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The Mahabharata Code: Yet another retelling of the Mahabharata, or is it?
The Mahabharata Code is a personal account of the main protagonist Narayan Rao (NR), who claims to be an astronomer with NASA. NR and a few other crew members agree to take part in the NASA mission to visit this mystery planet from which they had received mysterious signals. Here, they meet a man with a long flowing white beard, and he introduces himself as Vyasa. He reveals that he has a crazy plan in mind and seeks NR and his members' help in implementing this plan. He intends to recreate the entire Mahabharata on this planet to restore the faith of the primitive simpletons here.
As the Mahabharata incidents start unfolding, NR realizes that Vyasa intends to recreate them page by page here, if not paragraph by paragraph. Also NR begins to realize that his son, Krishna, who is being groomed by Vyasa as Vishnu's avatar, is nothing more than a pawn in Vyasa's scheme of things. Other incidents of Mahabharata also unfold according to the original epic. Pandavas and Kauravas grow up hating each other and finally the restaging plan culminates with both the warring sets of cousins facing each other in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Inexplicably, like the original epic, Arjuna develops cold feet seeing his own cousins, teachers and relatives on the opposite side. He seeks Krishna's divine intervention. Is the brainwashed "alien" Krishna prepared for this intervention?
As the Mahabharata incidents start unfolding, NR realizes that Vyasa intends to recreate them page by page here, if not paragraph by paragraph. Also NR begins to realize that his son, Krishna, who is being groomed by Vyasa as Vishnu's avatar, is nothing more than a pawn in Vyasa's scheme of things. Other incidents of Mahabharata also unfold according to the original epic. Pandavas and Kauravas grow up hating each other and finally the restaging plan culminates with both the warring sets of cousins facing each other in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Inexplicably, like the original epic, Arjuna develops cold feet seeing his own cousins, teachers and relatives on the opposite side. He seeks Krishna's divine intervention. Is the brainwashed "alien" Krishna prepared for this intervention?
216 pages, Paperback
Published March 14, 2016
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August 9, 2023
The Mahabharata Code: Yet Another Retelling of the Mahabharata, or Is It?'; As the title suggests is not just another retelling of the Mahabharata but a relook at the Mahabharata from a modern perspective. The story combines ancient texts with a modern story to weave an engrossing story.
The Mahabharata Code revolves around the main protagonist Narayan Rao (NR), who represents himself as a NASA astronomer. NR and a select group join NASA’s mission to investigate the mystery planet from which they had been receiving strange signals. On the mystery planet, they encounter a man who claims to be Vyasa. Vyasa has a unique mission for them...Recreate the Mahabharata all over again. Will NR join his mission and will it be a successful one?
The plot is unique as it tries to blend two different story tracks into one. The book has two parallel tracks; one narrates NR's story in modern times and the other a modern retelling of Mahabharata. The story narrates different events from the Mahabharat including the Birth of Krishna and the Pandavas, the Svayamvara of Draupadi, etc. The events narrated stay true to the epic albeit change in the language or the motives of the character. The story has added some philosophical and sci-fi elements and even some humor to the story. While some felt like a good touch but some others felt unnecessary.
All the characters were well-written, and the author tried to retain the core of the original characters from the book. The story is fast-paced and different storylines keep you engaged.
Overall, The Mahabharata Code is a unique attempt to blend Mahabharata with a modern story. If you love reading epics and sci-fi, you will love this book.
The Mahabharata Code revolves around the main protagonist Narayan Rao (NR), who represents himself as a NASA astronomer. NR and a select group join NASA’s mission to investigate the mystery planet from which they had been receiving strange signals. On the mystery planet, they encounter a man who claims to be Vyasa. Vyasa has a unique mission for them...Recreate the Mahabharata all over again. Will NR join his mission and will it be a successful one?
The plot is unique as it tries to blend two different story tracks into one. The book has two parallel tracks; one narrates NR's story in modern times and the other a modern retelling of Mahabharata. The story narrates different events from the Mahabharat including the Birth of Krishna and the Pandavas, the Svayamvara of Draupadi, etc. The events narrated stay true to the epic albeit change in the language or the motives of the character. The story has added some philosophical and sci-fi elements and even some humor to the story. While some felt like a good touch but some others felt unnecessary.
All the characters were well-written, and the author tried to retain the core of the original characters from the book. The story is fast-paced and different storylines keep you engaged.
Overall, The Mahabharata Code is a unique attempt to blend Mahabharata with a modern story. If you love reading epics and sci-fi, you will love this book.
August 12, 2016
Thanks to the author for shipping me a review copy of this book.
I have always loved the Great Indian Epic and am ready to read any book based on it. But I couldn't imagine in my wildest dreams that an attractive plot like that of this book could have been created based on the Mahabharata!
The book takes you on a journey where technology and Mahabharata walk hand in hand. Krishna plays on tablet and........ Nope, I will not reveal the plot here.
But truly, the imagination is very, very unique. Believe me, I loved this tale to the core. An excellent INDIAN science fiction. Those every scientific terms put down in the novel made sense with the storyline and it wasn't boring at all.
Recommended strongly if you wanna enjoy the fusion of Mahabharata and sci-fic !
I have always loved the Great Indian Epic and am ready to read any book based on it. But I couldn't imagine in my wildest dreams that an attractive plot like that of this book could have been created based on the Mahabharata!
The book takes you on a journey where technology and Mahabharata walk hand in hand. Krishna plays on tablet and........ Nope, I will not reveal the plot here.
But truly, the imagination is very, very unique. Believe me, I loved this tale to the core. An excellent INDIAN science fiction. Those every scientific terms put down in the novel made sense with the storyline and it wasn't boring at all.
Recommended strongly if you wanna enjoy the fusion of Mahabharata and sci-fic !
June 21, 2016
WHAT IS THIS THAT I AM FEELING????
First of all I would like to thank the author for the reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
Here's as honest as I can get..
What was that??
Don't get me wrong! I loved this book to the core. There wasn't one part in this book that was not worth loving. Although it was a little confusing in the beginning, it just kept getting better and better.
The characters! Holy Hades! Srishti.. this woman is a gem! Never in my life have I felt this connected to anybody. I am not even kidding when I say that she was the most relatable character that I ever read. (except for the computer engineer part!)
All the characters were well written and a lot of us Indians already know, in detail, about the characters of Mahabharata, adding an even more human touch to them helped. I love that Arjuna was a little jealous of Krishna because come on! Who wouldn't be!?
I've always loved the idea of a retelling( or is it?) of our Indian Myths because we don't get enough of them. This book was just what I wanted. Let me put it out there that I have never read any such book in my life!
The way every scene was explained made me believe more and more that these Mahabharat and Ramayan, the ones in this book, were actually way more understandable and even acceptable than the originals. I dare say that these sounded more logical than the actual ones. It felt like I was reading about a dystopian, more scientifically advanced version of our Myths! It was fantastic!!!!!
Also, I always loved listening to Mahabharat or Ramayan and I used to keep irritating my grandmother until she told me those again and again. Even then, after listening to them so many times, I had unanswered questions. So, that was one of the main reasons I was really interested in this book. It looked like I could find answers from this book, but I was wrong! This left me even more confused. I mean it in a sense where after reading this book, now I have even more questions about this life!
Why did you do this to me?
Now to my favorite part about this book!!!! THE REFERENCES!
Man! I am a sucker for Indian References! We don't get a lot of them in books. The main reason I loved this book so much is the author's writing. His love for cricket was so evident in this book! (Also thank you for giving us that alternate universe where Dravid is appreciated for what he did!! He deserves it.) There were so many beautiful and funny sentences and ideas that *I am not even kidding right now* I noted them down on a paper when I was reading the book. I would've listed all of my favorites here, but that would be half of the book! So I am going to put here a few of my absolute favorites so that anyone reading this will know just how precious this book is...
" The Nirbhaya Shot- a recent invention in their planet to check rapes" Can we have these in reality please? Like.. We need them!!!!
"Sachin fans with Dravid fans on cyberspace, CSK fans with all other IPL fan clubs put together, SRK fans with Aamir/Salman fans.." Like how true is that? *Sniff**sniff* I miss CSK though, never thought I'd say that! I am not even ashamed to admit that I am a part of all of the above mentioned fights.
Battle Chod!! Makhan Chor!! Bansurike!!! Sir! You are a genius! Pure genius! *Bows down*
On the whole.. I love love love love love... *after an hour of repeating love* love this book! I would recommend it to every single person out there, Indian or not, to go read this!
First of all I would like to thank the author for the reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
Here's as honest as I can get..
What was that??
Don't get me wrong! I loved this book to the core. There wasn't one part in this book that was not worth loving. Although it was a little confusing in the beginning, it just kept getting better and better.
The characters! Holy Hades! Srishti.. this woman is a gem! Never in my life have I felt this connected to anybody. I am not even kidding when I say that she was the most relatable character that I ever read. (except for the computer engineer part!)
All the characters were well written and a lot of us Indians already know, in detail, about the characters of Mahabharata, adding an even more human touch to them helped. I love that Arjuna was a little jealous of Krishna because come on! Who wouldn't be!?
I've always loved the idea of a retelling( or is it?) of our Indian Myths because we don't get enough of them. This book was just what I wanted. Let me put it out there that I have never read any such book in my life!
The way every scene was explained made me believe more and more that these Mahabharat and Ramayan, the ones in this book, were actually way more understandable and even acceptable than the originals. I dare say that these sounded more logical than the actual ones. It felt like I was reading about a dystopian, more scientifically advanced version of our Myths! It was fantastic!!!!!
Also, I always loved listening to Mahabharat or Ramayan and I used to keep irritating my grandmother until she told me those again and again. Even then, after listening to them so many times, I had unanswered questions. So, that was one of the main reasons I was really interested in this book. It looked like I could find answers from this book, but I was wrong! This left me even more confused. I mean it in a sense where after reading this book, now I have even more questions about this life!
