A comprehensive review of "Rama of the Axe" by Ranjith Radhakrishnan, and his treatment of plots and characters beyond what is mainstream, including but not limited to the protagonist Bhagwan Parashurama and the antagonist Kartyavira Arjuna.
Author: Rohan Raghav Sharma (Rohan Raghav Sharma)
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Aavarana (The Veil) By S. L. Bhyrappa – Translated by Sandeep Balakrishnan – A Review
Rohan Raghav Sharma reviews SL Bhyrappa's "Aavarana - the veil" translated from the original Kannada into English by Sandeep Balakrishnan. He explores the multi-layered plot, the flow of the story, and evolution of the characters while also touching upon salient points of criticism along with his own critique of the book.
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Trying to Understand Shri Rama
An analytical look at some of the more controversial actions of Shri Rama, from the lenses of ancient as well as modern thoughts.
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‘Ramayana Unravelled’ By Ami Ganatra – A Review
Ami Ganatra's book "Ramayana Unravelled" is a brilliant attempt to dispel the inauthentic accounts and imaginary tales floating about under the garb of retellings of Ramayana. It helps those who haven't yet been able to study the original text in detail, to take a deeper look at their notions about different characters, including Shri Rama and Devi Sita, and their actions, motivations and circumstances. It must be read as a stepping stone for the study of the source text to understand and absorb the main epic in a deeper manner.
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Thoughtful Reflections on ‘Mahabharata Unravelled’ by Ami Ganatra
A deeper dive into some characters and aspects of Mahabharata with the help of Ami Ganatra's book "Mahabharat Unravelled".
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‘Mahabharata Unravelled’ By Ami Ganatra – A Review
Ami Ganatra's book "Mahabharata Unravelled" is going to be revelatory for those who are used to a steady diet of modern, almost fictitious and agenda driven, retellings, or rather remodellings, of dharmik epics. It must be read as a stepping stone for the study of the source text to understand and absorb the main epic in a deeper manner.
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‘Saraswati’s Intelligence’ by Vamsee Juluri – A Review
Vamsee Juluri's book is a page-turner, a great example of creative reimagining done right.
It cannot easily be categorised as per conventional genres. Depending on individual inclination, it can be classified as spiritual, based on passages dealing with the questioning of the nature of Dharma; action-packed thriller, given the battle scene depictions and wars waged; or 'mythological', since despite being based on living Devatas, it is a fictional representation of them; and very different from the stories we were raised on.
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Hindu Love Stories by Aditi Banerjee – A Review
In this review of "Hindu Love Stories" by Aditi Banerjee, we learn about the author's motivation behind writing the book; and her treatment of her characters. She brings forth the popular tales, as well as some lesser known ones; and shows us that some of the lore known to us as tales of duty and surrender can also be viewed from the Hindu view of love, which is very different from the single-hued romantic love marketed by the West.
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48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene – A Review
In this review of the book "48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene, Rohan Raghav Sharma reviews the relevance, appropriateness, and applicability of individual rules mentioned in the book; along with the writing style and historical research needed for the examples and allegories mentioned to illustrate practical implementation of the rules by historical figures.
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Kama and the Nature of Sensual Desires
In this article, Rohan Raghav Sharma talks about degeneracy and blind gratification of carnal desires becoming the norm in the West and all modern societies inspired by the West, and suggests that the Hindu framework of the four Purusharthas - Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha; can provide guidance for a balanced view of life.