Sunaina Luthra ON Jan 30, 2024, IN BOOK REVIEW, Dwapar Katha by Sudipta Bhawmik– Fiction
Rating: 5/5
’I won’t give the Pandavas even a tiny spec of land that one can hold on the tip of the needle’.
In the echoing walls of ‘Hastinapur’ this chilling proclamation by Duryodhana, the eldest son of Dhritarashtra, reverberates and the air thickens with tension in the court. How the empire renowned for tales of valor and vow of celibacy by Bhishma today is griming its own juice? One is predisposed to think if the frisson of archery and recitation of Vedas by the prolific teachers has been summoned by anguish of the despotic? The efforts of truce and negotiations fall as a mishandled spear, and the walls of ‘Hastinapur’ trembles with fear of an impending destruction.
Who is to be blamed? Is it Duryodhana’s anger and jealousy for the Pandavas? Or is it the reckless frippery of King Dhritarashtra crawling in affection for his eldest son Duryodhana? Amidst all this, Lord Krishna stands adorned with a gentle smile, as if a clandestine plot for the victory of ‘Dharma’ over evil has been secretly orchestrated and etched in the history tounleash a timeless epic ‘The Mahabharata’.
‘Dwapar Katha’ by Sudipta Bhawmik is not a treatise discussing the relevance of ‘The Mahabharata’ in today’s world; rather it unfolds the tale in a flawless chronological order. We know it as the incorrigible conflict between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. If it was a mercy on the befalling blind Dhritarashtra to swing on the throne or a privilege he deserved is a perennial question that many answer in vague. Yet, the depredations had no affluence to reality and what followed were decades of disenchantment and discordance between the clans. Attempts were made to create skirmishes, unethically prevailing in notoriety which finally led to a Machiavellian battle unearthing the ground with blood and deceit.
The book has a familiarity of the ethos of the episodic era; a prodigious simulacrum of hubris and loyalty. The novelty of Rishi Vyasa to pen down the epic with Lord Ganesha finds a pride in the author’s words. Nothing remains imaginary to the core, the facts form a rosary of a tale burdened with impassioned pursuits and bedeviled treachery; if the birth of Dhritarashtra and Pandu was a prelude to an indisputable animosity then the scorched envy of Duryodhana was an implacable devil. The tale reveals inner sanctum of a woman who is oblivious to the charm of perfidy; Draupadi, wife of Pandavas, is ploughed in the concrete of humiliation, and the starry eyes in disbelief find a reason to be the guarded imbeciles.
‘Dwapar Katha’ would be incomplete without the discourse delivered by Lord Krishna to Arjun prior to the commencement of the battle; the benign complexity of emotions and truth unapologetically conveyed by Krishna has relevance in the pursuit of ‘Dharma’. Each tale in the book is captivating and intriguing; stories of strength, mystical elements, ancient curses and divine bestowals where heaven and hell entwine.
The beautiful illustrations in the book give entrancing visual dimensions.
TAKEAWAY
Thumbs up to Sudipta Bhawmick for the effort…….
The lust of power deviates one from the path of righteousness. This fact is not only prevalent in Indian history, but occupies a space in the world history too. ‘Hitler’, Stalin or Saddam Hussain were all hungry for power, control and imbued with complex personal motivation. The etsaq – we all know!
Therefore, it becomes imperative to adopt the altruistic ways of life; truthfulness, humility, compassion, fulfilling duties and responsibilities as explained in the epic. All these positive virtues are getting lost in a world where people are so full of greed and pride. These stories are a powerful medium for imparting moral lessons and for fostering a virtuous society.