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Genre: History/ Mythology/ Epic (Mahabharata)
Released: 1 Feb 2015
Synopsis:
I knew there was nothing poetic about death.
I knew not that the most horrific battles are fought off the battlefield.
Arjun: The idealist in a non-ideal world; the warrior whose deadliest opponent was his conscience.
History forgot his voice, but misquoted his silence.
My self-esteem originates from me and ends in me.
Why does your honor depend on me? Find your own.
Draupadi: The untamed tigress, the fragrant flame, the unbridled spirit.
Power does not justify sin. Power is not virtue.
Virtue is that which lasts in spite of power.
Krishn : The enigma whose unique ideology churned the battlefield into a quest for Truth.
The Missile …The Trajectory … The Vision.
The trio that makes for the core of The Mahabharata.
This is their saga.
Explore Mahabharata in the voices & through the eyes of Arjun & Draupadi.
Note – Draupadi’s narrative is denoted by *** symbol.
Find ‘other’ famous Arjuns; compare Arjun vis-a-vis Achilles and Alexander; Explore Myths of Mahabharata.
Come, join the exhilarating journey into Arjun’s inner demons, dark desires and forbidden passions.
Journey of the novel: https://sweetyshinde.wordpress.com/category/arjun-my-published-novel/arjun-journey-of-my-novel/
Posts related to Arjun: https://sweetyshinde.wordpress.com/category/arjun-my-published-novel/arjun-related-posts/
Scroll up the Page for links to BUY the book : Arjun: Without a Doubt
Download Free pdf excerpt. Click here (or on Book cover in sidebar).
Impractical Dreamer: Sweety Shinde 
Hey… That was really interesting information about Goddess Draupadi… Please visit my blog for some more information that may interest you… One of the shrines is in Kondal, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu
Draupadi Amman Thunai
http://blog.thitherwards.com/draupadi/
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Thank you for the shrine information. She’s my Goddess too.
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the book is too awsssom. i was thinking how was life of him n her bcoz she was shared by 5. but ur book has explaind evry question of mine… i feel upliftd coz ..der s somone in dis wrld whose ideas ar similar to mine… n evry time i used to read about phalguni n krishnaa..shaheer n pooja sharma cum n frnt of meee. I sujjest all mahabharatians to read the book Arjun -without a book . similar attempt on yudisthir n draupadi ll b gladly welcomed. HATS OFF to your work
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Hi Ananya. A big hug for the appreciation. You made my day. Yes, I’m indeed glad my thoughts found echoes within your thoughts.
Shaheer & Pooja weren’t my inspiration, since my book began much earlier than the serial. But if they brought alive the book & its scenes for you, they are most welcome to stay on.
Thank you again. I would be delighted if you pen a short review on Amazon or Flipkart. It would give a boost to the book. 🙂
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Hello! Been away and been traveling. I am yet to read this beautiful book. Just looked at the excerpt and it’s gripping. How’re things at your end? Another book in the pipeline? Great to be in touch with you again. Take care.
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Hi, nice to hear from you. Travelling as passion or profession?
The book’s doing well – not a blockbuster, but its reaching the right audience. Currently I do have 2-3 books churning within me, but am yet to pen them down (or pin them down).
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Traveling is a mix of business and pleasure. Reaching the right audience is a great beginning. Bestsellers will happen: never stop the churns within you. Tc.
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Indeed yes it will happen when it has to happen.
I am not a good traveler, since I’m always yearning for home. 🙂 It does enhance my love for home as absence makes my heart fonder than ever
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seems interesting read. Thank you for sharing.
http://www.hautekutir.com
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Anytime. The pleasure is all mine
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A wonderful take on a mythical hero.
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Thank you. He’s very real to me as a historical figure rather than mythological. Perhaps b’cos I prefer his human achievements to the divine miracles around him.
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Great work Dr. Sweety,We’d love to have you on board on our team and work with us to curate content for our website. Contact me on jointeamfabulous@gmail.com
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Heyy,
Your Blog seems really beautiful. I have gone through some of the articles. I found them really attractive, please check my blog and follow if you like it. https://adarshbadrisite.wordpress.com/2016/10/22/why-india-and-pakistan-hate-each-other/
I write articles related to Indian lifestyle, society, fashion-trend, youth (lol! relationships too), politics and everything concerning India. Please read them and leave your comments.
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Thank you. I’ll definitely follow your blog. Its always refreshing to meet new thoughts.
Welcome to blogosphere.
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Please do check this post. And share it with others… spread happiness http://adarshbadri.com/social-networking-sites-and-the-real-friends/
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Sweety:
Your book doesn’t cover the krishna arjun conversation on the battlefield. Your thoughts on why you skirted that entire dialogue? It would have been nice to see how arjun received it. We only know what sanjay said and heard and understood. What did Arjuna see? what did he hear Krishan say? and how did he respond?
