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JAYA: AN ILLUSTRATED RETELLING OF THE MAHABHARATA Paperback – 16 August 2010

by Devdutt Pattanaik (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,704 ratings
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Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling Of The Mahabharata has the whole epic, which was originally known as Jaya, condensed into a tiny capsule in this book. Other than retelling the interesting parts of the Mahabharata, what makes this book a favourite among the readers is Pattanaik rendering of the various local folklores and tales that are associated with the epic, which have been presented in a whole new genre. With a master stroke, the author has elaborated the storyline by including lesser known folklore stories of the epic, while keeping intact its original form and style.

The book has been divided into 108 chapters and has vivid illustrations along with 250 simple line drawings painted by Pattanaik himself. Besides infusing the different tales from local versions of the epic, the author has also added folk arts aspects picked up from 'Yakshagana’ in Karnataka, 'Terukuttu’ in Tamil Nadu and 'Pandavani’ in Chattisgarh to blend with the narrative.

Stories of Barbareek, Aravan, Astika, Madhavi and Jaimini form a special portion of this book. Other than this, Pattanaik has also introduced some intriguing ongoing traditions, like the worship of Draupadi in temples of Tamil Nadu.

Along with this, a whole section has been devoted to the Kurukshetra war described on the basis of descriptive astronomical information. By infusing these interesting details along with the various local versions of the epic, the author has attempted to create a pan-Indian version of the epic that has, since times immemorial, helped in shaping the culture and history of the whole country.

Published by Penguin, this book may be a great choice for those intrigued to know about the religious and cultural intricacies of the country as well as those who are reading the epic for the first time.

About the author:

Devdutt Pattanaik: A doctor by training, a marketing manager by profession and a mythologist by passion, Devdutt Pattanaik wears many hats. Apart from travelling extensively giving lectures on different topics ranging between relevance of sacred stories and the importance of rituals and symbols in modern times, Devdutt Pattanaik has also written numerous books including Devi: An Introduction, 7 Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art and Symbols and Rituals from the Heart of the Subcontinent to name a few.

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Previous page
  1. Part of series
    The Great Indian Epics Retold
  2. Print length
    372 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Penguin India
  5. Publication date
    16 August 2010
  6. Dimensions
    22.9 x 17.8 x 2.24 cm
  7. ISBN-10
    014310425X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0143104254
  9. See all details
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  1. The point of existence in this dynamic, ever-changing world then was not to aspire or achieve, but to introspect.
    Highlighted by 647 Kindle readers
  2. Such is the nature of man-made laws: ignorant of the past and insensitive to the present.
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  3. Growth is thus not a one-time activity; it is a process where decisions to overpower the beast within have to be taken every single moment.
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From the Publisher

The book is filled with profound visuals which bring the Mahabharata to life
Within the infinite myths lies the eternal truth
Devdutt Pattanaik bio
Also by Devdutt Pattanaik

Product description

About the Author

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik is a medical doctor by training, a marketing manager by profession and a mythologist by passion. He lectures extensively on the relevance of sacred stories, symbols and rituals in modern times. His books include 7 Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art, Shiva: An Introduction, Vishnu: An Introduction, Devi: An Introduction, Hanuman: An Introduction, Lakshmi: An Introduction, Krishna: An Introduction, Shiva to Shankara: Decoding the Phallic Symbol, Goddesses in India, Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore and Indian Mythology: Stories, Symbols and Rituals from the Heart of the Subcontinent.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin India; Latest edition (16 August 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 372 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 014310425X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143104254
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 420 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 22.9 x 17.8 x 2.24 cm
  • Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ India
  • Generic Name ‏ : ‎ BOOK
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,704 ratings

