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Strategic Choices, Ethical Dilemmas: Stories from the Mahabharat
Is it possible to win and still keep one’s soul? The Mahabharat tells us we can.
The ancient epic, which flourishes in the hearts and minds of many even today, deals with profound normative questions of (and advice on) morality, duty, virtue, law, justice and war. The text also does not shy away from pragmatic and strategic issues of negotiation, alliances, training and education, leadership, and more. Its unflinching look at bleak realities makes the Mahabharat a text uniquely applicable to our current times.
Drawing on the timeless stories of the Mahabharat, this book applies its practical wisdom to questions of our personal lives. It explores winning strategies that are suited to the modern day and work together with ethical choices.
Written for a broader audience of scholars, practitioners and other avid readers, Strategic Choices, Ethical Dilemmas will be useful for all those seeking to put the world to rights and provide some tasty food for thought for those who enjoy paradoxes and squared circles.
The ancient epic, which flourishes in the hearts and minds of many even today, deals with profound normative questions of (and advice on) morality, duty, virtue, law, justice and war. The text also does not shy away from pragmatic and strategic issues of negotiation, alliances, training and education, leadership, and more. Its unflinching look at bleak realities makes the Mahabharat a text uniquely applicable to our current times.
Drawing on the timeless stories of the Mahabharat, this book applies its practical wisdom to questions of our personal lives. It explores winning strategies that are suited to the modern day and work together with ethical choices.
Written for a broader audience of scholars, practitioners and other avid readers, Strategic Choices, Ethical Dilemmas will be useful for all those seeking to put the world to rights and provide some tasty food for thought for those who enjoy paradoxes and squared circles.
145 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2023
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December 3, 2023
Mahabharatha as a subject evokes deep interest amongst readers, scholars, authors, commentators and general populace alike. The timeless immortal epic provides many topics for reflection, analysis and perhaps an inspiration in the modern context too. Irrespective of the topic of interest or the problem statement at hand, as an adage goes, it will be addressed in some form in Mahabharatha. It is no wonder that the authors have chosen the Pan̄camavēda as the inspiration for their book.
In the first few pages of the book, the objective seems to unravel itself. From the generous praise on Karna and Duryodhana to labelling the Khandava forest burning as tragic, the book sets an expectation of trying to provide a different perspective to the events of the epic. However, it does come across as awkward considering that the characters and events are anything but uni-dimensional. Khandava forest burning may have been tragic, but may have been required in the overall scheme of things. A holistic approach considering the far reaching ramifications of the events, that too ahead in future would have been much more balanced. At the end of the day, all characters are bound by karma and are part of the divine play. In the first chapter, the authors have an interesting take on the spellings used in the book. While Mahabharat / Mahabharath may be the choice, I am quite surprised to note that the authors feel that using “a” as in Mahabharatha is anglicised. Every region has their own unique quirk / pronunciation methods ranging from Mahabharath to Mahabharatha or Mahabharatham to Mahabharathamu.
In the plot outline, while describing the birth of the 5 sons of Pandu, the authors make a note of “sixth son”. In the context, this is inaccurate. The son was born to Kunti when she was young and hadn’t married Pandu yet. The authors’ fascination with Karna is quite apparent in the eloquent praises that are heaped on him. While his bravado on the field was top-notch and unquestionable, I wonder about the overall character of the “tragic hero”. His behaviour in the dyut-kreeda (gambling game) and subsequent lack of empathy or respect for women is quite deplorable. I really wonder how the authors chose to overlook the same and paint him with a glorified brush. Everything is obvious in hindsight. While Draupadi’s “nāhaṁ varāmi sūtaṁ” can be analysed and judged in modern context, one has to consider the context of the time at which such a statement would have been made. Karna’s birth secret was unknown to many and he was only the benefactor of Duryodhana’s generosity. In Adi Parva chapter 187, it is clearly documented that Karna lifts the bow, doesn’t shoot the target upon hearing the words of Krsna (Draupadi). However, the authors have glorified Karna by stating that he was victorious in the competition. Quite shocking to distort or diverge away from the originals !!!
Lord Krishn - a Yadaav King : First, one needs to read the ancestry of all vamshas correctly to understand certain events in the epic. Sri Krishna was a leader, but not crowned king. Yadu had been cursed by his father Yayati that none of his progeny would become kings. Ugrasena was the actual crowned king before and after Kamsa’s time. What is shocking about this aspect is that the authors chose to overlook the fact that Sri Krishna and Pandavas were in fact cousins with Kunti being paternal aunt to Sri Krishna. The friendship and the deep relationship was personal and spiritual than political.
