BOOK TITLE: Ajaya:
Roll of the Dice
ISBN: 9789381576038
AUTHOR: Anand
Neelakantan
GENRE: Fiction
/ Mythology
NUMBER OF PAGES: 456
FORMAT: Paperback
SERIES / STANDALONE: Epic
of the Gaurava Clan #1
REVIEW BY: Dhivya
Balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: I
contacted the author via goodreads and he arranged a review copy for Readers’
Muse from the publishers. I sincerely thank him for it!
SUMMARY:
THE MAHABHARATA ENDURES AS THE GREAT
EPIC OF INDIA. But while Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the
perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra; Ajaya is the narrative of the
‘unconquerable’ Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man.
***
At the heart of India’s most powerful empire, a revolution is brewing. Bhishma, the noble patriarch of Hastinapura, is struggling to maintain the unity of his empire. On the throne sits Dhritarashtra, the blind King, and his foreign-born Queen – Gandhari. In the shadow of the throne stands Kunti, the Dowager-Queen, burning with ambition to see her firstborn become the ruler, acknowledged by all.
***
At the heart of India’s most powerful empire, a revolution is brewing. Bhishma, the noble patriarch of Hastinapura, is struggling to maintain the unity of his empire. On the throne sits Dhritarashtra, the blind King, and his foreign-born Queen – Gandhari. In the shadow of the throne stands Kunti, the Dowager-Queen, burning with ambition to see her firstborn become the ruler, acknowledged by all.
And
in the wings:
*
Parashurama, the enigmatic Guru of the powerful Southern Confederate, bides his
time to take over and impose his will from mountains to ocean.
*
Ekalavya, a young Nishada, yearns to break free of caste restrictions and
become a warrior.
*
Karna, son of a humble charioteer, travels to the South to study under the
foremost Guru of the day and become the greatest archer in the land.
*
Balarama, the charismatic leader of the Yadavas, dreams of building the perfect
city by the sea and seeing his people prosperous and proud once more.
*
Takshaka, guerilla leader of the Nagas, foments a revolution by the downtrodden
as he lies in wait in the jungles of India, where survival is the only dharma.
*
Jara, the beggar, and his blind dog Dharma, walk the dusty streets of India,
witness to people and events far greater than they, as the Pandavas and the
Kauravas confront their searing destinies.
Amidst the chaos, Prince Suyodhana, heir of Hastinapura, stands tall, determined to claim his birthright and act according to his conscience. He is the maker of his own destiny – or so he believes. While in the corridors of the Hastinapura palace, a foreign Prince plots to destroy India. And the dice falls…
Amidst the chaos, Prince Suyodhana, heir of Hastinapura, stands tall, determined to claim his birthright and act according to his conscience. He is the maker of his own destiny – or so he believes. While in the corridors of the Hastinapura palace, a foreign Prince plots to destroy India. And the dice falls…
REVIEW:
The Mahabharatha has always been a much
contested epic. There are many new versions coming out every other year that
reveal yet another point of view of this epic, the original of which is
considered the longest work of poetry ever written. And, it still manages to
capture the imagination of the readers with its sheer brilliance and depth of
philosophy. Rumoured to have been written by Veda Vyasa (using Lord Ganesha’s tusk
as a pen) as it was happening, the Mahabharatha has always been intriguing.
The author, Anand Neelakantan, has
written Ajaya from the Kaurava’s point of view. ‘Jaya’ is the Mahabharatha
written to glorify the victors. So you can guess what ‘Ajaya’ would be. It has
been written to glorify the unsung vilified innocent losers of the great
eighteen day war. Yes, Ajaya sings the praise of Suyodhana (commonly known as
Duryodhana) who is portrayed as a great administrator, do-gooder and naïve prince
who has his people’s best interests at heart. This is a little difficult to get
your mind around, especially if you have grown up hearing stories of this man
as a villain who was greedy, ambitious and selfish.
