ANCIENT INDIAN LAW

JAYA: AN ILLUSTRATED RETELLING

OF THE MAHABHARATA

A BOOK REVIEW

SUBMITTED BY: KRITI

ID NO: 2147
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3

PROLOGUE: THE SNAKE SACRIFICE.............................................................................4

THE STORY..........................................................................................................................5

THE WAR..............................................................................................................................7

SHARING OF WIVES..........................................................................................................8

ARJUNA, THE GREATEST ARCHER................................................................................8

DESCENDANTS...................................................................................................................8

DHARMA..............................................................................................................................9

CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................10

BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................................11
 INTRODUCTION
The Mahabharata is one of the major epics of the Hindu religion, which describes the war
that took place at the Kurukshetra between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The same has
been originally said to be written by Vyasa. The great epic has been arranged into 18 sections
which is sub divided into 1089 chapters.1

Jaya is an illustrated retelling of the epic, the Mahabharata, wrietten by Devdutt Pattanaik
who is a medical doctor by education, a leadership consultant by profession and a
mythologist by passion. He has written and lectured extensively on the nature of sacred
stories, symbols and rituals and their relevance in modern times. Pattanaik has written and
published several books such as The Book of Ram, Myth= Mythya: A AHndbook of Hindu
Mythology, The Pregnant King, Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana.

Jaya has been published by Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd. The first copy having been
published in 2010. It is comprised of 349 pages and is priced at Rs. 499.

In the book he has reorganised the sections and the chapters in the Mahabharata in order to
make it easily readable and comprehensive for his readers. The book retells the Mahabharata
in a fresh and candid manner. Even though there is nothing new about the story, the plot or
the characters, however, one wants to keep reading the book.

1
'Jaya' (Devdutt, 2019) <https://devdutt.com/books/jaya-3.html> accessed 14 June 2019.
Devdutt Pattanaik takes us on a journey through one of the greatest epics of the Indian
Subcontinent-The Mahabharata. He retells the story with the help of his lucid writing and
interesting illustrations. The author is primarily concerned about giving justice to the title
which it is evident from the same, “retelling of the Mahabharata” and is efficacious in doing
justice to his accomplishments.

PROLOGUE: THE SNAKE SACRIFICE

The story of the Mahabharata in this book is being articulated by Astika, who is the nephew
of Vasuki to Janamejaya, who is the great grandson of Arjuna, one of the Pandavas. Astika
advises Janamejaya to be wary of the plots and derive wisdom from the “maze of stories”. 2
Through Astika the author wants us to contemplate on the stories of the epic and become the
inheritors of the wisdom contained in the epic.

In the Prologue, the king of Hastina Puri, Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna was cursed to die
of a snake bite. He was bitten by the naga and he died. His son Janamejaya decided to
avenge him by performing the Sarpa Sattra, a sacrificial ritual to destroy all the snakes.
During this ritual, Astika, king of the Nagas shouted, “Stop, king! This is adharma’. He
explained why Parikshit was bit by the Naga. He also spoke about the battle of Kurukshetra
and that it wasn’t fought for justice but for dharma. Janamejeya wanted to know more about
the war and Astika then goes on to narrate the epic. What Astika narrates is divided into 18
chapters in the book, like the 18 parts of the Mahabharata. The Eighteen chaptere are:
Ancestors, Parents, Birth, Education, Castaway, Marriage, Friendship, Division, Coronation,
Gambling, Exile, Hiding, Gathering, Perspective, War, Aftermath, Reconstruction,
Renunciation.

In addition to the traditional tales, Pattanaik has also included stories from different regional
versions of the epic and other related stories from across India and some parts of South East
India.

This book also gives the stories of women like that of Gandhari, Kunti and Draupadi. I
believe that this inclusion is to cater to a larger a crowd which is interested in the role of
women in the early Indian societies.

