What do you think?
Shambuka Rama: Three Tales Retold
Rama, Lakshmana and Sita chance upon Valmiki's ashram in the forest. But what is the shudra Shambuka doing there?
As Duryodhana lies dying on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, he reflects on all that brought the world to this pass, his guilt and that of his enemies, his loyalties and those of his friends and allies. As the story flashes back and forth on the last moments of the Great War, dharma and adharma merge and blur.
In the forest, during the exile of the Pandavas, Bhima, married to Hidimba, compelled by his love for his son, Ghatotkacha, decides to stay back. Even his mother's anger and his elder brother's command will not sway him ...
Mukunda Rao tells three classic stories from the epics, shedding new light on them, illuminating corners that we haven't looked at before. Shambuka Three Tales Retold is a powerful blend of spiritual search, philosophy and mythology.
As Duryodhana lies dying on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, he reflects on all that brought the world to this pass, his guilt and that of his enemies, his loyalties and those of his friends and allies. As the story flashes back and forth on the last moments of the Great War, dharma and adharma merge and blur.
In the forest, during the exile of the Pandavas, Bhima, married to Hidimba, compelled by his love for his son, Ghatotkacha, decides to stay back. Even his mother's anger and his elder brother's command will not sway him ...
Mukunda Rao tells three classic stories from the epics, shedding new light on them, illuminating corners that we haven't looked at before. Shambuka Three Tales Retold is a powerful blend of spiritual search, philosophy and mythology.
- GenresMythology
208 pages, Paperback
Published September 25, 2018
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 26, 2018
“If you are unable to find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?”
----Dōgen
Mukunda Rao, an Indian writer, has penned a compelling mythological book of short stories called, Shambuka Rama: Three Tales Retold, inspired and taken straight out of the great Indian epics namely, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The stories are about Bhima who chances upon the female rakhshas (monster), Hidimba and decides to stay back in the forest of Maya, Duryodhan who ponders on the Great War and the pain that it brought upon the world and about Rama who during his exile meets Valmiki and Shambuka Rama, forcing him to quench for the truth.
Synopsis:
Rama, Lakshmana and Sita chance upon Valmiki's ashram in the forest. But what is the shudra Shambuka doing there? As Duryodhana lies dying on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, he reflects on all that brought the world to this pass, his guilt and that of his enemies, his loyalties and those of his friends and allies. As the story flashes back and forth on the last moments of the Great War, dharma and adharma merge and blur. In the forest, during the exile of the Pandavas, Bhima, married to Hidimba, compelled by his love for his son, Ghatotkacha, decides to stay back. Even his mother's anger and his elder brother's command will not sway him. Mukunda Rao tells three classic stories from the epics, shedding new light on them, illuminating corners that we haven't looked at before. Shambuka Rama: Three Tales Retold is a powerful blend of spiritual search, philosophy and mythology.
The five brothers and their mother have narrowly escaped from the murder attempt on their lives by their cousin brother, and is walking towards the forest of Maya, where they are advised to hide for a few days. But in this very same forest, amidst of life-threatening dangers and monsters, the second Pandava brother, Bhima, loses his heart to a former monster turned into a divine woman named Hidimba and eventually their love story blossoms, and finally resulting in the birth of their son, Ghatotkacha, that compels Bhima to stay back in that forest.
Duryodhan is pondering over adharma and how could the Great war in the epic Mahabharata could have been avoided. Even Yudhisthira wonders on whether evil can only be fought with evil. Whereas in Ramayana, Rama is pondering about the real meaning of truth with the help of Valmiki and Shambuka Rama. The deeper meaning of truth will set him free, but why is a Shudra man lurking in a village of hermit is what is bothering Rama more than the truth.
The three classic tales are spun really tastefully and interestingly by the author, that will provoke the readers to think beyond the concepts of truth, love and evil. The philosophy of life is explained in a simplistic and realistic manner that will not only leave the readers engaged but will also enlighten them about life. The author strikingly portrays the three stories under different life and through a different approach, hence it becomes easier for the readers to look between the lines for its true meaning.