Anand
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It was by design, not an oversight. The Krishn Arjun dialogue is too well-known & too extensive to be copy-pasted within the book. My idea was to delve into Arjun’s psyche before that vital dialogue. The night before Day1 of Kurukshetra, which is when I assume the emotional turbulence must’ve peaked within him. I translated that upheaval into chapter 21 The edge of innocence.
There’s a moment after Virat war (page 196) when Draupadi anticipates Arjun’s reluctance to harm Bhishm-Drona. She says, ‘The white robes of pitamah & Acharya were missing. Those two promised to be the most difficult temptations for Arjun to wreck through.’
In chp 21, Arjun debates with Krishn. The dialogue answers multiple accusations hurled at Pandavas, it questions veracity of Yudhisthir’s ownership of his brothers’ lives (Our nearest ones make impossible demands precisely b’cos we are forced to use different standards to judge them), citizens needs vs rulers’ ambitions, Arjun’s sacrifices vs virtues (If only I had been selfish enough, disobedient enough and rebellious enough – so much of our anguish was preventable. Since when did sacrifice, obedience and tolerance lead to heinous sins?), Bhishm-Drona’s helplessness arising from blind loyalty vs his own loyalty (this is a war between evil & lesser evil. Or a war between good & lesser good. My duty – towards whom? By killing – whom?), the realization of Kunti’s ruthless streak, all of these clashes culminating in Arjun’s reluctance about morality of the war.
I fleshed out this chapter as a prelude leading to Bhagavad Gita, since it was the most logical way to bridge the gap from a warrior Arjun to
the reluctant warrior of B. Gita.
The subsequent chapters also throw up Arjun’s questions on B. GIta . For example when he says at Abhimanyu’s death – ‘no matter how many Jayadraths I killed, Abhi would never return as my son. How did it matter how many rebirths we took later as unrelated human beings?’
B. Gita cannot be encapsulated in brief, nor digested in one go. It throws up uncomfortable questions which unfold as their lives reconstruct post Kurukshetra. Hence I spaced out the Krishn-Arjun B. Gita dialogue in pre & post pages to explore its liveable, practical aspects instead of lumping it as an impractical philosophy.
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Interesting thoughts.
Am reading the K M Ganguli Mahabharat again. As a side point – perhaps we talk off this in another forum – I see a few inconsistencies in the poem flow. Could be my mistake
E.g. All along in the Mahabharata we have Indra as the lord of the celestials and Vishnu as the Supreme Lord. But in the Udyoga Parav when a story of Garud is being told, we have Vishnu described as Indra’s brother.
Also, in many places Duryodhana and in many places Suyodhana.In fact within the same chapter often both names are used.
At the risk of committing heresy, would it be safe to say that the Mahabharat core story was composed by a poem and then others added whatever they could wherever they wanted?
Or maybe it is just poetic license.
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Indra occupies the highest pedestal in Rigveda. Its only the later Puranic version who systematically decimated him to being an underling to the holy Trinity. If you read Kurukshetra description, many a heroic warrior is described as ‘battling like Indra’ etc. So the latter day conversion of Indra to an insecure Casanova running to Vishnu/Shiva for salvation seems largely doctored by certain sects.
As for Suyodhan, its supposed to be his actual name while Yudhisthir nicknamed him Duryodhan for his troublesome ways. So I heard.
I wouldn’t call all of Mahabharat fictitious. I think it was written primarily as a description of the Kurukshetra war and then the rest was written in flashback. Kurukshetra war & its dialogues hold descriptions of dice hall events, Virat war, Arjun’s quest for weapons, Gandharva war etc. So possibly all those events did occur earlier but were later fleshed out in a linear manner to maintain the smooth flow.
As for factuality, it is said Vyas’s 2 students propagated 2 different versions of his words, which is why so many contradictions exist. Oh, what I would give to listen to Vyas’s actual words!
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Nicely put. I had two points to discuss (given I am reading Ganguly’s translation of the Mahabharat in real detail for the first time)
1. Abhimanyu
Abhimanyu – was his death really such a big tragedy? What I read in Ganguly’s version is at quite a bit of odds to what we have been fed on TV.
He was a minor – but that was his problem, not the enemy’s. He entered the battle of his volition – whether to protect Yudhishtira in Arjuna’s absence or not is immaterial.
He was alone – but noone engaged him together. When you read Ganguly, he reiterates that the only thing they did in unison was to unsteed him. But he was killed in a one-on-one with Duhshaasana’s son. He did not get killed in a one to many fight. He died in one on one.
Also, he could have retreated if he wanted – he chose to fight without conceding defeat.
So, the entire hue and cry of an unfair fight seems made-up by the romanticisers
2. Sanjay
He seems to have been on the field as he says “when we came back” etc.
But there is also reference to “divine vision” in the same section in Bhsihma Parva?
Am biased towards assuming he came back from the field with a full “reporter’s view” much like CNN during the Gulf War of 1991/
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1] Abhimanyu’s age is a moot point. However he was very much attacked by a group of warriors. Not once but repeatedly.