Referring to a number of sources makes it easier for Pattanaik to provide a detailed

description of many of the stories and plots in the epic. At the end of every chapter, he points

2
Devdutt Pattanaik, Jaya - An Illustrated Retelling Of The Mahabharata (Penguin Books 2010).
out the variations in the stories which makes readers aware of different narratives. He also
tries to explain the rituals practiced in the story and on many occasions gives explanations for
the plots. For example, Draupadi’s humiliating comments about Duryodhana when he slipped
and fell into a pond was one of the reasons for her humiliation in front of the Kauravas. Yet
another reason for her humiliation was “rejecting Karna on the grounds of caste”. 3 This
entails the idea of karma, i.e. whatever good you do will return to you either in this life or in
next, similarly, whatever deeds you do will come back to you, in the same or in the next lives.
These comments make reading the book more interesting as they make one aware of myriad
rituals practiced in the subcontinent. These comments also give a philosophical flavor to the
epic.

Maintaining the theme of narration of the epic by Astika to Janamejaya, every chapter
contains a message for Janamejaya which is mentioned at the beginning of every chapter.For
example, the first chapter, Ancestors, contains the message “Janamejaya, what happened
before repeated itself again and again in your family history.”Chapter two, Parents,
“Janamejaya, in your family, a son suffered for the sake of the father.” These messages also
provide the basic theme of the chapter to the readers.

THE STORY
The story of Mahabharata is based on a conflict between two families of the Kuru clan- the
Pandavas and the Kauravas. The underlying conflict between the two groups is essentially on
the legitimacy of rule. After thirteen years of exile when Pandavas return, Duryodhana denies
them entry, resulting in the war at Kurukshetra. However, according to Krishna the war was
for upholding dharma and not just for any worldly purpose. It is ironical since during war
Krishna at many occasions asks the Pandavas to break the rule of war, which is against
dharma.

This book is important in the sense that it makes comparisons of the form of society in
Mahabharata with the Vedic societies. This gives Mahabharata a larger world view. Also, the
book helps us in understanding the reasons about the occurrence of many events in the stories
and at the same time looks at exceptions in the society. The story of Budh and Ila shows that
people with sexual ambiguity were a part of the early Vedic society. It was only after later
Vedic periods that people started to discriminate against them, as in case of Shikhandi who

3
Ibid.
was not allowed to participate in the war of Kurukshetra because of his sexual ambiguity. 4
Thus these stories in some way show the evolution of society over time.

Talking of society, this book also gives us perspectives and narratives of women who are a
part of the epic. Kunti and Gandhari are projected as women who know the importance of
sons in a household. Kunti denies to invoke a god second time to Madri for procreation,
sensing that power in royal household would be with the one with greater number of
children.5

Pattanaik, while referring to the Madri leaping into her husband, Pandu’s funeral pyre after he
died, speaks about Sati as a practice of widows burning themselves on their husbands’ funeral
pyre. The Mahabharata does refer to sati, however, it is voluntary in all cases. Nobody forces
the woman to submit to the violent practice. Vedic funeral rites refer to the practice of the
widow being asked to lie next to her husband’s corpse, but then she is asked to stand up ad
return to the land of the living. She was allowed to remarry or at least cohabit with other male
members of her husband’s family, usually the younger brother. Greek chroniclers who
accompanied Alexander the Great to India did report the practice of Sati in North India.
Around 500 CE the practice of sati became part of liturgical manuals and a common theme in
folklore as well as worship.6

The marriage of Draupadi is an example of the rights of women. She is allowed to choose her
husband. Further, Arjun listens to Kunti and allows his wife, Draupadi to marry his four
brothers. These instances show that in early Vedic period women did enjoy freedom in
choosing their husband. But it would be incorrect to say that they were completely free.
Women in this period had to bear a brunt of sex hospitality. Author claims that birth of Karna
and Vyasa was a case of sex hospitality. 7 Another instance which shows the dependence of
women on her husband is the part when Pandu decides to become a hermit and his wifes,
Kunti and Madri follow him.8

The book also gives us an outlook of the social structure of the society prevalent at the time
corresponding to the epic. Drona’s poverty is illustrated by stating that he did not even
possess a single cow in his household. 9 Importance is given to having a wife and children in

4
Ibid.
5
Ibid.
6
Ibid.
7
Ibid.
8
Ibid.
9
Ibid.
this form of society. This is evident in many places. The fact that Pandu gives away his wife
to produce offspring, shows the importance of sons (they were the heirs of the king) in the
household.

