-
Many Ramayanas Many Lessons
What does the Ramayana mean to you? Is it a Dharma Shastra-a guide to life's ideals? A holy book for spiritual practise? Or a source of timeless wisdom and enjoyment? Or is it all of these at once? With countless retellings across Asia, spanning centuries, cultures and languages, the Ramayana has captured the imagination of generations. From oral traditions to ancient manuscripts and modern texts, these renderings offer countless perspectives on its characters, their situations and the lessons they impart. Did you know that in many folktales derived from the epic, Ravana's sister Surpanakha is portrayed as a victim of a spurned love rather than an aggressor? Or that there is no mention of the famous Lakshmana Rekha, the boundary drawn around Sita, in the Valmiki Ramayana, one of the oldest versions of the epic? Or that in the Thai and Tibetan versions, Sita is identified as Ravana's daughter, while in Central Asia's Khotani Ramayana she marries both Rama and Lakshmana? In Many Ramayanas, Many Lessons, myth-master Anand Neelakantan weaves together riveting stories and insightful commentary to explore what Valmiki may have intended in his original narrative and how the epic has mutated and evolved over thousands of years, sometimes in unimaginable ways. He invites us to dive into its depths, reflect on its nuances and discover the versions that resonate most with us. After all, the Ramayana isn't just one story, reflecting a single truth-it is an enduring symbol of plurality and essential wisdom, and the merging of many truths.
-
Mahi : The Elephant Who Flew Over The Blue Mountai
Mahi started running towards the cliff ... The wind whistled in his ears as he gathered speed ... He could even hear Gherundo and Duranto laughing. Were they screaming 'fly, fly, fly'-or was it 'die, die, die'? When Mahi, a young elephant, decides to fulfil his dream of flying over the blue mountains, little does he know that he's setting in motion a chain of events that will endanger him, his mother and the whole of Anastan. He has only one goal-to find and rescue Varana, his father, former chief of the herd, who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Trumpo, their vice president, is convinced that the wicked tigers of Pulistan have killed Varana. But can Mahi trust Trumpo? Who is his friend, and who is his foe? Allegorical and satirical, but also hilarious and delightful, this story will entertain both children and older readers as they join Mahi on his exciting journey and discover whether he does, one day, really soar over the blue mountains.
-
Valmiki Ramayanatil Paach Striya (वाल्मिकी रामायणा
राजा दशरथाच्या शांता या कन्येने असीम त्याग केला नसता, तर त्याला त्याचे हवेहवेसे वाटणारे पुत्र प्राप्त झाले असते का? कोण होती मंथरा ? राणीची धूर्त आणि दुष्ट दासी, की राजप्रासादातल्या षड्यंत्रापासून आपल्या पाल्याचं रक्षण करण्याचा प्रयत्न करणारी प्रेमळ माता? मीनाक्षीच्या सुंदर डोळ्यांचं रूपांतरण कुरूपता आणि अनैतिक लालसेत कसं झालं? एका सदाचारी राजकुमाराभोवती फिरणाऱ्या महाकाव्यात स्त्रियांची भूमिका कोणती? आनंद नीलकंठन हे अत्यंत लोकप्रिय लेखक आहेत. या पुस्तकात त्यांनी वाल्मिकींच्या कालातीत महाकाव्याचे अनेक पदर उलगडत महत्त्वाकांक्षा, प्रेम, समर्पण आणि धैर्य यांच्या कथा समोर आणल्या आहेत. रामायणातल्या स्त्रियांकडे नव्याने पाहण्याची दृष्टी ते त्यांच्या वाचकांना देऊ पाहतात. प्रेयसी, बहीण, पत्नी, माता अशा विविध रूपांत वावरणाऱ्या वाल्मिकींच्या रामायणातल्या या स्त्रिया गुंतागुंतीच्या ह्या महाकाव्याला एकत्र गुंफतात.
-
Chaturanga Bahubali Before The Beginning Book 2
Political intrigue is astir in the land of Mahishmathi. After the failed coup staged by the Vaithalikas, Sivagami finds herself elevated to the position of bhoomipathi, from where she can more ably pursue her burning goal to avenge her father’s death. Meanwhile, there is a tussle between the two sons of the maharaja of Mahishmathi for the crown. And behind the scenes, a wily, skilled player of the political game moves the pieces to topple the king, Somadeva. Will the maharaja—usually able to match wits with the best of them—prevail? Or will one of his many enemies finally be able to best him at this game of Chaturanga? Set against a backdrop of ambition, love, loyalty, passion and greed, the second book in the Bāhubali: Before the Beginning series is a twist-a-minute page-turner—riveting and deeply satisfying.
