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Girls of the Mahabharata #1
The One Who Swam with the Fishes
Who is Satyavati? Truth-teller. Daughter of water. Child of apsara and king. Cursed from birth. Fish-smell girl. Growing up as a girl in the Vedic age is anything but easy - and even harder for the future Queen of Hastinapur, the kingdom of all kingdoms. She must contend with magic islands, difficult sages, calculating foster parents, sexual awakening and loneliness. Even when she is at the threshold of the capital, King Shantanu, smitten though he is with her, already has a crown prince from his marriage with a goddess. Young Satyavati must walk on thorns to reach her destiny in a world ruled by men.
160 pages, Paperback
Published February 27, 2018
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189 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 4, 2017
Mahabharata, the great Indian epic, is mostly talked about for its eminent gruesome and bloody war. Whether it is the scheming Kauravas or the struggling and principled Pandavas, the attention always seems to be on these two sides battling against each other. The women of the Mahabharata have always been side-casted and are given very little importance in general. Quite recently, more and more authors are focusing on the femme fatale of this epic. Meenakshi Reddy’s new series, “Girls of the Mahabharata” is a remarkable one that you need to watch out for. With the first book released, the story focuses on Satyavati, daughter of the fishermen’s king and her crucially important role in the plot of Mahabharata.
The book starts with a young Satyavati, scorned by her adoptive mother and encouraged by her father to engage King Shantanu in a conversation and catch his eye. We travel through the past and the present scenarios through each successive chapter and get a clear idea of Satyavati’s personality. This young and distraught girl, who had a remarkable fish-like smell, evolves into an attractive and brave lady to accomplish the major task that she was destined to do. And how she goes on to achieve that, is a story to behold. Satyavati’s character is sure to inspire many young female readers and her inherent qualities of courage and straightforwardness are highly admirable. We are finally able to see her point of view when she makes that cruel yet determined request to King Shantanu and Prince Devavrata, later known as Bheesma, promises to never marry or bear children.
Generally, we assume that a book on mythology would have a very serious tone or be a little difficult to comprehend but this book is a really light read and I finished it within two hours, which evidently proves that it was much of a page-turner. With a dash of funny banter between Satyavati and her younger brother, Chiro, and the mystery around the heroine’s search for her lineage, Reddy has composed an entertaining read that also touches the topic of feminism in a beautiful way.
If you are new to mythology and are looking for something to help you dip your feet into this genre, then The One Who Swam With The Fishes is a wonderful read to begin with.
The book starts with a young Satyavati, scorned by her adoptive mother and encouraged by her father to engage King Shantanu in a conversation and catch his eye. We travel through the past and the present scenarios through each successive chapter and get a clear idea of Satyavati’s personality. This young and distraught girl, who had a remarkable fish-like smell, evolves into an attractive and brave lady to accomplish the major task that she was destined to do. And how she goes on to achieve that, is a story to behold. Satyavati’s character is sure to inspire many young female readers and her inherent qualities of courage and straightforwardness are highly admirable. We are finally able to see her point of view when she makes that cruel yet determined request to King Shantanu and Prince Devavrata, later known as Bheesma, promises to never marry or bear children.
Generally, we assume that a book on mythology would have a very serious tone or be a little difficult to comprehend but this book is a really light read and I finished it within two hours, which evidently proves that it was much of a page-turner. With a dash of funny banter between Satyavati and her younger brother, Chiro, and the mystery around the heroine’s search for her lineage, Reddy has composed an entertaining read that also touches the topic of feminism in a beautiful way.
If you are new to mythology and are looking for something to help you dip your feet into this genre, then The One Who Swam With The Fishes is a wonderful read to begin with.
December 29, 2017
I bought into this book because of its premise - that the Mahabharata is epic not just because of its men, but also its women who govern so much of the action. This one, first of a planned series, tells the story of Satyavati who, by marrying Shantanu and denying Bhishma his right, sets destiny into motion. The writing is not great, the narrative is not strong, and the book is a fast and fun mytho-fiction read at best.