Why did you do this to me?
Now to my favorite part about this book!!!! THE REFERENCES!
Man! I am a sucker for Indian References! We don't get a lot of them in books. The main reason I loved this book so much is the author's writing. His love for cricket was so evident in this book! (Also thank you for giving us that alternate universe where Dravid is appreciated for what he did!! He deserves it.) There were so many beautiful and funny sentences and ideas that *I am not even kidding right now* I noted them down on a paper when I was reading the book. I would've listed all of my favorites here, but that would be half of the book! So I am going to put here a few of my absolute favorites so that anyone reading this will know just how precious this book is...
" The Nirbhaya Shot- a recent invention in their planet to check rapes" Can we have these in reality please? Like.. We need them!!!!
"Sachin fans with Dravid fans on cyberspace, CSK fans with all other IPL fan clubs put together, SRK fans with Aamir/Salman fans.." Like how true is that? *Sniff**sniff* I miss CSK though, never thought I'd say that! I am not even ashamed to admit that I am a part of all of the above mentioned fights.
Battle Chod!! Makhan Chor!! Bansurike!!! Sir! You are a genius! Pure genius! *Bows down*
On the whole.. I love love love love love... *after an hour of repeating love* love this book! I would recommend it to every single person out there, Indian or not, to go read this!
September 17, 2016
Rick Riordan has really opened a Pandora's box. From Shiva to Zeus, from Arjun to Hercules and from Sita to Diana - has been told, and retold. Hashed and reincarnated. The question is why? Why are we so much into analyzing and retelling the events which have already become a way of life for an entire nation? Is there a dearth of imagination or is it the analytical minds of the writers that need to understand why Sita went under the ground or why Draupadi's clothes were ripped off her body and yet her silent spectators are given god-like respect? I think this is an era of giving answers to the questions our younger generation has been asking. No more are the words enough. Words that are parroted without understanding and cloaked with scientific explanation lose their true essence.
The Mahabharata Code by Karthik K B Rao is yet another contribution to this phenomenon called retelling of mythologies. He has gone a step ahead by adding Sci-fi to this genre. Very innovative.
This novel is not for a rainy day. Many questions have been raised and some answered scientifically. Why did Jarasandh have such immense strength and what was the reason behind Krishna for slaying him? How did Ravana have 10 heads and what was the reason behind the monkey men fighting for Rama? I am sure many of us have asked these questions at one time or the other. Mr. Rao has almost given some believable justifications. -
The narrative will catch your interest in the beginning when questions regarding Krishna and the whole cosmos planner are raised. A mixture of past and present, reality and surreal are blended. When past merges into the present and vice versa, forms a page turner till a certain point.
The story takes a turn when the protag is sent to another planet where the restaging of Mahabharata will take place. All the characters are already decided upon by the great maestro Vyasa and the protag along with his team are mere witnesses.
The Mahabharata Code...
'When the earthlings get a message in the form of Hindu symbols which reads, 'athithi devo bhava' it starts a journey to the unknown. Who are the players and who play the role of spectators will be understood much later in the story. Curiosity factors are maintained till here. Even after they reach the planet the occurrences of the Mahabharata are orchestrated by whom and why also forms quite an interesting read.
But the problems start with the winding down of the story. The ending where reality is merged with ambiguity might be a bit off-putting for some. For a more analytical mind, it might open a plethora of questions raised in this book. The author has given women a much higher place than was given during those times. There is even a Nirbhaya shot for Arjuna.
And this is where my greatest peeve with this novel is.
The flow of the story is full of diversions. From mythological characters to reality. From expectations of a father to being a defenseless father... I wish the author did not have to give justification for all his characters. If one character is bad then he is bad. A villain needs no justification. And this dual image of Krishna is something I accepted but still had my doubts. Krishna is one of the biggest examples of shades of gray - even if he is a god. But why he is like that and what is the difference between a villain and a man fighting for his rights, is what makes Mahabharata code an interesting read.
The Resolution ...
The resolution of the story could have been a bit earlier. If I say more on this it will have spoilers so let me just surmise that even with an ambiguous ending let there be only one school of thought. Too many resolutions gave to the same occurrence or to reach the same destination can be detrimental to the readers.
The Mahabharata Code by Karthik K B Rao is yet another contribution to this phenomenon called retelling of mythologies. He has gone a step ahead by adding Sci-fi to this genre. Very innovative.
This novel is not for a rainy day. Many questions have been raised and some answered scientifically. Why did Jarasandh have such immense strength and what was the reason behind Krishna for slaying him? How did Ravana have 10 heads and what was the reason behind the monkey men fighting for Rama? I am sure many of us have asked these questions at one time or the other. Mr. Rao has almost given some believable justifications. -
The narrative will catch your interest in the beginning when questions regarding Krishna and the whole cosmos planner are raised. A mixture of past and present, reality and surreal are blended. When past merges into the present and vice versa, forms a page turner till a certain point.
The story takes a turn when the protag is sent to another planet where the restaging of Mahabharata will take place. All the characters are already decided upon by the great maestro Vyasa and the protag along with his team are mere witnesses.
The Mahabharata Code...
'When the earthlings get a message in the form of Hindu symbols which reads, 'athithi devo bhava' it starts a journey to the unknown. Who are the players and who play the role of spectators will be understood much later in the story. Curiosity factors are maintained till here. Even after they reach the planet the occurrences of the Mahabharata are orchestrated by whom and why also forms quite an interesting read.
But the problems start with the winding down of the story. The ending where reality is merged with ambiguity might be a bit off-putting for some. For a more analytical mind, it might open a plethora of questions raised in this book. The author has given women a much higher place than was given during those times. There is even a Nirbhaya shot for Arjuna.
And this is where my greatest peeve with this novel is.
The flow of the story is full of diversions. From mythological characters to reality. From expectations of a father to being a defenseless father... I wish the author did not have to give justification for all his characters. If one character is bad then he is bad. A villain needs no justification. And this dual image of Krishna is something I accepted but still had my doubts. Krishna is one of the biggest examples of shades of gray - even if he is a god. But why he is like that and what is the difference between a villain and a man fighting for his rights, is what makes Mahabharata code an interesting read.
The Resolution ...
The resolution of the story could have been a bit earlier. If I say more on this it will have spoilers so let me just surmise that even with an ambiguous ending let there be only one school of thought. Too many resolutions gave to the same occurrence or to reach the same destination can be detrimental to the readers.
March 28, 2017
Pretty sure this book deserves to be read among masses as this kind of books may help people know about our literary epics rather getting drifted towards the western literature (only in Magical realism case) and people for inspiration. I guess I could shelve this book in Fantasy and religious Genre. The book itself seems to have many inspirations from typical things which one typical cinephile might encounter like Nolan Movies, Matrix Trilogy, Ancient Aliens documentary on Alien History Channel and mentioning it in the acknowledgements and wikipedia and youtube references are cool and unconventional to witness. The log entry writing style of the author pretty much resembled some contemporary bestsellers though it was pretty easy to go through the happenings of the retake plot with sci-fi and philosophical elements in it. The start of the story was really good and things even got more interesting, entertaining and hilarious on way which i had a feeling that I'll love this one until finishing the three eighth of the book.
Then all of a sudden, it all turned to be spiritual journey in a religious sense. Though the rationalist in me took over those arguments that took between Narayan (the narrator most of the time) and Srishti who in turn persuaded the former to believe in things like free will, anthropomorphic ideas which made me doubt Narayanan was too dumb to work at NASA and it turned out to be right at some point! (oooh, Spoiler! or Is It?)
Srishti, the female character which i said earlier, felt to be a person with illusions of knowledge and little narcissistic some places and not like "the rationalist under moderation" as the way author expected it to portray. The bad part comes within my mind while reading many of the arguments which the author brought up to me through the characters seem to contradict the facts that i knew already. Knowing some about Human Evolution and behaviour of our ancestral simpletons, Free will philosophy and determinism-empiricism, big Bang models made me feel some of the arguments made by author seem unnecessary and hindsight biased.
“You can do what you decide to do � but you cannot decide what you will decide to do”�
Even back in the 60s people figured out a model called Zero energy Universe where something can really come from nothing. It's a strange world we live in. It could theoretically last forever. Indeed Fact is stranger than this retelling story.
And the author tried to mix up karma, freewill, laws of physics, and cause and effect ambiguously through couple of characters which i felt disappointed. If one could fairly see the distinction between these things, he/she would feel the bird-brained nature of explanation. I couldn't able to merge with the main characters in the plot. The Final Conversation with Lord Krishna was good with explaining things through the narrator that certain things can't be explained clearly, only through explaining. Of course, we're bound to have limits but it's too far away to get noticed by typical muggles.
Overall, some of the books that I'd read earlier this year conspired to block the little lovable things of wonderful imagination in a fantastisk world. Maybe Free will and other desired phenomena are sure to have validity in some other probabilistic universes. Maybe.
I have to thank the author personally for intriguing me to know more about epics. I'm hopefully keen to read the original lengthy translation (heard it has 10 fat volumes) works of The Mahabharata, maybe very soon. And again, i have to thank the author for taking time in sending me a Paperback copy for this harsh review. But not too harsh, i guess though at least it's honest.
Then all of a sudden, it all turned to be spiritual journey in a religious sense. Though the rationalist in me took over those arguments that took between Narayan (the narrator most of the time) and Srishti who in turn persuaded the former to believe in things like free will, anthropomorphic ideas which made me doubt Narayanan was too dumb to work at NASA and it turned out to be right at some point! (oooh, Spoiler! or Is It?)