In the summary or quick run of the eternal epic, the authors chose to highlight the mistakes of Pandavas while ignoring the adharmic tendencies of Kauravas. In fact, the most surprising aspect to this reviewer is the total lack of acknowledgement or mention of the concept of Dharma or rather how Mahabharatha is a grand treatise of conflict between Dharma and Adharma.
The authors have taken specific stories from the epic and deriving lessons in the modern context. For example, Veda Vyasa and Ganesha partnership is considered as an example for ideal teamwork. The authors’ fascination with Karna continues with example of Shalya of being a bad choice of charioteer. However, the authors don’t consider the prowess of Shalya while fighting for Kauravas or the fact that he was the commander after Karna. Shalya Parva’s description of the battle between Shalya and Bhima & Yudishtira is not considered while judging him as a charioteer to Karna. Taking one dimensional view to a multi-dimensional context is looking for specific grains in a haystack.
The authors derive lessons for individuals as well as the broader context i.e. societies and countries from the various stories of Mahabharatha. The lessons are quite apt and relevant in the modern context to some extent, they do become quite preachy. Modern geo-political scenarios are lot more complex with multiple undercurrents and compromises that are not in public view. Hence, one should consider these lessons with a fist of salt as there could be factors that could influence the actions in a specific way, which may be contrary to public expectations.
For some unexplainable reason, the authors have a deep fascination for Duryodhana and Karna, with a clear agenda of portraying them with deep virtue. For example, Duryodhana is displayed to be meritocratic when he crowns Karna as the king of Anga. Granted this gesture of largeheartednens is indeed exemplary, one wonders why the authors chose to overlook the simple fact that Duryodhana’s actions were dictated by the situation and was selfish in some sense. He wished for a counterbalance for Arjuna, which he found readily in Karna. Duryodhana and Karna’s friendship is an example to have transcended social barriers. I wonder why not Sri Krishna and Sudama. In fact, this friendship is much more than an interpersonal bond. It transcends simple human bonds and becomes a deep relationship with the divine, with the omnipresent one knowing what’s in Bhakta’s mind without as many words being spoken.
While discussing the lessons from Duryodhana and Karna’s friendship chapter, the authors have a commentary on caste and the resulting damage of such systems. It’s a great convenience to judge events of a different timeline with modern lenses without fully comprehending or acknowledging the societal framework of the era gone by. The authors compare the Pandavas with the Global North of modern society and term Pandavas as exclusionary. Shouldn’t the evaluation be performed with a grander view of Dharma as the scale rather than minute microscopic retrofitting of events to fit a narrative.
To their credit, the authors have done a commendable job in the chapter on Srimad Bhagwad Gita and I started to believe that this could be turning point. Until, I encountered the section on the Global trade and policy. First, there is an unmistakable undercurrent of West knows Best and secondly, I am quite appalled by the suggestion that democracies around potential authoritarian states take firm steps, specially on economic front. While it’s granted that the modern day geo-politics is quite complex, we also need to take into cognisance the fact that we are trending towards a Global Village phenomenon where tradeoffs are order of the day. Foreign policies can’t be simple black and white and needs a finer balance between self-interest and self-reliance without loosing the visibility of the broader picture.
In the modern day world, I am quite surprised that the authors expect that the well read and well informed audience would be naive enough to believe the international organisations on face value on all topics, as quoted in the fake news chapter i.e. Dronacharya - Ashwatthama story. Further on, the authors seem to have a dedicated agenda on portraying that EU has the best policies and is better suited as an ally for India. Quite frankly, I am not convinced about the objectivity of this argument and feel that this is driven more from personal ambitions than rational analysis. In the lessons learnt from the Drona - Ashwatthama episode are relevant, one is also forced to consider some additional points: Why didn’t Drona have enough trust in his son’s abilities that he couldn’t overcome the impact of Yudhishtira’s words? Perhaps, fatherly emotion overpowered the rational mind !!
