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The Dharma Forest
As the Mahabharata war wages on, it shows no mercy and takes no prisoners. Death and destruction abound.
In the midst of a world rendered unrecognizable by the lust for power, malice and the machinations of war stand Bhishma, contemplating the immeasurable death he sees around himself as a man who cannot die, Draupadi, above and beyond the chaos and yet at the very centre of it, trying to protect her husbands at any cost, wondering whom to trust, and Arjuna, beloved, conflicted and melancholic in equal measure, uncertain of the ultimate cost of the war he is intent on winning. The Dharma
Forest is a magnificent first novel in a trilogy filled with complex characters, conflicted loyalties and erotic jealousies from India’s most beloved epic.
In the midst of a world rendered unrecognizable by the lust for power, malice and the machinations of war stand Bhishma, contemplating the immeasurable death he sees around himself as a man who cannot die, Draupadi, above and beyond the chaos and yet at the very centre of it, trying to protect her husbands at any cost, wondering whom to trust, and Arjuna, beloved, conflicted and melancholic in equal measure, uncertain of the ultimate cost of the war he is intent on winning. The Dharma
Forest is a magnificent first novel in a trilogy filled with complex characters, conflicted loyalties and erotic jealousies from India’s most beloved epic.
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Published January 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 15, 2021
Keerthik Sashidharan is an incredibly erudite Indian economist who works in the US and who has somehow managed to work full time, read so much AND write the first volume of a planned trilogy about the Mahabharata. The idea is that he will retell the Mahabharata through the eyes of 9 of its main characters and each segment will also bring out one aspect of the 9 rasas of ancient Indian philosophy. A general familiarity with the Mahabharata is helpful before you can read this, because the author does not provide you with a roadmap before you begin. But as long as you have that basic familiarity, the you should be able to read and enjoy this book.
The first book introduces us to Bhishma, Draupadi and Arjun. The book is over 500 pages, so each character gets a lot of room to express themselves. And express themselves they do, in a very philosophical and subtle book that raises (and sometimes answers) profound philosophical questions while telling what is ostensibly a war story (one can say the same thing about the original Mahabharata). But be aware, just like the original, this IS a war story, and no detail is spared. At first glance some readers may look at that and decide this is just too much detail, but again, as with the original, patience is rewarded; The philosophical, psychological and sociological insights are scattered within, and worth the time spend reading the details of the war, the weapons and the stratagems.
The author's greatest achievement is his ability to render the actions and motivations of these ancient characters in terms a modern reader can grasp. The actions and choices made by the various actors in this drama can appear mystifying in the original, but Keerthik is able to stick to the original story (and even the original phrases) while making them fully comprehensible to us. For example, the story of Amba and her kidnapping and subsequent rejection can seem very foreign and strange in other tellings, but in this book you can almost understand why every character acts the way they do. That is a tremendous achievement.
Well worth a read.
The first book introduces us to Bhishma, Draupadi and Arjun. The book is over 500 pages, so each character gets a lot of room to express themselves. And express themselves they do, in a very philosophical and subtle book that raises (and sometimes answers) profound philosophical questions while telling what is ostensibly a war story (one can say the same thing about the original Mahabharata). But be aware, just like the original, this IS a war story, and no detail is spared. At first glance some readers may look at that and decide this is just too much detail, but again, as with the original, patience is rewarded; The philosophical, psychological and sociological insights are scattered within, and worth the time spend reading the details of the war, the weapons and the stratagems.
The author's greatest achievement is his ability to render the actions and motivations of these ancient characters in terms a modern reader can grasp. The actions and choices made by the various actors in this drama can appear mystifying in the original, but Keerthik is able to stick to the original story (and even the original phrases) while making them fully comprehensible to us. For example, the story of Amba and her kidnapping and subsequent rejection can seem very foreign and strange in other tellings, but in this book you can almost understand why every character acts the way they do. That is a tremendous achievement.
Well worth a read.
January 27, 2023
2.5/5 What happens if you strip Mahabharata of its spirituality and replace it with GOT style gore and sex ? You get a petty book called "The Dharma Forest" which has some achingly beautiful paragraphs at long gaps. And there is a lot of "Tell not show", the exact opposite of good writing to fill those long gaps.
A total waste of money because you know you have read better - much better !
I think either the author knows somebody high-up to get rave reviews on his book-cover or they read just the introduction feat Lord Krishna and Jara which was beautifully written to be honest.
Except for the portion of Draupadi's marital life which ironically had a lot of sex and yet was beautifully written, the rest of the book was a bore. A boring, petty retelling of the story which we know by heart.
