Archive for 2009
Bhima
First City, New Delhi, Feb 2006 They humiliated his wife. Dragged and disrobed her in full view of the court. He avenged her humiliation. Killed them all. Drank their blood. Abandoning dharma in the process. His name was Bhima, the powerful one, the second Pandava. Yudhishtira’s muscle man of a brother, as simple as he was [...]
An Elephant called Ashwatthama
First City, Mythos, August 2006 According to the rules of the war that took place in Kurukshetra, no one was allowed to strike an animal unless it posed a direct threat. Like many other rules of war, this one was also broken. Bhima killed an elephant called Ashwatthama. The Pandavas shouted, Ashwattahama is dead. Drona, [...]
Talking Heads
First Published in First City, New Delhi, June 2006 The story of the Talking Head is not found in Peter Brooke’s retelling of the Mahabharata. It is not even found in Vyasa’s original. Yet is a very popular folklore. Stories of the Talking Head can be found as far afield as Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil [...]
A Boy Called Karna
It is not difficult to fall in love with Karna. He has all the elements of a hero but is not allowed to be one – by his mother, his brothers, his teacher, even God. Our heart goes out to him. It all starts with a princess called Kunti letting her curiosity getting the [...]
Decoding Lakshmi
Through the concept of Lakshmi we understand how ancient Indians understood wealth.
The Context of the Mahabharata
To understand the Mahabharata we have appreciate the Ramayana and to appreciate both we need to appreciate the Vedas.
Hands of Jagannath
A deity without hands, feet, eyelids, lips or ears, but an eternal smile celebrating the imperfection of human existence.
Butter or Blood
The similarity between the apparently dissimiliar Bhagavata Krishna and the Mahabharata Krishna
The Book of Kings
The Shahnamah is the great epic of Iran that tells the magical tales of kings who ruled Persia before the advent of the Arabs.