The writing style of the author is quite coherent and is laced with deep, moving emotions. The author's narration of the great Indian epics are done in a vivid manner, as the dialogues between the characters are not only realistic and thoughtful, but are also extremely captivating enough to keep the readers glued to the book. The considerably fast pace keeps the story flowing through the meaningful stories of some of the great mythological characters.
The characters from the book are very well etched out by the author in this book. From Bhima's convincing demenaor towards his family and son, Rama's confusing demeanor about truth and the real reason behind Shambuka Rama's presence in that village and Duryodhan's regretful consicence towards the war and pain he caused to his cosuin's family. Even the supporting female characters are also strikingly portrayed from Draupadi to Kunti to Sita, in this book.
In a nutshell, this is a must read book for all the mythology loving freaks, as the stories in the book will satisfy you to your very core.
Verdict: A very enlightening read!
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Harper Collins India for giving me and opportunity to read and review this book.
----Dōgen
Mukunda Rao, an Indian writer, has penned a compelling mythological book of short stories called, Shambuka Rama: Three Tales Retold, inspired and taken straight out of the great Indian epics namely, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The stories are about Bhima who chances upon the female rakhshas (monster), Hidimba and decides to stay back in the forest of Maya, Duryodhan who ponders on the Great War and the pain that it brought upon the world and about Rama who during his exile meets Valmiki and Shambuka Rama, forcing him to quench for the truth.
Synopsis:
Rama, Lakshmana and Sita chance upon Valmiki's ashram in the forest. But what is the shudra Shambuka doing there? As Duryodhana lies dying on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, he reflects on all that brought the world to this pass, his guilt and that of his enemies, his loyalties and those of his friends and allies. As the story flashes back and forth on the last moments of the Great War, dharma and adharma merge and blur. In the forest, during the exile of the Pandavas, Bhima, married to Hidimba, compelled by his love for his son, Ghatotkacha, decides to stay back. Even his mother's anger and his elder brother's command will not sway him. Mukunda Rao tells three classic stories from the epics, shedding new light on them, illuminating corners that we haven't looked at before. Shambuka Rama: Three Tales Retold is a powerful blend of spiritual search, philosophy and mythology.
The five brothers and their mother have narrowly escaped from the murder attempt on their lives by their cousin brother, and is walking towards the forest of Maya, where they are advised to hide for a few days. But in this very same forest, amidst of life-threatening dangers and monsters, the second Pandava brother, Bhima, loses his heart to a former monster turned into a divine woman named Hidimba and eventually their love story blossoms, and finally resulting in the birth of their son, Ghatotkacha, that compels Bhima to stay back in that forest.
Duryodhan is pondering over adharma and how could the Great war in the epic Mahabharata could have been avoided. Even Yudhisthira wonders on whether evil can only be fought with evil. Whereas in Ramayana, Rama is pondering about the real meaning of truth with the help of Valmiki and Shambuka Rama. The deeper meaning of truth will set him free, but why is a Shudra man lurking in a village of hermit is what is bothering Rama more than the truth.
The three classic tales are spun really tastefully and interestingly by the author, that will provoke the readers to think beyond the concepts of truth, love and evil. The philosophy of life is explained in a simplistic and realistic manner that will not only leave the readers engaged but will also enlighten them about life. The author strikingly portrays the three stories under different life and through a different approach, hence it becomes easier for the readers to look between the lines for its true meaning.
The writing style of the author is quite coherent and is laced with deep, moving emotions. The author's narration of the great Indian epics are done in a vivid manner, as the dialogues between the characters are not only realistic and thoughtful, but are also extremely captivating enough to keep the readers glued to the book. The considerably fast pace keeps the story flowing through the meaningful stories of some of the great mythological characters.
The characters from the book are very well etched out by the author in this book. From Bhima's convincing demenaor towards his family and son, Rama's confusing demeanor about truth and the real reason behind Shambuka Rama's presence in that village and Duryodhan's regretful consicence towards the war and pain he caused to his cosuin's family. Even the supporting female characters are also strikingly portrayed from Draupadi to Kunti to Sita, in this book.
In a nutshell, this is a must read book for all the mythology loving freaks, as the stories in the book will satisfy you to your very core.