THE WAR
Although Devdutt Pattanaik does an excellent job in describing the war scenes he exaggerates
by claiming that people in ancient India had knowledge of the nuclear weapons, missiles, etc.
He refers to Brahma-astra (Ashwathamma’s weapon) as missile which amounts to
anachronism.10 There is no proof of whether ancient Indians had access to modern
ammunitions like missiles, rockets, etc. So it is better to refrain from making such statements.

He describes how stress takes a toll as the war progresses. Vyasa describes many arguments
in both the Pandava as well as the Kaurava camps. Karna and Shalya abuse each other until
Duryodhana intervenes. Satyaki argues with Dhrishtadyumna forcing Bheema to restrain both
parties. Karna argues with Kripa and comes to blows with Ashwatthama. The episode where
the Pandavas discover that Karna is actually their brother and are hesitant to kill him, but are
convinced by Krishna to do so, reveals Krishna’s ability to twist and turn the rules by looking
at them from various angles. Here he divides the human body into physical, emotional and
intellectual components and prescribes ways of killing each of these bodies. Insulting the
other destroys the other’s emotional body, praising oneself destroys one’s intellectual body.

The story of Ashwasena reminds us of how Arjuna’s pasr deeds return to haunt him in the
battlefield. He is saved because of Krishna. But his descendant Parikshit is not so lucky for
the Naga Takshaka succeeds where the Naga Ashwasena did not.

It is ironical that Karna seeks to disown his charioteer legacy, and become a warrior, while
Krishna embraces his role of charioteer whole heartedly, refusing to become a warrior in
Kurukshetra.

The author gives a conclusion to the epic and provides reasons for giving the title ‘Jaya’
(literally winner) to the epic. This conclusion gives uniqueness to this book and makes it to
stand out amongst its contemporaries. Also, its constant parallels to the Vedic societal norms
makes it interesting and thought provoking.

10
Ibid.
There are little boxes at the end of every chapter providing commentaries. Pattanaik recounts
incidents while providing us its origins across various countries, Indian States and cultures.11

SHARING OF WIVES
The practice of sharing of wives between brothers has been made a special mention to in the
end of one of the stories. The epic states that when Brihaspati came to Mamata, she turned
him away not because she was married to another man, his brother Utathya, but because she
was already pregnant. This perhaps reveals an ancient practice of sharing wives between
brothers.

Secondly, Draupadi, as we know, has been shared by the Pandavas.

ARJUNA, THE GREATEST ARCHER

The bow is the symbol of poise and balance. The third of the five Pandavas, Arjuna, is an
archer suggesting his role in balancing his brothers. His two older brothers represent royal
authority (Yushishtira) and force (Bhima), while his two younger brothers represent royal
splendour (Nakula) and wisdom (Sahadeva). He is neither aggressive as his elder brothers nor
as passive as his younger brothers.

India is the home of the guru-shishya tradition where the pupils stay in the house of the
teacher. The teacher is supposed to treat his students as his own sons. This tradition is
prevalent even today especially in the fields of music and dance. But as many art lovers have
discovered, many teachers are blinded by their love for their children and give them priority
over students at the cost of true talents. Vyasa perhaps experienced this in his lifetime too.
Had it not been for Arjuna’s dogged determination and sheer talent, Drona would have kept
reserved the best of his secrets for his dear son, Ashwatthama.

Arjuna is considered to be the greatest archer in Indian epics, second only to Ram, the
protagonist of the Ramayana. More than talent, Vyasa portrays him as one with grit and
determination.

DESCENDANTS
It is believed that man and woman are reborn as their grandchildren or any of their
descendants – this probably explains the female foeticide issue on why men want boys and

11
'Book Review - Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling Of The Mahabharata By Devdutt Pattanaik | Toka
Parent Blog' (Tokabox.com, 2019) <https://www.tokabox.com/blog/book-review-jaya-illustrated-
retelling-mahabharata-devdutt-pattanaik> accessed 14 June 2019.
not girls, and that tendency has gone to an extreme in the last couple of generations. On the
same note, it probably explains why rearing children is considered such an important part of
life for our previous generations even though the current generation (including me) consider
it as just another phase of life. In fact, in one of the stories, Bhishma is considered to
have sinned because he decided to not get married because of his step-mother’s wishes that
there be no other heirs to the kingdom! So many beliefs and fervour can be attributed to a
simple age-old concept which has been twisted and extended by generations.