A total waste of money because you know you have read better - much better !
I think either the author knows somebody high-up to get rave reviews on his book-cover or they read just the introduction feat Lord Krishna and Jara which was beautifully written to be honest.
Except for the portion of Draupadi's marital life which ironically had a lot of sex and yet was beautifully written, the rest of the book was a bore. A boring, petty retelling of the story which we know by heart.
August 29, 2021
Don't know what I was expecting from this book, but it was disappointing.
For starters, it is too long, about 200 pages too long, even with publishing tricks that keep out twenty pages of the Prologue from the page count, while leaving the Epilogue in. It could have done with a sterner editor with much sharper scissors.
And as for the content, this reads more like a Game of Thrones version of Mahabharatha. Either you are reading about a lot of violence of the war, elephants chopped up, people burning, blood flowing, very graphic, or you have Draupadi thinking of how each of her husbands fucked her, or you have her husbands thinking of how they used to fuck her. The most hilarious part was how the narrative moves suddenly from the war where Arjuna is trying to kill Jayadratha or kill himself, to Arjuna's memories of Yudhishtira mounting Draupadi and him having to go on a pilgrimage which leads to more of his sexcapades, and then Draupadi intervenes through a demon-god and then Krishna has to intervene and some riddles happen. And by that time it is another 60-70 pages gone, of which Arjuna and Draupadi wander around a garden thinking of flowers, in a badly written Kawabatesque section. I mean, for a book which claims to talk about Dharma Forest and all that, it is just sex and violence and few things else. Or is that what he meant?
The writing itself is jarringly heavy on adverbs. Everything is inexorable, or ineluctable or some such word which could have been substituted with a more common word without losing anything. If the author wanted to show gravitas, the text reads like Shashi Tharoor's tweets in the wrong place. And for all the gravitas suddenly you'll find the word fucking thrown when the rest of the sentence is full of heavy words.
The story and its chronology is itself jarring.
Arjuna is supposed to have met Ekalavya when wandering the country on his way to the Himalayas to get weapons from Shiva. But the time he wanders the country is after he ends up in Yudhishtira's bed chambers during the wrong year, as the book itself covers in bad detail. And then Krishna says Ekalavya was killed in war during one of the skirmishes with Jarasandha. Jarasandha had attacked Mathura 17 times, after which they moved based to Dwaraka. If Arjuna were to finish his pilgrimage after the accident, which he supposedly finishes in Dwaraka (including this book's version), then Ekalavya is already dead. If he were to go to the Himalayas, then this would be during the post-game of dice exile when even Jarasandha is dead. Doesn't add up.
Bhima gets incensed when Karna calls him son of whore, which does not make sense, as Karna by the time of the war knows who's son he is, and he can't be profaning his own mother. But even otherwise, it is jarring to have Bhima refer to Arjuna with an Americanism "you silly bastard" given the accusations that are regularly thrown at them.
The usage of Americanisms is something that jars no end. The conversations are almost blokey, and at the wrong places too. The book ends up suffering most when people are talking. Descriptions fare a bit better, until the author starts repeating ad nauseum what has already been said. Again, needed a sterner editor.
For starters, it is too long, about 200 pages too long, even with publishing tricks that keep out twenty pages of the Prologue from the page count, while leaving the Epilogue in. It could have done with a sterner editor with much sharper scissors.
And as for the content, this reads more like a Game of Thrones version of Mahabharatha. Either you are reading about a lot of violence of the war, elephants chopped up, people burning, blood flowing, very graphic, or you have Draupadi thinking of how each of her husbands fucked her, or you have her husbands thinking of how they used to fuck her. The most hilarious part was how the narrative moves suddenly from the war where Arjuna is trying to kill Jayadratha or kill himself, to Arjuna's memories of Yudhishtira mounting Draupadi and him having to go on a pilgrimage which leads to more of his sexcapades, and then Draupadi intervenes through a demon-god and then Krishna has to intervene and some riddles happen. And by that time it is another 60-70 pages gone, of which Arjuna and Draupadi wander around a garden thinking of flowers, in a badly written Kawabatesque section. I mean, for a book which claims to talk about Dharma Forest and all that, it is just sex and violence and few things else. Or is that what he meant?
The writing itself is jarringly heavy on adverbs. Everything is inexorable, or ineluctable or some such word which could have been substituted with a more common word without losing anything. If the author wanted to show gravitas, the text reads like Shashi Tharoor's tweets in the wrong place. And for all the gravitas suddenly you'll find the word fucking thrown when the rest of the sentence is full of heavy words.
The story and its chronology is itself jarring.