Verdict: A very enlightening read!
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Harper Collins India for giving me and opportunity to read and review this book.
May 3, 2018
Shambuka Rama contains three tales- 2 from Mahabharata and 1 from Ramayana. The book gives a philosophical touch to these mythological tales and poses some basic and valid questions to its readers.
The first story is about Bheema, who has married Hidimbi and has a child Ghatothkach. But Bheema can’t live with them forever in the forest because of his ‘Dharma’ as the prince of Hastinapura. But is it ‘dharma’ to leave your wife and child in the forest, alone and to fend for themselves? Kunti is incomplete without her sons and hence, isn’t it unfair for her to ask Bheema to live without his son? While these might be tiny developments in a huge saga, these events are what shaped the characters, who are mere pawns in the “Mahabharata”
The second story talks about Duryodhana, lying half-dead near a lake and thinking about his decisions and ‘karma’. Pandavas are proud of their win and Krishna- the one loved by all is provoking them to destroy the Kuru clan. Each soul is in a dilemma and everyone wants revenge. But what does revenge bring with itself? Mass destruction. Loss of lives at a level that is unimaginable and unfathomable.
The final story has been taken from Ramayana and it a part of the first year of exile. Rama, Sita, and Laxmana come across Sudra Shambuka, who knows the religious texts by heart but was driven away from his own city- Ayodhya because he was born of a Shudra Womb. On the other hand, Rama has identity issues and he continues questioning himself and his life as a Prince. All of this makes a great tale about the understanding of “Brahmins” and the reason for their existence.
Shambuka Rama also gives you an overview of these epic events along with the standard thought of existential and identity crisis. Written in simple language, the text is capable of making you ponder over events that were once considered insignificant, but these same events shaped the personalities of there great Kshatriya warriors.
A mythology lover’s paradise, this book is all you need to understand the depts of mythology and that, it is more than a tale of good and bad.
The first story is about Bheema, who has married Hidimbi and has a child Ghatothkach. But Bheema can’t live with them forever in the forest because of his ‘Dharma’ as the prince of Hastinapura. But is it ‘dharma’ to leave your wife and child in the forest, alone and to fend for themselves? Kunti is incomplete without her sons and hence, isn’t it unfair for her to ask Bheema to live without his son? While these might be tiny developments in a huge saga, these events are what shaped the characters, who are mere pawns in the “Mahabharata”
The second story talks about Duryodhana, lying half-dead near a lake and thinking about his decisions and ‘karma’. Pandavas are proud of their win and Krishna- the one loved by all is provoking them to destroy the Kuru clan. Each soul is in a dilemma and everyone wants revenge. But what does revenge bring with itself? Mass destruction. Loss of lives at a level that is unimaginable and unfathomable.
The final story has been taken from Ramayana and it a part of the first year of exile. Rama, Sita, and Laxmana come across Sudra Shambuka, who knows the religious texts by heart but was driven away from his own city- Ayodhya because he was born of a Shudra Womb. On the other hand, Rama has identity issues and he continues questioning himself and his life as a Prince. All of this makes a great tale about the understanding of “Brahmins” and the reason for their existence.
Shambuka Rama also gives you an overview of these epic events along with the standard thought of existential and identity crisis. Written in simple language, the text is capable of making you ponder over events that were once considered insignificant, but these same events shaped the personalities of there great Kshatriya warriors.
A mythology lover’s paradise, this book is all you need to understand the depts of mythology and that, it is more than a tale of good and bad.
November 20, 2018
Detailed Review - https://www.anuradhagoyal.com/shambuk...
November 25, 2022
Mukunda Rao`s books have totally captured my imagination lately.
In matter of weeks, I have been thoroughly immersed in his books. 'Belief and beyond', "Between the serpent and the rope', 'Akka Mahadevi', 'The Buddha', and have recently ordered his earlier books, 'Confession of a Sanyasi', and 'The Questing Spirit'. I find his unpretentious writing, inquiring mind, deep humility of his approach, very refreshing. In Shambuka Rama, clearly in this theme, U. G Krishnamurthi meets Valmiki and Rama. The brilliance of his idea of having Rama meet Valmiki, at a stage when Valmiki seems to be having 'writer's block' state is funny, witty and brilliant, and reminds one of the great moments in the Mahabharata when Vyas walks in and out of the narrative.