About the author

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Devdutt Pattanaik

Devdutt Pattanaik

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Devdutt Pattanaik was trained in medicine, and worked in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry for fifteen years, before turning his part-time passion for mythology into his full-time profession. He has authored over 1000 articles and over 50 books on the relevance of sacred stories, symbols and rituals in modern times. These have been translated in Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati and many international languages including Russian, Polish and Japanese. He is a much sought after corporate speaker and acts as a consultant to organisations on matters related to leadership and culture.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
5,704 global ratings
Enchanting
5 Stars
Enchanting
The enthralling retelling of one of the greatest epics ever told with its witty and interesting anecdotes keep you busy questioning your conscience at every step.You will learn the difference between Justice and Dharma, History and Itihaas, and many more which in plain eyes are the synonyms of the other.The complexity of human life and human ideology as a theme triumphs the ordinary good vs evil narrative - which in actual sense is the soul of Mahabharata.You will weep for our tragic hero Karna, Abhimanyu. You will celebrate Krishna's excellence and his homework for the upcoming war [which in modern-day scenario can be seen as the synergy between intelligence gathering and foreign policy and security of a nation-state]. You will understand Duryodhan's cruelty and antipathy. You will be furious at Draupadi's misfortune. The Women characters will make you more inquisitive to read about it more. And no matter what you can't celebrate Pandavas' victory, or is it a victory at all?Mahabharata is all about the grey area where the right and wrong smudge - the sheer beauty in incompleteness, and what attainment of Moksha means. And with his special touch, Devdutt Sir has made it more lively, more real and fascinating.I have always wondered why a woman in our society has always been judged by her attire. Now I have a satisfactory answer where the book draws a beautiful analogy between Gauri and Kali.I am a little biased towards Mahabharata. For me, this is the greatest book of all time ever written with all its retellings, whether it's Ira Mukhoty or Bhyrappa or Iravati Karve or the regional writers like Bani Basu, Nrisinghaprasad Bhaduri and many more. It generates a sense of introspection and hunger in you to know more about yourself and the world around you. And it will make you appreciate the influence it has on Indian and Foreign art forms and culture and human expressions.I truly hope that the old generation, our generation and the next and the next, aspire to become more like Krishna and less like Duryodhan with a lot happening in the world.Shanti, Shanti, Shanti...
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Top reviews from India

Sai Krishna Lohith
5.0 out of 5 stars Best mahabharat Book for this present generation
Reviewed in India on 29 April 2024
Verified Purchase
Still I am having same high after 50 days of completing this book.. if u have basic idea on this mahabharat and when u starting reading this book the excitement will be in peaks and also U may already had listened, read or watched this epic ithihasa .. but this particular book is the best version of mahabharat for modern mind. The way the author devdutt wrote and collected this, like for every back story of some character has a parallel story for other person in past and additionally he provides so many anecdotes and info which actually enlights excites the reader.
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Aayushi Jain
4.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling!
Reviewed in India on 17 April 2023
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The beauty of mythological stories is that they are open to interpretation. The exact reality of these stories is unknown. One can only estimate how, when, and why such events took place. The narratives written by various authors are read by people and interpreted with their own understanding. As cultures and regions change, narrations are modified, although the basic essence remains the same. There are no right or wrong sides to the story, only the way these facts/myths are presented.

Rishi Ved Vyas wrote the original Mahabharata. It is a possibility that he might have had his own prejudices while writing the same and in the presentation of the different characters of the epic. The original text has been interpreted and translated by different authors containing their own prejudices. This has shaped the Mahabharata as we know it.

I enjoy Mythology. I have read a few different versions of Mahabharata and Ramayana, including the Jain versions of both these epics. Each time reading a version of any of these only adds to my curiosity of reading more literature about them.
So was the effect of Devdutt Pattnaik's retelling of Mahabharata titled 'Jaya'.

This narration is a straightforward abridged version of the Sanskrit Mahabharata written by Ved Vyas which was originally titled 'Jaya'. Seamless storytelling by Pattnaik makes this retelling enthralling for the reader, and difficult to put down as the story invokes curiosity about what happens next, even for someone who knows it beforehand.

“There was no hero or villain in the epic, just people struggling with life, responding to crisis, making mistakes, repeating mistakes, in innocence or ignorance, while trying to make their lives meaningful and worthwhile.”
These lines from the epilogue give an indication of the unbiased approach the author has taken in writing the book.