Arjuna is supposed to have met Ekalavya when wandering the country on his way to the Himalayas to get weapons from Shiva. But the time he wanders the country is after he ends up in Yudhishtira's bed chambers during the wrong year, as the book itself covers in bad detail. And then Krishna says Ekalavya was killed in war during one of the skirmishes with Jarasandha. Jarasandha had attacked Mathura 17 times, after which they moved based to Dwaraka. If Arjuna were to finish his pilgrimage after the accident, which he supposedly finishes in Dwaraka (including this book's version), then Ekalavya is already dead. If he were to go to the Himalayas, then this would be during the post-game of dice exile when even Jarasandha is dead. Doesn't add up.
Bhima gets incensed when Karna calls him son of whore, which does not make sense, as Karna by the time of the war knows who's son he is, and he can't be profaning his own mother. But even otherwise, it is jarring to have Bhima refer to Arjuna with an Americanism "you silly bastard" given the accusations that are regularly thrown at them.
The usage of Americanisms is something that jars no end. The conversations are almost blokey, and at the wrong places too. The book ends up suffering most when people are talking. Descriptions fare a bit better, until the author starts repeating ad nauseum what has already been said. Again, needed a sterner editor.
December 30, 2020
This book is first installment of a trilogy and tells the story of three characters of Mahabharat. 2 years ago, I started reading Bibek Debroy's translation of unabridged Mahabharata. I gave up in the sixth book as I found the depiction of war insanely boring. Major part of this book also captures the war and captures it in a way that blew my mind.War is the background against which author has explored whole gamut of emotions, aspirations and histories. This book has made me appreciate the amount of potentialities hidden within Mahabharat and how 'EPIC' it truly is. The book is highly recommended.
March 27, 2021
Keerthik writes well. Like I do while watching movies, I prefer skipping action sequences while reading books but Keerthik managed to keep me hooked to the rather elaborate action sequences in the book. The book is divided into 3 parts. I found the part on Bhishma's life to be the most interesting and engaging.
Having read quite a few books on Mahabharatha and its characters, I found that Keerthik has a different and modern take on some of the most famous Mahabharatha characters.
Having read quite a few books on Mahabharatha and its characters, I found that Keerthik has a different and modern take on some of the most famous Mahabharatha characters.
November 27, 2021
The mixed reviews given by the other readers are intriguing. The book was not perfect but for me, it opened up the epic in so many dimensions. The beauty of the Mahabharata is that every small incident can be imagined in a myriad of possibilities. This is something that Kathakali has always exploited. Little wonder that Keerthik has managed this so well.
The blood and gory of the war was rightly captured. Anybody who has read the epic will attest to the fact that Vyasa has minces no words when it comes to the bloodletting during the 18 days.
For me, the most magnificent recreation was of the incident where Arjuna interrupts Yudhishtira and Drupadi when they were in coitus. Here, Keerthik creates magic by juxtaposing Draupadi's mind games played on Arjuna making him question and wonder about her actual desire for him.
The blood and gory of the war was rightly captured. Anybody who has read the epic will attest to the fact that Vyasa has minces no words when it comes to the bloodletting during the 18 days.
For me, the most magnificent recreation was of the incident where Arjuna interrupts Yudhishtira and Drupadi when they were in coitus. Here, Keerthik creates magic by juxtaposing Draupadi's mind games played on Arjuna making him question and wonder about her actual desire for him.
July 11, 2021
How does one write about something like the Mahabharata, a text that has enjoyed so many iterations, redaction, recensions, retellings, and commentaries for millennia, literally? By reading one's own questions, observations, and ideas into it and make the tradition reflect the lives of the people who surround you. Sasidharan does all of this. He floats up the dilemmas that plague three characters in the middle of the Kurukshetra war: Bhishma, Draupadi, and Arjuna, liberally invites earlier parts of the story to make these conundrums meaningful, and does not shy from inventing his own characters and little anecdotes. Remember - the Mahabharata remains an epic because it can be rewritten! Bhishma is tormented by the question - should he seek solace from departure and reveal the secret to his death or be the loyal slave of empire? Draupadi finds herself in a marriage with five men but the institution itself forces one to be be in monogamy. Should she respect this marriage by being a woman? And in Sasidharan's reading, an opportunity to save her husbands' life passes by her but she must do the unwomanly thing of stepping out of her tent and enter the puddles of politics and warcraft. Finally there is Arjuna - the most satisfying chapter of all. Should he strive for his own superiority? Should he fight? Should he respect marriage? Arjuna is pretty much in a room with a surround sound system of questions.