DHARMA
About Dharma, Pattanaik states the following in the book:

“Humans alone of all living creatures can reject the law of the jungle and create a code of
conduct based on empathy and directed at discovering the meaning of life. This is dharma.

To live in dharma is to live without fear. To live in dharma is to act in love. To live in dharma
is to have others as a reference point, not oneself.

Function therefore in this war not like that insecure dog that barks to dominate and whines
when dominated, but like that secure cow, that provides milk freely and follows the music of
the divine.

Do you fight this war to break the stranglehold of jungle law in human society, Arjuna? If
not, you do not practise karma yoga.”

Here you also get to know why the cow is considered holy in Hinduism.

In another instance, one can differentiate when a person is in anger and says things that one
should not pay attention to whereas when they are genuinely upset with something one did or
didn’t do:

“Dhritarashtra expresses it by crushing the iron effigy of Bhima while Gandhari expresses it
by burning Yudhistira’s toe with a glance.

Once expressed, rage dissipates and reason returns.

One is advised in many parts of India to eat sugar when agry, just like Gandhari did, so as not
to end up cursing the Pandavas.”
 CONCLUSION
The author’s style of narration is simple, lucid yet sharp which reminded me of my
grandmother‘s storytelling; thus making the book even dearer to me. The side notes after
every chapter that make comparisons among local folklore from different Indian states as
well as versions of the Mahabharata from Indonesia give the reader a much deeper
perspective on stories which would otherwise have been have overlooked. The author
intervenes after each story to analyze the situation, activities and scenario to make the readers
understand the reason behind the telling of each story. He articulates the evolution of Hindu
rituals and beliefs from the Vedic times to recent history in an eloquent manner. This is what
distinguishes the book from the other versions of the Mahabharata that I have read. It is also
an indicator of the amount of research effort the author undertook to give out such splendid
details. Even though the epic is a complex one with a lot of links connecting the characters,
the author manages to seamlessly intertwine the characters and plots so that the reader does
not have a hard time remembering the earlier mentioned related events; truly a feat when it
comes to retelling an epic as detailed as the Mahabharata.

The illustrations are yet another notable feature of this book- be it Sarathi advising Arjuna on
his chariot or the baby parrots who heard the war happen in Kurukshetra or the battle between
Shikandi and Bhishma or Krishna after the Kurukshetra war, resting under a tree, the artwork
is simple yet detailed. Their beauty lies in their simplicity; these images speak for themselves
and summarize the stories beautifully.

The beauty of a book lies in how far it reaches out to its readers, and Jaya accomplishes that
very easily. This is one of the best re-tellings of a timeless epic, through which Devdutt
Pattanaik makes his mark as a master storyteller.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. 'Book Review - Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling Of The Mahabharata By Devdutt

Pattanaik | Toka Parent Blog' (Tokabox.com, 2019)
<https://www.tokabox.com/blog/book-review-jaya-illustrated-retelling-mahabharata-
devdutt-pattanaik> accessed 14 June 2019
2. 'Jaya' (Devdutt, 2019) <https://devdutt.com/books/jaya-3.html> accessed 14 June
2019
3. Pattanaik D, Jaya - An Illustrated Retelling Of The Mahabharata (Penguin Books
2010)
4. 'Review: Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling Of The Mahabharata By Devdutt Pattanaik -
Bookish' (Indiabookstore.net, 2019) <https://www.indiabookstore.net/bookish/review-
jaya-illustrated-retelling-mahabharata-devdutt-pattanaik/> accessed 14 June 2019
5. Swaroop V, 'Book Review: Thoughts From Jaya, A Retelling Of Mahabharata'
(Swaroop, The Dreamer, 2019) <https://swaroopch.com/2012/07/23/thoughts-from-
mahabharata/> accessed 14 June 2019