Battle Beyond Kurukshetra

A Mahabharata Novel

This is the English translation of the Malayalam classic of Balakrishnan’s Ïni Njan Urangatte, a work originating from the Vyasabharatha. The novel is the journey of Draupadi’s realisation. The novel is enriched by its insightful take on life which is complemented by beautiful imagery and lyrical prose.
Publisher: Oxford University PressFirst Published: First Published as Ebook by DC Books in 2014BUY BOOK

Overview

Light from the fire burning afar mingled with the moonlight in Kurukshetra to create a terrible twilight. Scattered corpses ... broken chariots ... sporadic death cries ... prowling scavengers ... the battlefield stretched endlessly.

The victorious Pandava camps burst into deafening cheers amidst burning funeral pyres. The Great War was finally over. But soon enough, when everyone learns the truth about the hated enemy, Karna, that towering figure with the golden glow, another battle starts. Everyone stands stunned, forgetting to even cry. Torn by the guilt of fratricide, Yudhishtira becomes a recluse. Draupadi becomes restless: her tryst with reality begins. What seemed a justifiable end to an ignominious character completely overturns. Her pride for her husbands’ valour erodes. Life as she had understood slowly begins to lose meaning.

This Malayalam classic centres on Karna, the most criticized yet admired character of the Mahabharata, treacherously killed by his half- brother Arjuna. His life story unfolds through the eyes of Draupadi, in flashbacks and tales she hears from those around her in the aftermath of the battle of Kurukshetra.


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