In the next chapter, where another glorious eulogy for Karna is presented vis-a-vis the episode of Ashwaketu, the son of Takshaka and the Nagaastra which Karna refused to remount. I wonder if this phrase from Drona parva is considered when a glorious valorous picture of Karna is presented. The context is Abhimanyu Vadha i.e. killing of Abhimanyu
त्वरमाणाः त्वरा-काले विरथम् षण् महा-रथाः ।
शर-वर्षैः अकरुणा बालम् एकम् अवाकिरन् ॥ ३३ ॥
When multiple warriors attacked a young child, one wonder where did the valour and righteousness of Karna disappear or was it more contextual or applied only when it was relevant or beneficial to the tragic hero? Now, as one reads further about the applicability of the lessons to modern day world, the authors chose to admonish the strategies adopted by Hon. EAM Sri. S. Jaishankar. While one is entitled to have an opinion, perhaps have an expert view on certain topics of specialisation, choosing to advise high placed and widely acclaimed minister seems far fetching. Quite frankly, the statements (not just in this instance, but in multiple places) reeks of an ulterior motive than an earnest recommendation of experts.
The authors need to be commended for bringing out an interesting story of Tree, Parrot and Indra, a time immemorial lesson on compassion and love. While deriving the lessons for the modern society, what surprised me is that the authors chose to overlook the most common problem faced by the modern society. Many elderly citizens are not receiving love and compassion in the twilight years of their life and is a serious problem faced by the modern society. However, the authors chose to highlight the compassion towards animals, stray dogs, they didn’t even broach this subject. Quite surprising !!
The book ends with the final episode from Mahaprasthan where Yudhishtira is subjected to one final test. This episode is turned into one large commentary on animal rights and protection. For some reason, the authors’ constantly reiterate their disapproval of the interpretation of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam. I wonder which actions of the ruling dispensation indicated that human evolution would be at the cost of other species or rather no one cares about the other flora and fauna with whom we share this Mother Earth. While compassion to stray dogs is important, one should also be pragmatic about the menace posed by them and numerous deaths / serious attacks on humans, specially children. Every single situation needs to be considered holistically, rather than looking at the same from one single perspective. Yet, the authors’ chose to highlight the one specific perspective than approach the problem with a multi-angle perspective. Finally, the authors speak about breaking the shackles of “binaries” i.e. between human and non-human.
Sanatana Dharma establishes a way where every single Jivaatma strives to achieve the ultimate union with Paramatma with worship of Prakriti and Purusha i.e. compassion for animals, awareness of ecological and natural diversity, preservation of forests are not new concepts, but integral parts of age old way of life and wisdom. I wish the authors had chosen to consider this while commentating on some modern topics. Perhaps, an alternate approach could have been to derive the lessons from the epic and reestablish what our ancestors have followed for generations.
In a nutshell, the book is good for the stories it brings out from the epics, but the accompanying commentary is laced with interior objectives, one-dimensional views and perhaps, a more personal view on generic topics, something which is not fair on the reader.
Overall, I would avoid the book. If one is interested in reading about the critical analysis of characters from Mahabharatha, I would highly recommend Gurucharan Das’ highly acclaimed book “The Difficulty of Being Good”
In the first few pages of the book, the objective seems to unravel itself. From the generous praise on Karna and Duryodhana to labelling the Khandava forest burning as tragic, the book sets an expectation of trying to provide a different perspective to the events of the epic. However, it does come across as awkward considering that the characters and events are anything but uni-dimensional. Khandava forest burning may have been tragic, but may have been required in the overall scheme of things. A holistic approach considering the far reaching ramifications of the events, that too ahead in future would have been much more balanced. At the end of the day, all characters are bound by karma and are part of the divine play. In the first chapter, the authors have an interesting take on the spellings used in the book. While Mahabharat / Mahabharath may be the choice, I am quite surprised to note that the authors feel that using “a” as in Mahabharatha is anglicised. Every region has their own unique quirk / pronunciation methods ranging from Mahabharath to Mahabharatha or Mahabharatham to Mahabharathamu.
In the plot outline, while describing the birth of the 5 sons of Pandu, the authors make a note of “sixth son”. In the context, this is inaccurate. The son was born to Kunti when she was young and hadn’t married Pandu yet. The authors’ fascination with Karna is quite apparent in the eloquent praises that are heaped on him. While his bravado on the field was top-notch and unquestionable, I wonder about the overall character of the “tragic hero”. His behaviour in the dyut-kreeda (gambling game) and subsequent lack of empathy or respect for women is quite deplorable. I really wonder how the authors chose to overlook the same and paint him with a glorified brush. Everything is obvious in hindsight. While Draupadi’s “nāhaṁ varāmi sūtaṁ” can be analysed and judged in modern context, one has to consider the context of the time at which such a statement would have been made. Karna’s birth secret was unknown to many and he was only the benefactor of Duryodhana’s generosity. In Adi Parva chapter 187, it is clearly documented that Karna lifts the bow, doesn’t shoot the target upon hearing the words of Krsna (Draupadi). However, the authors have glorified Karna by stating that he was victorious in the competition. Quite shocking to distort or diverge away from the originals !!!
