुष्य के सदगुण और दुर्गुण युगों से उसके व्यवहार को संचालित करते रहे हैं । यह गाथा किसी एक विशिष्ट नायक की नहीं, अपितु सभ्यता, संस्कृति, समाज, देश-काल, निर्माण तथा प्रलय को समेटे हुए एक सम्पूर्ण युग की है । वह युग, जिसमें देव, दानव, असुर एवं दैत्य जातियां अपने वर्चस्व पर थीं । यह वह युग था, जब देवास्त्रों और ब्रह्मास्त्रों की धमक से धरती कम्पित हुआ करती थी ।

शक्ति प्रदर्शन, भोग के उपकरणों को बढ़ाने, नए संसाधनों पर अधिकार तथा सर्वोच्च बनने की होड़ ने देवों, असुरों तथा अन्य जातियों के मध्य ऐसे आर्थिक संघर्ष को जन्म दिया, जिसने सम्पूर्ण जंबूद्वीप को कई बार देवासुर-संग्राम की ओर ढकेला । परन्तु इस बार संग्राम-सिंधु की बारी थी । वह अति विनाशकारी महासंग्राम जो दस देवासुर-संग्रामों से भी अधिक विध्वंसक था ।

संग्राम-सिंधु गाथा का यह खंड देव, दानव, असुर तथा अन्य जातियों के इतिहास के साथ देवों की अलौकिक देवशक्ति के मूल आधार को उदघाटित करेगा ।

440 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2016

86 people are currently reading
1058 people want to read

About the author

Vivek Kumar

5 books71 followers

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5 stars
196 (56%)
4 stars
98 (28%)
3 stars
36 (10%)
2 stars
8 (2%)
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9 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
Profile Image for Vishnu Chevli.
650 reviews602 followers
June 24, 2018
I have received this book after a year of patience. Frankly speaking, I just waited to read some Hindi books from my favorite genre. Looking at cover or title I was not able to visualize what should be the story. Though blurb helped me trust the book and I tried it. Again blurb was also not exactly for this book. After reading the book I felt that blurb was written for the whole series.

Coming to the story part, the protagonist of our story is Vidhan. But I feel that Dhananjaya, Sattu, and Vasundhara would be contributing to equal footing incoming parts. The country was under pressure. Manavas (specially Arthala) is under hidden attacks from Danava, Daitya, and Asura. Their previous hero was killed and his legacy came upon Vidhan. Not ready for big scale events, Vidhan followed mighty hero Sinhnaad to Arthala. Life changed for Vidhan once he left his village in pursuit of answers.

I would like to applaud efforts of Vivek for building this plot. Though Indian mythology is rich, he had taken names of clans and prepared story based of his own. So to mythological book lovers, Arthala is not a re-telling Mahabharata or Ramayana or Vedic Stories. Only familiar words you will encounter are Dev, Danava, Asura, and Daitya. Vivek has even conceptualized country names. So in terms of originality, I will give 5 out of 5 to the author.

Talking about characterization, narration style is the third person. And when the story of a person starts you will feel that the current person as a protagonist (be it Sattu, Vasundhara or even Dazan) Fight scenes' narration were also good. Till now I haven't read this nicely written fight scenes in Hindi novels. Description of various places and palaces were apt. You can even visualize them. I have divided book in three part. The beginning portion was somewhat slow and it needed slight efforts to continue. The second portion was still slow but started becoming entertaining. And last 120 pages were fast and interesting. Will eagerly wait for next part.

Detailed Review Link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2018/0...
Profile Image for Manpreet Kaur.
149 reviews647 followers
March 16, 2018
I am in LOVE with this book.
Packed with exceptionally well written action scenes, the book is a great beginning of the series.
So many characters, so many stories and a lot to catch up on. Add to this the awesome action scenes and you're going to love this book.
I loved the writing style and character descriptions.
The way the author sets the scene is awesome.
Not saying anything about the plot... it ended so soon. But then, how would we go to the next book?
I am eagerly waiting for the next book.
Profile Image for neerja sinha.
2 reviews2 followers
July 28, 2016
First of all its not HISTORICAL , its FANTASY with great imagination.