Srishti, the female character which i said earlier, felt to be a person with illusions of knowledge and little narcissistic some places and not like "the rationalist under moderation" as the way author expected it to portray. The bad part comes within my mind while reading many of the arguments which the author brought up to me through the characters seem to contradict the facts that i knew already. Knowing some about Human Evolution and behaviour of our ancestral simpletons, Free will philosophy and determinism-empiricism, big Bang models made me feel some of the arguments made by author seem unnecessary and hindsight biased.
“You can do what you decide to do � but you cannot decide what you will decide to do”�
Even back in the 60s people figured out a model called Zero energy Universe where something can really come from nothing. It's a strange world we live in. It could theoretically last forever. Indeed Fact is stranger than this retelling story.
And the author tried to mix up karma, freewill, laws of physics, and cause and effect ambiguously through couple of characters which i felt disappointed. If one could fairly see the distinction between these things, he/she would feel the bird-brained nature of explanation. I couldn't able to merge with the main characters in the plot. The Final Conversation with Lord Krishna was good with explaining things through the narrator that certain things can't be explained clearly, only through explaining. Of course, we're bound to have limits but it's too far away to get noticed by typical muggles.
Overall, some of the books that I'd read earlier this year conspired to block the little lovable things of wonderful imagination in a fantastisk world. Maybe Free will and other desired phenomena are sure to have validity in some other probabilistic universes. Maybe.
I have to thank the author personally for intriguing me to know more about epics. I'm hopefully keen to read the original lengthy translation (heard it has 10 fat volumes) works of The Mahabharata, maybe very soon. And again, i have to thank the author for taking time in sending me a Paperback copy for this harsh review. But not too harsh, i guess though at least it's honest.
July 26, 2016
We all would have watched Mahabharata in television as a kid or otherwise. We would have also listened to the story from our grandparents or in conference or at least have read it in parts in book/school text.
Undoubtedly we had seen the evolution of story over a period of time where we had seen the greatest epic being translated and transformed in various forms with the help of technology but not getting the basic story line changed.
The same happens in "The Mahabharata Code". How nice would be it be to read that Lord Krishna writes in a Parker Pen and there are lot of coding and technology involved? This is what he author tried brining in this story. He has integrated it very well at suitable places that makes this book really interesting to read.
I must say that the thought process gone in this book is simply mind-blowing because as a kid, I always remember my Mom saying that the so called GOD would be Technologically Superior to us sitting elsewhere in the galaxy monitoring us and when I read it in words, my joy knew no bounds.
I liked all the chapters in this 22 chapter long book and among all I liked Chapter 20 which is The Revelation and I would compare it with modern day Bhagavad Gita" which would make you to "Self-Realise". This is one book which can be read by people from all over the world without giving a second thought as it is more of though provoking and compelling.
I am not going deep into this book as it is a simple integration of the Epic Mahabharat itself but with modern day twists and turns. Do give a read and enjoy :-)
I got this book as a part of ŷ Free Book Review Program.
Undoubtedly we had seen the evolution of story over a period of time where we had seen the greatest epic being translated and transformed in various forms with the help of technology but not getting the basic story line changed.
The same happens in "The Mahabharata Code". How nice would be it be to read that Lord Krishna writes in a Parker Pen and there are lot of coding and technology involved? This is what he author tried brining in this story. He has integrated it very well at suitable places that makes this book really interesting to read.
I must say that the thought process gone in this book is simply mind-blowing because as a kid, I always remember my Mom saying that the so called GOD would be Technologically Superior to us sitting elsewhere in the galaxy monitoring us and when I read it in words, my joy knew no bounds.
I liked all the chapters in this 22 chapter long book and among all I liked Chapter 20 which is The Revelation and I would compare it with modern day Bhagavad Gita" which would make you to "Self-Realise". This is one book which can be read by people from all over the world without giving a second thought as it is more of though provoking and compelling.
I am not going deep into this book as it is a simple integration of the Epic Mahabharat itself but with modern day twists and turns. Do give a read and enjoy :-)
I got this book as a part of ŷ Free Book Review Program.
May 18, 2017
I am extremely disappointed with this book. I was excited when I received it as it had got a lot of good reviews here on ŷ. In my opinion, this is a badly written book and all the reviews here misguided me. I also found that the style of writing ( not the quality) is derived from other Indian authors. Let me explain all of this!
To start with, the usage of language is very poor throughout the book. The conversations and storyline are as if they are narrated by college kids who haven't bothered to grasp English correctly. This leads to the characters losing their grace, their presence, and mannerisms. To give a few examples: "This Kamsa fellow said something", "I ran like hell", Krishna saying "LOL", etc, are sentences that are let downs when someone like a king, sage, prince or even a god says.
A clear flow lacks in the whole book. The different story lines, the past, the present and the future are all tangled up to create a big confusion. There are many loopholes that add to it. The way the story jumps between the past and the present is extremely abrupt and through all this jumbled up mess, it gets difficult to enjoy reading this book.Honestly, it was a struggle reading it.
Following are the list of things that irritated me while I read it:
1. Using unnecessary statements quite often - "Some news channel was breaking some news". Sentences like this give no insights but distract readers from what is actually going on in the scene.
2. Giving scientific explanations to every little thing in the world - It got on my nerves when I read those lame scientific explanations given to every small thing like "biometrics on weapons", "Kunti using radio transmitters", "Brahma's laboratory", etc. To a certain extent, it is okay, but when overdone like in this case, it loses all its value.
3. Telling the reader what to infer from a particular statement. When person one explains a concept, the reader is smart enough to understand it's context. It needn't be conveyed through another person stating what it meant each time. This too is something that is overdone and thus sticks out as a huge minus point for this book.
4. The protagonist asks too many questions which are unanswered- Half a page of questions like "who am I? what I am I doing? where Am I? Is this an illusion? am I an illusion?" ,etc is being asked and not addressed. This repeats in several places and it definitely gets irritating.
5. Very bad at humor - I am sorry but naming galaxies as "Coffee way", using oil Wells as a medium of comedy, the great Veda Vyasa talking about Gangam Style, etc, makes the story lose its depth and grace. Having humor is definitely good but not when it's childish and silly. On one hand, the story is being built and on the other, it's being made to look like some kind of a spoof.
6. Lack of Direction in the story - The title and the story don't match up. It goes from space adventure to mythology to a spiritual journey to random boring talks and finally ends up in insanity just till the very end when the reader is told that the insanity is just a diversion.
Now, coming to the part where this book has a lot of derivations (or "inspirations") from other authors.
1. Chetan Bhagat's "one night at the call center" Novel. This book has a story line and in between, there are chapters where one of the characters in the book goes into flashbacks on "dates he had been on with his girlfriend". The exact same concept is in The Mahabharata Code as well. Narayan and Shrishti's dates or conversations are flashbacks that keep coming up in between. Secondly, The whole premise of Chetan Bhagat's book of the guy talking to god and finally waking up to realize it was dreamt is the same in this book as well ( such a cliche) but unlike Chetan's book, this does not end there.
2. Amish Tripathi's style of taking concepts or well-known stories from Indian mythology and trying to give some scientific explanations to it. The Author of The Mahabharatha Code does this too and does this way too often. The explanations seem as though they are just there for the sake of it. This left a very bad aftertaste.
To conclude, though there are some good elements to this book, all gets overshadowed by the points I have mentioned above. It was a bad experience and I would not recommend this book to anyone.
I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of this book but unfortunately, I didn't like it. The plot promises a lot of good things but it hasn't been delivered to the fullest capability.
To start with, the usage of language is very poor throughout the book. The conversations and storyline are as if they are narrated by college kids who haven't bothered to grasp English correctly. This leads to the characters losing their grace, their presence, and mannerisms. To give a few examples: "This Kamsa fellow said something", "I ran like hell", Krishna saying "LOL", etc, are sentences that are let downs when someone like a king, sage, prince or even a god says.
A clear flow lacks in the whole book. The different story lines, the past, the present and the future are all tangled up to create a big confusion. There are many loopholes that add to it. The way the story jumps between the past and the present is extremely abrupt and through all this jumbled up mess, it gets difficult to enjoy reading this book.Honestly, it was a struggle reading it.
Following are the list of things that irritated me while I read it:
1. Using unnecessary statements quite often - "Some news channel was breaking some news". Sentences like this give no insights but distract readers from what is actually going on in the scene.
2. Giving scientific explanations to every little thing in the world - It got on my nerves when I read those lame scientific explanations given to every small thing like "biometrics on weapons", "Kunti using radio transmitters", "Brahma's laboratory", etc. To a certain extent, it is okay, but when overdone like in this case, it loses all its value.
3. Telling the reader what to infer from a particular statement. When person one explains a concept, the reader is smart enough to understand it's context. It needn't be conveyed through another person stating what it meant each time. This too is something that is overdone and thus sticks out as a huge minus point for this book.
4. The protagonist asks too many questions which are unanswered- Half a page of questions like "who am I? what I am I doing? where Am I? Is this an illusion? am I an illusion?" ,etc is being asked and not addressed. This repeats in several places and it definitely gets irritating.
5. Very bad at humor - I am sorry but naming galaxies as "Coffee way", using oil Wells as a medium of comedy, the great Veda Vyasa talking about Gangam Style, etc, makes the story lose its depth and grace. Having humor is definitely good but not when it's childish and silly. On one hand, the story is being built and on the other, it's being made to look like some kind of a spoof.
6. Lack of Direction in the story - The title and the story don't match up. It goes from space adventure to mythology to a spiritual journey to random boring talks and finally ends up in insanity just till the very end when the reader is told that the insanity is just a diversion.
Now, coming to the part where this book has a lot of derivations (or "inspirations") from other authors.
1. Chetan Bhagat's "one night at the call center" Novel. This book has a story line and in between, there are chapters where one of the characters in the book goes into flashbacks on "dates he had been on with his girlfriend". The exact same concept is in The Mahabharata Code as well. Narayan and Shrishti's dates or conversations are flashbacks that keep coming up in between. Secondly, The whole premise of Chetan Bhagat's book of the guy talking to god and finally waking up to realize it was dreamt is the same in this book as well ( such a cliche) but unlike Chetan's book, this does not end there.
