The Mahabharata Code by Karthik K.B. Rao


The Mahabharata CodeThe Mahabharata Code by Karthik K.B. Rao
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“...the secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to hear again. The ones you can enter anywhere and inhabit comfortably. They don’t deceive you with thrills and trick endings. They don’t surprise you with the unforeseen. They are as familiar as the house you live in. Or the smell of your lover’s skin. You know how they end, yet you listen as though you don’t. In the way that although you know that one day you will die, you live as though you won’t. In the Great Stories you know who lives, who dies, who finds love, who doesn’t. And yet you want to know again.

That is their mystery and their magic.”
― Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things

I am tempted to open the review with these words. Mahabharata is a great book. It inspired countless authors to retell it in myriad ways. Everyone has their own interpretation. Yet we are not tired of reading it. The reason is told above.

The story is set in a far off planet. Narayan Rao, a scientist from NASA goes to a far off planet. There he meets a mystery man Vyasa. They try to recreate the great epic there. As expected Pandavas and Kauravas hate each other and come face to face in a war. Krishna is also there to guide.

The story is well written and a lot of research is done by Karthik. The Chapter of “Not required Indian” deals with the theme of caste. Srishti has some theory about it being based on deeds and not birth. They discuss it at great length in the context of Ramayan and Mahabharat. In these epics the lower castes were stopped from learning and that shows that it is based on birth.

Chapter 20 “The revelation” gives insight about the God Program. I cannot tell much as it will be spoiler.

The book is not a simple retelling of Mahabharata. The scale is large and the myths are explained in a scientific way. The dogmas of caste, superstations and blind faith are questioned. It made me think and reflect. The book is humorous and intelligent.

I give the book 4/ 5 stars.




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