About the Book
‘The Mahabharata is truly one of the greatest stories ever told. Namita Gokhale’s rendition makes for compelling reading, because it retains t he essential structure of the narrative without diluting its epic proportions. This book is the best gift for children who wish to discover and enjoy the wisdom and mythology of ancient India’
A long, long time ago, in the ancient lands of India, known in those days as Bharatvarsha, a family quarrel grew into a bloody war. There had been wars before, and there have been wars since, but that mighty battle between warring cousins of the Kuru clan has become a part of the mythology and history of India. Told and retold a million times, the story of the Mahabharata is about defeat as much as victory, about humility as much as courage. It is the greatest story ever told.’
Like a modern-day suta or storyteller, Namita Gokhale brings alive India’s richest literary treasure with disarming ease and simplicity She retells this timeless tale of mortals and immortals and stories within stories, of valour, deceit, glory and despair, for today’s young reader in a clear, contemporary style.
A brilliant series of evocative and thoughtful illustrations by painter and animator Suddhasattwa Basu brings the epic to life in a vibrant visual feast.
Matchless in its content and presentation, The Puffin Mahabharata is a book that will be cherished by readers of all ages.
About the Author
Namita Gokhale is a multi-faceted Indian novelist and publisher, and the author of Paro: Dreams if Passion (1984), Gods, Graves and Grandmother (1994), A Himalavan Love Story (1996), The Book if Shadows (1999), The Book if Shiva (2001) and Shakuntala: The play if Memory (2005), all published by Penguin India. In her forthcoming anthology In Search of Sita, she re-examines the figure of Sita in both mythic and modern contexts.
The Puffin Mahabharata is her first book for young readers.
Contents
Tile story of the Mahabharata
1
The goddess ganga
4
Satyawati
7
Devavrata’s vow
8
The story of amba
11
The birth of karna
14
The birth of the pandavas
17
The birth of the kauravas
18
Pandu’s death
19
Kripa and drona
20
The lessons of dronacharya
22
The plot to kill bhima
26
The test of strength
28
The wax palace
31
The padavas’ escape
35
Mourning in hastinapura
36
Hidimb and hidimbi
37
Vakasura
41
Draupadi’s swayamvara
44
The retur from exile
49
Indraprastha
52
The khandava forest
53
The palace of maya
57
The rajasuya yagna
The death of jarasandha
60
At the yagna
63
Duryodhana visits the mayasabha
65
The game of dice
67
The second exile
73
The departure
75
Arjuna’s travels
77
At indraloka
81
Urvashi
83
The pandavas’ wanderings
85
The battle with the gandharvas
87
Plotting revenge
91
The exploits of jayadratha
93
The lake of questions
95
The year of disguise
100
Keechaka
104
The cattle wars
106
Arjuna in the battlefield
109
The return to virata
115
Karna’s genero sity
118
Negotiations
121
Krishna and karna
127
Before the battle
131
Arjuna’s hesitation
133
The bed of arrows
137
The chakravyuh
139
Avenging abhimanyu
142
Ghatotkacha
145
The death of drona
148
Dusasana’s death
154
Karna’s last battle
155
The defeat of duryodhana
159
Ashwathama’s revenge
163
Gandhari’ s curse
164
Kunti and her sons
166
The death of bhishma
168
A new beginning
170
The destruction of dwarka
172
The worlds beyond
176
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Vedas (1279)
Upanishads (477)
Puranas (740)
Ramayana (892)
Mahabharata (329)
Dharmasastras (162)
Goddess (475)
Bhakti (243)
Saints (1292)
Gods (1284)
Shiva (334)
Journal (132)
Fiction (46)
Vedanta (324)
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