2. Amish Tripathi's style of taking concepts or well-known stories from Indian mythology and trying to give some scientific explanations to it. The Author of The Mahabharatha Code does this too and does this way too often. The explanations seem as though they are just there for the sake of it. This left a very bad aftertaste.
To conclude, though there are some good elements to this book, all gets overshadowed by the points I have mentioned above. It was a bad experience and I would not recommend this book to anyone.
I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of this book but unfortunately, I didn't like it. The plot promises a lot of good things but it hasn't been delivered to the fullest capability.
August 27, 2016
Cover- The cover of the book arises the urge to know more about the book. The colour scheme is fascinating.
Title- The title ‘The Mahabharta Code� gives us the glimpse of the genre which it follows i.e. mythology and has many surprises stored for the readers.
Blurb- “The Mahabharata Code is a personal account of the main protagonist Narayan Rao (NR), who claims to be an astronomer with NASA. NR and a few other crew members agree to take part in the NASA mission to visit this mystery planet from which they had received mysterious signals. Here, they meet a man with a long flowing white beard, and he introduces himself as Vyasa. He reveals that he has a crazy plan in mind and seeks NR and his members� help in implementing this plan. He intends to recreate the entire Mahabharata on this planet to restore the faith of the primitive simpletons here.
As the Mahabharata incidents start unfolding, NR realizes that Vyasa intends to recreate them page by page here, if not paragraph by paragraph. Also NR begins to realize that his son, Krishna, who is being groomed by Vyasa as Vishnu’s avatar, is nothing more than a pawn in Vyasa’s scheme of things. Other incidents of Mahabharata also unfold according to the original epic. Pandavas and Kauravas grow up hating each other and finally the restaging plan culminates with both the warring sets of cousins facing each other in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Inexplicably, like the original epic, Arjuna develops cold feet seeing his own cousins, teachers and relatives on the opposite side. He seeks Krishna’s divine intervention. Is the brainwashed “alien� Krishna prepared for this intervention?�
Plot- The plot is well knit and has no loose ends in it. The plot follows no digressions and has a unique concept in it. The protagonist is a NASA scientist who is tied in the knots of his subconscious mind which produced certain hallucinations where he could connect himself to the Mahabharta story. The author has played a tricky game which confuses the readers and keeps suspense till the end.
Characterisation- The author has beautifully portrayed the characters. The protagonist the complex character in the story. He looks flat but shifts to round and then ends up being complex. Even readers could not make it whether he is a flat one or round. The mention of Mahabharta characters and the stories related to them is impeccable. A new version of their views could be noticed.
STyle- The author has cleverly written this piece with lots of research on his side. The descriptions are perfectly delineated. The pace of the novel is steady. The combination of imagination and present is impeccable. The use of mythological jargons along with perfect editing skills makes this novel an amazing piece. The references listed at the end surely help us know his views and even serve as a guide for us if we counter check it. But at times, I felt there was confusion created maybe it was intentional so that the readers could not guess the suspense. This novel is a wonderful mashup of flashback technique and stream of consciousness.
Title- The title ‘The Mahabharta Code� gives us the glimpse of the genre which it follows i.e. mythology and has many surprises stored for the readers.
Blurb- “The Mahabharata Code is a personal account of the main protagonist Narayan Rao (NR), who claims to be an astronomer with NASA. NR and a few other crew members agree to take part in the NASA mission to visit this mystery planet from which they had received mysterious signals. Here, they meet a man with a long flowing white beard, and he introduces himself as Vyasa. He reveals that he has a crazy plan in mind and seeks NR and his members� help in implementing this plan. He intends to recreate the entire Mahabharata on this planet to restore the faith of the primitive simpletons here.
As the Mahabharata incidents start unfolding, NR realizes that Vyasa intends to recreate them page by page here, if not paragraph by paragraph. Also NR begins to realize that his son, Krishna, who is being groomed by Vyasa as Vishnu’s avatar, is nothing more than a pawn in Vyasa’s scheme of things. Other incidents of Mahabharata also unfold according to the original epic. Pandavas and Kauravas grow up hating each other and finally the restaging plan culminates with both the warring sets of cousins facing each other in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Inexplicably, like the original epic, Arjuna develops cold feet seeing his own cousins, teachers and relatives on the opposite side. He seeks Krishna’s divine intervention. Is the brainwashed “alien� Krishna prepared for this intervention?�
Plot- The plot is well knit and has no loose ends in it. The plot follows no digressions and has a unique concept in it. The protagonist is a NASA scientist who is tied in the knots of his subconscious mind which produced certain hallucinations where he could connect himself to the Mahabharta story. The author has played a tricky game which confuses the readers and keeps suspense till the end.
Characterisation- The author has beautifully portrayed the characters. The protagonist the complex character in the story. He looks flat but shifts to round and then ends up being complex. Even readers could not make it whether he is a flat one or round. The mention of Mahabharta characters and the stories related to them is impeccable. A new version of their views could be noticed.
STyle- The author has cleverly written this piece with lots of research on his side. The descriptions are perfectly delineated. The pace of the novel is steady. The combination of imagination and present is impeccable. The use of mythological jargons along with perfect editing skills makes this novel an amazing piece. The references listed at the end surely help us know his views and even serve as a guide for us if we counter check it. But at times, I felt there was confusion created maybe it was intentional so that the readers could not guess the suspense. This novel is a wonderful mashup of flashback technique and stream of consciousness.
March 31, 2016
When I come across books on the Ramayana or the Mahabharata, they generically fall into 2 category. First would be a retelling of the epics with backlashes to some of the characters and second would be the modern generation or a secret brotherhood, going on a quest in search of some forgotten weapon and saving our day once again. But what is fresh about 'The Mahabharata Code' is that the author highlights on the teachings of the Gita and imparts us with knowledge, which I believe was the intention of Vyasa when writing the Mahabharata originally, and with a twist!. Somewhere along the way, our authors have forgotten this. Thank you Karthik, for focusing on the Knowledge part of the epic. A quick, fun read that takes a deep resonant thinking.
August 11, 2016
Don't know how to start the review for this book. For software engineers this is the must book to read. Really good thinking and showing Mahabharata in a short and simple version. The books name should have been The Krishna code rather than The Mahabharata Code. I would have given 5 star but the conversation between main protagonist Narayan and shrishti made me think where the book is going sorry to say little bit boring. But after that part script took almost a u-turn, it was like Krishna was reciting a new version of Gita to Narayan his father rather to Arjuna. In the climax till the last letter by Krishna I was not sure what is going on with Narayan was he with srushti in Leh or was he in some mental asylum. It was bit philosophical but good.
July 23, 2016
Awesome creativity. I could really connect with the while reading the book as I am a Software Engineer myself and also had a childhood same as Karthik. I was very much in awe of the Ramayana and B.R. Chopra Mahabharata series. I loved reading the creative writing as it makes you connect to the epic in Today's real sense. Cloning, DNA, Galaxies, Parallel Universe, awesome stuff.
Thank you Karthik for writing the book. I would look forward to read more books from you.
Thank you Karthik for writing the book. I would look forward to read more books from you.
October 31, 2017
I have always been fascinated by mythological books and when it comes to reading a book that is a combination of mythology and science, how could I miss the chance? The blurb itself was enough to generate my interest in the book. Based on the epic Mahabharata, “The Mahabharata Code� is narrated by the protagonist Narayan Rao who is an astronomer with NASA. Mahabharata is one epic that people love to read, discuss and interpret. This is definitely an appreciable effort by the author to present this epic as a basis of a Sci Fi story. It is definitely a bold move to experiment with this epic.
The story is quite imaginative and is a new concept where the mythological beliefs have been depicted or rather presented in a scientific manner. I liked the way the author has built similarities between the religious beliefs and technological facts.
The narration is quite plain and simple. However, the concept and storyline manage to overcome this shortage. The characterisation Srishti and Karna are done well.
The cover of the book is quite supportive to the theme of the book. However, it may not manage to attract many eyeballs at the first glance which is a prerequisite of a good book cover.
Overall, “The Mahabharata Code� is an interesting read and is recommended to everyone who like to read mythology based stories. With its own flaws and plus points, the book overall manages to intrigue the interest of the readers with its unique concept and storyline. I would have given it a 3.5 stars but going for 4 solely because of its unique theme. Go for it. You will not regret reading it.
The story is quite imaginative and is a new concept where the mythological beliefs have been depicted or rather presented in a scientific manner. I liked the way the author has built similarities between the religious beliefs and technological facts.
The narration is quite plain and simple. However, the concept and storyline manage to overcome this shortage. The characterisation Srishti and Karna are done well.
The cover of the book is quite supportive to the theme of the book. However, it may not manage to attract many eyeballs at the first glance which is a prerequisite of a good book cover.
Overall, “The Mahabharata Code� is an interesting read and is recommended to everyone who like to read mythology based stories. With its own flaws and plus points, the book overall manages to intrigue the interest of the readers with its unique concept and storyline. I would have given it a 3.5 stars but going for 4 solely because of its unique theme. Go for it. You will not regret reading it.
October 27, 2016
**I won this in a GR Giveaway**
"The Mahabharata Code" is an explanation of the events in the epic Mahabharata, from a philosophical and kind of a software engineering point of view.