-
Queen Of Mahishmathi (Bahubali Book 3)
Sivagami’s missteps have only deepened her determination to fulfil her father’s wish and stop the despicable activities at Gauriparvat. And so she battles on. Unknown to her, however, Maharaja Somadeva’s challengers have begun to close in on the king, and Sivagami finds herself suddenly at a disadvantage. With a player like Somadeva, though, the biggest mistake you can make is to not immediately checkmate and destroy. The game of chaturanga is not quite over. As Sivagami takes on the kingdom’s enemies, guided by Somadeva, she finds in her own manoeuvres an echo of the man she has always detested. In her journey to becoming the queen of Mahishmathi, Sivagami must choose between love and ambition, principles and deviousness, selflessness and envy. What does she hold on to, what does she let go? A thrilling, breathless read, Queen of Mahishmathi is the third and final book in the Bāhubali: Before the Beginning series.
-
Vanar Yodha ( वानर योध्दा )
आनंद नीलकंठन यांच्या ‘वानरा’ या मूळ इंग्रजी पुस्तकाचा हा अनुवाद आहे. सुग्रीव, बाली, तारा यांची आख्यायिका या कादंबरीत चित्रित झाली आहे. वाचकाला खिळवून ठेवणारी लेखनशैली, प्रभावी व्यक्तिचित्रणं, पुराणकथांकडे पाहण्याचा वेगळा दृष्टिकोन ही या कादंबरीची लेखनवैशिष्ट्ये आहेत. बाली, सुग्रीव आणि तारा यांच्या संदर्भातल्या तर्कसुसंगत विवेचनाद्वारे त्यांची कथा आपल्यासमोर साकारली गेली आहे.
-
Asura(असुर)
भारतीय लेखक आनंद नीलकंठन 2012 च्या यशस्वी लेखकांपैकी एक म्हणून निवडले गेले. ती तिच्या पहिल्या पुस्तक 'असुरा' साठी ओळखली गेली आहेत, ती त्यांची पहिली पुस्तक आहे जी बेस्टसेलर बनली आणि लॉन्चच्या एक आठवड्याच्या आतच त्याने विक्रमी चार्टमध्ये प्रवेश केला. ते दक्कन क्रॉनिकल, द न्यू इंडियन एक्सप्रेस आणि द वॉल स्ट्रीट जर्नल मधील स्तंभलेखक आहेत.
-
Vanara:The Legend of Baali,Sugreeva and Tara
Baali and Sugreeva of the Vana Nara tribe were orphan brothers who were born in abject poverty and grew up as slaves like most of their fellow tribesmen. They were often mocked as the vanaras, the monkey men. Sandwiched between the never-ending war between the Deva tribes in the north and the Asura tribes in the south, the Vana Naras seemed to have lost all hope. But Baali was determined not to die a slave. Aided by his beloved brother, Sugreeva, Baali built a country for his people. The capital city, Kishkindha, became a beacon of hope for emancipated slaves from across the world. It was a city of the people, by the people, for the people, where there was no discrimination based on caste, creed, language or the colour of skin. For a brief period in history, it seemed as if mankind had found its ideal hero in Baali. But then fate intervened through the beautiful Tara, the daughter of a tribal physician. Loved by Baali and lusted after by Sugreeva, Tara became the cause of a fraternal war that would change history for ever. The love triangle between Baali, Tara and Sugreeva is arguably the world's first. Written by Anand Neelakantan who gave a voice to Ravana in Asura, Duryodhana in the Ajaya series and Sivagami in the Baahubali series, Vanara is a classic tale of love, lust and betrayal. Shakespearean in its tragic depth and epic in its sweep, Vanara gives voice to the greatest warrior in the Ramayana-Baali.