Lord Krishn - a Yadaav King : First, one needs to read the ancestry of all vamshas correctly to understand certain events in the epic. Sri Krishna was a leader, but not crowned king. Yadu had been cursed by his father Yayati that none of his progeny would become kings. Ugrasena was the actual crowned king before and after Kamsa’s time. What is shocking about this aspect is that the authors chose to overlook the fact that Sri Krishna and Pandavas were in fact cousins with Kunti being paternal aunt to Sri Krishna. The friendship and the deep relationship was personal and spiritual than political.
In the summary or quick run of the eternal epic, the authors chose to highlight the mistakes of Pandavas while ignoring the adharmic tendencies of Kauravas. In fact, the most surprising aspect to this reviewer is the total lack of acknowledgement or mention of the concept of Dharma or rather how Mahabharatha is a grand treatise of conflict between Dharma and Adharma.
The authors have taken specific stories from the epic and deriving lessons in the modern context. For example, Veda Vyasa and Ganesha partnership is considered as an example for ideal teamwork. The authors’ fascination with Karna continues with example of Shalya of being a bad choice of charioteer. However, the authors don’t consider the prowess of Shalya while fighting for Kauravas or the fact that he was the commander after Karna. Shalya Parva’s description of the battle between Shalya and Bhima & Yudishtira is not considered while judging him as a charioteer to Karna. Taking one dimensional view to a multi-dimensional context is looking for specific grains in a haystack.
The authors derive lessons for individuals as well as the broader context i.e. societies and countries from the various stories of Mahabharatha. The lessons are quite apt and relevant in the modern context to some extent, they do become quite preachy. Modern geo-political scenarios are lot more complex with multiple undercurrents and compromises that are not in public view. Hence, one should consider these lessons with a fist of salt as there could be factors that could influence the actions in a specific way, which may be contrary to public expectations.
For some unexplainable reason, the authors have a deep fascination for Duryodhana and Karna, with a clear agenda of portraying them with deep virtue. For example, Duryodhana is displayed to be meritocratic when he crowns Karna as the king of Anga. Granted this gesture of largeheartednens is indeed exemplary, one wonders why the authors chose to overlook the simple fact that Duryodhana’s actions were dictated by the situation and was selfish in some sense. He wished for a counterbalance for Arjuna, which he found readily in Karna. Duryodhana and Karna’s friendship is an example to have transcended social barriers. I wonder why not Sri Krishna and Sudama. In fact, this friendship is much more than an interpersonal bond. It transcends simple human bonds and becomes a deep relationship with the divine, with the omnipresent one knowing what’s in Bhakta’s mind without as many words being spoken.
While discussing the lessons from Duryodhana and Karna’s friendship chapter, the authors have a commentary on caste and the resulting damage of such systems. It’s a great convenience to judge events of a different timeline with modern lenses without fully comprehending or acknowledging the societal framework of the era gone by. The authors compare the Pandavas with the Global North of modern society and term Pandavas as exclusionary. Shouldn’t the evaluation be performed with a grander view of Dharma as the scale rather than minute microscopic retrofitting of events to fit a narrative.
To their credit, the authors have done a commendable job in the chapter on Srimad Bhagwad Gita and I started to believe that this could be turning point. Until, I encountered the section on the Global trade and policy. First, there is an unmistakable undercurrent of West knows Best and secondly, I am quite appalled by the suggestion that democracies around potential authoritarian states take firm steps, specially on economic front. While it’s granted that the modern day geo-politics is quite complex, we also need to take into cognisance the fact that we are trending towards a Global Village phenomenon where tradeoffs are order of the day. Foreign policies can’t be simple black and white and needs a finer balance between self-interest and self-reliance without loosing the visibility of the broader picture.
In the modern day world, I am quite surprised that the authors expect that the well read and well informed audience would be naive enough to believe the international organisations on face value on all topics, as quoted in the fake news chapter i.e. Dronacharya - Ashwatthama story. Further on, the authors seem to have a dedicated agenda on portraying that EU has the best policies and is better suited as an ally for India. Quite frankly, I am not convinced about the objectivity of this argument and feel that this is driven more from personal ambitions than rational analysis. In the lessons learnt from the Drona - Ashwatthama episode are relevant, one is also forced to consider some additional points: Why didn’t Drona have enough trust in his son’s abilities that he couldn’t overcome the impact of Yudhishtira’s words? Perhaps, fatherly emotion overpowered the rational mind !!