New writing in hindi. Arthla is EPIC and extream creative in many manners, like - world buliding, characters entry, actions, philosophies, theories and logics.
there are many plots at the same time but beautifully crafted . there is not a single breaker in full story. if you started then your next stoppage will be the last page.
main plot is very large and very promising. there are many characters in story but every character has its own dimension.
i impressed by writer's imagination and creative writing . Action, adventure, emotions and mystery everything is here.

arthla is not a historical novel, its a 440 page world class fantasy and may be a new benchmark for hindi literature.
Profile Image for Saumya.
212 reviews873 followers
March 20, 2018
Arthla is a treat to read especially for those who love reading hindi books! Though I would go as far as saying that even if you don't read hindi books that often, Arthla will engage you and keep you hooked right till the last page. An entire world has been created in the story in a very convincing manner with very real characters. The protagonist of the story, Vidhaan, along with his cousin Sattu, embarks on an adventurous and mysterious journey to Arthla and new twist and turns greet them every now and then. There are many characters in the story and a lot keeps happening so sometimes it becomes a little difficult to keep up but it continues to be interesting nevertheless. This story has many things going on like scheming for power, politics, relations between neighbouring states, revenge seeking. The war scenes have been described very well and one is able to picture exactly what is happening. As you reach the end, you get some answers while new questions arise. This book leaves you asking for more. Definitely a great first book to a series.
Profile Image for Manish.
87 reviews1 follower
September 10, 2020
It's a Hindi fantasy novel and it's very good. All the different plots are plotted together beautifully. Every character has its own dimension. The story is accentuated by the beautiful writing style. And the action scenes are very well described. I can't recommend this enough.
Profile Image for Rajit Ranjan.
11 reviews
October 22, 2018
The current state of Hindi fiction writing is certainly not as I would like it to be. I was really looking for a good contemporary Hindi book when I stumbled upon ‘Arthala’ and boy, it did not disappoint. The genre is epic fantasy and it seems that the author knows what he is dealing with. He creates a world which is detailed and feels very organic. I liked the fact that characters are very humanlike. Very often in this genre, character becomes larger than life and suddenly we have the world divided into heroes and villains. But here, we get Vidhaan who is also evolving as the story is developing and then I especially liked Dakshan, not sure if he is an antagonist or an antihero. The writing is very picturesque and descriptions are vivid. Although, I have few complaints as well. The reveal about backstories and Arthala’s history are spread all over the plot. It’s a little hard to keep track. Same goes with minor characters. The story moves to Dakshan and when it came back to Arthala, I was little lost about some characters as I had already forgotten about them. As the world gets bigger and more complex, it would be great to have a list of characters with a one line introduction towards the end of the book. I think that is not uncommon in this genre. I am waiting for the next book and I hope the author takes his time and ensures that the quality remains consistent.👍🏻👍🏻
Profile Image for Ramesa.
2 reviews
August 22, 2016
One of the most engaging book I have ever read. Fast paced with great adventure. i think its first action hindi novel. New prospective of Dev, Danava and Rakshasa are amazing.

Storyline - 5/5
Story Speed - 5/5
Historical - 3/5 (because its high fantasy )
Character design - 5/5
Storytelling - 5/5 (awesome)
Language - 5/5 (love)
Creativity - 10/5 (very impressive)
Philosophy - 5/5 (understandable)
Action - 5/5