The Kauravas, naturally, are the sons
born out of desire (which child isn’t, you ask? But it is quite literal here!) Of
their mother Gandhari and father Dhrithirashtra. The author’s version of this
is very beautifully told! In the author’s own words:
“When I had raised the question with
my late father, L. Neelakantan, he proffered a simple but beautiful
explanation. His advice was not to approach the Mahabharata just as a story,
for it contains hidden symbolism: the 100 Kauravas represent the Desires and follies
of the mind. Hundred is just a number used to represent 'numerous', and should not
be taken literally. Dhritarashtra represents Ego, which is blind and produces numerous
Desires. Some are good and others bad. The Kaurava names have both the positive
suffix Su and the negative prefix Du. Gandhari represents the Mind and blind maternal
Love. Hence, the Desires are sons of blind parents - Mind and Ego.
On another plane, the Pandavas
represent the five Senses. They are all married to Draupadi, also called
Krishna (black). Black represents Anger. The marriage of the five Senses to
Anger, has catastrophic results when fighting the Desires - such as when the Pandavas
visit the Kaurava sabha for the game of dice. Believing in Fate, not action,
they gamble with the Desires, and lose everything. Anger is shamed and disrobed
by the Desires and Fate. The Pandavas also represent the five Virtues:
Yudhishtra represents Wisdom, as the son of Time (Kala). Bhima portrays
Strength, as the son of Vayu (Prana). Arjuna represents Willpower, as the son
of Indra. Nakula and Sahadeva stand for Beauty and Knowledge, as sons of the
Aswinis, the Gods of Dawn/Beginnings. It is Krishna who brings the Pandavas and
the Desires together at Kurukshetra. He is the Universal Soul (Paramatma).
Black represents vastness/depth here. The Virtues are fated to lose without this
aid. Kurukshetra represents the Soul. With the aid of Universal Consciousness,
the Virtues triumph over desires.”
This should give you an idea of how
Ajaya is written. The general populace who could read Mahabharatha with an open
mind would agree that even the original epic portrays Duryodhana as an innocent
misguided soul. The evil uncle Sakuni takes advantage of this innocence to take
his revenge on Bhishma for forcing his sister Gandhari to marry the blind
Dhrithirashtra. This book does justice to Duryodhana’s innocence. But getting
away with portraying him as a benevolent soul is a tad too difficult.
There is evidence in abundance to show
that Duryodhana’s intentions for attaining the throne of Hastinapur was not
entirely born out of nobility but of desire. Then there was the disrobing of
Draupadi, which no reason can justify. If the book were a bit more realistic
and not glorifying Duryodhana, it would have been a perfect ‘five on five’ book.
The book has interesting side stories
that throw more light upon the main story of the war. An interesting, slightly
unsettling take on the original epic.
WHAT I LIKED:
The narration in a different view
point. The revealing stories and the author’s note.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
This book does the same mistake as
the original epic. While the original glorifies Pandavas and Arjun, this
glorifies Duryodhana. Were it a bit more accepting of his short comings that
made him seem like a human who made mistakes, it would have been appreciated.
VERDICT:
In the sudden series of books that
portray the other sides of our age old epics, Ajaya is a must read to
understand about the blackened back side of the tapestry called Mahabharatha.
RATING: 4/5 (mainly
for glossing over the less favourable incidents that portrayed this protagonist
in bad light)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Anand Neelakantan (born 5 December
1973) is an Indian author. He is known for debut novel Asura tale of the Vanquished
& AJAYA : Epic of the Kaurava Clan - Roll Of The Dice. Anand's debut
work Asura Tale of the Vanquished was a surprise bestseller of 2012, breaking
into the top seller charts within a week of its launch. Asura, tale of the
Vanquished became the number 1 best seller of 2012 as per Crossword list and
CNN IBN. Anand Neelakantan was chosen as one of the six most remarkable writers
of 2012 by DNA. Anand Neelakantan has written columns for Deccan chronicle,
Asian Age, The New Indian Express, The Wall Street Journal, Speaking Tree etc.
His interviews have been published in The Hindu, The Indian Express, Malayala
Manorama, Mathrubhumi, The Telegraph, The New Indian Express, Afternoon DC etc.
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Kindle,
Paperback
PRICE: Rs.
149 for Paperback
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