In the next chapter, where another glorious eulogy for Karna is presented vis-a-vis the episode of Ashwaketu, the son of Takshaka and the Nagaastra which Karna refused to remount. I wonder if this phrase from Drona parva is considered when a glorious valorous picture of Karna is presented. The context is Abhimanyu Vadha i.e. killing of Abhimanyu
त्वरमाणाः त्वरा-काले विरथम् षण् महा-रथाः ।
शर-वर्षैः अकरुणा बालम् एकम् अवाकिरन् ॥ ३३ ॥
When multiple warriors attacked a young child, one wonder where did the valour and righteousness of Karna disappear or was it more contextual or applied only when it was relevant or beneficial to the tragic hero? Now, as one reads further about the applicability of the lessons to modern day world, the authors chose to admonish the strategies adopted by Hon. EAM Sri. S. Jaishankar. While one is entitled to have an opinion, perhaps have an expert view on certain topics of specialisation, choosing to advise high placed and widely acclaimed minister seems far fetching. Quite frankly, the statements (not just in this instance, but in multiple places) reeks of an ulterior motive than an earnest recommendation of experts.
The authors need to be commended for bringing out an interesting story of Tree, Parrot and Indra, a time immemorial lesson on compassion and love. While deriving the lessons for the modern society, what surprised me is that the authors chose to overlook the most common problem faced by the modern society. Many elderly citizens are not receiving love and compassion in the twilight years of their life and is a serious problem faced by the modern society. However, the authors chose to highlight the compassion towards animals, stray dogs, they didn’t even broach this subject. Quite surprising !!
The book ends with the final episode from Mahaprasthan where Yudhishtira is subjected to one final test. This episode is turned into one large commentary on animal rights and protection. For some reason, the authors’ constantly reiterate their disapproval of the interpretation of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam. I wonder which actions of the ruling dispensation indicated that human evolution would be at the cost of other species or rather no one cares about the other flora and fauna with whom we share this Mother Earth. While compassion to stray dogs is important, one should also be pragmatic about the menace posed by them and numerous deaths / serious attacks on humans, specially children. Every single situation needs to be considered holistically, rather than looking at the same from one single perspective. Yet, the authors’ chose to highlight the one specific perspective than approach the problem with a multi-angle perspective. Finally, the authors speak about breaking the shackles of “binaries” i.e. between human and non-human.
Sanatana Dharma establishes a way where every single Jivaatma strives to achieve the ultimate union with Paramatma with worship of Prakriti and Purusha i.e. compassion for animals, awareness of ecological and natural diversity, preservation of forests are not new concepts, but integral parts of age old way of life and wisdom. I wish the authors had chosen to consider this while commentating on some modern topics. Perhaps, an alternate approach could have been to derive the lessons from the epic and reestablish what our ancestors have followed for generations.
In a nutshell, the book is good for the stories it brings out from the epics, but the accompanying commentary is laced with interior objectives, one-dimensional views and perhaps, a more personal view on generic topics, something which is not fair on the reader.
Overall, I would avoid the book. If one is interested in reading about the critical analysis of characters from Mahabharatha, I would highly recommend Gurucharan Das’ highly acclaimed book “The Difficulty of Being Good”
March 12, 2024
“The compassion of the pious always bestows love” - Mahabharat, XIII.5.24
This is my second book on Mahabharat in the last 6 months. When I picked this one, I asked myself a question: Will this be another preachy book on morals and values? “Strategic Choices, Ethical Dilemmas - Stories from the Mahabharat” is a gem hidden in plain sight. I haven’t been much of a fan of geo-politics and diplomatic strategies, but ethical dilemmas stole my attention. I have faced situations - professionally & personally, where the lines between right & wrong have been bleaker than a winter night.
The introduction of this book lays clearly the terms of what I would encounter in the coming pages. My husband once pondered with a question - It’s war: If two warships sail across towards a location where one gets torpedoed, should the other ship rescue the survivors & risk getting hit by another torpedo thereby jeopardising the mission or should it carry on with the mission in the nation’s interest? Sometimes, there can never be a distinction between right & wrong answer. That’s why it is essential for us to read this book. Was it right for the Pandavas to lie about Aswathhama? Was it wrong for Arjun to focus only the bird’s eye and not see the big picture?