Full Marks
Highly recommended for any (type) book lover and aspiring writers.
Profile Image for Vivaswan Pathak.
4 reviews8 followers
February 24, 2017
It is one of the books where the imaginative screen has been stretched wonderfully. It is of similar caliber to the Meluha series albeit a lot less popular, which I think is a shame
3 reviews
May 10, 2019
बहुत दिनों बाद हिंदी में कुछ शानदार पढा है, अभी से ही आगे की कहानी का वैट कर रहा हूँ ।
Profile Image for Sourav Jha.
19 reviews
June 19, 2019
Arth ki duniya arthala....an awsome novel to read.very nicely written detailed characters are well built, dis ribed and often humorous.. Having many amazing one liners like "arthala mera kartavya hai... Mai use garbh me paalti hu" after a long time read a hindi novel and it was fun and gripping at the same time.. Now looking forward to read second part.. Malhaar"Must read..
Profile Image for Sheetal Maurya - Godse (Halo of Books) .
324 reviews32 followers
September 26, 2016
Read full book review on my blog Arthla (Sangram Sindhu Gatha #1) by Vivek Kumar – Book review

This one word titled book includes an amazing story. I mean I have never read something like this. It is a fantasy, a well-developed fantasy where the story simply goes on. I really appreciate the author that he has amazingly put the story interlinked to each other. In every second page you will meet a new character but all the character has its own importance. The author has perfectly weaved the story with powerful characters, elements of mythology and his own imagination. Each and every page is filled with suspense which makes you read this book in one goes! I am eager to read the next part. This book can take a leap in the Hindi literature and I congratulate to author that he has published this book in the Hindi language. Recommend reading to everyone, it is class-apart fantasy!

Happy reading folks :)
Profile Image for Yatharth Singh Chauhan.
Author 9 books
July 31, 2018
Arthla is a very good book. After Babu Devkinandan Khatri's Chandrakanta, it's good to read something like this in Hindi. Hindi needs such writers and such writings. World building is quite effective using Indian mythology. I love comic scenes. Action in it has a visual appeal, really. And I must say that Writer has a rich vocabulary in hindi language and I too am gonna aquire that as I write as well.
Now, the novel lacks in some things. First, it lacks the element of suspense sometimes. It could've been more. Second, age of characters is not mentioned. We don't know how old they are except for a couple of characters. Lastly, the novel requires a little bit more editing and proofreading.
With that's done, I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars due to its unique story, good writing, rich vocabulary and the next step in the fantasy genre in Hindi Language. Everyone should read it.
Profile Image for Vishal Jha.
177 reviews5 followers
March 21, 2018
This is the first time i have read a mythological fiction in hindi. i am in complete amazement at the story and the way it has been told. i don't believe much in comparisons but i will say that if someone deserves as much love as Amish in hindi then it is Vivek kumar. This is a book which has all the features to become a big blockbuster movie.
i can not point out one flaw in this book.
each page is full of excitement.
Humor is taken care of by "sattu".
love can be easily seen between different pairs(which i loved).
all in all will be eagerly waiting for the next part.
A big congratulation to the author.
30 reviews
May 15, 2021
This is my first fantasy fiction book and it's awesome.And the best part is it is first nicely written fantasy fiction novel in hindi language,I really enjoyed it. The fight scene of the book is best really awesome , it's like everything you are imaging in your brain. The world in which the story takes place is 6000 ago,but the characters of this book are so familiar in our sorrounding .
Frist I don't have any expectations from this book because I don't know anything about the genre(in books) and the book ,but if I have any expectations it will be filled . So I really love this book and I appreciate the author about writing in hindi language .
Profile Image for Vishal Vishwakarma.
1 review1 follower
August 8, 2016
Epic.. Awesome... Mind Blowing !!

