Description
About the Book
Did you know that a little-known Panchala prince, Yudhamanyu, single-handedly defeated the great Duryodhana?
Or that Shakuni was a valiant warrior on the battlefield?
How did Iravan, the son of Arjuna by Naga Princess Ulupi, rout the whole Gandhara armies all by himself?
And how did the ageing king Bhagadatta, perched on his famed elephant Supratika, defeat a whole army of the Pandavas led by Bhima?
Loyal. Valiant. Steadfast.
They were all that and more.
They secured crucial victories.
They were indispensable.
And yet, there were forgotten.
Unsung Valour: Forgotten Warriors of the Kurukshetra War is an attempt by ten writers to bring forth those forgotten warriors of the Mahabharata. Reimagined with passion and devotion, each story brings you a new perspective of the epic as each warrior gears up for his big day on the battlefield. In this epic battle, they are all related by either blood or loyalty.
These stories capture the poignance, valour, unsung victories and eventual destinies of the warriors. This is a magnificent attempt to explore the epic in dimensions that have not been explored yet.
ISBN : 978-9390358359 ; Pages : 248 ; Publisher : Bluoneink ; Paperback
The Curator :
Saiswaroopa Iyer, curator, is an IITian and venture-capital professional turned bestselling author of five novels, all based on strong female protagonists set in ancient India. Her second novel, Avishi, has been optioned by a major studio for adaptation. Her areas of interest include Indic philosophy, literature and music. This anthology has been curated for Indic Academy, an institution that seeks to build a global renaissance of Indic civilisational thought .
gunduhuduga (verified owner) – :
Mahabharatha is a subject of great research, scrutiny, debate and fascination. It beholds a special magic on the reader and every new read brings out a new facet of this fabled tale. An anthology of some known and unknown heroes of the Great War, this book is a wonderful read bringing out perspectives from multiple view points.
Iravan’s battle prowess is detailed excruciatingly well and is definitely one of the finest composes pieces. Son of one of the greatest warriors of the times, Iravan’s story as a hero is so well drawn, one can’t help but a shed a tear for the slain young hero, specially the last part.
The story of Shakuni was a very interesting one. Written with perhaps a bit of retrospective wisdom, this describes the inner and outer battles of the one of the most vilest characters in Mahabharatha. It wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that this is written as a script for a screen adaptation.
The invincible is about one of the key characters of the Great War, Sindhuraja Jayadratha. His role in Chakravyuha leading to Abhimanyu’s killing is lucidly brought out with the narrative between the self-gloating warrior King and yet, a father of slain children. Brilliant is the word.
The Indra amongst the Rakshasas – Ghatotkcha – An interesting character of Mahabharatha who always invokes awe and reverence. A person who is a father and son at the same time, who sacrifices himself to the greater cause – What an ode to a truly inspirational hero
The mediocre son chronicles a day of Prativindhya, Yudhishtira’s son from Draupadi and his ongoing banter with his brother. What makes this chillingly interesting is the way this story ends. Watch for it.
Bhagadatta chronicles the heroics of the son of Naraka with his famed Supratika. Extremely well detailed war scenes makes this one of the finest chapters to read.
Day of the great oath is about the day of Jayadratha’s killing from the perspective of Yudhyamanyu, one of the chakra rakshasas. The episode does teach a very important lesson, which should be treasured forever.
The redeeming of Ghatotkcha makes for an interesting read with it’s flashes from the past storytelling style. Reminiscences of Mayabazaar movie brings in a chuckle, while the author narrates the prowess of a son, a brother and a great warrior-king. This chapter is a pre-amble to the ultimate glory, but what stands out is the unique story telling of mixing the dharmic war and internal battles of the great hero.
The righteous traitor talks about the lone surviving son of Dhritarashtra, Yuyutsu, about his lineage & his famed battle Subahu. One of the lesser and truly unsung hero, Yuyutsu’s chapter is a perfect ode to the hero who chose dharma over everything.
The killing of Jayadratha written by a young author adds additional layers to the tale of Jayadratha and the final moments of his life.
Overall the book provides very detailed insights into the smaller unknown but very critical battles of the famed war, with some very lucid descriptions and highly detailed story telling. Strongly recommend this book !!!!