Yashodhara: A Novel

by Volga, P.S.V Prasad (translator)

The story of Siddhartha, the future Gautama Buddha, leaving the palace to start his spiritual journey and attain enlightenment has been told innumerable times over the centuries. And yet, have we never wondered why his young wife, Yashodhara, still recovering from the birth of their son nine days ago, sleeps soundly as her husband, the over-protected prince departs, leaving behind his family and wealth and kingdom? In Yashodhara, the gaps of history are imagined with fullness and fierceness: Who was the young girl and what shaped her worldview? When she married Siddhartha at the age of sixteen, did she know her conjugal life would soon change drastically? The Yashodhara we meet in Volga's feminist novel is quick-witted, compassionate and wants to pave a way for women to partake in spiritual learning as equals of men.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Feminism, India, Retellings, Mythology, Indian Literature

184 pages, Paperback

Published May 25, 2019

About the author

Popuri Lalita Kumari, popularly known by her pen name Volga, is Telugu poet and writer well known for her feminist perspective. She was born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. She won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2015 for her short story compilation 'Vimukta Kadha Samputi' in Telugu. Along with being a writer, she has also been a professor and head of scripting division in Tollywood. Her work initiated debates across the country about feminism, in times when the idea was hardly accepted. The Library of Congress has a collection of her most popular published works, including the English translations of selected short stories.

Reviews

[Vikas Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Translated in English by P.S.V.Prasad, the novel written from a woman’s point of view is Volga’s interpretation of role of Siddhartha’s wife Vashodhara in his spiritual journey and subsequent enlightenment. However, when seen from both the parents and in law’s perspective Vashodhara comes across as a failure who neglects the role of a mother and wife in her own’s quest for spiritual fulfilment.

[Girish · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very mediocre reimagining of the tale of Siddhartha pivoted against his young wife and later disciple Yashodhara. Rather than being the victim of a reckless prince in search of wisdom, the book makes her a willing accomplice in the latter's quest.

Tanslated from Telugu, the book though seen to have strong female characters - it comes across as a morose excuse than firm character building. The lament against the superstitious customs, animal sacrifices in the name of kindness to animals changes to bane of society/class struggle without much prompt.

I am not sure how much is lost in translation but the book failed to have any aha moments which is the cornerstone of any reimagination.

[Priyanka · Rating 1 out of 5]

#ReadingWomenChallenge2019 #15-Written by a South Asian author

I have read Volga's The Liberation of Sita and absolutely loved it. So when I came to know about the release of her latest book, I had to lay my hands on it immediately. I admit that I had high expectation on this even though I didn't have much knowledge about the life of Yashodhara, wife of Siddhartha.

The one word review of this book is it is "disappointing". It lacks the nuance and depth of characters.I never felt any connection to the thought process of Siddhartha or Yashodhara even though they kept on blabbering about deliverance et al. My greatest irk with this book is the tone used for the narration. This was supposed to be a feministic version of the life of Yashodhara and all I could see was the author's unsuccessful attempt to make it look like how Yashodhara is above all other women.

When Yashodhara tried to prevent a Yagna at her own village, her father Bimbanana calls her mad and says to Siddhartha that the moment women begin to think they go mad. To this Siddhartha who is on the verge of enlightenment replies like this
"I don't know about other women. Intellectual and spiritual thoughts may not good to them. But they do a lot of good to Yashodhara" - What exactly it is supposed to mean?

I haven't read the original Telugu version and there is a chance that the English translation did not do justice to it. I would highly recommend The Liberation of Sita and Yashodhara you can give it a pass.

[Tulika · Rating 2 out of 5]

The two-star rating is good enough indication of the fact that this book wasn't for me. I'd read and liked Sita but the faults of that book were magnified here. First up, the translation wasn't up to the mark. Because Sita had short stories it didn't matter much but in a full length novel like this one the errors stood out. The flow and feel were completely lost.

Also, I had an issue with the whole idea of Yashodhara resigning herself happily to a facilitator's role. It seemed like an attempt to exonerate Siddharth from the guilt of abandoning his family, which he did. Just because he did it with Yashodhara's consent shouldn't make it any better.

[Sudeeran Nair · Rating 2 out of 5]

வரலாற்றின் மீது புனைவை செலுத்தி தன் சிந்தனை அதன் மீதேற்றி வரும் காலத்தில் மாற்றப்பட்ட வரலாற்றின் பிழைகளாக மாறும் அபாயத்தின் முன்னோட்டம்.

யசோதரை அதன் காலத்தில் தன்மைக்கேற்பானதல்ல. அது 21 ம் நூற்றாண்டின் எழுத்தாளனின் புத்தியில் உதித்த புதுமைப்பெண்ணைப் பற்றியது.

புத்தனும், யசோதரையும் கிமு 4 ம் நூற்றாண்டிலிருந்து காலச் சக்கரத்தின் வழியே கடந்து 21 ம் நூற்றாண்டு ஏற்பட்ட மாந்தர்களாய் மாறியது முரண்.

[Mahima Nanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Volga’s liberation of Sita and hence could not wait for Yashodhara. But, I was disappointed. Yashodhara was a drag and cumbersome to finish. It lacked the flair of Liberation of Sita and was a tad repetitive.

[Sameer Deshmukh · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is ok but Buddhism does not appeal to me somehow.

[Dr Architha · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's the last feminist retelling you read?

"I must set ablaze his passion for knowledge... I can't become a pathfinder even though I have the desire to become one. So, I must make the path of the pathfinder more comfortable for him to tread upon. This shall be my aim and my life's noblest ambition."

History has done a damn good job at recording every event of importance solely focussed on men. Men waged wars. Men became kings. Men were brave. Men made our nation the way it is. Men married women.

Until this century.

The last 20 years saw the rise of retellings of major mythological and historical events around the world centered on women. Not just that, they became popular and widely acclaimed. Representation matters.

'Yashodhara' is the story of a girl who dared to dream and become the woman she wished to be. She married Siddhartha at the age of sixteen, and while she played a role in changing her husband's perspective towards women, she couldn't experience it from society until later on.

Yashodhara came across as a spiritual seeker with empathy, compassion, and intellect. Her story is one of resilience and perseverance. Feminist in every aspect, she paved the way for women who wanted to be enlightened; a very uncommonly said story.

Volga did an incredible job in bringing this character to life; a character who was largely ignored.

[Padmaja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yashodhara has always remained an enigma to me. I have always tried to read more and follow up about her life as and when I got a chance. I went in with no expectations as I had loved Volga's previous work, The liberation of Sita, and really didn't want to compare the two because I didn't want to repeat the disappointment I experienced with Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
~
In this book, Volga writes about the life of Yashodhara, Gautama Buddha's wife, and tries to imagine her life and tries to dissect her character.
I loved how compassionate and brave Yashodhara was. We read about her in the many roles she plays, a daughter, a princess, a wife and a mother. Volga gave her a powerful voice but somehow that fizzled out towards the end. Yashodhara questions the various societal norms and puts the spotlight on women's voices and how they're misinterpreted since time immemorial.
~
However I have my issues too. I really wished Volga have concise explanations about the things Yashodhara and Siddhartha talk about. At times, I felt the book wasn't about Yashodhara, but about the spiritual talks both have. I wished to know her point of view about many things which I felt were kind of unfinished in the book. The biggest missed opportunity for me was how incomplete Yashodhara's single parenthood was left. The book didn't explain much about the topic.
I liked this book as it was a thought provoking read in many ways, but it lacked the effect The liberation of Sita had on me. It'll always remain my favourite by Volga.
3⭐

[Sukanya Gogoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Popuri Lalita Kumari, better known as Volga is one of my favourite feminist writers ever since I read “The Liberation of Sita”. The protagonist of this book Yashodhara was the wife of Siddhartha Gautama until he set out on his spiritual journey to attain enlightenment. But this journey to spiritual learning was open to men only. Challenging this makes Volga’s Yashodhara the hero. The rational and compassionate woman challenges the established ideas and all she wanted to achieve was that same spiritual journey to be open to women as equals. What I liked the most about the book is that it showed how difficult it was to achieve something as a woman in a world where their intellectual aptitude was considered madness. Yashodhara’s mind was no less inquisitive than Siddhartha, but she lamented over the fact that it was easy to challenge the system, existing prejudices, Varna injustices, class divisions etc as men but a simple question regarding the identity of women was enough to label them as ‘insane’.
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The journey of Siddhartha and Yashodhara is portrayed so beautifully. The narrative focused on the spiritual influence of Siddhartha over Yashodhara and her presence affecting his way of understanding the world around him. The first quarter of the book deals with challenging the idea of a ‘syayamvara’. Siddhartha being a non-conformist didn’t like the idea of considering women as objects to be won in a competition. But he wanted Yashodhara to fight for herself, so he refrained from taking the responsibility to fight on her behalf.
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The author also gives voice to questions like household confinement of women, pressure of motherhood and how these obligations hinders intellectual growth. However, Yashodhara couldn’t challenge the system all by herself. (Continue reading in blog; link : https://letstalkbooks0.home.blog/) .
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[Aastha Mehta · Rating 4 out of 5]

There exists minuscule writings on Yashodhara, wife of Sidharatha Gautam (later christened as Buddha). And even lesser on Yashodhara as a woman talking about her independent existence, beyond her role as a mere footnote while discussing Buddha. But Volga, has taken up the cause of bringing out the life of Yashodhara, up close and personal. Don't expect it to be a story only about Yashodhara. It is a window into lives of women during the mature Vedic period, the conventionality surrounding the role and behaviour of women and how Yashodhara becomes a torch-bearer amongst women to shatter those water-tight socially constructed roles.
A thought-provoking theme about women, their intellectual liberty, their growth and women's right to spirituality has been beautifully woven in the book. Women's intellectual capacities and their right to engage in philosophical questions is introduced by Volga, something which has negligible exploration in historical re-creations. Consider this sentence which Yashodhara ponders upon, "Why is a woman's intellectual prowess mistaken for madness?" Yashodhara mulls over the burning question of why is a woman considered not fit to think, voice her opinions, and participate in philosophical problems. This arises mainly because Yashodhara is shown as a competent counterpart matching Gautam's depth and knowledge, but sidelined in society on account of her being a woman. Volga proves herself yet again as staunch feminist writer by highlighting Yashodhara's life and through her she raises some piercing questions on position and status of women.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always wanted to know the perspective of Yashodhara and this one has a version that seems to say that her decision was to be away from familial bonds and embrace the wider knowledge of humanity and helping it which is also a good perspective. Good to emphasis this point that women are not just their family.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enchanting story of Gautam Buddha’s wife, Yashodhara. Her journey, intertwined with Siddhartha, the quest of life and how ultimately they both free themselves from the worldly affairs.

A very beautiful and peaceful book.

[Indra Vijay Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

मेरी आदत है कि मैं आठ दस किताबें एक साथ खरीदता हूँ। कुछ दिनों से ज्यादातर ऑनलाइन पढ़ रहा था ऐसे में दुकान जा कर किताबें खरीदने का अवसर मोहित कर गया। किताबें चुनने के दौरान मेरी नजर इस उपन्यासपर पड़ी। मंजुल पब्लिशिंग हॉउस की यह किताब पेपरबैक में बहुत ही सुंदर प्रिंटिंग और कवर के कारण हाथ में लिया। पता चला कि तेलगु साहित्य की उल्लेखनीय हस्ती वोल्गा के इस उपन्यास को साहित्य अकादमी पुरस्कार मिल चुका था। बुद्ध को कितनी बार भी पढ़ूँ, कितनी बार भी जानू पर एक अदृश्य रहस्यमयी जादुई आकर्षण कभी खत्म नहीं होता है। अनुवाद खरीदते समय हमेशा मन मे भरम हित है कि पता नहीं कैसे अनुवादित की गई हो। कहानी का सही भाव दूसरी भाषा में आ पाया हो या नहीं। इसके लिए चंद पन्नों को उलट पुलट कर देखा, कुछ लेने पढ़ी और 153 पन्नो की कृति को खरीदने का फैसला किया। 10 किताबों के बीच सबसे पहले इसे ही शुरू करने का निर्णय लिया। जैसे जैसे मैंने पढ़ना शुरू किया एक अद्धभुत आनंद ने मुझे अपने वश में कर लिया। भाषा काल और स्व से परे इस कहानी ने मुझे सीधा गौतम बुद्ध और यशोधरा के सामने खड़ा कर दिया। बुद्ध का पहला परिचय निम्लिखित पंक्तियों द्वारा दिया गया -