I have read many epic stories but when I came to this book, it stunned me. One of the best legendary war stories apart from Ramayan and Mahabharat. I recommend you to read this book, moment you start, you will feel like finishing it same day. It is a boundless deep interest. The way all the characters and descriptions of forts, weapons, army has been displayed, its marvelous. Order it now and enjoy the lust of reading. It is so interesting that I started reading again.
Profile Image for Mukesh Murmu.
32 reviews9 followers
January 2, 2020
I picked up this book as it was recommended by Indian YouTubers. I must say it was a epic journey. The world development, Character description and action scene all kept me hooked. Specially the last chapter with action sequences, it was so vivid that I could see the events unfolding in front of me. Every one who crave for a great epic story should try this. Vivek Kumar has made India proud.
Profile Image for Shashank Bharatiya.
Author 4 books22 followers
September 28, 2019
Writer has an amazing creativity and imagination out of which he has created this world. But he needs to be a better story teller . gets carried in the description, character introduction is abrupt and sometimes the story is slow. This book of 450 pages could have been concised to 250 pages.
1 review
May 12, 2018
I totally loved this book . it's become my one of all time favourite.
300 reviews3 followers
May 23, 2018
[First few chapters of the book are available for free to read officially.
Here is a review based on that: http://thinkerviews.com/books/hindi-b...
Detailed Review for entire book is available at: http://thinkerviews.com/books/hindi-b...]

Do you love exploring mythology? Here is a tale which is written on the canvas of ancient times where you can see humans, devas, asuras, and many other tribes fighting for their way of living, beliefs, existence and power.

The plot:
Vidhaan, a young boy living in a small village with his mother, is very enthusiastic about the future. Like every other growing up teenager he was also dreaming about doing something big and living a lavish life in future. He was accompanied by his cousin Sattu who is not only his sidekick and plays the role of a Vidushak (found in ancient Sanskrit plays) to give comic relief, but loves him from the deepest heart. They have a dog accompanying them.

Vidhan was fortunate that a sage came to the bank of their village while roaming and decided to be stationed there. He stayed there in a small hut and eventually accepted Vidhaan as his student. The time passed and Vidhaan was started transforming into a well-built, powerful warrior. Gradually Vidhaan learnt a new skill where he could jump exceptionally well. Unknown to Vidhaan himself, it was the initial stage of a rare to find skill "Bhumi-Siddhi". Vidhaan tried a lot to know more about his Guru, but, he refused revealing any keypoints. He informed Vidhaan though, that on the day he will conquer the learning stage, he will reveal his identity.

But on the last day, when Vidhaan was enthusiastically going to meet his Guru, as he accomplished the course, he see that the Ashram of the Guru (whose name was Kaan, unknown to Vidhaan) was attacked. Vidhaan got furious and attacked the attacker, he fought with them bravely and he let only a messenger alive and punished with the death to the reset of them.

He was then approached by a small platoon, and the leader of the platoon revealed some information about the mishap, the Guru, and other stuff, resulting into raise of a lot many more questions in Vidhaan's mind. His fate was calling him to "Arthala". But, what is "Arthala"? and Why he needs to be there? Well, you can explore the book to get some answers, and wait for the next one for the others.

Views and Reviews:
Vivek Kumar's writing is fresh and he is very imaginative. His command on Hindi language is really good and his vocabulary is rich. If the book was written in English and better marketing could have done, it has all the elements to give tough competition to some of the bestsellers in this genre.

The characters are found developed gradually and they keep growing as the story moves ahead. That makes them more realistic. Even the characters with super-heroic strengths are not complete. They have their limitations or short comings. And, as we tend to see black and white characters in fictional work, we, by heart know that if you try to analyse someone neutrally, then you will find the person having shades of grey. Nothing is absolute black or white. A man is the result of things happened to him and done by him. The author visualizes the character in this way, and explore them accordingly. And, that goes fine with the book.

Some of the scenes from the book are really impactful, but I cannot talk much about them to avoid spoilers. Let me share some of the lines from the book which I found really interesting.

“वह सामर्थ्य ही क्या, जो किसी की रक्षा न कर सके|”
— — — — — —
संसार का जो विस्तार वह खुले नेत्रों से देख नहीं पता था, बंद नेत्र उसे सुनी हुई कहानिओ के अनदेखे स्थानों पर दूर तक ले जाते थे|
— — — — — —
भय किसे नहीं लगता, भय तो एक सामान्य मानवीय क्रिया है|


I like the convincing war scenes, duels, exploration of nature and many other attributes of the book and I am sure that majority of readers will feel the same.