September 12, 2017
I've always believed that Mahabharata was fought by great men but it was always women who were running the show, whether it is Satyavati or Draupadi. Imagine if there wouldn't have been any Draupadi or Shikhandi, would there be any war in the first place? But the story doesn't begin with Draupadi, it begins with Satyavati, The truth-teller, The One Who Swam With The Fishes and The One who will change the destiny of Kuru Dynasty.
But she wasn't always Satyavati. She was the daughter of water, child of an Apsara and a King, who was cursed from birth and used to smell like fish. Matsyagandhi was her original name, and she was neglected by her parents and village folk.
The story of Satyavati begins with her planned encounter with King of Hastinapur, Shantanu. At the backdrop of this story, we get to read how Matsyagandhi transformed to Satyavati. Her father, the fisherman Chieftain, Dusharaj adopted her. Hated by her mother and adored by her brother, Matsyagandhi had a troubled childhood. Major contributors of this troubled childhood were the fishy odor coming out of her all the time and the distinct otherness she carried with herself.
Tired of the alienation and embarrassment, she chances upon a wandering sage, Parashara, who takes away her smell in return for sexual favors. Those favors one day turn into an illicit child, who will come to be known as Vyasa.
But the story doesn't end here. Matsyagandhi is given a new name, Satyavati and is asked to go back to her hometown by Parashara. Once back, she settles into her old life. One day, her father discloses the secret that Satyavati is not his child, and was in turn adopted. To fulfill her destiny, she needs to meet the King of Hastinapur, Shantanu, marry him and become the Queen of Hastinapur. In the end of The One Who Swam With The Fishes, we can see how Satyavati manipulates the King and gets what she wants, thus beginning the epic story of Mahabharata.
Mytho-fiction is one of my favorite genres, and thanks to that I have read plenty of books on most of the characters of Mahabharata. When it comes to women characters, I have only read about Drapaudi, therefore I am super thankful to Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan to bring up these strong and beautiful women to read.
This was the first time I was reading something about Satyavati and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The language of the book is simple, easy to understand and the past and present oscillate between the pages, keeping the reader completely engrossed. The story line has the right amount of plots and facts. I understand how twisting the mythology part can be tricky, and can go wrong in thousand ways. But Madhavan has handled this job wonderfully.
The only drawback that I could find was the part where Parashara was introduced to Satyavati. Some of the scenes were deeply cringe-worthy, but then apart from that, the overall book is an absolutely brilliant read!
But she wasn't always Satyavati. She was the daughter of water, child of an Apsara and a King, who was cursed from birth and used to smell like fish. Matsyagandhi was her original name, and she was neglected by her parents and village folk.
The story of Satyavati begins with her planned encounter with King of Hastinapur, Shantanu. At the backdrop of this story, we get to read how Matsyagandhi transformed to Satyavati. Her father, the fisherman Chieftain, Dusharaj adopted her. Hated by her mother and adored by her brother, Matsyagandhi had a troubled childhood. Major contributors of this troubled childhood were the fishy odor coming out of her all the time and the distinct otherness she carried with herself.
Tired of the alienation and embarrassment, she chances upon a wandering sage, Parashara, who takes away her smell in return for sexual favors. Those favors one day turn into an illicit child, who will come to be known as Vyasa.
But the story doesn't end here. Matsyagandhi is given a new name, Satyavati and is asked to go back to her hometown by Parashara. Once back, she settles into her old life. One day, her father discloses the secret that Satyavati is not his child, and was in turn adopted. To fulfill her destiny, she needs to meet the King of Hastinapur, Shantanu, marry him and become the Queen of Hastinapur. In the end of The One Who Swam With The Fishes, we can see how Satyavati manipulates the King and gets what she wants, thus beginning the epic story of Mahabharata.
