Author: Debashis Chatterjee
Publisher: Rupa Publications
What is the lesson you derive from the life of Krishna?
In Krishna: The 7th Sense, well-known author and globally acclaimed
management professor, Debashis Chatterjee offers an allegorical view into the
lives of a teacher (Keshav) and his old students (Neel, Kaya and others), and
conjures up some unforgettable lessons in love. This is a magnificent saga of
passion and pain, acceptance and affection, faith and fulfilment—a story that
is at once ancient and contemporary. In a world where romance ignites and
fades, we often find asking ourselves ‘what went wrong?’ But what if you were
given another chance to discover the flame of ecstatic love? Imagine being in
love all over again, or seeing your love from a timeless horizon. What if you
had Shri Krishna as your mentor to help you navigate the passion and perils of
your life?
Whenever I usually read a book, it fits neatly into a box, fiction or non-fiction,
but with this book, while formally classified as a fictional book, after
reading, I am still undecided. The concept of this book is quite unique and I
loved how the author balances 3 plotlines that run concurrently and converge in
the end. The author uses the life of Krishna to draw out important life lessons
about the idea of love and how we see and perceive the world around us. Apart
from his story, Debashis runs a fictional story of Keshav and his students, one
in the past as a professor, and another in the present when they meet again
after years. Through significant incidents in Krishna’s life from the epics,
Keshav drives out allegories and comparisons that show the various facets of
love and how they impact us. Touching aspects such as Affection, Desire,
Ecstasy, Absence, Devotion, Parting and Freedom, Debashis makes some poignant
points that can be applied to our lives as well. The storytelling is extremely
powerful and keeps you engaged until the very end.
Another aspect of the story that kept me turning the pages was the fact
that the message that the author wanted to put forward is not simply put,
rather a path is built so that one discovers it for themselves, ingraining it
into your psyche. The book is not just about love or mythology, but it also puts
some important management lesson into perspective as well. Through the eyes of
Keshav, the author picks up instances from the mythology and puts them into contemporary
life to highlight the crux of the message the mythology tries to bring to
light. Using specific stories from Krishna’s life, the format of the story is a
mix of a sermon and a lecture.
Debashis’s characters are what put substance in this story. While the
plotline about Krishna is derived from the epics, and stays true to it, I loved
how he references the various names of Krishna as the characters in the book.
Keshav’s character as a beloved professor who turns to spirituality is very believable
and I loved the way it is developed and they way he speaks in his lectures and
sermons. Another character that stood out for me was that of Neel and how his
story and character develop over the period of time. The surprise for me is one
of the critical characters who turns up in multiple places and while I would
not like to name them in this review, I am sure you would feel their presence
and their impact on the story.
I might not be able to box this story into a specific shelf, but reading
this book was a refreshing exercise and there are some lessons I would
definitely put into use in my daily life. This was truly a perfect read for me
and scores a 5/5 for me.
I was provided a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
You can get a copy on Amazon India or your nearest bookstore.
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