-
The Rise of Sivagami Bahubali Before The Beginni
When five-year-old Sivagami witnesses her father being branded a traitor and executed by the maharaja of Mahishmathi,she vows to one day destroy the kingdom.At seventeen,she recovers a manuscript from her crumbling ancestral mansion.Written in a strange language called Paisachi,the manuscript contains a secret that may redeem her father or condemn him further. Meanwhile,Kattappa,a proud and idealistic young slave who blindly believes in his duty,finds himself in the service of a spoilt prince.Alongside,he must try and keep his brother,who resents their social position and yearns for freedom,out of trouble. As Sivagami tries to unravel the secret of the manuscript,she finds that the empire of Mahishmathi is teeming with conspirators,palace intrigues,corrupt officials and revolutionaries.An ambitious nobleman will do anything for power and money.A secret group of warriors under the leadership of a seventy-year-old woman is determined to stop the slave trade.A forest tribe,deeply resentful of having been driven away from their holy mountain three hundred years ago,is preparing to wage war against the king.
-
Roll Of The Dice (Ajaya-Book1)
The Mahabharata endures as the great epic of India. But while Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra; Ajaya is the narrative of the 'unconquerable' Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man. At the heart of India's most powerful empire, a revolution is brewing. Bhishma, the noble patriarch of Hastinapura, is struggling to maintain the unity of his empire. On the throne sits Dhritarashtra, the blind King and his foreign born Queen Gandhari. In the shadow of the throne stands Kunti, the Dowager-Queen, burning with ambition to see her firstborn become the ruler, acknowledged by all. And in the wings: Parashurama, the enigmatic Guru of the powerful Southern Confederate, bides his time to take over and impose his will from mountains to ocean. Ekalavya, a young Nishada, yearns to break free of caste restrictions and become a warrior. Karna, son of a humble charioteer, travels to the South to study under the foremost Guru of the day and become the greatest archer in the land. Balarama, the charismatic leader of the Yadavas, dreams of building the perfect city by the sea and seeing his people prosperous and proud once more. Takshaka, guerilla leader of the Nagas, foments a revolution by the downtrodden as he lies in wait in the jungles of India, where survival is the only dharma. Jara, the beggar and his blind dog Dharma, walk the dusty streets of India, witness to people and events far greater than they, as the Pandavas and the Kauravas confront their searing destinies. Amidst the chaos, Prince Suyodhana, heir of Hastinapura, stands tall, determined to claim his birthright and act according to his conscience. He is the maker of his own destiny or so he believes. While in the corridors of the Hastinapura palace, a foreign Prince plots to destroy India. And the dice falls.
-
Asura:Tale Of The Vanquished
he epic tale of victory and defeat… The story of the Ramayana had been told innumerable times. The enthralling story of Rama, the incarnation of God, who slew Ravana, the evil demon of darkness, is known to every Indian. And in the pages of history, as always, it is the version told by the victors, that lives on. The voice of the vanquished remains lost in silence. But what if Ravana and his people had a different story to tell? The story of the Ravanayana had never been told. Asura is the epic tale of the vanquished Asura people, a story that has been cherished by the oppressed outcastes of India for 3000 years. Until now, no Asura has dared to tell the tale. But perhaps the time has come for the dead and the defeated to speak. “For thousands of years, I have been vilified and my death is celebrated year after year in every corner of India. Why? Was it because I challenged the Gods for the sake of my daughter? Was it because I freed a race from the yoke of caste-based Deva rule? You have heard the victor’s tale, the Ramayana. Now hear the Ravanayana, for I am Ravana, the Asura, and my story is the tale of the vanquished.” “I am a non-entity – invisible, powerless and negligible. No epics will ever be written about me. I have suffered both Ravana and Rama – the hero and the villain or the villain and the hero. When the stories of great men are told, my voice maybe too feeble to be heard. Yet, spare me a moment and hear my story, for I am Bhadra, the Asura, and my life is the tale of the loser.” The ancient Asura empire lay shattered into many warring petty kingdoms reeling under the heel of the Devas. In desperation, the Asuras look up to a young saviour – Ravana. Believing that a better world awaits them under Ravana, common men like Bhadra decide to follow the young leader. With a will of iron and a fiery ambition to succeed, Ravana leads his people from victory to victory and carves out a vast empire from the Devas. But even when Ravana succeeds spectacularly, the poor Asuras find that nothing much has changed for them. It is when that Ravana, by one action, changes the history of the world.