Mytho-fiction is one of my favorite genres, and thanks to that I have read plenty of books on most of the characters of Mahabharata. When it comes to women characters, I have only read about Drapaudi, therefore I am super thankful to Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan to bring up these strong and beautiful women to read.
This was the first time I was reading something about Satyavati and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The language of the book is simple, easy to understand and the past and present oscillate between the pages, keeping the reader completely engrossed. The story line has the right amount of plots and facts. I understand how twisting the mythology part can be tricky, and can go wrong in thousand ways. But Madhavan has handled this job wonderfully.
The only drawback that I could find was the part where Parashara was introduced to Satyavati. Some of the scenes were deeply cringe-worthy, but then apart from that, the overall book is an absolutely brilliant read!
December 28, 2019
Waste of time and money. Its a story about satyavati and how others took advantage of her body. I didnt enjoy it at all. It was an audio book i heard though.
October 20, 2019
I wrote this. It's good!
August 18, 2017
*copy provided by the publisher for review
Set in the Vedic ages, this story is narrated by Satyavati/Matsyagandhi, a lesser known female character of the Mahabharata. To be honest, I’m a bit shaky on the story of the Mahabharata (because as kids, the Ramayana was the tale we heard often and were made to put up performances of while the Mahabharata took a backseat) and yet I could see Satyavati as an entirely separate figure, who stood tall on her own.
The Mahabharata in itself is a male dominated story, and women make rare appearances, more often than not to drive the story forward, rather than be established as focal points (with the exception of Draupadi). However, this book was a fresh take on what it meant to be a woman in search of power in a world ruled by men.
At the start of her story, Satyavati is Matsyagandhi, and Satyavati is a persona she adopts later, which marks her transformation and willingness to go above and beyond to claim her rightful destiny, but we’ll get into that later. Satyavati is the adopted daughter of the fisher king, and not a day goes by when she’s not made to feel unwanted by her foster mother.
However, a series of events lead her to become stuck in the middle, neither here nor there, as she finds herself thrown out of her house, and she eventually ends up under the wing of a sage and an elderly woman on an island, and her experiences shape and influence who she becomes. And from there begins Satyavati’s drive to claim what is rightfully hers, and to see herself rule, not just by marrying into power, but also by giving birth to it.
The story isn’t about Satyavati’s entire life, just her childhood and a look into her adolescence. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that she was barely a teenager and yet managed to use her charm to her advantage, and have a king bow to her and concede to her demands. From the start of the book, there are lush and vivid descriptions of life in the Vedic ages, which not only helped the story along but also aided in establishing what Satyavati’s early childhood was like.
What I loved about the book, though, along with the writing, descriptions and dialogue, was the use of the alternation of Then and Now chapters, giving us a clearer image of how her experiences influenced her choices, and giving us reasons as to why she did what she did. The narrative itself justified Satyavati’s actions, and that was my favorite thing about this book.
In all, I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a short yet though evoking read, as the book is 150-160 pages long, and a quick, engaging read. In fact, even those who are unaware of the Mahabharata’s story can read this separately, and not have to depend upon previous knowledge to fill in the gaps.
Thanks for reading!
Asmita
X
Set in the Vedic ages, this story is narrated by Satyavati/Matsyagandhi, a lesser known female character of the Mahabharata. To be honest, I’m a bit shaky on the story of the Mahabharata (because as kids, the Ramayana was the tale we heard often and were made to put up performances of while the Mahabharata took a backseat) and yet I could see Satyavati as an entirely separate figure, who stood tall on her own.
The Mahabharata in itself is a male dominated story, and women make rare appearances, more often than not to drive the story forward, rather than be established as focal points (with the exception of Draupadi). However, this book was a fresh take on what it meant to be a woman in search of power in a world ruled by men.
At the start of her story, Satyavati is Matsyagandhi, and Satyavati is a persona she adopts later, which marks her transformation and willingness to go above and beyond to claim her rightful destiny, but we’ll get into that later. Satyavati is the adopted daughter of the fisher king, and not a day goes by when she’s not made to feel unwanted by her foster mother.
