The Mahabharata is a vast,
sprawling epic containing stories within stories and many different versions of
this tale have been created over the centuries. They follow the same basic
story but highlight one legend more than others or give different causes for
the different actions of its characters. Over
the years, I have read many different versions as well as some scholarly
analyses of these tales and have yet to be disappointed by any of them. The
reason is simple- the basic Mahabharata story is so perfect that it is
impossible for anyone not to like it no matter what your perspective is.
Sharath Komarraju’s book “The Winds
of Hastinapur” is another fresh new rendition of this ages old tale. This one
is told through the eyes of the women of the novel and lays out the background
of the events leading up to the Great War. It’s worth a read, even for someone
who is intimately familiar with the story. A number of more obscure legends
have been weaved into the tale to create the world of the celestials whose
actions trigger off the story. A completely new angle is given to the story by
the world that the author creates for the celestials. It’s also very
interesting to read the well-known tale told deftly through dialogue and
action. The chapter where King Shantanu meets with Satyavati and her father is
truly riveting.
This is a good one-time read and
I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the
Mahabharata. Possibly, the ones who are completely new to the Mahabharata would
gain even more from it. I am definitely looking forward to the next installment
of this tale.