Written by 3 authors, this book takes 9 unique stores from the Mahabharat and gives us two fruits: lessons for everyday life & lessons for foreign policy. Whilst it was interesting to read the latter, it was refreshing to read more on the former. Tales from Mahabharat aren’t narrated as right or wrong. The book doesn’t glorify the heroes nor pit against the villains. It speaks of benevolence of Duryodhan in the same vein as haughtiness of Arjun.Most of the stories aren’t new to me barring 2 or 3, but I read each of them in a new light. Although I enjoyed reading, I wondered if the lessons on Foreign Policy would benefit a common reader. But lessons on everyday life is something which is worth a read, sometimes a re-read. This book can pave a path for your foray into international politics & also take you one step closer to re-discovering yourself & the notion of righteousness.
This is my second book on Mahabharat in the last 6 months. When I picked this one, I asked myself a question: Will this be another preachy book on morals and values? “Strategic Choices, Ethical Dilemmas - Stories from the Mahabharat” is a gem hidden in plain sight. I haven’t been much of a fan of geo-politics and diplomatic strategies, but ethical dilemmas stole my attention. I have faced situations - professionally & personally, where the lines between right & wrong have been bleaker than a winter night.
The introduction of this book lays clearly the terms of what I would encounter in the coming pages. My husband once pondered with a question - It’s war: If two warships sail across towards a location where one gets torpedoed, should the other ship rescue the survivors & risk getting hit by another torpedo thereby jeopardising the mission or should it carry on with the mission in the nation’s interest? Sometimes, there can never be a distinction between right & wrong answer. That’s why it is essential for us to read this book. Was it right for the Pandavas to lie about Aswathhama? Was it wrong for Arjun to focus only the bird’s eye and not see the big picture?
Written by 3 authors, this book takes 9 unique stores from the Mahabharat and gives us two fruits: lessons for everyday life & lessons for foreign policy. Whilst it was interesting to read the latter, it was refreshing to read more on the former. Tales from Mahabharat aren’t narrated as right or wrong. The book doesn’t glorify the heroes nor pit against the villains. It speaks of benevolence of Duryodhan in the same vein as haughtiness of Arjun.Most of the stories aren’t new to me barring 2 or 3, but I read each of them in a new light. Although I enjoyed reading, I wondered if the lessons on Foreign Policy would benefit a common reader. But lessons on everyday life is something which is worth a read, sometimes a re-read. This book can pave a path for your foray into international politics & also take you one step closer to re-discovering yourself & the notion of righteousness.
February 9, 2024
Strategic Choices, Ethical Dilemmas - Stories From The Mahabharat seeks to address the gap between the epic and everyday life, on individual and global level.
🏅 The book provides a clear, well-summarised version of the Mahabharata, making the ancient epic accessible and engaging.
🤝 The ‘Jugalbandi’ of the authors doesn’t interrupt the smooth, uniform narrative style of the book, which is usually unlikely in books with multiple authors.
🎯 It skillfully extracts lessons from the Mahabharata applicable to personal growth, relationships, and even modern governance on a global scale.
📘 Each chapter is short, focusing on specific themes, which makes it easy to read and understand.
🌐 The book touches upon various aspects of life, including animal rights, family dynamics, the essence of friendship, romantic relationships, and the complexities of war.
🤔 While mostly accurate, the book interestingly identifies Satyavati's children as Dhritarashtra and Pandu, which is a slight deviation from traditional versions of the Mahabharata. This might intrigue readers familiar with other interpretations.
Recommend? YES! The simple and straightforward narration makes the book an excellent choice for those new to Indian epics and philosophy. With beginners, those who have read the Mahabharata before can also pick this up. It offers a fresh perspective and rekindles the epic's timeless wisdom. Also Ideal for anyone interested in self-improvement, understanding ancient wisdom, or exploring Indian culture and philosophy. ✨️
IN A NUTSHELL: A concise and engaging retelling of the Mahabharata, offering life lessons for the modern world. Ideal for beginners and seasoned readers alike, blending ancient wisdom with accessible, uniform storytelling. 🫶
🏅 The book provides a clear, well-summarised version of the Mahabharata, making the ancient epic accessible and engaging.
🤝 The ‘Jugalbandi’ of the authors doesn’t interrupt the smooth, uniform narrative style of the book, which is usually unlikely in books with multiple authors.
🎯 It skillfully extracts lessons from the Mahabharata applicable to personal growth, relationships, and even modern governance on a global scale.
📘 Each chapter is short, focusing on specific themes, which makes it easy to read and understand.