However, a series of events lead her to become stuck in the middle, neither here nor there, as she finds herself thrown out of her house, and she eventually ends up under the wing of a sage and an elderly woman on an island, and her experiences shape and influence who she becomes. And from there begins Satyavati’s drive to claim what is rightfully hers, and to see herself rule, not just by marrying into power, but also by giving birth to it.
The story isn’t about Satyavati’s entire life, just her childhood and a look into her adolescence. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that she was barely a teenager and yet managed to use her charm to her advantage, and have a king bow to her and concede to her demands. From the start of the book, there are lush and vivid descriptions of life in the Vedic ages, which not only helped the story along but also aided in establishing what Satyavati’s early childhood was like.
What I loved about the book, though, along with the writing, descriptions and dialogue, was the use of the alternation of Then and Now chapters, giving us a clearer image of how her experiences influenced her choices, and giving us reasons as to why she did what she did. The narrative itself justified Satyavati’s actions, and that was my favorite thing about this book.
In all, I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a short yet though evoking read, as the book is 150-160 pages long, and a quick, engaging read. In fact, even those who are unaware of the Mahabharata’s story can read this separately, and not have to depend upon previous knowledge to fill in the gaps.
Thanks for reading!
Asmita
X
August 21, 2017
When we speak about the epic Mahabharata, what comes to our mind? The Kauravas, the Pandavas, the gruesome epic war at Kurukshetra. Yes, in Mahabharata all attention is on these two battling sides, the plotting and cunning Kauravas and the followers of dharma, Pandavas. It will not be wrong, if we say Mahabharat is a male dominated story. What about the women involved in this epic? They have always remained as less imported in this great epic, with the exception of Draupadi ( and perhaps Kunti). But these women are the heart of everything that happens in Mahabharata. Meenakshi Reddy's new series "Girls of the Mahabharata" is an remarkable work to focus on the women involved and their contributions in giving shape to the greatest ever epic of India, as we know it today.
This book "The One Who Swam With The Fishes" focuses on young Satyavati, who took her future in her own hands, was courageous to speak her mind out to create her own destiny which she rightly deserved. The story is narrated by Satyavati, swinging between her past and present in the successive chapters. The story beings with young little Satyavati, then named as Matsyaganda ( the girl with smell of fish ), being scorned by her adaptive mother. But her father, the king of fishermen, knew her true origin and always encouraged her and prepared her for her destiny which are rightfully hers. The turn of events, leading her to move out of house and discover her gurus, to evolve her as an attractive, brave lady to accomplish the task, to become a queen as she is destined to do. With her charms and bold straightforward answers even the King Shantanu is not left with any other option but to agree to her cruel demands. The story also justifies her actions towards her determined demand to Shantanu and Prince Devavrata, later known as Bheesma, takes the vow to never marry and bear children.
Mythology has always been one of my favorite genre. But with all the narration to give the feel of mythology, the books are quite lengthy and requires focused reading. But this book was just like reading some fairy tale story of a poor girl with a stern step mother, who finds her way out and makes her own destiny. The story is quick and light read, and very engaging. For someone who wants to try a mythology for very first time, this book is highly recommended.
This book "The One Who Swam With The Fishes" focuses on young Satyavati, who took her future in her own hands, was courageous to speak her mind out to create her own destiny which she rightly deserved. The story is narrated by Satyavati, swinging between her past and present in the successive chapters. The story beings with young little Satyavati, then named as Matsyaganda ( the girl with smell of fish ), being scorned by her adaptive mother. But her father, the king of fishermen, knew her true origin and always encouraged her and prepared her for her destiny which are rightfully hers. The turn of events, leading her to move out of house and discover her gurus, to evolve her as an attractive, brave lady to accomplish the task, to become a queen as she is destined to do. With her charms and bold straightforward answers even the King Shantanu is not left with any other option but to agree to her cruel demands. The story also justifies her actions towards her determined demand to Shantanu and Prince Devavrata, later known as Bheesma, takes the vow to never marry and bear children.
