Nine Great Hindu Mythology Books

Shadows of the Sun Dynasty (Sita’s Fire Trilogy) by Vrinda Sheth, Illustrated by Anna Johansson

If you’re looking for a large publication to easiness you into The Rāmāyana gently, this publication is perfect. Sheth has reimagined the archetypal epic done the eyes of the women down the throne. While remaining loyal to the communicative and Hindu beliefs, Sheth has besides incorporated greater item with some the societal and governmental environment, gathering a satellite with vibrant characters and deeper humanity. Johansson’s sensual watercolour artwork compliments the penning with intimate portrayals of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Ravana. The implicit trilogy was released successful a beauteous slipcase acceptable earlier this twelvemonth (March 2022) and included a Penguins Classic mentation of the archetypal The Rāmāyana.

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Sita’s Rāmāyana by Samhita Arni, Illustrated by Moyna Chitrakar

Even though The Rāmāyana is astir Rama AND Sita, the absorption of the communicative seems to beryllium precise overmuch connected Rama (hence the title). I overmuch preferred Sita’s Rāmāyana arsenic a much balanced retelling of The Rāmāyana. It doesn’t instrumentality distant from the archetypal communicative and its teachings, but alternatively reminds the scholar determination were much than the 2 men successful the warfare for Sita’s freedom; Sita’s ain acquisition is truthful often forgotten. This graphic caller uses Patua art, a accepted Bengali style, to seizure the power of the time.

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

Time to flip the communicative and spot it done the eyes of the villain: Kaikeyi, stepmother to Rama and she who requested King Dasharatha to exile Rama to the forest. Do not deliberation this is immoderate alternate redemption arc. This is an insightful information of the influences connected women, questioning what genuinely makes a “villain.” A fashionable prime for fans of Circe and Medea.

Until the Lions: Echoes from the Mahābhārata by Karthika Naïr

Naïr’s retelling of the Mahābhārata honours the archetypal prose, utilizing poesy to seizure the epic quality of the conflict portion shining a airy connected the minorities formed disconnected to the broadside successful the original. Her poems retell the communicative done the eyes of soldiers, handmaidens, and princesses. Where The Mahābhārata whitethorn beryllium considered The Battle of Hinduism, Naïr ensures that each characters person their accidental to beryllium heard.

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Divakaruni gives america Panchali/Draupadi’s position arsenic woman to the legendary Pandavas brothers successful the Mahābhārata. Yes, she was the woman to each 5 of them. That’s a communicative successful itself close there. Divakaruni stays existent to the archetypal epic portion exploring the thoughts and feelings of 1 peculiar character. It’s a unsocial position from a pistillate and allows america to spot her arsenic much than strategical objectification. Instead, we person the accidental to spot a quality with ideas and plans of her own.

The Pregnant King by Devdutt Pattanaik

Against the backdrop of the Mahābhārata, determination is simply a multitude of stories taking place, each of them guiding their ain commentary connected past and societal behaviour. Gender individuality is simply a large 1 but not usually arsenic unfastened to discussion. The rubric refers to Yuvanashva, a childless King who mistakenly drinks a magic potion intended to marque his queens pregnant. While Yuvanashva was seen arsenic a bully king, the much absorbing communicative is tied up with his identity, his consciousness of worth, and his consciousness of duty. 

The Immortals of Meluha (The Shiva Trilogy) by Amish Tripathi

The archetypal publication successful The Shiva Trilogy follows the plight of Shiva from bonzer antheral to deity status. Meluha refers to the onshore different known arsenic the Indus Valley and is besides considered the birthplace of Hinduism. Over time, the radical proceed to acquisition biology disasters and violent attacks from nearby. They enactment each their anticipation successful the fable of a hero. This is simply a fantastical escapade astir however the Hindu gods whitethorn person erstwhile been humans first.

Ahalya by Koral Dasgupta

Ahalya’s communicative is reasonably well-known successful Hindu mythology. Ahalya was said to beryllium created by Brahma himself arsenic the thought of perfection. She was accused of adultery and cursed to chromatic by her hubby Gautam, a sage who vowed to celibacy. But the adultery was a instrumentality by Indra and portion of a communal insult to women: the anticipation of innocence versus the tendency for love. Dasgupta’s usage of nature-inspired prose gives a beauteous mounting to Ahalya’s communicative successful some the story and modern society.

Namaha: Stories from the Land of Gods and Goddesses by Abhishek Singh

This publication is much a ocular travel than literal storytelling. While the blurb says “ancient Indian mythology,” it is important to cognize that does not mean an nonstop lucifer with Hindu mythology. Singh explains successful the afterword however these stories are “reimaginations of Vedantic, Puranic, and Upanishadic texts,” each portion of Hinduism. The illustrations are portion of a deeper connection to link with the older texts and let the scholar to research the ideals of Hindu mythology. Each leafage gives thing much to deliberation about. It is beauteous and mesmerising, the cleanable companion erstwhile you are speechmaking different large Hindu mythology books.