🌐 The book touches upon various aspects of life, including animal rights, family dynamics, the essence of friendship, romantic relationships, and the complexities of war.
🤔 While mostly accurate, the book interestingly identifies Satyavati's children as Dhritarashtra and Pandu, which is a slight deviation from traditional versions of the Mahabharata. This might intrigue readers familiar with other interpretations.
Recommend? YES! The simple and straightforward narration makes the book an excellent choice for those new to Indian epics and philosophy. With beginners, those who have read the Mahabharata before can also pick this up. It offers a fresh perspective and rekindles the epic's timeless wisdom. Also Ideal for anyone interested in self-improvement, understanding ancient wisdom, or exploring Indian culture and philosophy. ✨️
IN A NUTSHELL: A concise and engaging retelling of the Mahabharata, offering life lessons for the modern world. Ideal for beginners and seasoned readers alike, blending ancient wisdom with accessible, uniform storytelling. 🫶
February 25, 2024
🅱🅾🅾🅺 🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆
𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝑬𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑫𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒔: 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕
🆀🅾🆃🅳#: Any popular book or author which fall flat for you?
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ: Amitabh Matoo
ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛ: Paperback / Kindle
ᴘᴀɢᴇꜱ/ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀꜱ: 183
ᴘᴜʙʟɪꜱʜᴇʀ: Penguin India
ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: Self help
Is it possible to win and still keep one’s soul? The Mahabharat tells us we can.
The ancient epic, which flourishes in the hearts and minds of many even today, deals with profound normative questions of (and advice on) morality, duty, virtue, law, justice and war. The text also does not shy away from pragmatic and strategic issues of negotiation, alliances, training and education, leadership, and more. Its unflinching look at bleak realities makes the Mahabharat a text uniquely applicable to our current times.
This book sparks the interest in the reader with the promise made, the answers to the issues arises in the personal and professional growth. The book claims to answer our hurdles faced through policies, geopolitical issues, and other spectrum with the help of our timeless epic Mahabharata. The author(s) has tried to inculcate the learnings of Mahabharata in this book while trying to answer the readers also. But somehow I couldn't convince myself with the claim of the book. I found it another book sharing the snippets of the epic.
- #readwithbindu
- #reviewwithbindu
#bookwormbindz.
𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝑬𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑫𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒔: 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕
🆀🅾🆃🅳#: Any popular book or author which fall flat for you?
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ: Amitabh Matoo
ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛ: Paperback / Kindle
ᴘᴀɢᴇꜱ/ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀꜱ: 183
ᴘᴜʙʟɪꜱʜᴇʀ: Penguin India
ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: Self help
Is it possible to win and still keep one’s soul? The Mahabharat tells us we can.
The ancient epic, which flourishes in the hearts and minds of many even today, deals with profound normative questions of (and advice on) morality, duty, virtue, law, justice and war. The text also does not shy away from pragmatic and strategic issues of negotiation, alliances, training and education, leadership, and more. Its unflinching look at bleak realities makes the Mahabharat a text uniquely applicable to our current times.
This book sparks the interest in the reader with the promise made, the answers to the issues arises in the personal and professional growth. The book claims to answer our hurdles faced through policies, geopolitical issues, and other spectrum with the help of our timeless epic Mahabharata. The author(s) has tried to inculcate the learnings of Mahabharata in this book while trying to answer the readers also. But somehow I couldn't convince myself with the claim of the book. I found it another book sharing the snippets of the epic.
- #readwithbindu
- #reviewwithbindu
#bookwormbindz.
February 24, 2024
The book promises to examine answers to issues related to both personal and professional growth. The book discusses the rich tapestries of Indian epic literature that allude to similar pictures of our own lives while exploring themes of solving strategic puzzles, economic and geopolitical challenges, and decision-making processes following circumstances that aim at testing conventional morality and thinking through characters and verses.
It was quite fascinating to see how the ancient poetry related to current issues and tactical parallels through related tales. It was really thrilling, the teachings woven throughout the tales were masterfully explained, and the idea of thoughtful commentary is a wonderful way to engage readers of today. When we realised that the legendary epic’s rich tapestry had not been examined for applicable public policies and decisions, it even sparked readers’ interest in rereading the Mahabharata. The discovery of this link, which was made in the middle of the epic, felt quite intriguing.
Great read all around!
It was quite fascinating to see how the ancient poetry related to current issues and tactical parallels through related tales. It was really thrilling, the teachings woven throughout the tales were masterfully explained, and the idea of thoughtful commentary is a wonderful way to engage readers of today. When we realised that the legendary epic’s rich tapestry had not been examined for applicable public policies and decisions, it even sparked readers’ interest in rereading the Mahabharata. The discovery of this link, which was made in the middle of the epic, felt quite intriguing.