Rama is in a moral dilemma, and this is not the ideal Rama or Tulsidasji`s magnum opus. It is a conflicted Rama who seems to have mixed concepts over concepts and who is in quest of his true 'I". Rama questions his own decision to leave for 14 years (or was it his decision) and is challenged when he is told that he actually made an 'adharmic' decision to say yes to morally bankrupt individuals like Kaikeyi and his fornicator father, King Dasarath. Ha, you thought you were Mr Clean, well you are clearly not and Ayodhya is/was as corrupt as a dirty impure mind. So, Rama, says a Sita, sounding like Akka Mahadevi, try to be present, accept your current state, and leave the past behind, experience peace for yourself. Sastras are corrupt too and written with a need to 'control' the masses.
Enter Shambuka, knowingly constructed as this dark obsese individual, low caste and unkempt to dissociate him with the conquering arrogant brahminical aryans. This is UG`s pathless path proponent coming face to face with 'godly' Rama. Shambuka, in a wonderful debate, with a disciple who has been questioning his deconstructive approaches, tells the questioner, if you do not like my theories, please 'spit it out' and do not accept my words too, as i cannot even tell the difference between a vegetable and fruit.
In other words, Mukunda Rao is weaving the theory of true advaita, pure awareness approaches, here, to propose to the reader, to not create paths founded by others, to not just follow blindly, to fully experience the immutability of this brahman by oneself and only oneself (a label that the brahmans themselves gave themselves).
Do not be like Rama who created made a self-righteous edict based on a blurry concept of 'dharma' concocted by others. Do not be like Shambuka`s Guru who preached a brahman without beginning, middle and end, yet is the very person, who sends Shambuka in exile, when he discovers the latter was not a brahmin. The rest of the book is equally though provoking.
In the first part of the book, Bhima falls in love with Hidimbi and refuses to continue on the so called 'journey of truth' putting Vyas, the narrator in shambles. Bhima to Vyas: I see no point in fighting, in going back to a corrupt world. I fell in love, and despite its temporary nature, this state is better than the unceasing search, grasping, craving for name and fame. It takes the world trickster Krishna to arrive and create the illusion and game of kartavya and reenergize Bhima, but we are not privy to what Krishna says, we know that nature and the gunas compel us on.
The most gut-wrenching part of the book is the battle at Kurukshetra. Ashwatamma`s hate filled massacre of the children of the Pandavas, forces Krishna to call himself a 'useless nonentity', and for the first time, he is out of words, out of whack, or is he, the great pretender just pretending?
Barely has the shock of this inconceivable loss sunk in, the madness of this dharma yug continues (the show must go on) when Draupadi insists for revenge. Bhima goes out on a mission, and Krishna has to 're-intervene' again. Does the drama of life ever stop? Do we ever attain this elusive fourth state of OM?
Krishna himself seems out of sync and out of words. Yudhistira's appeals falls on deaf ears
Mukunda Rao has written a beautiful thought-provoking genius of a book. It is a breath of fresh air to seekers, and a balm for those who think they have 'some goals' to attain. There are no goals, no state to be attained, no heaven to aspire to. Like Yudhistira, we just need to simply remain profusely unattached to the unending webs of our mind, if not, we seem condemned to the cycles of birth, death, and will not have the silence in our souls to find our way to the ocean. That ocean whose smell and presence always seems so close to the deepest part of what we call, our true selves!
In matter of weeks, I have been thoroughly immersed in his books. 'Belief and beyond', "Between the serpent and the rope', 'Akka Mahadevi', 'The Buddha', and have recently ordered his earlier books, 'Confession of a Sanyasi', and 'The Questing Spirit'. I find his unpretentious writing, inquiring mind, deep humility of his approach, very refreshing. In Shambuka Rama, clearly in this theme, U. G Krishnamurthi meets Valmiki and Rama. The brilliance of his idea of having Rama meet Valmiki, at a stage when Valmiki seems to be having 'writer's block' state is funny, witty and brilliant, and reminds one of the great moments in the Mahabharata when Vyas walks in and out of the narrative.