उस नवयुवक के शांत और चमकते चेहरे पर युवाओं के मुख पर दिखने वाले अभिमान का लेशमात्र भी नहीं था। उस पर एक आभा थी - ऐसी आभा जो बिल्कुल स्थिर थी। कोई नहीं बता सकता था कि उसके मन में क्या चल रहा था, लेकिन एक बात निश्चित थी कि वह जो कुछ भी था, शांति और अनोखेपन से भरा था, क्योंकि उस युवक के होठों पर एक स्थिर व कोमल मुस्कान थी।

मेरे आंखों के सामने गौतम बुद्ध का सजीव चित्रण था और ऐसा लगा की जैसे मैं उस वक्त वहाँ पर मौजूद होऊँ। मैं अंत तक अभिमंत्रित अवस्था में रहा। बहुत ही उच्च कोटि की रचना है। मैंने इसे पढ़कर जो महसूस किया उसे शब्दों में बताने में मैं असमर्थ हूँ। सरस्वती ने मुझे शब्दों का उतना भंडार नहीं दिया है। ऐसा लगता है जैसे लिखता चला जाऊं पर पढ़ने वालों को ज्यादा बोर करने का इरादा नहीं है इसलिए 10 में से 10 नम्बर देकर के विराम लगाता हूँ।

नोट - ज्यादा भावुकता से भरा हुआ लगे तो उसके लिए क्षमाप्रार्थी हूँ।

[Niti Beri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yashodhara by Volga is one of those books that you can read in bed ; it makes you sleep. Am I suggesting that it’s boring? Not at all! It makes you sleep because it’s relaxing in many ways - nice story, simple writing and not too thought provoking.

As a woman, I relate to various aspects of societal norms, expectations & stereotypes portrayed in this book. But would I say they are expressed on the most beautiful manner? No! May be I am so used to Chitra Banerjee’s style of portraying women from history that I am not able to appreciate Volga’s style. May be, her style got lost in translation. Whatever the case may be, I feel that this book is more about Yashodhara’s role in Siddhartha’s life than about Yashodhara’s feelings, emotions and thoughts. Yes, there is a big difference between the two narratives.

This book gave me so many “yes I relate” moments which can definitely become a topic of many feminist discussions but for some reason it did not have a very profound impact on me.

The book still gets 3 stars because of those one or two paragraphs/sentences where I did put down the book to contemplate. Here is one of them:

“Devadatta and many of his friends hunted small animals like rabbits and also birds. They took into their hands the wounded animals, looked at them with much pride and satisfaction and laughed at them as they wriggled with pain and trembled with fear. There pleasure too, was real. No one could deny it. But he too experienced pleasure by protecting the swan from fear and pain. Was there any difference between the two? If there was any, what was the nature of the difference?”

[Padmanathan N · Rating 4 out of 5]

கௌதம புத்தரின் வரலாற்றை அடிப்படையாக கொண்டு எழுதப்பட்ட இந்நாவலில் அவரின் துணைவியாரின் வாழ்க்கை மற்றும் அவரின் எண்ண ஓட்டத்தை தனது கற்பனையில் வடிவமைத்துள்ளார் எழுத்தாளர் வோல்கா. இதனை தமிழில் பொருள்சிதைவின்றி இயல்பான நடையில் மொழிபெயர்ப்பு செய்துள்ளார் நாகலஷ்மி அவர்கள். மொழிபெயர்ப்பு நூலை படிக்கின்றோம் என்ற எண்ணமே தோன்றாதவாறு செம்மையாக உள்ளது...

