Jaya Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharat By Devdutt Pattnaik

Book Title: Jaya Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharat
Author: Devdutt Pattnaik
Publisher: August 16, 2010 by India Penguin
Genres: Mythology, Fiction, India, Indian Literature, Religion, Classics, Fantasy, Philosophy, Spirituality, Hinduism, Epic

More books by Devdutt Pattnaik

My Review

“Devdutt Pattnaik has broken the traditional way of thinking. He reveals how myths, legends, and stories are changed according to the difference in culture and places.”

“Please read Devdutt Pattnaik’s Jaya because he has not only beautifully explained the events of the Mahabharata but also shares the details of the stories and myths. Additionally, he explains how these stories and myths change according to the different states and cultures.”

Read more: Jaya Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharat By Devdutt Pattnaik

About the Author

Devdutt Pattanaik is an Indian mythologist speaker, illustrator, and author, known for his writing on sacred lore, legends, folklore, fables, and parables. His work focuses largely on the areas of myth, religion, mythology, and management. Pattanaik has incorporated the Mahabharata and the Ramayana into human resource management.

He has written books on the relevance of sacred stories, symbols and rituals in modern times; his more popular books include Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology; Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata; and Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana and My Gita.

My Thoughts

Let’s embark on this year with a spiritual awakening. The year 2020 shattered many dreams, ambitions, and spirits; furthermore, many lost their loved ones. The terrible effects of the Corona Virus shattered many hopes and dreams. It spared no one. Every person suffered. We feared each other, and rumors surrounded us like a dark storm.

At this moment of crisis who did we remembered the most? the one and only supreme power God.

We cried, we fought, and finally, we prayed to Him for a better life and future for our loved ones and ourselves. Indeed, God has been the only one who instilled hope, faith, and courage within us when everything around us seemed hopeless and ruined. The reason I wanted to introduce this book to the readers to understand the true meaning of spiritual awareness.

We all know the epic story of Mahabharat. How did the Pandavas defeated the Kauravas in the battle of Kurukshetra(in Harayana). Lord Krishna guided Arjuna during the battle when Arjuna lost all hope of winning, and this moment also marked the birth of the Bhagavad Gita.

However, Jaya doesn’t discuss the epic battle; rather, it shows the aftermath of other battles fought between two separate generations of the same ancestors (the conflict between the bloodline of Arjuna)

The battle was long over, and the new generations looked at their place in the Kingdom. Nevertheless, the seeds of anger, jealousy, and cultural and economic differences were still alive in the hearts of the new generations

Why wasn’t the bygones were bygones?

Why does the new generation needs to carry the pain, burden and suffering of their ancestors?

They fought those battle for their rights so that their bloodline coul live in peace and prosperity. The story of Jaya explains, not to repeat the same mistakes what their ancestors did, and it also wants the young generations to the learn the lesson that their ancestors learned which helped the Pandavas to survive the hardship during their exile.

But if the Pandavas was the ones who suffered the cruel hardship of the Kauravas, then why the Pandavas ended up in Hell? and the Kauravas enjoy the blessing of Heaven?

Is Heaven and Hell the only destinations that humans achieve after death? If yes, then why are the merits and demerits set for Heaven and Hell?

There are many question arises when you read Mahabharat, but at the end of Jaya the story of Yudhishtir teaches us one important accepts of life. The one lessons that every person should know.

The true meaning of Jai and Vijay? and how was Yudhishtir alone among all of the Pandavas was able to acquire the wisdom and understanding the true meaning of Jaya.

About the Novel

The Mahabharat is an ancient Hindu epic where:
a son renounces sex so that his old father can remarry
a daughter is a prize in archery contest
a teacher demands half a Kingdom as his tuition fee
a student is turned away because of his caste.
a mother asks her sons to share a wife
a father curses his son-in-law to be old impotent
a husband lets another man make his wife pregnant
a wife blindfolds herself to share her husband’s blindness
a forest is destroyed for a new city
a family is divided over inheritance
a King gambles away his Kingdom
a Queen is forced to serve as a maid
a man is stripped of is manhood for a year
a woman is publicly disobey
a war is fought where all rules are broken
a shift in sexuality secures victory
the vanquished go to paradise
the victors lose their children
the earth is bathed in blood
God is cursed
until the wisdom prevails

Happy Reading!!!

Recommend Reading :

Mahagatha 100 Tales from the Puranas – Satyarth Nayak