Continuing with my reading hobby this time I decided to read something different. Definitely not ENGLISH.
Hence thought of reading "Mrityunjay", a novel written by Shivaji Savant who received the famous, prestigious Murtidevi puraskar for his first creation. This is the novel that my father told me to read long time back when we were in high school, but...
This is the novel that depicts the life of the generous and great warrior "Karna". It also depicts
a. his superb personality,
b. his love for his dear friend Duryodhana for whom he is ready to do anything even going to Guru Drona for learning the Bramhastra vidya despite the previous humiliation,
c. his mother who always thinks he is still a kid and advises not to go near the water of the Ganges,
d. brother Shon whom he confides in the most, shares everything, and is impressed by his unconditional, pure love despite his mother loves him the more than Shon,
e. his love and respect for his dearest friend Ashwatthaman from whom he seeks wise advises whenever his life takes certain turn,
f. his everlasting fight within his mind with the society that calls him the "Sutputra"(Sarathi),
g. his enchanting love and respect for his Guru - Lord Surya who eventually is his father.
This is the novel that makes you cry at times due to the lamenting of Karna on people calling him SutaPutra, his non-stop effort to know who he is? It teaches you the depth of human relationships with the various analogies given by Aswatthaman. It also makes you feel excited when Karna is rejoicing on the things that happened to him, like when he came to know about his past, when he explains the love his brother has for him, etc.
Some of the scenes that touched me are:
a. The period when Madri within a flash of second jumps into the funeral pyre of her beloved
b. The consecration of Karna by his friend Duryodhana. The entire competetion for selecting the most powerful student in the whole Hastinapura.
c. The post Draupadi-Vastraharan period when Karna's other half, Vrushali, reveals the secret what Panchaali has commented on Karna when he had been to the Rajsuya yadna. He (the author) has touched my heart as to how one single revealation of the opinion changes the view point.
d. The humiliation of the great warrior who goes for seeking the Bramhastra lessons from the Guru of Kauravas, Guru Drona, after giving his unremovable protective covering in charity to Lord Indra. The Kavacha because of which his whole body is indestructible, immortal adds to his personality.
e. The instant when Karna's know who he is from Lord Krishna, his reaction to krishna's offer. The same reaction to Kunti's request to come and join pandavas.
f. The time when he goes to meet the great Kuru, Bheeshma, when he has been put onto the bed of arrows by Arjuna. It is there where he (Bheeshma) reveals as to why he did not addressed Karna as "Maharathi" while planning for the battle
g. The moment when Karna's chariot's wheel gets deep into mud and Lord Krishna orders Arjun to kill Karna.
h. The time when Karna is about to die. The entire period over there. This shows his generosity, his curiosity even at that moment to know as to why Ashwatthama ties the piece of cloth over his head, his eagerness to meet his friend Duryodhana.
i. The entire description of the war by Lord krishna where the author has just piled up the pages with the Lord Krishna's eulogizer about Karna.
It has been really a lifetime experience for me to read this master creation. Do read it!!!
