Arjuna and the Hunter, by the sixth-century poet Bharavi, portrays Arjuna's travels to the Himalayas, where Shiva tests the hero's courage in combat and bestows upon him an invincible weapon. This is a masterful contemplation of ethical conduct, ascetic discipline, and religious devotion--enduring themes in Indian literature.

Intended to be a treatise on life itself, this epic poem embraces religion and ethics, polity and government, philosophy and the pursuit of salvation. This collection of more than 4,000 verses is supplemented by a glossary, genealogical tables, and an index correlating the verses with the original Sanskrit text.

High above the sky stands Swarga, paradise, abode of the gods. Still above is Vaikuntha, heaven, abode of God. The doorkeepers of Vaikuntha are the twins, Jaya and Vijaya, both whose names mean ‘victory’. One keeps you in Swarga; the other raises you into Vaikuntha. In Vaikuntha there is bliss forever, in Swarga there is pleasure for only as long as you deserve. What is the difference between Jaya and Vijaya? Solve this puzzle and you will solve the mystery of the Mahabharata. In this enthralling retelling of India’s greatest epic, the Mahabharata, originally known as Jaya, Devdutt Pattanaik seamlessly weaves into a single narrative plots from the Sanskrit classic as well as its many folk and regional variants, including the Pandavani of Chattisgarh, Gondhal of Maharashtra, Terukkuttu of Tamil Nadu, and Yakshagana of Karnataka. Richly illustrated with over 250 line drawings by the author, the 108 chapters abound with little-known details such as the names of the hundred Kauravas, the worship of Draupadi as a goddess in Tamil Nadu, the stories of Astika, Madhavi, Jaimini, Aravan and Barbareek, the Mahabharata version of the Shakuntalam and the Ramayana, and the dating of the war based on astronomical data. With clarity and simplicity, the tales in this elegant volume reveal the eternal relevance of the Mahabharata, the complex and disturbing meditation on the human condition that has shaped Indian thought for over 3000 years.

Brahmananda Patro (J B Patro) retired as a Deputy Chief Executive from the Nuclear Fuels Complex, Hyderabad (earlier in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre), specialized in the production of Nuclear Fuels for Power Reactors. He is a member of the early pioneering team in the production of natural uranium, right from milling ore to finished fuel for nuclear power reactors operating in India. During his long service he had the chance to interact and participate in a number of scientific seminars in India and abroad. Drawn to the teachings of Lord Krishna right from a very early age, Mr. Patro viewed Bhagavad-Gita as a treatise on the Physics of energy-The Laws of Thermodynamics-the very cosmic laws that govern of our Universe and conduct our lives as the rita of the Vedas. He has compiled, edited and since published Sree MahaBhagavatam in English translated from original Sanskrit by late Swami Ramakrishna Brahmananda. Enchanted by Lord Krishna’s personality and researching into the classical and contemporary literature on Krishna, his book The Life and Times of Krishna- the Deity Who Lived as Man was published by Wisdom Tree in September 2013.While researching on Krishna Mr. Patro was fascinated by the character of Arjuna, the bosom friend of Krishna. Krishna says on a number of occasions in the Epic Mahabharata that Arjuna is his other self, alter ego. And also, the Puranic literature attributes the duo to the legend of ancient rishis Nara Narayan. Arjuna being an avatar of Nara-The primeval Man or eternal spirit pervading the Universe, always associated with Narayana the Supreme Spirit Vishnu/Krishna. Both are considered as Gods or Sages and accordingly called ‘Deva, Rishi, and Tapasao’. This has been the theme of the book on Pandava hero Arjuna entitled as ‘Two Krishnas and One Chariot-The story of Arjuna. It took about two years to research on the subject from Epic Mahabharata and other related literature. Arjuna was a versatile human, intellectual with an enquiring mind, and a peerless warrior, and Lord Krishna rightly selected him to impart his Science of Yoga which has been handed down to us as Bhagavad Gita.