Which Kaurava was inspired by the birds to commit one of the most grotesque murders in the Mahabharata? Why did King Muchkund sleep for a million years and wake up in the Dwaparyug? Whose soul had entered the dice of Shakuni? Why was Gandhari married to a goat before she wed Dhritarashtra? What was the secret behind Arjun's chariot being burnt to ashes after the war? Who instigated Janmejay to burn every snake in the universe? Who was the only Kaurava to cross over to the Pandavas before the battle? An epic that never dies and still remains relevant even thousands of years later-Vyasa's Mahabharata has always captured our imagination. The saga of two feuding families, the Mahabharata, with its various twists and turns, has been a compelling read across generations, inspiring many to dig deeper into the great poem. This collection of twenty short stories brings out characters and incidents that are largely unheard of and are buried in the vastness of the epic. Capturing every emotion from valour, lust, loyalty and treachery to goodness and ethics so relevant to the world we live in, these stories help us understand the epic better by bringing out a different dimension altogether.

How many names does Arjuna have? Why was Yama cursed? What lesson did a little mongoose teach Yudhisthira? The Kurukshetra war, fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas and which forced even the gods to take sides, may be well known, but there are innumerable stories set before, after and during the war that lend the Mahabharata its many varied shades and are largely unheard of. Award-winning author Sudha Murty reintroduces the fascinating world of India’s greatest epic through the extraordinary tales in this collection, each of which is sure to fill you with a sense of wonder and bewilderment.

I knew there was nothing poetic about death. I knew not that the most horrific battles are fought off the battlefield. Arjun: The idealist in a non-ideal world; the warrior whose deadliest opponent was his conscience. History forgot his voice, but misquoted his silence. My self-esteem originates from me and ends in me. Why does your honor depend on me? Find your own. Draupadi: The untamed tigress, the fragrant flame, the unbridled spirit. Power does not justify sin. Power is not virtue. Virtue is that which lasts in spite of power. Krishn: The enigma whose unique ideology churned the battlefield into a quest for Truth. The Missile …The Trajectory … The Vision. The trio that makes for the core of The Mahabharata (Indian Epic). This is their saga. Insightful, visceral and candid. Find ‘other’ famous Arjuns; compare Arjun vis-a-vis Achilles and Alexander; Explore Myths of Mahabharata. All this and much more in ‘Arjun: Without A Doubt’. First published in 2015 by Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Genre: Epic/ Indian Mythology/ History/ Fiction Website: http://sweetyshinde.wordpress.com

“I remember I adored my father in my youth and wanted to be like him when I grew up. Now I am eighty- five years going into eighty-six. I can’t say I am anything like him. When I was a child, life was different. Being one of the ten children made life more complex. I was the seventh child and the third daughter. So, I barely knew my father. He was always there in the house commanding respect. No one was given any especial attention. But everyone received care and love. In documenting his life, I had to rely on my memory of the things I absorbed form a distance. A word, a phrase, a comment, said during events.” Rosaly Puthucheary, teacher, writer, poet, mother, sister, daughter. “There is something cathartic about reading one’s own family in relation to historical events that define the psyche of a Nation, it simply gives greater context to our own existence.” Sanjay C Kuttan, writer, poet, son. “A riveting story of a young man with big dreams who arrives in Singapore from Kerala in the early 1900s.” Dr Anitha Devi Pillai, Senior Lecturer, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University.

"Mumma, sometimes... I don't feel okay," Maya murmured, her tone tinged with sadness. "But when someone asks, I don't know what to say. All I manage to say is, 'I'm okay.' Is that how it is for everyone, or is it just me?" Ever had one of those days where your kid throws you a total curveball? Maya, my daughter, burst into my writing space armed with a list of 20 deep, soul-stirring questions. I'm talking about the real deal—love, distance, bouncing back from life's sucker punches, chasing those dreams, you name it. She was on a mission, let me tell you. But here's the kicker: why the sudden deep dive? Were there storm clouds brewing in her world that she hadn't let me in on? Wanna tag along on Maya's rollercoaster journey? It's more than just her story, trust me. Every conversation she had was like peeking into your own closet of untold tales and feelings. This ain't your typical read—it's a soul-searching expedition that stays with you long after you've closed the book. Come walk a mile in Maya's shoes and discover how her quest unwraps the whispers of your own soul, revealing the hidden stories we all carry.

Footnotes of History: A Tale of the Mahabharata deals with relatively select unknown episodes and characters that have been consigned as veritable" footnotes" in the critical reception of the epic. It is a narrative poem in 5 parts and seeks to chronicle those episodes and characters who have been treated as minor or of lesser importance in the epic, though some well-known characters with their relatively unknown tales also feature in it.

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