Mythology has always been one of my favorite genre. But with all the narration to give the feel of mythology, the books are quite lengthy and requires focused reading. But this book was just like reading some fairy tale story of a poor girl with a stern step mother, who finds her way out and makes her own destiny. The story is quick and light read, and very engaging. For someone who wants to try a mythology for very first time, this book is highly recommended.
April 10, 2020
The purpose of the series excites me and I have read both the published stories under the series.
This is the story of how a girl born of a cursed apsara and raised by a fisher king, grows up to become Satyavati and thus fulfil her destiny to become the wife of King Shantanu, while eliciting the bheeshma pratigya from Prince Devavrat that he would neither marry nor bear any children.
A delightful read.
This is the story of how a girl born of a cursed apsara and raised by a fisher king, grows up to become Satyavati and thus fulfil her destiny to become the wife of King Shantanu, while eliciting the bheeshma pratigya from Prince Devavrat that he would neither marry nor bear any children.
A delightful read.
October 7, 2025
I thrifted this book for less than ₹100 at my local bookstore and honestly didn't have any high expectations. I have never been happier to be proven wrong. Hindu Mythology has always held a very special place in my heart and this was yet another author who did it justice. The plot was gripping, the characterization stellar and the way the author brought the limelight into characters who has become a footnote was truly amazing. Definitely one of my favourites.
September 20, 2018
Really good style of narration.
Short and crisp .
Short and crisp .
February 5, 2020
Very well written. Understandable and easy ! Mahabharat is something which has always had my attention. Can’t wait to read the other parts .
April 28, 2020
The story of Matsyagandi who later came to be known as Satyavati in Mahabharatham.
August 26, 2020
Hardly anything about a general google search about Satyavati...the magical island was the only highlight of this book. A bit let-down from the whole expectations I had around this book
September 26, 2020
Meh. This book adds nothing new to the story despite promising just that, it is far from a feminist revisionist tale and is also casteist and plain to boot. Disappointe
August 31, 2021
It's just good.
Author takes the women in the Mahabharata & imagines what their origin, their untold unthought-of teenage & childhood was,
She converts a known story/event/backstory of a minor character into a novella.
As is fashionable these days, the book takes an ancient, actually mythological character, & goes into her mind, & gives her 21st century sensibilities with circa 3000 BCE settings... & personally, I really like this style.
It's an enjoyable book with credible characters despite the fantasy element of mythology.
(I read the 2nd book before, & this one seemed a bit tame, but that is probably not due to story, or its telling, but due to the fact that Satyavati is a way subtle character, even as a teen, compared to the firebrand Amba)
Author takes the women in the Mahabharata & imagines what their origin, their untold unthought-of teenage & childhood was,
She converts a known story/event/backstory of a minor character into a novella.
As is fashionable these days, the book takes an ancient, actually mythological character, & goes into her mind, & gives her 21st century sensibilities with circa 3000 BCE settings... & personally, I really like this style.
It's an enjoyable book with credible characters despite the fantasy element of mythology.
(I read the 2nd book before, & this one seemed a bit tame, but that is probably not due to story, or its telling, but due to the fact that Satyavati is a way subtle character, even as a teen, compared to the firebrand Amba)
February 10, 2018
A retelling of the myth of Matsyagandhi, who from a stinky fisher-girl grows into one of the most prominent figures of the epic Mahabharata. Mrs. Madhavan gracefully tells the story from Satyavati's perspective, and, also preserves the beauty and sombriety of the ancient myth. In less than 200 pages, the author captures the childhood and early-youth years of Satyavati.
Mrs. Madhavan humanizes Satyavati's character. She re-imagines Satyavati as a young orphaned girl, who grows up in the foster-home of the head-fisherman by the Yamuna. The narrative shifts from the past to present, and, the first-person narration gives it a voice of authenticity.
