Curated by Shivakumar GV and authored by various writers (INDICA)

Why is there a need in the first place to write a set of stories that portray women of the Vedic and Puranic eras in a positive light? Simply because we see many revisionist or distorted versions floating around the modern-day literary landscape that claim to be the ‘correct’ version. They slipped in surreptitiously by first claiming to be alternate perspectives and then after gaining ground, began to dominate by claiming to be the true version. These false and deliberately dishonest versions have an enduring impact on those who are not acquainted with the original. Many readers simply want to be entertained and don’t always have the time and energy to ascertain what is stated in the source material. They accept the distorted versions as true and often have difficulties reconciling with the true version even when finally confronted with it.
It’s not that creative liberties are banned as such in Bharathiya culture. After all, ours has been the land of creative re-tellings & re-imaginings. However, the purpose has always been to stay true and stick to the spirit of the original while dramatising or veering in hitherto unexplored direction. Kalidasa’s dramatisation of Shakuntala’s life story, based on the Mahabharata comes to mind. However, when the purpose is to view the Itihas and Puranas through modern-day values and judge from a present-day vantage point rather than try to understand the social milieu in which said events took place, then issues arise. We are currently seeing many retellings that are steeped in the Marxist ‘victimhood’ narrative that upend Dharmic notions by demonising great heroes like Arjuna and Yudhishtra while idealising unworthy warriors like Karna. These narratives are rarely nuanced and are often unidimensional. We see the same stunts being pulled on female characters from our Itihas and Puranas by only seeing them through the lens of victimhood and assuming that all problems stem from patriarchal and oppressive structures. This book is an honest attempt to portray stories that have not been given their due in mainstream spaces and present depictions of women in a far more faithful manner to how they fare in a Vedic or Pauranik society. It doesn’t pretend to be utopian or posit that there were no problems or challenges but instead sets the context clearly and truly immerses you in their world; urgently needed in the era of distorted and deleterious narratives that only seek to reduce our Puranas and Itihas to simplistic and shameful stories that are not worth looking up to.

We have stories ranging from the Warrior princess Chitraganda who fights alongside Arjuna to the bold princess Ulupi who approaches Arjuna for the union of her own accord to Queen Subhadra who finds a different way of carrying out her dharma and supporting her husband than the conventional way one expects a wife to. Characters etched in the minds of popular imagination such as Satyavati, Shakuntala, and the duo Nala-Damayanti are also presented in a narrative that cannot fail to entertain and arouse interest. The most metaphysical and philosophical stories are undoubtedly those of Gargi, the Brahmavadini, and Maitreyi, the scholarly wife of the famed Yajnavalkya. These stories prove that while there were women steeped in the Shastric worldview, they were not purposely debarred from aspiring towards education and a spiritual path. While Gargi took the unconventional route of choosing not to wed, Maitreyi stuck to the norms in her role as a dutiful householder who nonetheless partook in deep philosophical discussions with her husband. The most unusual story that cannot fail to grab eyeballs would be that of the Vruddha Kanya or Shandilyahudita who was a woman famed for her intense Tapas and arduous spiritual practices who nonetheless neglected the Grahastha stage of the Varnashrama Dharma. As a result, she was beckoned by Narada himself to choose a consort prior to ascending to Swarga despite being of advanced years. Although she does eventually choose a much younger man to marry only for a day, the story is not meant to be sensationalist or scandalous in any way. Narrated completely in poetic verse, it is one of the book’s great delights to read. The one that left the greatest impact on me was the story of Madhavi, King Yayati’s daughter, and is also unusual in that it incorporates scenes set in current times.

When reading the stories, I felt as if I were being steeped in the Puranik lore and values and also transported to their era and milieu. What sets them apart from much of what passes for Indic contemporary fiction is that they are not merely meant for idle consumption and entertainment. There are layers of spiritual wisdom embedded in some of these stories and a sincere seeker will not fail to discern the value. Their purpose is twofold then: they are both educational and entertaining. Much of modern entertainment fails to impart any kind of didactic or moral value in the stories they convey. These 10 little gems that have been painstakingly crafted over two years would never fall into the above category; while all enthrall and entertain, some simultaneously manage to leave the reader in a contemplative state after completion. Carefully chewing on what has just been read and thinking things through. Echoing the principles of Sravana, Manana, and Nidhidhyasana ( imbibe, contemplate, reflect, and then assimilate what has been internalised and understood.)

1. Chitraganda – The Way of the Warrior (Rohini Gupta)An interesting story that features the warrior wife of Arjuna who was decidedly more ‘masculine’ than his other consorts and life companions. Some may accuse this portrayal of being overly ‘feminist’ in its tone but a careful reading would reveal otherwise. There are no attempts at peddling victimhood narratives and in fact, a snippet of a conversation between Arjuna and Chitrangada throws much light on how both men & women of that era were held to higher standards of duties and responsibilities. No one had it easy and while some may have had more privileges than others, it is not so easy to draw reductive and lazy generalisations.It is a lovely short story that manages to portray both of its primary protagonists, Arjuna and Chitranghada, in a flattering light. One can hardly expect a great deal of ‘character development’ in so short a story, of course. The story’s strength lies in the lively conversations between the two as well as the vivid descriptions of the battle scenes. It is unusual to come across a husband-wife duo that spars and fights. Not against each other (as is the case in most marital homes) but rather in unison against a common foe. The face-off against the foe is a fictional scene involving Duryodhana’s henchmen. Interestingly, this was not present in the original and has been used for dramatic effect. Some would easily view this as a huge creative liberty and object to it on those grounds. However, I did not find it to detract from the story nor did it get in the way of conveying a clear picture of the dynamics between the two lovers.
2. Damayanti – Finding Nala (Manjula Tekal)This story is fairly well known with even those having just a passing acquaintance with Bharathiya Itihas and Puranas. Although the author’s version is well narrated, it doesn’t offer anything fresh in terms of nuanced commentary or Dharmic insights. It’s a moderately good story although not quite a masterpiece like some of the other ones in the anthology. It is narrated as a flashback of sorts wherein Damayanti is narrating what ensued to her and Nala to her mother. Her tales of woe begin with Nala’s descent into a gambling frenzy, how he ruins himself and his family by paying no heed to the advice and guidance of his beloved wife and court advisors. He was tricked into forfeiting his riches, belongings, and kingdom which resulted in him and a distraught Damayanti leaving their home together.The story felt psychologically incorrect concerning Nala’s portrayal later on in the story. How does a man behave as callously as he does by abandoning his wife to the wilderness and later expecting her full forgiveness? He remorselessly abdicates his responsibility to his wife by claiming he was emotional, his mind was warped and as a result, his judgment was lopsided. I was not particularly convinced by such weak reasoning and that did mar my reading experience. However, I did like how Damayanti has been characterised. Given that the story is narrated mostly from her perspective, the author does a good job of detailing her trials, and tribulations in addition to her physical and mental anguish during the entire painful ordeal. There are no explanations as to why she is so besotted with Nala even after the ill-treatment he meted out to her. Without giving away any spoilers I would like to add that the ending was rather simplistic and unsatisfactory. There were many things I couldn’t reconcile myself with and was unable to find answers to some questions I’d had during reading this story.
3. Shakuntala – The Mother of Bharatvarsha (Prasad Kulkarni)This story features the well-known Shakuntala as its primary protagonist. It touched on her birth, her romance with King Dushyanta, the birth, and upbringing of their son – Sarvadamana, and the eventual reunion of the three in the court of Hastinapura.
   Before reading this, I was already familiar with the story of Shakuntala (having read both the Amar Chitra Katha adaptation of Kalidasa’s version & also Bibek Debroy’s translation of the original Mahabharata). I’m not sure this story offered me anything fresh to ponder on as there weren’t any nuanced insights to glean from this. It was an entertaining and interesting read that was excellently narrated, yet it did not move me as strongly as some of the other stories did.
4. Subhadra – The auspicious One (Bharathi V)This story is one of the book’s standout stories that shift the spotlight to Krishna’s sister and Arjuna’s wife, Subhadra. Describing the sheer quality of writing as stellar would be to do it an injustice and suffice it to say that I loved it so much, I’m tempted to check out some of the author’s other fictional works. It was an excellent didactic tale that drives home the point of prioritising duties and responsibilities over our desires. Both Subhadra and Arjuna’s actions in this story stand testament to the above maxim.I loved the sense of sisterly camaraderie between Subhadra and Draupadi with none of the expected envy or competitive jealousy. During Arjuna’s period of exile that lasted 13 years, Subhadra longed to be by his side as any dutiful wife or dharmasahacharini would. Yet it is Krishna who gently reminds her that she had her respective duty to follow by remaining back and attending to the care of the sons of the Pandavas. There was no need to feel guilty for neglecting to stay by Arjuna’s side. By being Arjuna’s anchor point back home, she gave him a reason to return and also strove to keep the memory of the Pandavas alive in the hearts of their respective sons. After the great carnage of the Kurukshetra concludes, she once more chooses dharma and duty over her desire, when she stays back and guides Parikshit as the Pandavas leave the palace premises forever. The story does an excellent job of conveying the emotional turmoil Subhadra undergoes at every separation from Arjuna. To continually sacrifice and stay away from one’s consort while fulfilling one’s Dharma and duty is no mean task. Yet Subhadra courageously perseveres each time and thereby becomes an epitome of righteousness & Dharma.
5. Madhavi – King Yayati’s Daughter (Madhurima Devi Dasi)This is one of the book’s most unusual stories given that it not only features Madhavi from the Itihas but also a present-day protagonist called Madhavi who longs to learn more about her namesake. She is an Indian-American who visits Varanasi to gain a better understanding of her roots and culture. She struggles to reconcile her love for the Itihas and Puranik stores narrated to her by her Paati with what some of her Western feminist professors of Indic studies, back in New York have indoctrinated her into. At this moment of crisis, she encounters a Yogini in an almost mystical experience who beckons her to broaden her mind and gain a more wholesome understanding of the story of her namesake. Framed as a conversation between the two, the protagonist throws every feminist objection and victimhood trope she’s been brought up on, against the Yogini only to have each angry query met with a placid and fulfilling answer. The Yogini gently reminds her to understand the past in a new light rather than through the skewed perspective she has been taught to possess. I’m glad to have read this story and strangely, the Westernised Madhavi reminded me of my younger self who has also once been very impressionable and swayed by victimhood narratives that are currently in vogue.One of the story’s most startling claims (as elucidated by the author through the character of the Yogini) was how one could remain a Kanya despite engaging in physical intimacy with one’s lovers. This was exactly the case for Madhavi who regained her virginity after spending time with each king and was prophesied to birth four sons who would go on to become emperors. This premise in itself should be enough to attract curious readers and I strongly encourage all to read and re-read this particular story to grasp its subtleties and complexities in its full.
6. Satyavati – The Iron Woman (Deepak MR)The setting is the forest where Queen Satyavati, Ambika & Ambalika retire before the horrific events unfolding that led to the terrible Kurukshetra war. The opening chapter is a conversation between Ambalika and a fictional character, Prabha, a villager who has observed the royal women from a distance but is unable to make out the reason for their presence there. In some sense, it is very much like a set of embedded stories with one unfolding from the other.

   A: Conversation between Prabha & Ambalika
   B: Ambalika’s narration
   C: Satyavati narrates her own life story to Ambalika

   The narration of events is excellent, grippingly written, and truly holds the reader’s attention right from the fictional elements of Prabha and her son trying to steal Ambalika’s jewel box to the latter explaining her backstory and that of Satyavati, their experiences living in the palace and all that led up to the infamous Niyoga practice. The sections where Ambalika narrates her early life story, marriage, and life in the palace are well-detailed. It does a satisfactory job of exploring the perspective from a female character’s perspective in the first person.

   The subtleties of the Niyoga practice are beautifully explained without resorting to cheap and lurid sensationalism. It stresses that the purpose of the sexual union was for Dharma and to secure the larger interests of the kingdom and was carried out under exceptional circumstances. It was not some union meant to satiate carnal urges or some kind of physical pleasure.

   Viewing Satyavati as kind, loving & misunderstood would be to incorrectly idealise her. I think the supposed ‘Iron Woman’ who had her self-interests at heart and could occasionally be ruthless is probably the more accurate character summation. This is not meant to be condemnation on my part, merely a statement of observation. A woman of her social standing and one living in an era that did not accord certain women a respectable position in society had to look after her interests and behave as she did (extracting the vow of celibacy from Bheeshma) to secure her future. She may have easily been cast aside or worse, eliminated by Bheeshma’s future progeny once King Shantanu passed on. This is pure speculation of course. Yet, to say that many of her actions were inspired by a sense of selflessness would be to describe her too generously (one of the characters in the story does just that). That said, her later actions as queen mother are far more praiseworthy and were truly in the interests of the kingdom and the welfare of its subjects.

7. Ulupi – The legend of the Naga princess (Rajani Muralidhar)An interesting tale that touches on a hitherto less explored character in popular depictions – the Naga princess, Ulupi, who boldly approached Arjuna of her own accord to wed her and continued to shape his destiny long after their tryst with one another. She was truly an exceptional woman who did more than what a normal and dutiful wife would do for her husband, right from raising a formidable and fine son to aid his father in battle, to interceding on his behalf to reduce the severity of a curse inflicted on him to play an active role in saving him from going to Naraka and finally reviving him from death using the arcane arts of Naga-witchcraft and wizardry. To put it in perspective, all this was for a man with whom she only spent a day since theirs had been a Gandharava Vivaah.Prior to reading this story, I wasn’t aware of the extent of Ulupi’s role in looking out for Arjuna’s interests. She was willing to intercede on his behalf not just once but twice! Many have accused her of malicious intent when she spurred Babruvahana (someone who was akin to her son) to fight and kill his father. Yet in the interests of saving her husband’s soul and fulfilling a specific prophecy, she was ready to risk being judged as a heartless and scheming woman by those who learnt of events at a later point in history. Such was her commitment to saving her husband and looking after him.The story doesn’t limit itself to Ulupi but also spends some time describing the battle scenes of Kurukshetra wherein Iravan, her son born of Arjuna plays a significant role. These depictions truly come alive with the author’s gripping and tense writing. The action cannot fail to enthrall the reader. The prose text is also interspersed with some stanzas of poetry wherein some characters break out in verse rather than plain dialogue. It is an interesting touch, and while I have seen bad examples in the past, the author skilfully uses this technique and it never detracts from the story. Rather it only enhances the narrative tension and propels the plot forward.
8. Gargi – The BrahmaVadini (Celia Pillai)Gargi truly serves as a role model for women and spiritual seekers alike. She trodded an unconventional path by eschewing the traditional Dharmic lifestyle of a grihastha or a householder. Yet, she never tried to rebel or demolish existing social norms (restrictive to women as they may seem to us modern-day observers). She proved her mettle through her actions and mastered the Shastras and immersed herself in deep Tapas. She was famed for her spiritual discourses, her incisive intellect, and her eloquent speech. All of which aided her in her journey of conveying essential spiritual truths to the laymen.The story alternates between the past and present with the former including scenes from Gargi’s childhood and how she slowly begins her spiritual awakening. The section on the present includes scenes of the famed Yajnavalkya debating with various scholars on the nature of Brahman and other subtle realms and inner truths. Gargi plays no active role for the first few days of the debate and only watches and ponders on Yajnavalkya’s words as he defeats opponent after opponent in the debate.
   The story is divided into several sections each named after a specific stage of the ascent of the soul on its spiritual evolution.

   Subecha – The Longing for Truth
   Vicharana – The Inquiry
   Tanumanasa – The Inward-Turning Mind
   Sattvapatti – The Awakening of Truth
   Asamshakti – The Victory Over Ego
   Padarthabhavana – Crossing Over The Illusion
   Turiya – The Dissolution

   This is not necessarily a story meant for the masses but that doesn’t diminish its value whatsoever. It remains excellent work that is well-narrated. I could glimpse some spiritual truths behind the debates between Yajnavalkya and Gargi but a great deal also went over my head. I can understand why some may find the story with liberal doses of philosophy and metaphysics a little heavy. Spiritual seekers would find this story far more instructive than those who have not yet kindled an interest in spirituality. Even seekers ought to be encouraged to re-read this story throughout their lives. There are various subtleties that could potentially become self-evident only after years of Sadhana, probing, and actively seeking. It is not a story meant for instant consumption or one meant to reveal its inner truths in a one-shot reading or one sitting.

9. Maitreyi – The Perfect Match (Kavitha Krishna Meegama)The story revolves around the scholarly wife of the famed Yajnavalkya, a knower of Brahman. While the previous story showcased one path taken by Gargi, the woman seeker who gave up the traditional householder lifestyle, this story showed that it was equally possible to pursue a spiritual life while living the Grahastha Ashram stage. It also features Yajnavalkya’s other wife, Katyayani who was of a very different bent of mind compared to Maitreyi. Both characters are presented with all their complexity and the nuanced portrayal cannot be accused of reducing the story to a mere depiction of competitive rivalry between two co-wives.On the surface, the story seems simple enough, Yajnavalkya wants to enter the Sanyasa stage of his life and take the leave of his two wives. He is ready to renounce but perhaps the wives are not yet ready to part ways with him, at least it is so in Katyayani’s case. The placid and ever-cheerful Maitreyi who was of a scholarly and spiritual bent of mind found it far easier to accept his decision and saw it as an example worth emulating – that of withdrawing from Samsara to prevent getting ensnared in more material desires and entanglements. Unfortunately, poor Katyayani is visibly upset at this. She sees it as a loss of prestige after having already withdrawn into the forest to prematurely live in the Vaanaprastha stage – she was too fond of and attached to material pursuits and had not benefited from the many discourses on spiritual wisdom by her husband over the years. A lesson there for many of us. We lose multiple opportunities to ascend the spiritual path by remaining enmeshed in Samsara, unlike Maitreyi who took advantage of her good fortune and Punya to try and imbibe as much as she could by listening to Yajnavalkya. It is a well-narrated story that perhaps requires multiple readings to understand its full worth. I’m glad to have read it though as I had only been vaguely aware of the wives of Yajnavalkya and this story does an excellent job at portraying the virtues of Maitreyi, a dutiful wife who was nonetheless a great scholar, highly spiritually advanced, and rightfully one of the Rishikas worth revering as part of the Vedic pantheon.Like the previous one, this story is also not one that is easy to decipher in one sitting. Extremely metaphysical in its scope with generous amounts of advaitic insights sprinkled across the story, it can prove to be a dry and rather difficult read for some. Again, it may perhaps be better appreciated by a spiritual aspirant or a seeker and not necessarily someone spiritually nascent who could easily dismiss these stories simply for failing to spark interest. That would be a grave mistake. There are still some sections that I didn’t understand in their entirety and perhaps I’ve not yet matured enough to fully grasp all of the wisdom contained within it.

10. Shandilyahudita – Tushara Swayamvara (Ranjith Radhakrishnan)This was an unusual tale that I had not come across before. It tells of a noble and spiritual woman who is popularly remembered as a VruddhaKanya or Shandilyahudita. She performed great tapas and acquired much punya or spiritual merit. However, she neglected the Grahastha Ashram stage of her life and proceeded rather directly to the Samnyasa stage – it was her father’s abject desire that she wed and choose a consort which unfortunately she did not heed. Although he passed on with this unfulfilled desire, it came back to haunt her. Over the years with arduous practice, she grew older and simultaneously acquired much merit. At the moment of ascending to Swarga, Narada himself approaches her and reminds her of her incomplete work and duties. She reluctantly agrees to find a consort although she is sceptical of which young man would accept a Crone as a wife (quoting directly from the story).The writing style and quality are truly impeccable. It is presented as a narrative poem and the verses are a real pleasure to read, while the first section details a summary of the major characters of the Jaya/Mahabharata, the second section dives specifically into the story of Shandilyahudita. Incidentally, both are Kavyas.As expected, the noblewoman runs into many a problem in her unusual search for a younger consort in the human realm. Many mock and snigger at her plight while others pass derogatory whispers at her strange search. She offers any young man who agrees to wed, half of the spiritual merit she has earned. In the process of finally finding Shringavat, a man who willingly agrees to wed her, she comes across many strange encounters. A harlot who is willing to offer her body to the young man she weds in exchange for one-tenth of the merit, and townswomen who are willing to offer their husbands in exchange for money rather than spiritual merit. The old woman laments and laughs at the strange plight the world is coming to when help comes from unexpected quarters whereas those who are expected to abide by Dharma turn out to be quite dishonest themselves. She gauges the worth of the young Brahmana by asking him questions and finds him to be of a scholarly and spiritual bent of mind – the rest of the story must be read to be fully appreciated. While I couldn’t find any direct takeaways from this lesson, it was certainly an unusual one that I won’t forget. I loved the ottava rima style of poetry narrative and would love to re-read it solely for the stellar quality of writing.

All in all an excellent anthology of short stories that readers will certainly enjoy reading. Heartily recommended.

Final Rating: 4.5 /5 Stars