Rama is in a moral dilemma, and this is not the ideal Rama or Tulsidasji`s magnum opus. It is a conflicted Rama who seems to have mixed concepts over concepts and who is in quest of his true 'I". Rama questions his own decision to leave for 14 years (or was it his decision) and is challenged when he is told that he actually made an 'adharmic' decision to say yes to morally bankrupt individuals like Kaikeyi and his fornicator father, King Dasarath. Ha, you thought you were Mr Clean, well you are clearly not and Ayodhya is/was as corrupt as a dirty impure mind. So, Rama, says a Sita, sounding like Akka Mahadevi, try to be present, accept your current state, and leave the past behind, experience peace for yourself. Sastras are corrupt too and written with a need to 'control' the masses.
Enter Shambuka, knowingly constructed as this dark obsese individual, low caste and unkempt to dissociate him with the conquering arrogant brahminical aryans. This is UG`s pathless path proponent coming face to face with 'godly' Rama. Shambuka, in a wonderful debate, with a disciple who has been questioning his deconstructive approaches, tells the questioner, if you do not like my theories, please 'spit it out' and do not accept my words too, as i cannot even tell the difference between a vegetable and fruit.
In other words, Mukunda Rao is weaving the theory of true advaita, pure awareness approaches, here, to propose to the reader, to not create paths founded by others, to not just follow blindly, to fully experience the immutability of this brahman by oneself and only oneself (a label that the brahmans themselves gave themselves).
Do not be like Rama who created made a self-righteous edict based on a blurry concept of 'dharma' concocted by others. Do not be like Shambuka`s Guru who preached a brahman without beginning, middle and end, yet is the very person, who sends Shambuka in exile, when he discovers the latter was not a brahmin. The rest of the book is equally though provoking.
In the first part of the book, Bhima falls in love with Hidimbi and refuses to continue on the so called 'journey of truth' putting Vyas, the narrator in shambles. Bhima to Vyas: I see no point in fighting, in going back to a corrupt world. I fell in love, and despite its temporary nature, this state is better than the unceasing search, grasping, craving for name and fame. It takes the world trickster Krishna to arrive and create the illusion and game of kartavya and reenergize Bhima, but we are not privy to what Krishna says, we know that nature and the gunas compel us on.
The most gut-wrenching part of the book is the battle at Kurukshetra. Ashwatamma`s hate filled massacre of the children of the Pandavas, forces Krishna to call himself a 'useless nonentity', and for the first time, he is out of words, out of whack, or is he, the great pretender just pretending?
Barely has the shock of this inconceivable loss sunk in, the madness of this dharma yug continues (the show must go on) when Draupadi insists for revenge. Bhima goes out on a mission, and Krishna has to 're-intervene' again. Does the drama of life ever stop? Do we ever attain this elusive fourth state of OM?
Krishna himself seems out of sync and out of words. Yudhistira's appeals falls on deaf ears
Mukunda Rao has written a beautiful thought-provoking genius of a book. It is a breath of fresh air to seekers, and a balm for those who think they have 'some goals' to attain. There are no goals, no state to be attained, no heaven to aspire to. Like Yudhistira, we just need to simply remain profusely unattached to the unending webs of our mind, if not, we seem condemned to the cycles of birth, death, and will not have the silence in our souls to find our way to the ocean. That ocean whose smell and presence always seems so close to the deepest part of what we call, our true selves!
December 31, 2018
I love retellings from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata; that is what made me pick up this book. There are three stories – two from the Mahabharata and one from the Ramayana. The theme of this book is the subjectivity of dharma and adharma. This is an excellent theme and has a lot of scope. However, I felt that the book did not live up to its expectations. Out of the three stories, the story of Bheema and Hidimbi is my favourite. The emotions are brought out well through the writing. In both the other stories, there is a kind of vagueness in the narration. Thus the writing is not powerful enough to create an impact. In the story of Rama, Lakshman and Sita, the plot drags unnecessarily and the charm is lost. The author goes back and forth between different incidents and it becomes very confusing. The idea of non-conformity and the dilemmas about dharma could have been better represented through crisp writing and better editing. If you want to pick up this book, do it for the story of Bheema and Hidimbi.