The premise is interesting. Over the years there have been so many retellings, re-interpretations, explanations and deconstructions of Ramayana and Mahabharata that one might think the dead horse have been beaten enough. But the Mahabharata, unbelievably rich in terms of both literary content and events, is still full of unexplored material if one has the capability to look at the right place with the right spirit. This is the author's first book; certainly does not seem so while reading. I'm sure he has a successful literary career ahead of him. The language is easy-flowing and lucid, and the structure engaging. I finished reading the book in two sessions (would have finished in a single one had I read it during the weekend) and thoroughly enjoyed it. The way the events of Mahabharata and concepts of Karma, Maya etc are explained is interesting and should be most appealing to the people from the software industry. The small touches of humour here and there are endearing. One extra point for the twist at the end, where it is left to the reader to decide what actually happened. I really liked how this was executed; I daresay this is my most favourite part of the book.
I had some concerns while reading the book. In order to explain complicated and far-fetched concepts and events, concepts that are a lot more complicated and far-fetched were brought into picture (especially at the end where Krishna explained things to his father). I have some confusion regarding what is hardware and what is software in this design, and what is real and what is metaphorical . The residual karma concept that Shrishti believes in is basically the Just-world hypothesis; what makes me uncomfortable is that it seems the author actually endorses this point of view. . Few grammatical and typo errors were overlooked, which I am sure will be taken care of in the subsequent editions.
Overall, The Mahabharata Code is a commendable first attempt from the author. In the present Indian literary scenario full of cheesy books written in bad English, this book is like a breath of fresh air. Hats off to the author for choosing a serious subject and producing a good, enjoyable book out of it. I hope this book and subsequent ones from the author find all the deserving success.
"The Mahabharata Code" is an explanation of the events in the epic Mahabharata, from a philosophical and kind of a software engineering point of view.
The premise is interesting. Over the years there have been so many retellings, re-interpretations, explanations and deconstructions of Ramayana and Mahabharata that one might think the dead horse have been beaten enough. But the Mahabharata, unbelievably rich in terms of both literary content and events, is still full of unexplored material if one has the capability to look at the right place with the right spirit. This is the author's first book; certainly does not seem so while reading. I'm sure he has a successful literary career ahead of him. The language is easy-flowing and lucid, and the structure engaging. I finished reading the book in two sessions (would have finished in a single one had I read it during the weekend) and thoroughly enjoyed it. The way the events of Mahabharata and concepts of Karma, Maya etc are explained is interesting and should be most appealing to the people from the software industry. The small touches of humour here and there are endearing. One extra point for the twist at the end, where it is left to the reader to decide what actually happened. I really liked how this was executed; I daresay this is my most favourite part of the book.
I had some concerns while reading the book. In order to explain complicated and far-fetched concepts and events, concepts that are a lot more complicated and far-fetched were brought into picture (especially at the end where Krishna explained things to his father). I have some confusion regarding what is hardware and what is software in this design, and what is real and what is metaphorical . The residual karma concept that Shrishti believes in is basically the Just-world hypothesis; what makes me uncomfortable is that it seems the author actually endorses this point of view. . Few grammatical and typo errors were overlooked, which I am sure will be taken care of in the subsequent editions.
Overall, The Mahabharata Code is a commendable first attempt from the author. In the present Indian literary scenario full of cheesy books written in bad English, this book is like a breath of fresh air. Hats off to the author for choosing a serious subject and producing a good, enjoyable book out of it. I hope this book and subsequent ones from the author find all the deserving success.
November 7, 2016
Karthik KB Rao/ Fiction Fantasy
My rating:★★★★�
[�-lost me ★★-average ★★�-worth a read ★★★★-excellent ★★★★�-amazing]
I thought this book would be hard for me to follow, since I have exactly 0.24735% knowledge of the actual Mahabharata. But thanks to the author’s easy retelling, I wasn’t having too much of a problem. The book is told from many fronts at once, from the point of view of Krishna, Vyasa, Arjuna, Kunti but is primarily narrated by Narayan Rao, simultaneously in two time frames, on planet Earth and on a distant mystery planet.
Narayan Rao is a scientist working at NASA, who, brought up on a diet of Ramayana and Mahabharata by his grandmother, believes them to be a part of India’s history rather than a myth or epic. So when NASA receives strange signals of various Hindu symbols like Om, Shree, and Swastika and also a cryptic message ‘Athithi Devo Bhava'[Guest is like God] from a distant planet in the Milky way galaxy, he is one of those who plan to go to that planet to search for signs of habitation and drill oil wells. But first, he goes back to India and marries Srishti, his cousin from his mother’s side and takes her along on the journey. On reaching that planet, they encounter an old man who explains to them that their help is needed to stage the Mahabharata to restore the faith of the primitive simpletons there. Narayan and Srishti’s son, Krishna is soon groomed as Vishnu’s avatar. Page by page, paragraph by paragraph, all the events from Mahabharata start happening, from Arjuna winning the hand of Draupadi, to the Pandavas and Kauravas growing up hating each other, which eventually culminates into the great war, where Arjuna develops cold feet at the thought of fighting his family members.
The old man, Vyasa, also tells them how the Ramayana too was staged here, with Ravana making nine clones of himself and being called Ravana with ten heads. All the events which happen in this staging of the Mahabharata are given a scientific explanation, with biometric scanning, cloning, and test tube babies scoring high on their scale. In the end, instead of Krishna giving a discourse to Arjuna, Narayan gets a one to one with Krishna, who explains humanity and the concept of God to him in a software programmer’s word, giving the feel of an anti-climax.
The Mahabharata Code is rightly a parable for our times, it teaches us that everything is predestined, and yet we have free will, and that Karma is a bitch. It also tells us of having belief and conviction in what we like the most. The book employs the use of funny and hilarious language, with interesting analogies. The author has merged his extensive knowledge of both Indian mythology and information technology in an outstanding debut.
My rating:★★★★�
[�-lost me ★★-average ★★�-worth a read ★★★★-excellent ★★★★�-amazing]
I thought this book would be hard for me to follow, since I have exactly 0.24735% knowledge of the actual Mahabharata. But thanks to the author’s easy retelling, I wasn’t having too much of a problem. The book is told from many fronts at once, from the point of view of Krishna, Vyasa, Arjuna, Kunti but is primarily narrated by Narayan Rao, simultaneously in two time frames, on planet Earth and on a distant mystery planet.
Narayan Rao is a scientist working at NASA, who, brought up on a diet of Ramayana and Mahabharata by his grandmother, believes them to be a part of India’s history rather than a myth or epic. So when NASA receives strange signals of various Hindu symbols like Om, Shree, and Swastika and also a cryptic message ‘Athithi Devo Bhava'[Guest is like God] from a distant planet in the Milky way galaxy, he is one of those who plan to go to that planet to search for signs of habitation and drill oil wells. But first, he goes back to India and marries Srishti, his cousin from his mother’s side and takes her along on the journey. On reaching that planet, they encounter an old man who explains to them that their help is needed to stage the Mahabharata to restore the faith of the primitive simpletons there. Narayan and Srishti’s son, Krishna is soon groomed as Vishnu’s avatar. Page by page, paragraph by paragraph, all the events from Mahabharata start happening, from Arjuna winning the hand of Draupadi, to the Pandavas and Kauravas growing up hating each other, which eventually culminates into the great war, where Arjuna develops cold feet at the thought of fighting his family members.
The old man, Vyasa, also tells them how the Ramayana too was staged here, with Ravana making nine clones of himself and being called Ravana with ten heads. All the events which happen in this staging of the Mahabharata are given a scientific explanation, with biometric scanning, cloning, and test tube babies scoring high on their scale. In the end, instead of Krishna giving a discourse to Arjuna, Narayan gets a one to one with Krishna, who explains humanity and the concept of God to him in a software programmer’s word, giving the feel of an anti-climax.
The Mahabharata Code is rightly a parable for our times, it teaches us that everything is predestined, and yet we have free will, and that Karma is a bitch. It also tells us of having belief and conviction in what we like the most. The book employs the use of funny and hilarious language, with interesting analogies. The author has merged his extensive knowledge of both Indian mythology and information technology in an outstanding debut.
August 2, 2016
Mahabharata is an epic that people loves to discuss and interpret. I have read many such books where this epic has been told from one or another point of view but this book, The Mahabharata Code� is something beyond anyone’s imagination.
First look at the book is little messy as the book cover is not so neat (not so attractive) and the blurb is too long.
The story of this book starts with a mission of NASA where Narayan Rao (NR) and other few crew members agrees to take part in a mission to visit a mysterious planet from where they are continuously receiving signals which seems to be difficult to decode. From there the story of Mahabharata kicks off once again on the planet earth where the same characters of the epic battle are playing their own roles but this time, something is not in the exact way as it should be. The twisted storyline and immense imagination with the use of proper technology makes this book a very interesting read.
Depth of characterization is done to an average level and that was good because anything more than that would have taken up the essence of the book. One thing that I felt where author went wrong was that the language was too informal at the beginning of the book. It was not very attractive piece of writing that could hold the reader longer.
I would like to appreciate the author for being bold enough to bring such imaginative work in paperback. This book surely makes you think about various things and the use of technology to explain various phenomenon was excellent thought. Another thing that I loved about the book was open ending. At the end, author forces you to think upon the story rather than forcing you to believe on everything he has written.
For me, this book surely deserves to be read.
First look at the book is little messy as the book cover is not so neat (not so attractive) and the blurb is too long.
The story of this book starts with a mission of NASA where Narayan Rao (NR) and other few crew members agrees to take part in a mission to visit a mysterious planet from where they are continuously receiving signals which seems to be difficult to decode. From there the story of Mahabharata kicks off once again on the planet earth where the same characters of the epic battle are playing their own roles but this time, something is not in the exact way as it should be. The twisted storyline and immense imagination with the use of proper technology makes this book a very interesting read.
Depth of characterization is done to an average level and that was good because anything more than that would have taken up the essence of the book. One thing that I felt where author went wrong was that the language was too informal at the beginning of the book. It was not very attractive piece of writing that could hold the reader longer.
I would like to appreciate the author for being bold enough to bring such imaginative work in paperback. This book surely makes you think about various things and the use of technology to explain various phenomenon was excellent thought. Another thing that I loved about the book was open ending. At the end, author forces you to think upon the story rather than forcing you to believe on everything he has written.
For me, this book surely deserves to be read.
October 3, 2017
I am a big fan of Indian Mythological Fictions and have read a lot of books of this genre. So I immediately started reading the book as soon as I received it.
There were quite a few very moments when I was completely engrossed in the book and felt as if I was traveling in time (and space) with the characters of the book. I liked the sections where he uses nowadays' common phrase to narrate an epic mythological episode like the Kunti's KLPD moment, Arjuna experiencing the Nibhaya Shot, Shishupala calling Krishna BC/MC, etc. The use of innovative expansions of these abbreviations was quite funny.
It was also interesting to see how Karthik tried to explain the complex subjects of origin of life; the vicious cycle of birth, death and rebirth; karma; moksha; etc. by comparing GOD to a Computer Programmer... I also liked the way he explains in a very simple manner why there are more incarnations in Satya Yuga or Treta yuga or Dwapara Yuga than in Kali Yuga.
Despite Karthik's tremendous effort to explain the conundrum of Gita and the deeper meanings of our mythological epics, I was finding it difficult to follow at few places. I had to read multiple times to understand what he is trying to convey (and honestly I am still unclear :) )
But then came the climax, which was very unexpected. I wonder if there is going to be another book where Mr. Narayan Rao (aka pappa) unravels the mystery of the Kannada letter.
There were quite a few very moments when I was completely engrossed in the book and felt as if I was traveling in time (and space) with the characters of the book. I liked the sections where he uses nowadays' common phrase to narrate an epic mythological episode like the Kunti's KLPD moment, Arjuna experiencing the Nibhaya Shot, Shishupala calling Krishna BC/MC, etc. The use of innovative expansions of these abbreviations was quite funny.
It was also interesting to see how Karthik tried to explain the complex subjects of origin of life; the vicious cycle of birth, death and rebirth; karma; moksha; etc. by comparing GOD to a Computer Programmer... I also liked the way he explains in a very simple manner why there are more incarnations in Satya Yuga or Treta yuga or Dwapara Yuga than in Kali Yuga.
Despite Karthik's tremendous effort to explain the conundrum of Gita and the deeper meanings of our mythological epics, I was finding it difficult to follow at few places. I had to read multiple times to understand what he is trying to convey (and honestly I am still unclear :) )
But then came the climax, which was very unexpected. I wonder if there is going to be another book where Mr. Narayan Rao (aka pappa) unravels the mystery of the Kannada letter.
June 23, 2017
The Mahabharata Code by Karthik K B Rao, An science fiction novel which is blended with Mythology, religious and fantasy. It is a unique plot for sure, the concept of mixing up mythology with new technology is interesting.
Blurb -
“The Mahabharata Code is a personal account of the main protagonist Narayan Rao (NR), who claims to be an astronomer with NASA. NR and a few other crew members agree to take part in the NASA mission to visit this mystery planet from which they had received mysterious signals. Here, they meet a man with a long flowing white beard, and he introduces himself as Vyasa. He reveals that he has a crazy plan in mind and seeks NR and his members� help in implementing this plan. He intends to recreate the entire Mahabharata on this planet to restore the faith of the primitive simpletons here.
As the Mahabharata incidents start unfolding, NR realizes that Vyasa intends to recreate them page by page here, if not paragraph by paragraph. Also NR begins to realize that his son, Krishna, who is being groomed by Vyasa as Vishnu’s avatar, is nothing more than a pawn in Vyasa’s scheme of things. Other incidents of Mahabharata also unfold according to the original epic. Pandavas and Kauravas grow up hating each other and finally the restaging plan culminates with both the warring sets of cousins facing each other in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Inexplicably, like the original epic, Arjuna develops cold feet seeing his own cousins, teachers and relatives on the opposite side. He seeks Krishna’s divine intervention. Is the brainwashed “alien� Krishna prepared for this intervention?�
My views -
I think blurb has rightly collected story line. So I am not focusing on that. Author has given good shape to characters, and narrated each scene really well. From the start you can see a differences between this novel and all the others. He makes to believe the recreation of Mahabharata as it is possible through his technological facts also it shows the research works of author. The novel shows you good flashback technique.
The twists and turns, mysteries which made me glued. Even though In some parts it makes me bored still the plot is different and urge to know the end makes me to read till last.
Apart from the story, the title and cover also perfectly suits with the plot. The subtitle Yet another retelling of the Mahabharata, or is it? Also leads you to know about story little more.
Overall, The Mahabharata Code is a good light read with simple and lucid language. I suggest this book to mythology and Sci-Fi readers.
Blurb -
“The Mahabharata Code is a personal account of the main protagonist Narayan Rao (NR), who claims to be an astronomer with NASA. NR and a few other crew members agree to take part in the NASA mission to visit this mystery planet from which they had received mysterious signals. Here, they meet a man with a long flowing white beard, and he introduces himself as Vyasa. He reveals that he has a crazy plan in mind and seeks NR and his members� help in implementing this plan. He intends to recreate the entire Mahabharata on this planet to restore the faith of the primitive simpletons here.
As the Mahabharata incidents start unfolding, NR realizes that Vyasa intends to recreate them page by page here, if not paragraph by paragraph. Also NR begins to realize that his son, Krishna, who is being groomed by Vyasa as Vishnu’s avatar, is nothing more than a pawn in Vyasa’s scheme of things. Other incidents of Mahabharata also unfold according to the original epic. Pandavas and Kauravas grow up hating each other and finally the restaging plan culminates with both the warring sets of cousins facing each other in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Inexplicably, like the original epic, Arjuna develops cold feet seeing his own cousins, teachers and relatives on the opposite side. He seeks Krishna’s divine intervention. Is the brainwashed “alien� Krishna prepared for this intervention?�
My views -
I think blurb has rightly collected story line. So I am not focusing on that. Author has given good shape to characters, and narrated each scene really well. From the start you can see a differences between this novel and all the others. He makes to believe the recreation of Mahabharata as it is possible through his technological facts also it shows the research works of author. The novel shows you good flashback technique.
The twists and turns, mysteries which made me glued. Even though In some parts it makes me bored still the plot is different and urge to know the end makes me to read till last.
Apart from the story, the title and cover also perfectly suits with the plot. The subtitle Yet another retelling of the Mahabharata, or is it? Also leads you to know about story little more.
Overall, The Mahabharata Code is a good light read with simple and lucid language. I suggest this book to mythology and Sci-Fi readers.
September 13, 2017
When I received the book the Mahabharata code, thesci-filook of the cover did seem interesting.
The book basedon Mahabharata narrated in first person, by the protagonist NR or rather Narayan Rao, an astronomer with NASA based originally from Bangalore. He and few other members are part of a NASA mission to visit a mysterious planet from where they receive signals. On reaching there instead of Jadoo like creäture they meet a man with long flowing beard calledvyasa his vision is to recreate the Mahabharata over again, to gain the faith of the primitive civilization of the planet.
The recreation isverbatim, and NR realizes his son Krishna was to be Lord Krishna.
The narrative stays true to the original, though intercepted with cricket and technology, with foot notes in italic to give an impression of hallucinations of a comatose man. there are some intrusion allusions used like, NR’s wife is a computer engineer who channelized her skill to create technology to transform their son to Lord Krishna.
At a point there is a suggestion that Krishna is 2 people and not one. the episode of Yashoda seeing the universe in Krishna’s mouth was because Krishna had cholate in his mouth,Yashodathe mother from the primitive planet mistook it for mud. The winning of Draupadihappensthrough biometric and of course the wonder of Karna clearing the biometrics arises. In the Kunti- Pandu story Pandu is given “Nirbaya Shots� to make him impotence, which is the way of the primitive planet to prevent rape,. The author does need to do research her.
The polyandry of Draupadi was planned by Vyasa. Somewhere there is a passage of being Hindu, which I have forgotten. The Ganga-Shantanu episode is presented as a prenuptial agreement, I wonder why the Shantanu-Sathyavati prenuptial were not brought up.
Out of the blue the book shifts to modern India, Leh area, the protagonist falls sick, then the army steps in with medical care... at the end of the reading I am still confused and the loose ends are many.
By the way the mysterious planet is in the coffeeway galaxy...
Maybe I am old school and I prefer Krishna Udayashankara’s,ShashiTharoor,SharatKomarraju, andDevduttPattnaik’s rendering of theMahabharat, in the exact order of the authors listed.
The book would be potent as an audio book withrightvocal variety for many of the writings lends itself to subtext or the meta-story than the visible story line. Again this is a very personal take.
People who are into reading as they travel should pick this book up, it will give them enough to visualize, and ponder. This is not skim in an hour book.
pick your book hereThe Mahabharata code
The book basedon Mahabharata narrated in first person, by the protagonist NR or rather Narayan Rao, an astronomer with NASA based originally from Bangalore. He and few other members are part of a NASA mission to visit a mysterious planet from where they receive signals. On reaching there instead of Jadoo like creäture they meet a man with long flowing beard calledvyasa his vision is to recreate the Mahabharata over again, to gain the faith of the primitive civilization of the planet.
The recreation isverbatim, and NR realizes his son Krishna was to be Lord Krishna.
The narrative stays true to the original, though intercepted with cricket and technology, with foot notes in italic to give an impression of hallucinations of a comatose man. there are some intrusion allusions used like, NR’s wife is a computer engineer who channelized her skill to create technology to transform their son to Lord Krishna.
At a point there is a suggestion that Krishna is 2 people and not one. the episode of Yashoda seeing the universe in Krishna’s mouth was because Krishna had cholate in his mouth,Yashodathe mother from the primitive planet mistook it for mud. The winning of Draupadihappensthrough biometric and of course the wonder of Karna clearing the biometrics arises. In the Kunti- Pandu story Pandu is given “Nirbaya Shots� to make him impotence, which is the way of the primitive planet to prevent rape,. The author does need to do research her.
The polyandry of Draupadi was planned by Vyasa. Somewhere there is a passage of being Hindu, which I have forgotten. The Ganga-Shantanu episode is presented as a prenuptial agreement, I wonder why the Shantanu-Sathyavati prenuptial were not brought up.
Out of the blue the book shifts to modern India, Leh area, the protagonist falls sick, then the army steps in with medical care... at the end of the reading I am still confused and the loose ends are many.
By the way the mysterious planet is in the coffeeway galaxy...
Maybe I am old school and I prefer Krishna Udayashankara’s,ShashiTharoor,SharatKomarraju, andDevduttPattnaik’s rendering of theMahabharat, in the exact order of the authors listed.
The book would be potent as an audio book withrightvocal variety for many of the writings lends itself to subtext or the meta-story than the visible story line. Again this is a very personal take.
People who are into reading as they travel should pick this book up, it will give them enough to visualize, and ponder. This is not skim in an hour book.
pick your book hereThe Mahabharata code
September 17, 2017
�...the secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to hear again. The ones you can enter anywhere and inhabit comfortably. They don’t deceive you with thrills and trick endings. They don’t surprise you with the unforeseen. They are as familiar as the house you live in. Or the smell of your lover’s skin. You know how they end, yet you listen as though you don’t. In the way that although you know that one day you will die, you live as though you won’t. In the Great Stories you know who lives, who dies, who finds love, who doesn’t. And yet you want to know again.
That is their mystery and their magic.�
� Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
I am tempted to open the review with these words. Mahabharata is a great book. It inspired countless authors to retell it in myriad ways. Everyone has their own interpretation. Yet we are not tired of reading it. The reason is told above.
The story is set in a far off planet. Narayan Rao, a scientist from NASA goes to a far off planet. There he meets a mystery man Vyasa. They try to recreate the great epic there. As expected Pandavas and Kauravas hate each other and come face to face in a war. Krishna is also there to guide.
The story is well written and a lot of research is done by Karthik. The Chapter of “Not required Indian� deals with the theme of caste. Srishti has some theory about it being based on deeds and not birth. They discuss it at great length in the context of Ramayan and Mahabharat. In these epics the lower castes were stopped from learning and that shows that it is based on birth.
Chapter 20 “The revelation� gives insight about the God Program. I cannot tell much as it will be spoiler.
The book is not a simple retelling of Mahabharata. The scale is large and the myths are explained in a scientific way. The dogmas of caste, superstations and blind faith are questioned. It made me think and reflect. The book is humorous and intelligent.
I give the book 4/ 5 stars.
That is their mystery and their magic.�
� Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
I am tempted to open the review with these words. Mahabharata is a great book. It inspired countless authors to retell it in myriad ways. Everyone has their own interpretation. Yet we are not tired of reading it. The reason is told above.
The story is set in a far off planet. Narayan Rao, a scientist from NASA goes to a far off planet. There he meets a mystery man Vyasa. They try to recreate the great epic there. As expected Pandavas and Kauravas hate each other and come face to face in a war. Krishna is also there to guide.
The story is well written and a lot of research is done by Karthik. The Chapter of “Not required Indian� deals with the theme of caste. Srishti has some theory about it being based on deeds and not birth. They discuss it at great length in the context of Ramayan and Mahabharat. In these epics the lower castes were stopped from learning and that shows that it is based on birth.
Chapter 20 “The revelation� gives insight about the God Program. I cannot tell much as it will be spoiler.
The book is not a simple retelling of Mahabharata. The scale is large and the myths are explained in a scientific way. The dogmas of caste, superstations and blind faith are questioned. It made me think and reflect. The book is humorous and intelligent.
I give the book 4/ 5 stars.
November 15, 2017
¡Received the book in a Giveaway!
RATINGS : 4.2
Being an Indian, when it comes to stories like Ramayana and Mahabharata, which we have for our bed time stories here, the number of times you have read or heard it recounted does not matter. We still take them up for as many reads as possible. The thing is, you absolutely never get bored of them!
And in recent times they are out making a heavy comeback, and this time not with just the Epics, but in terms of personal touches to each of them. We have seen young and upcoming writers like , and others, come out with some brilliant reads that keep you engrossed. And think about them, we do, with a lot of groaning and cringes involved the way; but in the end always with acceptance to the story and the character it revolves around. Of course, I won't name this book a masterpiece. Far from it, the book and the author still need some time for getting to know this vast and yet unexplored genre. But it has taken the right step towards the same.
For review, I don't I should get involved much there and just leave the reader to find out more about it; other than mention what it says in the front page :
The novel leaves a refreshing account in mind, with the reader having to work it out inch by inch, page by page, and after the last page you still wonder! And the ending, I could not have asked for anything better. Anything else, and it would have spoiled it for good.
In all, a very interesting and refreshing read. Hope to see some great works in the future from the author.
RATINGS : 4.2
Being an Indian, when it comes to stories like Ramayana and Mahabharata, which we have for our bed time stories here, the number of times you have read or heard it recounted does not matter. We still take them up for as many reads as possible. The thing is, you absolutely never get bored of them!
And in recent times they are out making a heavy comeback, and this time not with just the Epics, but in terms of personal touches to each of them. We have seen young and upcoming writers like , and others, come out with some brilliant reads that keep you engrossed. And think about them, we do, with a lot of groaning and cringes involved the way; but in the end always with acceptance to the story and the character it revolves around. Of course, I won't name this book a masterpiece. Far from it, the book and the author still need some time for getting to know this vast and yet unexplored genre. But it has taken the right step towards the same.
For review, I don't I should get involved much there and just leave the reader to find out more about it; other than mention what it says in the front page :
Yet another retelling of the Mahabharata , or is it?
The novel leaves a refreshing account in mind, with the reader having to work it out inch by inch, page by page, and after the last page you still wonder! And the ending, I could not have asked for anything better. Anything else, and it would have spoiled it for good.
In all, a very interesting and refreshing read. Hope to see some great works in the future from the author.
September 12, 2017
I have watched the epic of Mahabharata on television as a child and over the years have read multiple retellings of the age old epic from different perspective. But when I read the synopsis for ‘The Mahabharata Code� the plot was different from what I had read before. It had a sci-fi element added to it and I had to give this one a read.
Narayan Rao is an Indian astronaut working with NASA. He is chosen as one of the crew members to visit a mystery planet. He chooses to go there with his better half, Shrishti. Little did they know that they will play a major role in restaging the great epic of Mahabharata on an alien planet.
I found the plot to be very fascinating with aliens, spaceships and Mahabharata put together. The author’s imagination for bringing these aspects together in a book is worth a mention. The narration has its highs and lows. There are times where the narration dips especially where Narayan and Shristi are having a conversation. What appealed the most to me in the book was the logical explanation given for various events which were otherwise considered “mystical�. I loved the part where Krishna is narrating the Gita to Narayan.
The characterization could have been better. I could understand what all the characters where upto but didn’t really connect with any of them. But what I really liked about the characters is the justification given for their actions.
I would recommend you to pick this book up if you are looking for a varied retelling of Mahabharata.
PS: Thanks to author and TBC for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Narayan Rao is an Indian astronaut working with NASA. He is chosen as one of the crew members to visit a mystery planet. He chooses to go there with his better half, Shrishti. Little did they know that they will play a major role in restaging the great epic of Mahabharata on an alien planet.
I found the plot to be very fascinating with aliens, spaceships and Mahabharata put together. The author’s imagination for bringing these aspects together in a book is worth a mention. The narration has its highs and lows. There are times where the narration dips especially where Narayan and Shristi are having a conversation. What appealed the most to me in the book was the logical explanation given for various events which were otherwise considered “mystical�. I loved the part where Krishna is narrating the Gita to Narayan.
The characterization could have been better. I could understand what all the characters where upto but didn’t really connect with any of them. But what I really liked about the characters is the justification given for their actions.
I would recommend you to pick this book up if you are looking for a varied retelling of Mahabharata.
PS: Thanks to author and TBC for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2017
Of Tech Savvy Krishna And Comprehending Gita
They say do not judge a book by its cover, well it does turn out to be true in case of most books. Well, if the same fact is applicable for The Mahabharata Code, read on to find out ;)
The book, as mentioned, is the first person narration of the story which primarily revolves around author’s fascination of Lord Krishna and the significant role that he has played in Mahabharata. The protagonist Narayan Rao, as NASA scientist is sent to another planet which has shown signs of life. Upon reaching there, he realizes that he is about to witness the great epic Mahabharata ‘live� on this another planet, in a parallel galaxy. The major part of the book is about the unfolding of the epic, as we have read it, rather as the protagonist has read and heard of it on his own planet ‘earth�. However, the Krishna here is tech-savvy and uses advanced gadgets instead of ‘magic�. Or did the same thing happened on our planet also, while we native citizens named it as miracles??
The way the story starts is interesting, however, at one level it get a little slow; especially when the reader is only reading about the same old Mahabharata which we have been through ‘n� number of times. That’s when it appears if there is anything new about the book and why did the author fill the pages with Mahabharata anecdotes.
There are many other elements to the story running in parallel, which will not make any sense while you are reading it� but wait till you reach the end of the book.
The most interesting part of the story is the author’s version of Bhagvad Gita (am I right Mr. Rao?). He has beautifully described the Gita in his own words. Although at some point he narrates it in an extremely techie language, which might get a little too verbose for non-techie readers. But you get the point, so that’s cool.
The imagination of the author has to be appreciated of building up on such a topic. The book leaves you with asking for more and many thoughts.
In one of those that parallel universes, is there at least one planet similar to our earth?
If yes, then will there be a similar country like India which would shares similar history as ours?