These thoughts are from Bhishma:
"This will to read meaning into the senseless, Bhishma realized, is what aroused men to war, inspired them to steal wives and cattle, and ultimately offer themselves and their children to early deaths-all so that their short-lived lives may make followed them. It was as if the need to live meaningfully lured men to their deaths. They sought immortality by pursuing their own finitude."
The novel is filled with moments of gorgeous wordplay. "Palimpsest of intentions." "Cloud of murder and blood." "Concatenation of formations." The Mahabharata is notorious for its somewhat bland verse. But this novel makes up for it all. A bit too much in fact. There is an overdose of imagery for the senses. Too much touch. Too much noise. Too much nimble fingers, blood, and slime.
And finally the book is of the 21st century for the author reveals in a seemingly Nietzschean moment insight into history too. Where better to find this than "Now-dead Gods Tvastr to Niruthi."
These thoughts are from Bhishma:
"This will to read meaning into the senseless, Bhishma realized, is what aroused men to war, inspired them to steal wives and cattle, and ultimately offer themselves and their children to early deaths-all so that their short-lived lives may make followed them. It was as if the need to live meaningfully lured men to their deaths. They sought immortality by pursuing their own finitude."
The novel is filled with moments of gorgeous wordplay. "Palimpsest of intentions." "Cloud of murder and blood." "Concatenation of formations." The Mahabharata is notorious for its somewhat bland verse. But this novel makes up for it all. A bit too much in fact. There is an overdose of imagery for the senses. Too much touch. Too much noise. Too much nimble fingers, blood, and slime.
And finally the book is of the 21st century for the author reveals in a seemingly Nietzschean moment insight into history too. Where better to find this than "Now-dead Gods Tvastr to Niruthi."
April 21, 2021
The book is divided into three parts with three POVs of Bhishma, Arjuna and Draupadi.
This adaptation of Mahabharata, from a technical standpoint, The Dharma Forest stands out in many ways:-
- It makes you feel like you are actually living the story and processing the situation the characters are in
- The action sequences are vivid and expansive in every way and treat for gore lovers
- It is impressive the way characters are written - They are on the edge, heedful of their surroundings and aware of the ulterior motives of their allies and family members.
- The writer has taken the liberty to add captivating subplots to the story and added wonderfully sinister sexual encounters tinged with ultra evocative descriptions (Too much for my taste though).
There is a lovely melancholic inclination to the entire story and an odd curiosity that builds with slow but effective plot progression.
The story is cohesively structured with no dearth of philosophical and estoric dialogues, however, it is also performative and atmospheric.
I won't call it a page-turner but Dharma Forest is beautifully imagined and written, accompanied with negligible flaws. Overall, it is rich, intelligent and dark in equal measure.
This adaptation of Mahabharata, from a technical standpoint, The Dharma Forest stands out in many ways:-
- It makes you feel like you are actually living the story and processing the situation the characters are in
- The action sequences are vivid and expansive in every way and treat for gore lovers
- It is impressive the way characters are written - They are on the edge, heedful of their surroundings and aware of the ulterior motives of their allies and family members.
- The writer has taken the liberty to add captivating subplots to the story and added wonderfully sinister sexual encounters tinged with ultra evocative descriptions (Too much for my taste though).
There is a lovely melancholic inclination to the entire story and an odd curiosity that builds with slow but effective plot progression.
The story is cohesively structured with no dearth of philosophical and estoric dialogues, however, it is also performative and atmospheric.
I won't call it a page-turner but Dharma Forest is beautifully imagined and written, accompanied with negligible flaws. Overall, it is rich, intelligent and dark in equal measure.
June 18, 2021
Mahabharata is a wellspring of stories, which is something we already know. The Dharma forest is another retelling of the epic.
This is supposed to be the first part of a trilogy and I love trilogies.
Keerthik’s language is very polished and he gives us much to ponder about.He has taken Bhishma ,Draupadi and Arjuna as the main characters here .The story evolves through them.The story is non-linear.He begins the story bang in the middle of the Kurukshetra war and travels back and forth through time.
Keerthik knows how to create atmosphere and he really digs deep into that primal world of savagery and passions.
I really loved the portions about Draupadi and Arjuna .Her polyandry is discussed in detail and her special consideration for Arjuna has also been given much thought and space.
Keerthik knows how to write erotica and he suffuses the text with sophisticated sexual imagery wherever he feels like.
I liked the stuff but not exactly loved it.It lacks an emotional connect but that doesn’t make it a bad work of art.In fact it is highly structured and meticulous but not heart-tending.
Read it if you want to see Mahabharata with a fresh set of eyes. Well, who doesn’t want to, aye?