True to its description, 'illustrated retelling', the book is opulent with brilliantly imagined illustrations of the scenes from the epic by the author himself.

The highlight for me was the commentary by the author at the end of each chapter which not only gave insights into the related folk tales and practices in different regions in and outside India but also shines some light on what the story teaches about life and circumstances through relevant short stories. It compels the reader to think about how similar and different was the shape of society from today’s world.

As a bonus, Pattnaik has added timelines of the war, the family structure of the Kurus and Yadavas, and even the names of all of the one hundred Kauravas.

Quite informative and well-researched in its category, I recommend you to read this book to gain an understanding of what went behind the war which shaped the beginning of Kaliyuga. Even if you have read Mahabharata before or watched it on television, this book is worth reading!
9 people found this helpful
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shreya sarkar
5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting
Reviewed in India on 13 April 2024
Verified Purchase
The enthralling retelling of one of the greatest epics ever told with its witty and interesting anecdotes keep you busy questioning your conscience at every step.
You will learn the difference between Justice and Dharma, History and Itihaas, and many more which in plain eyes are the synonyms of the other.
The complexity of human life and human ideology as a theme triumphs the ordinary good vs evil narrative - which in actual sense is the soul of Mahabharata.
You will weep for our tragic hero Karna, Abhimanyu. You will celebrate Krishna's excellence and his homework for the upcoming war [which in modern-day scenario can be seen as the synergy between intelligence gathering and foreign policy and security of a nation-state]. You will understand Duryodhan's cruelty and antipathy. You will be furious at Draupadi's misfortune. The Women characters will make you more inquisitive to read about it more. And no matter what you can't celebrate Pandavas' victory, or is it a victory at all?
Mahabharata is all about the grey area where the right and wrong smudge - the sheer beauty in incompleteness, and what attainment of Moksha means. And with his special touch, Devdutt Sir has made it more lively, more real and fascinating.
I have always wondered why a woman in our society has always been judged by her attire. Now I have a satisfactory answer where the book draws a beautiful analogy between Gauri and Kali.
I am a little biased towards Mahabharata. For me, this is the greatest book of all time ever written with all its retellings, whether it's Ira Mukhoty or Bhyrappa or Iravati Karve or the regional writers like Bani Basu, Nrisinghaprasad Bhaduri and many more. It generates a sense of introspection and hunger in you to know more about yourself and the world around you. And it will make you appreciate the influence it has on Indian and Foreign art forms and culture and human expressions.
I truly hope that the old generation, our generation and the next and the next, aspire to become more like Krishna and less like Duryodhan with a lot happening in the world.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti...
Customer image
shreya sarkar
5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting
Reviewed in India on 13 April 2024
The enthralling retelling of one of the greatest epics ever told with its witty and interesting anecdotes keep you busy questioning your conscience at every step.
You will learn the difference between Justice and Dharma, History and Itihaas, and many more which in plain eyes are the synonyms of the other.
The complexity of human life and human ideology as a theme triumphs the ordinary good vs evil narrative - which in actual sense is the soul of Mahabharata.
You will weep for our tragic hero Karna, Abhimanyu. You will celebrate Krishna's excellence and his homework for the upcoming war [which in modern-day scenario can be seen as the synergy between intelligence gathering and foreign policy and security of a nation-state]. You will understand Duryodhan's cruelty and antipathy. You will be furious at Draupadi's misfortune. The Women characters will make you more inquisitive to read about it more. And no matter what you can't celebrate Pandavas' victory, or is it a victory at all?
Mahabharata is all about the grey area where the right and wrong smudge - the sheer beauty in incompleteness, and what attainment of Moksha means. And with his special touch, Devdutt Sir has made it more lively, more real and fascinating.
I have always wondered why a woman in our society has always been judged by her attire. Now I have a satisfactory answer where the book draws a beautiful analogy between Gauri and Kali.
I am a little biased towards Mahabharata. For me, this is the greatest book of all time ever written with all its retellings, whether it's Ira Mukhoty or Bhyrappa or Iravati Karve or the regional writers like Bani Basu, Nrisinghaprasad Bhaduri and many more. It generates a sense of introspection and hunger in you to know more about yourself and the world around you. And it will make you appreciate the influence it has on Indian and Foreign art forms and culture and human expressions.
I truly hope that the old generation, our generation and the next and the next, aspire to become more like Krishna and less like Duryodhan with a lot happening in the world.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti...
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Ankita
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've ever read.
Reviewed in India on 11 February 2024
Verified Purchase
I'm impressed with the author of this book. He has written unbiased story of Mahabharata and I enjoyed reading this book.
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Ankit Aggarwal
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read
Reviewed in India on 25 April 2024
Verified Purchase
Nice book with all the adhyyas, a bit complicated English for beginners but comfortable for regulars. Comes in good outer cover.
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Carlos Jíménez Gil
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
Reviewed in Spain on 9 February 2024
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Si buena lectura y sus ricos
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Prajesh Joshi
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for South Asians who grew up abroad
Reviewed in Canada on 21 August 2018
Verified Purchase
So for me personally, I grew up in North America without much religious upbringing about Hinduism or Hindu culture. I just knew I was born a Hindu, and my parents are originally from the Indian subcontinent.

This book was truly a great introduction about the Hindu mythology for me. The book is divided into 18 parts, and the whole first part is used to outline certain laws and ancestral stories that play a contextual role later on into the story.

I loved this book! It's not heavy on Hindi jargon, and if there is no English translation/substitution for the word, it provides a nice, simple explanation of what they are. The notes at the end of each chapter also help to make sense of the story, and how they have different versions of that same story in certain parts of India, Nepal, Indonesia, etc. And they also provide cool cultural, social, or historical details about the story which was really cool!

So, if you're a white-washed south asian growing up in the US/UK/Canada, and want to learn more about Hindu mythology without much Hindi jargon, I would 100% recommend this book!
One person found this helpful
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geoff_boycott
5.0 out of 5 stars love this book
Reviewed in the United States on 18 April 2017
Verified Purchase
love this book; started off with My Gita and then ended up reading this book. I admire the author's deep research on the subject and he has made it clear that the story is 5000 years old and hence lot of it is based on folklore and myths. Author has left it to each reader on how to interpret the stories within the Mahabharata -- but has done an excellent job at the end of each chapter to provide a summary and his take on the topic. Love the details and how he has provided extra tit bits on how cultures/practices in different parts of India have different perspective on the contents. This has formed the basis of many of our religious views/edicts/practices/beliefs in different regions of India. I also am wonder struck at how open the author is to topic such a polygamy; alternate life styles etc. He has also given apt references on how Hinduism is very different to the 3 Abrahamic Religions (Judaism; Islam and Christianity). To top it all the illustrations are superb and personally created by the author himself -- it is very clear he comes from a medical background and his display of the human bodies symmetries/depiction in the drawings are very stark. Great work -- so relevant in todays world -- the same old lessons human need to be reminded on stay away from greed; excesses; get along with all and how material aspirations can turn to evil deeds. I never knew the difference between 'heavan' (abode of Indra and other Gods) and 'vaikuntha' (abode of Sri Vishnu) or that not all Vijayas (victories) are the same -- that the only Vijaya that real matters is Jaya (victory over ones own desires)....hence the title of the book Jaya. Look forward to other books by Devdutt Patnaik -- love his shows on Epic TV Channel. Need more of it on Youtube for all worldwide readers to see. Unique Interpretation on a very old/enriched subject.
8 people found this helpful
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oisaduas8
5.0 out of 5 stars The most beautiful book I have ever read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 May 2017
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The most beautiful book I have ever read. It took me on an emotional roller coaster, and had the most brilliant ending and numerous life lessons.

This is one book I plan to read every year, for the rest of my life.
One person found this helpful
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Psbra
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Brazil on 21 February 2015
Verified Purchase
This book is great. Easy and deep understanding of the Mahabharata. I've read some other versions and each one of them is important somehow.
This version has some notes at the end of each chapter that make you comprehend a little bit more what you've read.
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