Rating:
I would definitely give it around 8.5 stars out of 10.
49 reviews2 followers
November 9, 2019
When one part ends and you are not keen enough to know what will happen in next then you know somehow the book did not kept you captivated.
There are so many characters that at times you loose them in the crowd.
Some mysteries just said but never explained. Looks there is haste in some pages and snail pace at others. Characters are shallow or may be you dont get the full view of them with words and emotions about them.
Looks this was planned to be ended to that one will buy the sequel , a business tactic and may be there will be few like me who will not go for the sequel
I will rest with peace and not know what happens to Vidhaan, Uri , Indrani, Sattu, Dhanjay or even to Arthla .
I might have dropped this in mid, but finished it for only one reason as it being in Hindi.
3 reviews
May 24, 2019
I am thrilled. Amazingly written by Vivek kumar, this book is an absolute masterpiece. While reading, I was feeling like the whole picture is rolling in front of me. I am eagerly waiting for the second part of the book : Malhar.
5 reviews
September 28, 2016
Good story and nice attempt by a young author but i was expecting more action packed.Emotions shown by characters are shallow and superficial. some time repetitive and easily predictable storyline. But overall a good one you do not feel cheated spending your money on the book.
Profile Image for Prakhyath Rai.
Author 5 books28 followers
January 7, 2020
In this time when major dominant and recurring themes are love, betrayal, awareness towards environment and social issues etc., Vivek Kumar’s “Arthala” successfully transports the reader in a world when india was a land of kings. The book comes as a wave of fresh air exploring a completely different genre from mainstream writing. The fact of it’s being different from the mainstream writing differentiates it and becomes the first point to attract any reader’s attention. Second attraction of the book is the style and language. It is written in hindi and the author showcases his rich vocabulary in the language.

The book is a thrilling tale filled with twists and turns to hold on to the reader’s interest and imagination. He beautifully explores the pure relationship of a teacher and his student. From the very beginning, the protagonist is shown to be possessing superhero-like qualities and at the same time his emotions make him more human and realistic. At one time he is the ideal, loving, sensitive and emotional student but in the very next moment he becomes a chivalric warrior who is driven very strongly by the desire to avenge the death of his loved one. At times the descriptions of the battle and fight are so vivid that the reader is reminded of king Arthur’s knights from Britain. The chivalric qualities may be his hallmark yet the reader’s never forget the fact of his being an Indian. He brilliantly balances seriousness and humor throughout by building up other characters who appear as lively as the protagonist. This makes the book an enjoyable read for all age groups. The other salient features of the book are its plotline and character portrayal. Not just the protagonist, but also the other characters that the author creates appear lifelike and real. This exemplifies the ability and potential of the author. He chooses a subject very unlikely to be chosen in the present time and magnificently writes with effortless style and skill.

For a reader or a non reader with fine knowledge of hindi language, this book serves as a treat and at the same time the author is remembered for his craft, skill, expertise and knowledge of hindi language in a time when most of the writers are venturing into English language writing. Due to his command on the language, he portrays the scenes of battlefield with vividness, intensity and superb clarity hence tickles the imagined the reader very strongly. This becomes the USP of “Arthala”.

The fact that the text is written in hindi language connects the reader firmly to his Indian roots and cultural values which makes it a must read for all who have even the slightest idea about the nature of people, nature of education, the importance of family and value system of the past. The book contains ample instances to highlight, display and mark the writer’s potential to be a prolific writer in the coming time.