After he made them flee one-to-one, in a group attack they broke his bow, broke his chariot & killed his charioteer.
They continued attacking him EVEN when he was bowless & chariotless (Karna fans to note , please). Yet Abhimanyu fought back using in the following serial order – sword & shield, chariot wheel, and then mace.
Even in the mace fight with Dusshasan son, Abhimanyu was half unconscious & trying to rise when the former killed him.
Now contrast that with his enemies who took regular medical breaks to nurse their wounds, who rescued each other repeatedly from his onslaught and whom he spared whenever they swooned. Do you still think it was a fair fight? Attaching proofs from KMG herewith.
• As a whale in the sea obtaining a shoal of small fish seizes them with the greatest ease, even so did Abhimanyu receive that whole division of the rushing Kshatriyas.
• Drona, Drona’s son, Kripa, Karna, Kritavarman, Vrihadvala, the ruler of the Madras, Bhuri, Bhurisravas, Sala, Paurava and Vrishasena, shooting sharp shafts, checked Subhadra’s son by means of those arrowy showers and they rescued Duryodhana. The son of Arjuna, however, covering those mighty car-warriors, their charioteers, and steeds with thick showers of arrows caused them to turn back.
• Abhimanyu on one side and all those warriors together on the other. Abhimanyu, seemingly dancing on his car, pierced each of those warriors in return with three shafts.
• Then Karna, Kripa, Drona, Drona’s son, Sala, Salya, Kratha, Somadatta, Vivinsati, Vrishasena, Sushena, Kundavedhin, Pratardana, Vrindaraka ,Lalithya, Pravahu, Drighalochana and angry Duryodhana, showered their arrows upon him. Then Abhimanyu, excessively pierced, shot shafts at Karna.
• Drona, Vrihadvala, Kripa, Duryodhana, Karna, and Kritavarman rushed in great wrath against the unvanquished son of Subhadra. Almost all these were beaten back by thy grandson. Only Lakshmana proceeded against the son of Arjuna.
• Then Drona, Kripa, Karna, Drona’s son, Vrihadvala, and Kritavarman, –these six car-warriors, —encompassed Abhimanyu. Piercing them with sharp arrows and beating them off from him, the son of Arjuna fell with great speed and fury upon the vast forces.
• Drona then, desirous of rescuing his son, pierced Abhimanyu with a hundred arrows. Aswatthaman pierced him with sixty arrows, desirous of rescuing his father. And Karna struck him with two and twenty broad-headed arrows and Kritavarman struck him with four and ten. And Vrihadvala pierced him with fifty such shafts, and Saradwata’s son, Kripa, with ten. Abhimanyu, however, pierced each of these in return with ten shafts.
• Duryodhana, ‘Let us all together grind this one, else, fighting singly with us he will slay us all.
• Karna quickly cut off the bow of Abhimanyu. Kritavarman) slew his steeds, Kripa slew his two Parshni charioteers. The others covered him with showers of arrows after he had been divested of his bow. Those six great car-warriors, with great speed, ruthlessly covered that carless youth, fighting single-handed with them. Bowless and carless, handsome Abhimanyu, took up a sword and a shield.
• Deprived of his sword and shield Abhimanyu took up a car-wheel and rushed in wrath against Drona.
2] Sanjay was not just present physically on the battlefield but ALSO actively battling with the Pandavas, as I’ve discussed in detail in ‘Myths’ chapter at book end. Divya drishti … cant imagine what that served. Except that it awes us with their advanced technology to relay live stream videos of Kurukshetra.
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Hi Sweety,
Awesome book! I loved the book so much, that I had finished it off in a day! The language and style was very engaging and felt the characters of Arjuna, Krishna and Draupadi were speaking through the book! Arjuna has always been my hero and always loved his character and it was great to read a lovely book on him.
I congratulate you on this masterpiece!
Hope to see more of such books on Indian epics from you.
Regards.
Indra
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Hi Indu,
You made my day! It’s always thrilling to get such delightful comments from my readers.
ARJUN was always my hero too. I feel privileged that so few authors wrote about him, which in turn gave me the honor to explore his emotional upheavals. I’m glad my thoughts echoed within you.
Would you mind adding a few lines of book review on Amazon or Goodreads? It would be the icing on the cake.
Thanks once again!
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Hi Sweety,
I already added the review on Amazon.
May be you can explore on writing a sequel to the book by introducing lesser known stories and including some more interesting characters. As, reading about Arjun is never enough for me 🙂
You do have a gift for engaging writing and passion too, so expecting another brilliant piece on our epics sooner than later.
Thank you!
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Thanks so much! There are more Arjun related posts under the title Arjun anecdotes on this blog. Hope it makes for good reading.
There is also a FB page Arjuna the Mahanayak, https://www.facebook.com/MahanayakArjuna/ where admirers analyze his life & martial triumphs.
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