Mahagatha: 100 Tales from the Puranas-Satyarth Nayak

Book: Mahagatha: 100 Tales from the Puranas
Author: Satyarth Nayak
Publisher: HarperCollins India

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you remember the stories from the mythology that we used to hear as kids?

The Puranas of Hinduism are a universe of wisdom, embodying a fundamental quest for answers that makes them forever relevant. Now, for the first time, 100 of the greatest mythological tales from these ancient texts have been handpicked and compiled into an epic illustrated edition. Besides popular legends of devas, asuras, sages and kings, Satyarth Nayak has dug up lesser-known stories, like the one where Vishnu is beheaded or where Saraswati curses Lakshmi or where Harishchandra tricks Varuna. Nayak also recounts these 100 tales in a unique chronological format, beginning with Creation in Satya Yuga and ending with the advent of Kali Yuga. Using Puranic markers, he constructs a narrative that travels through the four yugas, offering continuous and organic action. In such a reading, it is revealed that these stories are not isolated events but linked to each other in the grand scheme of things. That every occurrence has a past and a future. A cause and effect. An interconnected cycle of karma and karma-phal. Delving into the minds of gods, demons and humans alike, Mahagatha seeks a deeper understanding of their motivations. The timelessness of their impulses speaks across the aeons to readers of today. Written in lively prose with charming illustrations, these 100 tales will entertain and enlighten, and make you connect the dots of Hindu mythology like never before.

Mahagatha: 100 Tales from the Puranas is a wonderful selection of stories from the Puranas that follow a wonderful pattern of time and I loved how each story wove into the next just like a string of pearls. The 100 stories Satyarth has chosen are quite interesting and keeping the theme of cause-effect intact, we see that happen time and again, across places, across yugas. Satyarth’s voice is engaging and telling the age-old stories in his own voice, the reader is transported into the world of the stories and you can actually see the tales unfold in front of your own eyes. Starting from the very beginning, the point where the world began to the very beginning of the Kali Yuga, the stories span across ages. Having listened to the stories as a child, I could recall them as clearly as I heard them as a kid, and this is one thing that does astonish me is the fact that despite different people telling them, the essence remains the same, and in some cases the story is exactly I heard it, bringing back fond memories.

Apart from the stories and the storytelling, what makes the book stand apart are the illustrations that adorn the pages along with the stories. Each of those illustrations complement the stories perfectly, and as a reader one would really appreciate the visuals as you journey through the book. If I had to pick my favourite out of all the ones, it would be the one on the cover, and the image of Ardhnarishwara is quite powerful, and it imprints in your mind.

This book is a definite recommendation for anyone who loves reading mythology and is a fan of short stories. The book scores a 4.75/5 for me.

Get your copy of the book from your nearest bookstore or on Amazon India.