This is supposed to be the first part of a trilogy and I love trilogies.
Keerthik’s language is very polished and he gives us much to ponder about.He has taken Bhishma ,Draupadi and Arjuna as the main characters here .The story evolves through them.The story is non-linear.He begins the story bang in the middle of the Kurukshetra war and travels back and forth through time.
Keerthik knows how to create atmosphere and he really digs deep into that primal world of savagery and passions.
I really loved the portions about Draupadi and Arjuna .Her polyandry is discussed in detail and her special consideration for Arjuna has also been given much thought and space.
Keerthik knows how to write erotica and he suffuses the text with sophisticated sexual imagery wherever he feels like.
I liked the stuff but not exactly loved it.It lacks an emotional connect but that doesn’t make it a bad work of art.In fact it is highly structured and meticulous but not heart-tending.
Read it if you want to see Mahabharata with a fresh set of eyes. Well, who doesn’t want to, aye?
June 28, 2021
The Dharma Forest is a great read. Keerthik has written a very deep and intense interpretation of the Mahabharata from the points of view of 3 characters: Bheeshma, Draupadi and Arjuna. However, what I find the most appealing feature of this book is that it is a compelling attempt to describe a very abstract concept called Dharma. Each character has been made so human with a detailed description of his/her flaws and strengths and how they use and manage them in complex situations (which connects strongly to the underlying theme of Dharma). It is great that the war scenes and sexual encounters are quite graphic, and makes the Mahabharata much more real and intense, in contrast to most simplistic and reverential narrations. I am very excited to read on in this trilogy and am keen to know who the next few characters will be. The Mahabharata is a great epic with such depth that every time one reads about it, you have something fascinating to ponder about. Keerthik does a great job here in his interpretation.
February 24, 2021
This book is the first installment of a trilogy I have stumbled on while going through my twitter feed. Being an ardent Mahabharat lover, I had to give it a try. And may I say that I am impressed. Many books on our beloved epic handle the initial dramas and twists well but falter on how they describe the war portion of the story. But here the way the author handled the gore, darkness and chivalry of war in one hand and the friendship, love and brotherhood on the other, is splendid. Krishna Arjun relationship has been portrayed beautifully, Arjun who is a larger than life hero of this magnificent story in his own right, is not brought down to a mere follower of krishna. He loves krishna, adores him, walk into hell at his say so, and yet gets annoyed and bristles at him sometimes. Isn't that how besties behave? They are so divine and yet so human in the book!!!Krishna too loves Arjun like his own soul and yet gets exasperated at his impulsiveness sometimes and gently steers him toward the path. Loved how sahadeva and Draupadi had been portrayed as strong smart personalities. The trilogy is supposedly centred on 9 characters. Can't wait to see who else have been picked up by the author. Hope the next book on the series will be out soon.
February 27, 2021
I received this book as a gesture from one of the oldest book stores of Darjeeling. Being a keen reader of all Upnishads' and Epics', I can fairly conclude what fine details of emotions, adventure, consideration, significance this book offers amidst the details of the war.
I have read various translations and perceptions when it comes to Mahabharta and Ramayana. By far, this has been one of the most intriguing descriptions I have come across if I talk about the epic tale of Mahabharta - The roots and the history and the importance.
I have read various translations and perceptions when it comes to Mahabharta and Ramayana. By far, this has been one of the most intriguing descriptions I have come across if I talk about the epic tale of Mahabharta - The roots and the history and the importance.
October 12, 2022
The Mahabharata never stops giving, and The Dharma Forest unfolds new interpretations and nuances in the sublime epic. Keerthik really brings out the philosophy and lore of the ancient times, and the familiar characters take on new shapes and struggles in his hands. Placing the novel in the last days of the Great War works - the war scenes are superbly done and the characters can reflect on almost their entire lives. The book could have been more compact - the Draupadi section in Arjuna's story is repetitive. Eagerly looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.
June 12, 2022
"To know that those whom I had thought of as heroes were only men. That they suffered from illusions and conceit no different than what I carry within me" - Jara to Krishna
This book gives you goosebumps and thrill, although you know how the story flows.
This is purely a result of the well articulated story telling which takes you right in the middle of the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
This book gives you goosebumps and thrill, although you know how the story flows.
This is purely a result of the well articulated story telling which takes you right in the middle of the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
January 11, 2023
The Mahabharata is not a new story, but the novelty in the book lies in how it opens up the epic in terms of temporality, perspective, and movement. The author does most of it well. However, there is gratuitous sex and violence, which thrills at first but becomes a tad tedious in its unrelenting repetition.
July 13, 2022
Must read.
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