[Sai Prasad Vishwanathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review
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Title – Yashodhara
Author – Volga
Size – 125 Pages
Time Taken to Read – 4 hours
Rating – 5.0 on 7.0


There is a painting at my workplace. A gift from a dear friend - @tejaswinireddygunna . For 5 years, I have struggled to name the woman in the painting and what she means to me.

Until I laid my hand on this novel today. ‘Yashodhara’, by Volga. On reading the title, I believed it could be the story of Krishna’s mother. But a quick glance at the blurb, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Yashodhara is also the name of Buddha’s wife! I was intrigued by the opportunity to know her perspective of Buddha. I expected sadness, disappointment, or anger at Buddha’s leaving of her. Yet, it was a gentle, pleasant surprise.

Little did I imagine the novel’s core could contain stories to fill the wonderful gaps. Why would Yashodhara, still recovering from the birth of a son, sleep soundly as her husband the over-protected prince, departs, leaving behind his family, wealth, and kingdom? The answer is fairly simple yet hard-hitting. It also fills a gap that did not come to me intuitively. So, I am grateful for reading this work today.

Volga had previously written one of all-time favourite novels – ‘The Liberation of Sita’. And her prowess is no less this time.
I am probably going to spend the rest of May 2023 reading all her works.

Try reading ‘the liberation of Sita’ first. Then read this. And if you don’t become more gentle, don’t see a wider perspective to women’s lives – well, who knows if there could be a better novel to transform us! Let me keep trying with other volga’s works 😊

And oh, I named the painting ‘Yashodhara’. I also put her opposite to Buddha in my room :) ! Thank you @tejaswinireddygunna for that lovely gift of a painting all those years back. It found its name today :)

[Aditi Debnath · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama — the founder of Buddhism, a great philosopher, meditator and a spiritual teacher. We have read about his teachings or have heard about them but do we know who is Yashodhara ?

Yashodhara, the wife of Siddhartha Gautama. In this novel, Volga introduces us to Yashodhara as a discerning personality. It narrates how Yashodhara met Siddhartha and fell in love with him. It portrays their married life and spiritual journey.

In this novel, we find Yashodhara as a wise, calm woman who was definitely perfect for Siddhartha. Other than Gotami, she was the one who acknowledged Siddhartha well. She loved him blindly, never had an expectation with him and supported him throughout his spiritual journey. When Yashodhara gave birth to their son, she slept deeply without sheding a single drop of tear. Gautama left her and his family behind to follow the path of spirituality.

This novel was truly beautiful and emotional one. The style of writing and narration was pleasing, but I felt that the author could have worked more on this uplifting novel. The title says 'Yashodhara' but to be honest it narrated more of Siddhartha Gautama's part. I wished if the author could have emphasized more on Yashodhara's character, her thoughts and feelings, her side of story & could have awakened the feminist within her. Overall, it was a beautiful read for me and I would rate it 3.8/5

[S K · Rating 4 out of 5]

How does a man decide to leave his loved ones and walk the path of seeking salvation? Can he manage to do that without support and understanding of his life partner?

The introduction that Volga wrote for this is enough to make us think and rethink a lot of notions about spirituality, worldly relationships, marriage and children.

I read this in the Telugu original and glad I picked the original. The language is something else. I felt the difference between Liberation of Sita which I read in English and this I read in Telugu.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really impressed with the author's first work and I got so excited when I finally got this one. However, as much as the book or the writing or the translation (I doubt which one is it) try to do so much that it totally ruined it for me.

As much as the characters are trying to fall in love, it all seems a little disconnected between the two main characters.

As much as the writing tries to show the main female character as strong and struggling in a patriarchal world, it comes out as something out of line and I miss the vibe altogether.

Maybe it's just me but I have to say that the first book is so damn better than this one.

[Anitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't felt yoshodhara as different as siddhartha felt in this book. From the start she been a devoted wife to siddharth. Her character, thinking, acts, everything favored siddhartha. She facing all the problem very easily with a smile. Looks like she became a saint before marrying siddharth. She followed the footstep of her husband and lived the way he wants her to live.

Though the conversation between yashodara and siddharth about life, humanity, equality, gender bias, were lovely... but it stayed only as a conversation. Can able to understand it's that period of time, can't do much in action. It also mentioned in this book that before yashodhara, siddharth never thought about women roles in the society.

May be this book titled after yashodhara but it didn't talk much about her struggle, self esteem, emotions etc.

The writing flow is like a breeze. Narrated very smoothly. Lovely translation by nagalatchumi shanmugam in tamil.

[Kaushik · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the characters were portrayed with a lot of depth, I felt the storyline was quite repetitive at turns. A decent read.

[Ashwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volga never ceases to amaze me, this time by reliving the story of Yashodhara, an unheard voice but a key figure in the life of Siddhartha.
Volga' Yashodhara is penned in such a dignified light, known only as the abandoned wife of Gautama Buddha, now we see a compassionate and a brave woman before us.

In this story we follow Yashodhara as she takes up different roles - a daughter, a princess, a wife and a mother, each with its own responsibilities and yet we never see her any less inquisitive than Siddhartha. Both threading a different path but seeking the same destination. Yashodhara despised animal sacrifices, questioned the old traditions and detested the merciless killing in wars just like Siddhartha and still there isn't much written about her. And this is how Volga brings to light how womens' voices are deliberately silenced, how we live in a society where a rational woman making an intellectual enquiry is often labelled insane.
Through Yashodhara, the author raises questions on caste system, role of women in society and how they are merely reduced as an agency to support a man's quest (irony?). Yashodhara finally realises how deep-rooted patriarchy is, which almost comes off like an enlightenment, much similar to Buddha's but way before him.

Having said that, I do have few issues with it. Volga, as always makes us question the social system around us through her protagonists, however at times I wished the answers to these were more deeply explored. The entirety of the novel sort of unfolds as a spiritual discussion between Yashodhara and Siddhartha, both equally inquisitive but their approach different. So at parts I wished there was more of Yashodhara's viewpoints about certain things. Also, the story towards the end feels a bit rushed. Yashodhara took up the responsibility of her in-laws and her son after Siddhartha's departure. Even during present times, when being a single mother is still looked upon, this issue was hardly addressed & thus felt like a missed opportunity.
Nevertheless, this was definitely a thought provoking read. Though at times Yashodhara seemed helpless, she was never ignorant to the oppression around her. In a world where Buddha is often hailed as the liberator of mankind (quite literally), Yashodhara shines brighter with her selfless love for humankind.

[Arun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Indian author Volga’s English translation of her Telugu language novel, Yashodhara, immediately after completing Sri Lankan writer, Shyam Selvadurai’s English novel , The Mansions of the Moon. Both novels take place in northern India during the 5th century BCE, and concern themselves with the wife of the historical Buddha, Queen Yashodhara. Little is known about the life of Yashodhara beyond what is referenced in the Buddhist canon. She married Prince Siddhartha Gautama and bore him a son, Rahula (Sanskrit for “fetter” or “obstacle”) only to be abandoned by him on his search for enlightenment. Therefore both novels are speculative. However the treatment of Yashodhara in both books is fundamentally different. This is largely due to the differences in the authors’ gender. Volga is a feminist and her Yashodhara is a woman of far greater agency and wisdom from the very beginning than Selvadurai’s character. Volga’s Yashodhara in fact is the agent of her more famous spouse’s success, recognizing the double standard which grants his philosophy the status of wisdom while she, a woman in a patriarchal world, is labeled as mad or shrill for holding the same views. In the end her renunciation makes Siddhartha’s possible. By contrast Selvadurai gives us a Yashodhara who is possessive , petulant, and bitter as she travels her own path to enlightenment. Whereas Volga’s heroine is decisive and active, Selvadurai’s is a victim who takes much longer to accept her fate and her husband’s spiritual path. The truth one is tempted to speculate lies in between but Volga gives us a more compelling character and a more concise narrative. Selvadurai’s story is richer in period detail though even this rings false at times ( for example the constant references to palaces constructed i watt le and mud when archeological sites from this period at Sravasthi and Rajagrha were constructed from stone and metal as their ruins attest). Both are entertaining reads but Volga’s has more gravitas.

[N S MUTHU · Rating 4 out of 5]

யசோதரை- வோல்கா/ நாகலட்சுமி சண்முகம்

புத்தரின் மனைவி யசோதரை அவர்களை மையமாக வைத்து, அவரின் வாயிலாக புத்தரின் கதையினை பேசும் புத்தகம். இருவரின் வாயிலாகவும் பிராமணிய சடங்குகளை விமர்சிப்பதோடு மட்டுமல்லாமல் பெண்ணுரிமை போன்ற பெண்ணியம் சார்ந்த கருத்துக்களையும் இப்புத்தகம் ஆழமாக பேசுகிறது

[Madhura Desai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I prefer reading books by women writers and ones which have a strong set of female characters. Volga's latest novel is a perfect blend of the above two points. Volga writes about Yashodhara, Buddha's wife and re imagines her life and character in her latest novel.

I can't really call Yashodhara a central character in this novel, though it bears her name. A lot of focus is on the Buddha and his yearning for enlightenment. The Yashodhara in Volga's novel is intelligent, bold and a staunch feminist. She knows her mind and is not afraid to speak up. Yashodhara is well aware of her husband's inclination towards spirituality and she wholeheartedly supports him, even encourages him when he is let down in his quest for the truth. In doing so, Yashodhara does not neglect her duties as a wife and daughter-in-law even once. She's the ideal woman, a perfect wife and mother.

Yashodhara, as the novel, reopens questions about the role of women in not just spirituality, but also in society. It just goes on to show how gender roles have undergone so much change. Yashodhara is a some what forgotten figure in religious history. She does not command attention like Sita and Draupadi. But she's definitely a key figure because of her role in bringing women into the spiritual fold by questioning the traditions and inequalities of that time. In this novel, Yashodhara and Siddhartha are often conversing about gender roles, stifling traditions, the sufferings of mankind and the search for ultimate truth. These conversations open a window into Yashodhara's mind and we see an intelligent woman through it.

However, some factors in this novel didn't work for me. Most of the novel is about the Buddha. Yashodhara seems like a secondary character. The novel is set during a period where women were not considered equal to men. This point is discussed between Yashodhara and Siddharth but as a reader, I wanted to read how Yashodhara experiences this discrimination on a deeper level. Volga has written this novel wonderfully and the translation of P.S.V. Prasad is nuanced but the focus on Yashodhara or her inner life is, sadly, unexplained. It is as though she is indifferent to what is happening in her life.

Yashodhara is a quick read, with just 176 pages. The plot seems a little hasty towards the end. Yashodhara takes up the responsibility of her parents-in-law and raises her son on her own after the Buddha leaves. This point should have been explored in the novel because being a single mother, which is difficult even now, was not addressed at all.

Nevertheless, Yashodhara is a though-provoking read with a strong female lead. Originally written in Telegu, this novel is a good start to reading regional literature. The Yashodhara that emerges from the novel is a sensitive, intelligent and selfless woman who shines brighter than the Buddha,

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[Raji · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find myself cheating a lot on this task I have set myself of reading a book from each of India’s states and union territories. For instance, I loved reading Liberation of Sita by Volga, so when I had to read something from Andhra, I didn’t do much research and opted for another one of her works.

This one did not have the same impact as Liberation, but it is still a wonderfully imagined work. Volga is an amazing writer. She imagines meaty female characters and makes them real. That is what I love about her work. This is no different. We have all heard the story of a young prince Siddhartha leaving his young wife and new-born son and heading off to seek enlightenment and eventually become the Buddha. But we know next to nothing of this young wife. In fact, I did not even remember her name. After having read Volga’s book, I will not forget Yashodhara, Siddhartha Gautama’s wife.

Volga imagines the Budhha’s intellectual equal — dare I say his superior — and charts their journey together from their first meeting to their mutual desire and eventual communion of minds. She challenges us to imagine a woman who shares the Buddha’s instincts and impulses but also understands far better than him the limitations imposed on women, who has the foresight to see in his pursuit of truth the possibility of equality for women and encourages and even facilitates a peaceful and dignified severing of bonds so that he can follow his path of introspection and learning. The Yashodhara she imagines is striking. And the marital partnership she presents is no less so, although it might seem utopian.

Initially, I struggled with the book and I think that might be because the translation wasn’t the smoothest. As I have said before, Jerry Pinto’s translation of Sachin Kundalkar’s Cobalt Blue is, for now at least, my gold standard of Indian language translations. This one is not quite the same. But if one sticks with the book, I think, it gets better in the latter half and the philosophical discussions between Yashodhara and Siddharth are quite interesting. And it is not only sexism that is addressed but also Brahminical hegemony maintained through expensive and meaningless rituals: ‘All people have spiritual needs, but they do not understand them. Before they understand them, they are introduced to meaningless religious practices. They are made to believe that following superstitious customs is a pathway to spirituality. These religious sacrifices and oblations to gods make people insensitive to human suffering.’ Which seems very topical even today.

This is actually a short book but since I had trouble engaging with it initially, I took a little longer to finish. But it is quite an interesting read.

[Shruti Srinivasan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 of 2021. We all know that Siddhartha Gautama left his wife and new born son, one morning to find enlightenment and to seek life's truth after which He became to be known as the revered Gautama Buddha. We have also always wondered about what happened to Yashodhara? What were her feelings at her husband's sudden departure.

Volga has perfectly filled this gap with her rendering of a strong willed and philosophical yet compassionate Yashodhara who shares views with her husband about the suffering in the world and their role in it. This book is a refreshing take on how Yashodhara supports her husband in his quest to find meaning in life and help the society find its true meaning away from the vices like greed and violence. It's a beautiful book and if you have read The Liberation of Sita by Volga you will know that the translated versions of her books are really beautiful to read. Book 3 of 2020 - Yashodhara by Volga, translated from Telugu by PSV Prasad.

#book3of2021 #yashodhara #volga #booksof2021 #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram

[Surabhi Chatrapathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddha's life has always seemed fascinating. When I first learnt about him in school, I wondered how his parents kept him so sheltered and away from pain? How was it practically possible? I kept imaging his experience of seeing a dead body for the first time and the revelation that ensues.
Over the years I've wondered about his wife, the one he up and abandoned when he decided to puruse his spiritual journey.
Yashodhara, the wife of the great Gautam Buddha.
Volga picks ingenious perspectives to tell a story.
In Yashodhara, we see Buddha's wife not as a victim of his decisions but a driving force, a companion on every level.
I adore the way their relationship blossoms, be it their courtship, their marriage. The conversations they have in order to understand this world and it's suffering.
In today's world these conversations might seem obvious, but to keep in mind Buddha's world and Volga's when it was written is vital.
She lets us imagine a possibility in which Yasho was a feminist, who discovers her rights, her space, the politics of gender and the ways to fight for it. A possibility in which Buddha perhaps became inclusive of women in his spiritual journey because of his wife.
Though the translation left me disappointed (book is translated from Telgu), I admire this work and the beautiful story it tells.
It is after all, Volga forte to bring forth women of the past who are conviniently left out of popular discourse.

[Archana · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Liberation Of Sita was my first experience of reading Volga, before this one. And maybe it was the stage of life, or the message I needed then, the strong female point-of-view blew me away.

And so, I went into this one with great expectations. Especially because, unlike Sita, I had not had a lot of exposure to the story of Yashodhara, another young wife, left behind by a man destined to follow his path to greatness. The strength and grit of this wife, the hardships she would have to face, and Volga's style of addressing them should have been quite a strong reading experience.

Except, it was none of this.

A very lukewarm description of a woman's life, who entered matrimony willing to serve and cater to all the needs of her new household, and a willing accomplice to her husband's detachment and ascetic life, the book really did nothing to involve and touch the reader. Was it the translation or just a lack of theme and story, this one was not for me.