On looking at the length of the book, it seems a challenge to read it through. But the ability of the author to hold on to the reader’s attention even when he is not reading the book is the biggest asset of the book. Just like Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s travels”, “Arthala” can also be read by children and adults. For children, the adventurous scenes would be thrilling and almost like a bedtime story while for adults the plotline and the themes and issues it raises would hold on to their attention. The book can be read more than once and probably the excitement would be equal everytime.
Profile Image for Barnali.
46 reviews
August 2, 2021
🌼 वह सामर्थ्य ही क्या, जो किसी की रक्षा न कर सके -विधान

Arthala is a Hindi fictional story full of actions, adventures, and politics.
The story revolves around different cultures, races, customs, warfare, bravery, and political scenario of jambudweep. It is about Devas, Asuras, Rakshasas, Nagas, Danavas.

In the story, Arthala was on the verge of a war ⚔️ with the Danavas and needed a strong warrior who has the mysterious power of "BHOOMISIDDHI". And then only one person had this power, he was the protagonist Vidhan 🧍, A simple but strong and determined boy who had no idea what was waiting for him in his life ahead or who he was?.
Author has beautifully penned down the story with twists and turns, betrayal, vengeance, bravery, and the art of war. The fighting scenes in the story are so beautifully described with all the minute detailings, it feels like the fight is happening in front of your eyes🤩!👌👌. World buildup and the characterization were also done beautifully❤️, be it the strong queen Rani Vasundhara 👸or sweet and funny person Sattu.

I loved everything about this book! The world-building, the fight scenes, characterization, literally everything!. The storyline will keep you glued till the end.
Profile Image for Santosh Jha.
193 reviews1 follower
April 6, 2024
"Arthla" by Vivek Kumar is a new Indian fantasy novel set in Jambudwip, specifically focusing on Arthla. It begins slowly but gains momentum as the story progresses. The characters are well-developed and strong, with excellent representation of women warriors. The narrative features secret stones, magical formulas, and a fight for control over the land, all intertwined with a rich history. Even the antagonistic characters are fleshed out with their own backgrounds and motivations. I thoroughly enjoyed this new fantasy book as it exceeded my expectations. It has its highs and lows, with particularly impressive war sequences and climactic scenes. Overall, it's a worthwhile read for anyone seeking a captivating Indian fantasy tale.
Profile Image for Geetika.
69 reviews11 followers
April 13, 2020
This is a book in hindi which takes you to fictional world which is very much indian in its nature. From people getting "siddhis" to getting so much proficient in swordsmanship and archery that they almost reach to imaginary level. I felt especially glad to learn some new hindi words.. Plot wise - there is some some war looming ahead and this novel provides us the in depth to some of the parties which would be fighting in this and their great talents and capabilities. In this part, only half the parties covered as yet. Eagerly waited for more books to come.......
Profile Image for Avani Sharma.
39 reviews142 followers
August 12, 2019
Recently finished reading Arthala on my kindle, and I was amazed by the book. This was my first fantasy fiction read in Hindi and now I am eager to read its other parts as well. The story is very interesting, the background, the characters and impeccable use of Hindi language makes it unputdownable. The pace is also quite fast so you don't get bored. However, a little bit of editing in the first few chapters would have made the story even crisper, but I would give it the benefit of doubt considering how it made me feel overall. I loved the characters and the action scenes, especially of Rani Vasundhara and Dakshan. This is a must-read if you love reading Hindi literature. I wish this book becomes more popular amongst Indian Readers.
1 review
June 22, 2020
Vivek Kumar is the George rr martin of India. The story mainly focuses on vidhaan who has a special power. The kingdoms are on the verge of war and everybody is preparing for it. It includes awesome battle scenes and is a thrilling read.
My favorite characters are vidhaan and dakshaan.
The book feels awesome and is a must read for anyone who loves warfare, fiction and can read hindi.
Profile Image for Rajan Mishra.
23 reviews1 follower
April 3, 2021
I started this book as a random book in passing, but kept on reading as the book started with a really interesting starting point and continued to build beautifully on top of it.
The book is a good example of original Hindi novels dealing with fusion of Mythology and Fantasy. I would surely recommend this book to any Hindi reader.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews

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