Introduction

'The Mahabharata' composed by Ved Vyas is without doubt the greatest epic ever told and it is the pride and joy of India. The Mahabharata holds a special place in the hearts of Indians every where, it has brightened the lights of the aficionado from the time of it's conception which was thousands of years ago and it continues to be special, relevent and meaningful to this very day. It without a doubt will be a guiding light in the future the way it always has been. 

Mahabharata was written thousands of years ago. It was here long before we were born and it will be here long after we are gone. This epic story cannot be explained, it can only be experienced. There are thousands of chapters and many stories. It is believed that nobody can interpret Mahabharata in it's entity. So there will always be something that could be learned everytime it's heard or read. 

Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince by Anuja Chandramouli, however does not include all the stories of Mahabharata. It focuses on different anecdotes on Arjuna- the third Pandava from Vyasa’s Mahabharata.

In Vyasa’s version, which is probably the most famous of all Mahabharatas, Arjuna is the most powerful Pandava. Yudishtira, the eldest is dharmic, but not a great warrior and has a weakness for gambling. Bheema, the second one, has brute power, but is not portrayed as intelligent. The youngest ones, borne from Madri are anyway sidelined. Arjuna comes through as the right mix of debonair, intelligence and valor.

Many incidents and characters in Mahabharata revolve around Arjuna. Draupadi the wife of Pandavas is won by Arjuna through a contest. It is of common knowledge that Draupadi loved Arjuna more than her other husbands. Arjuna was the clear favorite of Drona, the guru of Pandavas and Kauravas. His rivalry with Karna, the first son of Kunti who had to take Duryodhana’s side is well known. Arjuna’s friendship with Krishna helps Pandavas. There are quite a few common and obscure stories around Arjuna in the book.

Arjuna is the Immortal tale of one of India’s greatest heroes. These pages retell in riveting detail the story of the Pandava Warrior-Prince who has captured the imagination of millions across centuries. This is the intense and human story of love, friendship, ambitions, weakness and follies, as well as his thoughts.

Told in a refreshingly modern and humorous style and set against the staggering backdrop of the Mahabharata. Arjuna’s story appeals equally to the average, discerning reader and the scholar. It spans the epic journey from his birth, when omens foretold his greatness, across the fabled, wondrous landscape that is his life.

Anuja is a self-confessed, big-dreamer, who is driven by an inner passion to contribute her mite to the great pool of human endeavour, thought, and wisdom. An ardent admirer of Veda Vyasa’s Mahabharata, Anuja holds the Great Epic to be one of a kind, the Homers and Virgils of the world notwithstanding. Drawing her creative inspiration from epic’s timeless track record of sustenance through centuries of retelling, Anuja chose to debut as a storyteller with the immortal and eternally captivating saga of Arjuna, the nonpareil hero. Putting together episodes from Arjuna’s life, some well known, others relatively obscure, gleaned through years of painstaking research and then presented in a seamless narrative with the uninhibited panache and style of a 21st seamless writer, has been an immensely satisfying and self-actualising endeavour for this New Age Indian classicist.

Arjuna Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince is the story of an epic warrior prince from the Mahabharata. Arjuna, the archer genius of the Pandavas, whose adventures, conquests and follies are well known even till today, is one of the famed Pandava princes. Arjuna, known as the son who was gifted to Kunti-the mother of the Pandavas-by the grace of the Wind God Vayu, was said to be a man capable of great things right from his birth. The auspicious omen that surrounded his birth and the foretold future that was destined for greatness and heroism, all of these are told beautifully in this book. The story starts with the birth of Arjuna, a boon from the Wind God to Kunti and tells us about the childhood of Arjuna, his escapades as a talented marksman and the adventures that ensues amongst the Pandava brothers. Arjuna's training as a Warrior Prince and the enmity that starts between the Pandavas and Kauravas, the little fights of dominance between them are all described vividly. As the book goes on, we learn more about Arjuna's love interests, his follies, heroic deeds of unselfishness and his innermost thoughts on the various aspects of life that he comes across in the Mahabharata. 'Arjuna Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince' is told in a refreshingly humorous and modern tone, set against the staggering backdrop of the Mahabharata.

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