Satyavati is like any other child in the village. She longs for her step-mother's love, who frequently taunts her as dirty, skinny, and unlucky. She is brown and tall, and has a proud demeanor which distinguishes her from others. Her father tells the story of her birth, as is in the original myth, and she dreams of being a queen. When her step-mother gives birth to a boy, she gets a brother as partner for her loneliness. She believes inthe story of her royal heritage which seems far-fetched like a fantasy. In reality her beliefs are shaped by the people around her, mostly her father.
The story goes on as usual. Her fishy smell stinks more as she reaches her teen years, and she lives like a outsider in the family. Then, she runs away into a magical island, attains puberty, gives birth to a son and returns to her village cured of her awful smell. She meets King Santanu, and the rest story is known to all.
Mrs. Madhavan touches upon many of the feminist themes in her retelling. The loneliness, sexual awakening, the dreams and fears of adolescence, desire and ambition of a woman in a male dominated world. Satyavati is a woman who grows from rag to riches, by her own cleverness and intelligence. But, many of the questions still remains.
The girl who became Satyavati from Matsyagandhi, was shaped by her circumstances. And, was her choices really liberating? Didn't she became a instrument of power when she succumbed to her father's story of her birth, that, she was destined to be queen? Why did she regret after her coitus with sage Parashara and pushed the blame of raping her, when at first she did it of her own volition? These questions still are free for the readers to speculate and analyse the character of Satyavati.
Mrs. Madhavan's novella only covers the childhood and early-youth years of Satyavati. It ends with Devavrata taking the 'vow', and her marriage to King Santanu, and her journey to Hastinapura. It is an incomplete memoir, or, rather the beginning story of a coming-to-age tale. The chapters are short, and, the magic and enchantment of the myth is in aplenty, which makes it interesting by mixing a certain degree of realism.
Mrs. Madhavan humanizes Satyavati's character. She re-imagines Satyavati as a young orphaned girl, who grows up in the foster-home of the head-fisherman by the Yamuna. The narrative shifts from the past to present, and, the first-person narration gives it a voice of authenticity.
Satyavati is like any other child in the village. She longs for her step-mother's love, who frequently taunts her as dirty, skinny, and unlucky. She is brown and tall, and has a proud demeanor which distinguishes her from others. Her father tells the story of her birth, as is in the original myth, and she dreams of being a queen. When her step-mother gives birth to a boy, she gets a brother as partner for her loneliness. She believes inthe story of her royal heritage which seems far-fetched like a fantasy. In reality her beliefs are shaped by the people around her, mostly her father.
The story goes on as usual. Her fishy smell stinks more as she reaches her teen years, and she lives like a outsider in the family. Then, she runs away into a magical island, attains puberty, gives birth to a son and returns to her village cured of her awful smell. She meets King Santanu, and the rest story is known to all.
Mrs. Madhavan touches upon many of the feminist themes in her retelling. The loneliness, sexual awakening, the dreams and fears of adolescence, desire and ambition of a woman in a male dominated world. Satyavati is a woman who grows from rag to riches, by her own cleverness and intelligence. But, many of the questions still remains.
The girl who became Satyavati from Matsyagandhi, was shaped by her circumstances. And, was her choices really liberating? Didn't she became a instrument of power when she succumbed to her father's story of her birth, that, she was destined to be queen? Why did she regret after her coitus with sage Parashara and pushed the blame of raping her, when at first she did it of her own volition? These questions still are free for the readers to speculate and analyse the character of Satyavati.
Mrs. Madhavan's novella only covers the childhood and early-youth years of Satyavati. It ends with Devavrata taking the 'vow', and her marriage to King Santanu, and her journey to Hastinapura. It is an incomplete memoir, or, rather the beginning story of a coming-to-age tale. The chapters are short, and, the magic and enchantment of the myth is in aplenty, which makes it interesting by mixing a certain degree of realism.
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