April 11, 2022
अरे भाई साहब! इसमें ऐसा क्या Untold रह गया था, और आपने और नया क्या retold किआ है ? मुझे लगा था की अध्याय २ में दुर्योधन पराजय और वध के बारे में कुछ अलग लिखा होगा, पर नहीं, इस किताब ने पैसे और समय, दोनों बर्बाद किए।
लिखना ही था तो आनंद नीलकांतन की तरह कुछ अलग विचारधारा वाला लिखते, या फिर भास ऋषि के उरुभाङ्गं से प्रेरणा ले के कुछ लिख लेते।
लिखना ही था तो आनंद नीलकांतन की तरह कुछ अलग विचारधारा वाला लिखते, या फिर भास ऋषि के उरुभाङ्गं से प्रेरणा ले के कुछ लिख लेते।
May 28, 2018
Note: An honest review in exchange for a copy. I would like to thank HarperCollins India.
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
--Samidha.
Review:
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
4 stars.
(Buddy read this with my Mum.)
Shambuka Rama Three Tales Retold was a very interesting read. It focuses on some of the more “philosophical” stories in the Mahabharata, most of which the Indian readers would be familiar with.
It also ends with an open ended, make-your-own-choice kind of way, which deoes make the conclusion to the story better, but can get a bit jarring. I really enjoyed the middle story “Sanjay Speaks” it was mostly focused around the war, and does take us through almost all characters, so I was very invested in the story.
As someone who had Indian Classical as a paper in college, I would recommend this. The stories were a new take into a done to death area, and made them a bit refreshing. The characters didn’t stick to their stereotypical representation.
The writing style was marvellous, very immersive. I don’t really have much to say on this, apart from the fact that if you’ve not read the source text you would definitely enjoy it more, but if you’ve read the source text then this a good insight into some of the stories, that aren’t mainstream.
--Samidha.
April 28, 2018
Shambuka Rama by Mukunda Rao is a powerful blend of spiritual search, philosophy and mythology. Retelling of three classic stories from Indian Mythology, it is an enlightening read.
It is based on our age old epics with scenarios from Ramayana and Mahabharata put forth from a different perspective which forces its readers to ponder and think beyond the concepts of truth, love and evil.
My Review:
The writing style of the author is quite engaging and moving, the retelling has been done in a vivid manner but still ensures that the dialogues don't seem too far fetched, idealistic and are very relatable for the reader. I liked the book because it's simple yet fast paced which you enjoy reading because Mahabharata and Ramayana are something which every Indian kid has learnt and known growing up.
From Bhima's deep personal conflict to do as his mother wishes, or to be with his son or to Rama's predicament about what’s real and true and Duryodhan's guilt ridden conscience after the war and pain he has caused to his extended family. The author does a fantastic job in portraying all the characters and showing their inner strength in vulnerable situations.
It is based on our age old epics with scenarios from Ramayana and Mahabharata put forth from a different perspective which forces its readers to ponder and think beyond the concepts of truth, love and evil.
My Review:
The writing style of the author is quite engaging and moving, the retelling has been done in a vivid manner but still ensures that the dialogues don't seem too far fetched, idealistic and are very relatable for the reader. I liked the book because it's simple yet fast paced which you enjoy reading because Mahabharata and Ramayana are something which every Indian kid has learnt and known growing up.
From Bhima's deep personal conflict to do as his mother wishes, or to be with his son or to Rama's predicament about what’s real and true and Duryodhan's guilt ridden conscience after the war and pain he has caused to his extended family. The author does a fantastic job in portraying all the characters and showing their inner strength in vulnerable situations.
March 31, 2018
A tale of Rama, Duryodhana and Bhima. All told separately. And differently. Touching upon ancient texts. In a different way, Rather to make you think in a different way.
Good book on philosophy, and how to seek the truth told in a subtle way.
Good book on philosophy, and how to seek the truth told in a subtle way.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews