Title:
Rise of Kali - Duryodhana’s Mahabharat (Ajaya Book II)
Author:
Anand Neelakantan
Publisher:
Leadstart
Genre:
Historical Fiction, Hinduism, Religious studies
Pages:
530
Rating:
3.5/5
Intro:
I
first introduced with Mahabharata when I was in fourth standard, my parents
bought a pocket book which enveloped all the mythological characters, I was
dazzled to read the tales of Dhoti-worn superheroes, Chakra-in-fingers,
Arjuna’s Concentration was heroic world for me.
And
after almost 2 decades I got the opportunity to read Anand Neelakantan’s
Creation ‘Ajaya –epic of kaurava clan, Roll of Dice (Book I). And I was stunned
to know that stories reside in narrator’s eyes, every perspective matters. It
was not just a retelling of Mahabharata but more than that it was a genuine
effort to throw the light on the other part where grass was not green but worth
watching.
I
must say when everyone writes for earn money here, it’s a bold step taken by
Mr. Anand Neelakantan to live the experience of writing a epic from a different
point of view. Applauses!
Structure:
And
after a huge success of Ajaya I, here we blessed with the second part ‘Rise of
Kali - Duryodhana’s Mahabharat (Ajaya Book II) by Anand Neelakantan’.
‘Rise
of Kali’ begins with quivering scene of ‘Cheer-Haran’ where Draupadi is
commanded to be dragged to Sabha on the day when her ‘Dharma-Rakshak’ husbands had
lost her in a dice-game play.
“Draupadi
forgot to breathe when she heard heavy footsteps hurrying up the stairs. They were coming for her, her heart thudding
in her chest as fear crept insidiously up her body from her toes.”
Crisp
Narration:
As
story unfolds with a gripping chapter, you almost forget when to stop. Author’s
narration was crisp and upright. I loved the way Author captured scene and
makes it alive. The characters converse to each other with clarity, you don’t
have indulged in said-asked theory, conversation flows at ease, and that’s
great achievement for a quality writer.
Core:
At some point Mr. Anand raised questions at
hypocrisy of society. He simplified the fact ‘we all are human. We are allowed
to make mistakes.’ A radical part is — Author created a great corner for
Shakuni’s course of story and It will make you wreak when you read Karna’s part
how did he got mistreated, here author strikes hard utterance at caste system. The
disagreement between Krishna and Samba was catchy. Without being biased, author
gave a fair chance and brilliant voice to the myriads of characters.
How could
you imagine Mahabharata- The Epic Tale ruled by just victors, it is tale of
Kaurava’s clan too as much as Pandava’s. Author considered each and every character as
king/ prince, even Krishna. God? Let it be. If you usually read book with open
mind then you would love it to the core. Must hide the back up of Mahabharata
from the mind, for a while and give it a chance.
Reader’s
Moment:
It
is just impossible task to consolidate whole Mahabharata into a single post so
here I’m sharing with you, the remarkable parts I loved the most, the impressive
lines stirred my soul.
“Ashwathama touched his father’s feet “Bless me father, I m going to Gandhara“ he said in his mind. Surely his father say
something to him bless him and wish him success? Would he have behaved this way
if he was Arjuna?”
“The
world went on, not caring a damn about, who died and who lived, who was shamed
and who was honoured?”
“Balarama
did not want to stand there and listen to his brother (Krishna) and his commander
argued over the rights and wrongs of the war. All war was wrong. For a child
who had lost his father, what did it matter whether they had won or lost?”
“Shakuni
began to laugh “Spare your breathe Aswathama. The dice has just started to
roll. The game is not over. Not yet, not so quickly, no so easily.”
“The
Gandharans lived in a moment, without bothering about the afterlife or the
eternal soul. For them there was no
Moksha, Sanyas or Brahmacharya. There were no seekers or philosophers in their
midst, life was now.”
“Karna,
the path you have chosen is the wrong one “ Parashurama whispered
‘He
was the only one who supported me when the whole world was making fun of Suta
who dared to dream of being a warrior.’ Karna wanted to say but words were
trapped in her throat.”
‘You
can earn respects in two ways by force or by deeds. The choice is yours. Either
way, you will be remembered.’
‘Was
a handful of earth worth fighting a war over? Was the throne worth it? All that
grand talk about Dharma, all the speculation about soul, karma, hell, heaven
and rebirth— it all sounded hollow.’
‘Nevertheless,
Shakuni folded his hands in seeming gratitude as Suyodhana came up to him”
forgive your uncle Suyodhana. I have always had your welfare in mind. I want
you to sit on the throne of Hastinapura. I won the kingdom for you in the dice game
and you repay me by sending your armies to ravish my land. Is that fair?’
“Divisions
are natural. The duties prescribed for Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras
are all different.
Krishna,
there lies a problem. Who decides what one’s duty?
The
scriptures are authority to determine what one should do.
The
scriptures are for man not the other way around. Krishna you speak of arbitrary
division, unnatural ones.”
"Brother,
a man’s concern should be about his karma, not the fruits of his action.
Where
can you find such a person, Krishna? How will I recognize someone with such a
steady mind how does such an unusual person sit, speak, and move? Balarama
asked.
Just
as tortoise withdraws its limbs and becomes strong. A man also gains strength
when he withdraws from desire and steadies his mind in contemplation.
Krishna
if you have reached that much desired state, why does it matter to you whether
Yudhishtra wins the war or Duryodhana?
Why not keep you mind steady in contemplation instead?”
—
Conversation between Balarama and Krishna.
“CASTE
CASTE CASTE‘ Karna kicked a stone into
the water. His toe hurt but it was nothing compared to what he felt inside.
He had
everything— caste, lineage, and fame he even had the woman Karna had once loved
deeply. Draupadi , why do I still yearn for you ? He thought in agony. Could a Suta
even lift his eyes to such a woman?
Do not
tell me that caste is based only on character and not on birth. I am tired of
that excuse. All the high-castes parrot it but I can no longer accept their
smug smiles and platitudes, as though their high status was the result of their
exalted character and not a mere accident of birth. To them it is just a
philosophy but to us at the bottom, it is life.”
Was
Draupadi perhaps the greatest victim in the Mahabharata?
Draupadi, like many other women and children, was also a victim of the war. All
the women of Mahabharata are victims, trampled by a masculine world. Gandhari
who lost all her sons, Kunti who lost all her grandsons and a son, Draupadi who
lost all her sons, the Nishada woman who lost her life and all her sons,
Hidumbi who lost her son, Uthara who lost her husband, Bhanumathi who lost both
her husband and son- the list is endless. There is no justification in singling
out Draupadi.
Overall,
It is an Insightful Read, Highly Recommended. Go for it!
Cover
Page by Kunal Kundu would provoke you to get your copy at once.
And
Great Thanks to Platinum Press and Leadstart Publishing for the quality of
book, large fonts make it easy to read.
About the Author:
A dexterous writer and a
cartoonist, Anand Neelkanthan started his career in writing with Asura: Tale of
The Vanquished. His books have had big hits in the market and he has been named
as one of the most popular writers in India. Ajaya: Book 1: Roll of The Dice
(Epic of The Kaurava Clan) has not been an exception. Being brought up in a
place full of temples and classical artists, Neelkanthan was interested in
epics and myths from his childhood. Instead of blindly following the myths, he
has created a new genre, of remaking and retelling, questioning and arguing.
That is why he has become favourite to modern readers.
Follow
Mr. Anand On Twitter – @anand_neel
Follow
Mr. Anand On Facebook – Anand.Neelakantan
Mr.
Anand can be reached at: mail@asura.co.in
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