If yes, then will there be a similar person like me sitting on a laptop and writing a book review on The Mahabharata Code�.
Coming back to where we started from�. The cover of the book is very attractive and so is the concept of the plot. At some places the treatment could have been better.
My rating: 3 Stars
I received a review copy of the book from the author under a review program by The Book Club in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
They say do not judge a book by its cover, well it does turn out to be true in case of most books. Well, if the same fact is applicable for The Mahabharata Code, read on to find out ;)
The book, as mentioned, is the first person narration of the story which primarily revolves around author’s fascination of Lord Krishna and the significant role that he has played in Mahabharata. The protagonist Narayan Rao, as NASA scientist is sent to another planet which has shown signs of life. Upon reaching there, he realizes that he is about to witness the great epic Mahabharata ‘live� on this another planet, in a parallel galaxy. The major part of the book is about the unfolding of the epic, as we have read it, rather as the protagonist has read and heard of it on his own planet ‘earth�. However, the Krishna here is tech-savvy and uses advanced gadgets instead of ‘magic�. Or did the same thing happened on our planet also, while we native citizens named it as miracles??
The way the story starts is interesting, however, at one level it get a little slow; especially when the reader is only reading about the same old Mahabharata which we have been through ‘n� number of times. That’s when it appears if there is anything new about the book and why did the author fill the pages with Mahabharata anecdotes.
There are many other elements to the story running in parallel, which will not make any sense while you are reading it� but wait till you reach the end of the book.
The most interesting part of the story is the author’s version of Bhagvad Gita (am I right Mr. Rao?). He has beautifully described the Gita in his own words. Although at some point he narrates it in an extremely techie language, which might get a little too verbose for non-techie readers. But you get the point, so that’s cool.
The imagination of the author has to be appreciated of building up on such a topic. The book leaves you with asking for more and many thoughts.
In one of those that parallel universes, is there at least one planet similar to our earth?
If yes, then will there be a similar country like India which would shares similar history as ours?
If yes, then will there be a similar person like me sitting on a laptop and writing a book review on The Mahabharata Code�.
Coming back to where we started from�. The cover of the book is very attractive and so is the concept of the plot. At some places the treatment could have been better.
My rating: 3 Stars
I received a review copy of the book from the author under a review program by The Book Club in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
September 4, 2017
Wow. As i finished reading this book, i just hope the author dream comes true for some luck people of future generations . This book nicely ties the Hindu mythology of mahabharata and ramayana to an alien planet. It does make an interesting read and does throw our imagination open to one of the possibilities that humankind can possibly encounter in future when they can travel to different planets.
Read this book to read how NASA scientist of Indian origin travels to India and further to another planet in response to alien signal. Uncover his journey , his travel experiences , how his love and kids survive on the planet and many more plots which we still have seen only on TV or read in ancient mythology.
Read this book to read how NASA scientist of Indian origin travels to India and further to another planet in response to alien signal. Uncover his journey , his travel experiences , how his love and kids survive on the planet and many more plots which we still have seen only on TV or read in ancient mythology.
August 5, 2018
This book reminds me the days when I use to watch the great epic on television and had huge discussions with friends and siblings about its correlation with science. In this book, author has wonderfully narrated and connected the science logics behind many parts of the story. No wonder if you found yourself in the imaginary world of technically sound Mahabharata time. After few chapters the slow pace of story makes it a bit boring and loses its grip from reader’s mind. But don’t lose hope, author has successfully managed to get the story on track with its attention gripping suspense till the end. Many long sentences has also played a role in making story little confusing at certain points. Book is worth reading if you want to visit the Mahabharata time with scientific back up and that too on another planet. It will lead to a great journey through space to a new world with extremely advanced computers, biotechnology lab, latest type of malware and brilliant scientists.
July 22, 2019
Read The Full Review on My Blog "Sohinee Reads & Reviews":
A CONCOCTION OF MYTHOLOGY AND SCIENCE FICTION
If someone were to ask me if I have read Ramayana or Mahabharata, there is not an ounce of doubt that they would hear “no�. But that is not to say that I do not know the stories at all. I think every Indian has watched the shows at some point in their lives and so did I and even read a few books on these two epics but not the unabridged “authentic� version. To add to that there are always our grandparents who never miss to enunciate the morals through the episodes of these mythologies to their grandkids.
From whatever little knowledge I had of Mahabharata, I sat down to read ‘The Mahabharata Code� by Karthik Rao. The synopsis itself is intriguing and it shouldn’t come across as a surprise that I picked this book for this reason. Everybody judges a book to some extent, I do it through their blurbs. The back cover already has a precis which summarises the entire story. In short, I think it exposes too much of the actual plotline failing to retain any mystery.
The novel encompasses a lot of themes and topics which was a bit disconcerting to me. From Krishna to Arjuna to Draupadi to the whole Swayamvar scene (with a twist) to Krishna (with a camera hidden behind the peacock’s feather) to Bhisma to almost every other character of Mahabharata. One is bound to feel overwhelmed by the plenteous number of characters.
With characters comes their stories and plots (or myths as said by Aristotle). The main plot interweaves a web of sub-plots which can be thoroughly confusing if a reader is not aligned with the scenes. I would suggest brief interludes in-between. The overall plotline includes the main protagonist, Narayan Rao who supposedly works for NASA and is to visit a new planet from which Delphic signals are being sent. And, here’s where the whole Mahabharata comes into play, even Vyasa.
It is very difficult to make a retelling interesting since chances are that a reader has already read or heard the original story a number of times, which is the case with ‘Beauty and The Beast�. I do commend the author on taking up this epic which forms a part of the Hindu Itihasa and adding new “flavours� to it. But I also think that the overall plotline would have been much more buildable if Rao could have stuck to some of the relevant episodes which were parallel to the story he had in his mind. Anybody would be lost in such a myriad number of characters and it was not surprising to see that Rao did too at certain points in his narrative. But that doesn’t mean that the book is bad. It’s not. It’s good and definitely a great attempt by Rao. Overall, I really liked the sci-fi/fantasy theme that the author staged. There are moments in the book which would make a reader reflect on their lives and the present day situation of our world. There are life-lessons neatly tucked away in the narrative.
The Mahabharata Code is one of those books which can be read by everyone. If you are into mythology, this book might interest you.
For more reviews and bookish posts, follow my blog at . For review enquiries and collaborations, write to me at [email protected]
May 20, 2017
I am not a big fan of fiction.My reading list is testament to this.I was introduced to this book by the author himself during a chance acquaintance .Hence I thought to give this book a try and to be honest I am happy to have made the decision. Every indian is emotionally connected to the epic Mahabharata.This is especially true if you are someone growing up during 1990s when the television series was broadcast ,remembering family members glued to their TV sets. It was also a hot topic for debates and discussions with fellow schoolmates.The tales were told and retold generation after generation and still form the favorite bedtime stories. The author, also greatly inspired by the epic, tries here to portray them with contemporary scientific ideas and social norms and does a good job. The narrative is filled with humour and the language is plain , requiring least effort to grasp the author's message.Narayan rao is the protagonist of the story though Krishna is the true hero.The author has good understanding of scientific principles and tries to justapose the ideas with that of the philosophical arguments presented in the scriptures. As the title (or the sub title ) suggests this is not just a retelling of the Mahabharata like any other versions but a hilarious presentation of the elements in Mahabharata seen through the lens of current cultural systems. Great work Karthik.
April 27, 2018
Hello All,
I am the author of this book and this is my first book.
This book is a light hearted, part philosophical, science-fiction novel based on the famous Indian mythology. Being a software engineer myself, I have also used few Software industry concepts like the use of java random numbers to explain karma, other SDLC concepts like Satya Yuga was like an RnD and the present day Kaliyuga is like a production environment(no wonder we don't see god taking avatar today as this environment is supposedly bug free!!) etc. I feel this book might appeal to the techies. One chapter of the book also talks about dealing with depression and horrific bangalore traffic which I am sure many will be able to relate to. I have also used some physics concepts like was the samudra manthana, "The Big Bang" etc?
Hope you like this book.
PS: Here is the video trailer of the book :
Cheers,
Karthik
I am the author of this book and this is my first book.
This book is a light hearted, part philosophical, science-fiction novel based on the famous Indian mythology. Being a software engineer myself, I have also used few Software industry concepts like the use of java random numbers to explain karma, other SDLC concepts like Satya Yuga was like an RnD and the present day Kaliyuga is like a production environment(no wonder we don't see god taking avatar today as this environment is supposedly bug free!!) etc. I feel this book might appeal to the techies. One chapter of the book also talks about dealing with depression and horrific bangalore traffic which I am sure many will be able to relate to. I have also used some physics concepts like was the samudra manthana, "The Big Bang" etc?
Hope you like this book.
PS: Here is the video trailer of the book :
Cheers,
Karthik
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2016
Surely an interesting read, which not only presents famous and controversial events of the Mahabharat and the Ramayana from the modern perspective, but also, goes in detail and tries to explore how the spirituality as a concept has changed across the time. The author also tries to provide a sensible and logical explanation of controversial events of these two epics and how they were indeed necessary. The author also tries to incorporate some of the recent events that happened in India and how they could have had effects.
Although at times the book is too interesting to set aside, it also becomes too complex and confusing at times.
Although at times the book is too interesting to set aside, it also becomes too complex and confusing at times.
August 3, 2020
An excellent first book from the debut author. Although the Mahabharata is one the greatest epics ever told, I always grew up asking questions that have remained unanswered to date. The author has looked at the epic from a different perspective, combining history with certain elements from the modern day life which brings together humour and fantasy in a totally interesting way. The book kept me engrossed, is certainly a page turner and not giving away too much, when everything falls into place in the last couple of chapters, it certainly put a smile on my face. Loved it and waiting for a sequel..
July 28, 2016
Too good . Was so engrossed in reading that simply could not put it down till it was finished..
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