AJAYA : Epic of the Kaurava Clan
May 12, 2020POST LECTIO : A Unique perspective of One the Greatest Indian Epics
Title : Ajaya : Epic of the Kaurava Clan
Book One : Roll of the Dice
Book Two : Rise of Kali
Author : Anand Neelakantan
Year : Book One : 2013
Book Two : 2015
Genre : Fiction/Mythology
SUMMARY : A retelling of Mahabharath, one of India’s greatest epic, from the perspective of Duryodhana, the so-called antagonist.
Mahabharath, as the name suggests is the tale of the “Great Bharath (India)”. In any Indian household, the name as well as the stories it contains would have become a part of the family. A story your mother or father told you when you were a child, a single line summary from your grandfather, a moral lesson from your uncle or aunt, the general crux of the Bhagavad Gita, character traits, on and on. There is so much of everything but nothing is in excess. There are so many stories in Mahabharath, that it is very difficult to have not known at least one. But do not be mislead, this not a collection of short stories, it has a central thread as a story and it branches out in all directions and these branches have sub-branches.
The interesting factor about this book is the rare perspective it offers. For centuries people have seen Duryodhana as the lecherous evil incarnate who denies his cousins their ancestral right. But seeing the whole story through his eyes, really gives us some insights on some of the predicaments he had to face and the decisions he had to take. There are certain portions where it only makes sense, when you see it all through his eyes. Duryodhana’s character is truly one of the piteous characters in the epic. He was not born a villain. His cousins , the Pandavas attitude towards him was a huge factor for his animosity towards them. The consequences of his decisions led to him being portrayed as he is being portrayed now.
This book collectively called as “AJAYA : Epic of the Kaurava Clan”, is divided into two parts.
Book One : Roll of Dice follows the growth of both the Kauravas and Pandavas from their childhood to adulthood. This book gives us the general background of the all primary characters of the epic. The court politics, caste discrimination are handled impeccably. The story moves along with the growth of the children. Duryodhana’s hatred towards his cousins starts very early when they speak ill of his visually challenged father Dhritarashtra. They continuously bully and ridicule Duryodhana. He detests being constantly compared with his cousins. He befriends Karna, a low caste charioteer’s son. Everybody in the kingdom looks down on their friendship. Duryodhana’s maternal uncle, Shakuni has his own plans and schemes for revenge against the kingdom for an act done by Lord Bhishma in the past. There are many parts where you will get emotionally attached to Duryodhana. The story is fast paced and keeps you hooked. Both Kauravas and Panadavas grow up, Lord Krishna joins the tussle between the cousins. Arjuna marries Draupathi, but by a strange twist of fate the five Pandava brothers end up getting married to her. The first book ends at the infamous gambling scene, which is the most pivotal point of the whole epic. Yudhishtra loses every single possession of his, including his wife.
After the story finishes there is a small section where the author gives us some basic ideas about some the concepts and themes of the story.
“No self-respecting God would allow a good man to be happy for long. God has relevance only in the unhappiness of good people.”
Book Two : Rise of the Kali follows the story from right where it left off. After losing everything to Duryodhana, Yudhishtra and his brothers are sent into exile. Lord Krishna helps them throughout. The one change in this particular retelling is that the “ Bhagavad Gita” does not involve Lord Krishna and Arjuna but Lord Krishna and his older bother Balarama. They discuss about the whole concept of Karma. Times goes on, the relationship between the cousins deteriorate, and things come to a head. The elders try to talk sense to Duryodhana, but he does not listen. He insists on fighting. A war becomes inevitable. It is decided that Krishna will side with the Panadavas, and Krishna’s army of tens of thousands will be on Kaurava’s side. But by a strange turn of events, Lord Bhisma, Dronacharya, Kripacharya and all other elders choose the Kaurava’s cause. Karna, after some initial disagreement, is allowed to participate in the war only after few days of its commencement. Just before the war starts, Karna learns about the secret of his birth. The war begins and it is lasts for 18 days. The Pandavas emerge victorious unfairly, with help of Lord Krishna. Almost everybody from the Pandava camp is alive but its the exact opposite in the Kaurava camp, where almost everybody is dead, Duryodhana and his brothers, Lord Bhishma, Dronacharya including Karna. The story moves forward, the Pandavas die. Their successors rule the kingdom. The story ends during the reign of King Janamejaya.
After the story ends, the author discusses in detail the concept of Dharma and its types and how it played a huge role in the epic.
“Never associate any evil with a group. Hate their sins, but not the people.”
Duryodhana was not a bad person, he did not set himself deliberately upon the path to become the villain, he merely followed his heart. You cannot paint his character white or black, he has the shades of both. If a person who wants to follow his heart and refuses to live according to the rules and tries to break the mould would be considered a brute by the society, so be it.
Written By: Gautham Selvarajan
Written By: Gautham Selvarajan
Post Lectio is a series where we present a spoiler-free review of the books we read.
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