Great read all around!
February 7, 2024
Strategic Choices Ethical Dilemmas
Stories from the Mahabharata
The book promised to explore solutions for problems of life and professional development. Through characters and the verses. The book explores the theme of solving strategic puzzles, economic and geopolitical problems, and decision-making processes following situations that aim to challenge conventional morality and thinking while discussing the rich tapestries of Indian epic literature that refer to similar pictures to our own lives.
How the old verses align with today's problem and tactical resembles was very interesting and skillfully waved through associated stories. It was quite exciting, the lessons immersed in the stories were beautifully described and the discussion of meaningful commentary is a splendid approach to today's readers. It even evoked interest in readers to read the Mahabharata once again when we saw that rich tapestries of the legendary epic have been unexplored for relatable public policy and choices, a link touched with this epic felt very interesting when it was discovered in the midst of the epic.
It's Very interesting and intriguing to see the stories linking with the modern lifestyle and dissecting them under the microscope felt like a healthy discussion. The three authors tried to focus on Individual ethical dilemmas and conflicts of dharma that resonated for thousands of years but the way they converted the solutions is really not so easy in the geopolitical aspects of today's world. Authors push stories for the solutions that describe things like simply matched but the real-world political senses, the agenda, and the political personality couldn't be lured with the simple rules or by the tactic of what the trio tries to establish, it is far more complicated than it described here.
I was very excited about unveiling a new perspective to solving problems and solutions for dilemmas, but the lack of development of the argument and the reluctant clarity, the author's personal love for Karn, ignorance of his most infamous deeds, and continuous effort to make him a good person didn't go well with me.
Overall, this book failed to meet my expectations.
Stories from the Mahabharata
The book promised to explore solutions for problems of life and professional development. Through characters and the verses. The book explores the theme of solving strategic puzzles, economic and geopolitical problems, and decision-making processes following situations that aim to challenge conventional morality and thinking while discussing the rich tapestries of Indian epic literature that refer to similar pictures to our own lives.
How the old verses align with today's problem and tactical resembles was very interesting and skillfully waved through associated stories. It was quite exciting, the lessons immersed in the stories were beautifully described and the discussion of meaningful commentary is a splendid approach to today's readers. It even evoked interest in readers to read the Mahabharata once again when we saw that rich tapestries of the legendary epic have been unexplored for relatable public policy and choices, a link touched with this epic felt very interesting when it was discovered in the midst of the epic.
It's Very interesting and intriguing to see the stories linking with the modern lifestyle and dissecting them under the microscope felt like a healthy discussion. The three authors tried to focus on Individual ethical dilemmas and conflicts of dharma that resonated for thousands of years but the way they converted the solutions is really not so easy in the geopolitical aspects of today's world. Authors push stories for the solutions that describe things like simply matched but the real-world political senses, the agenda, and the political personality couldn't be lured with the simple rules or by the tactic of what the trio tries to establish, it is far more complicated than it described here.
I was very excited about unveiling a new perspective to solving problems and solutions for dilemmas, but the lack of development of the argument and the reluctant clarity, the author's personal love for Karn, ignorance of his most infamous deeds, and continuous effort to make him a good person didn't go well with me.
Overall, this book failed to meet my expectations.
March 26, 2024
“Is it possible to win and still keep one’s soul?” This age-old question finds a refreshing exploration in the timeless stories of the Mahabharat. In this book, Strategic Choices, Ethical Dilemmas, the wisdom of this ancient epic is applied to the challenges of modern life. With a blend of morality, duty, and practical strategy, the Mahabharat offers insights into navigating complex situations while maintaining ethical integrity. Written for a diverse audience, from scholars to avid readers, this book serves up thought-provoking discussions on how to reconcile winning with ethical choices in today’s world.
January 24, 2024
Missed out some great stories of Shanti Parva.
February 19, 2024
Underwhelming. I expected deep analysis from the complex world of Mahabharata. The Book is quite simplistic and does not dive deep into ethical dilemma and strategic choices. Nevertheless an important beginning to simple books on complex texts. It's a good primer to anyone who's completely unaware of Mahabharat stories or a beginner to Classic Indian Texts, for which it's a great starting point. I also want to thank the writers for opting to use proper Sanskrit shloks and not unnecessary burden with the 'a' at the end of each English written Sanskrit name.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews