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Jaya Paperback – August 16, 2010

by Devdutt Pattanaik (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 5,593 ratings
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High above the sky stands Swarga, paradise, abode of the gods. Still above is Vaikuntha, heaven, abode of God.

The doorkeepers of Vaikuntha are the twins, Jaya and Yijaya, both whose names mean 'victory'. One keeps you in Swarga; the other raises you into Vaikuntha.

In Vaikuntha there is bliss forever, in Swarga there is please for only as long as you deserve. What is the difference between Jaya and Vijaya? Solve this puzzle and you will solve the mystery of the Mahabharata.

In this enthralling retelling of India's greatest epic, the Mahabharata originally known as Jaya, Devdutt Pattanaik seamlessly weaves into a single narrative plots from the Sanskirt classic as well as its many folk and regional varians, including the Pandavani of Chattisgarth, Gondhal of Maharastra, Terukkuttu of Tamil Nade and Yakshagana of Karnataka.

Richly illustrated with over 250 line drawings by the author, the 108 chapters abound with little-known details such as the names of the hundred Kauravas, the worship of Draupadi as a goddess in Tamil Nadu, the stories of Astika, Madhavi, Jaimini, Aravan and Barbareek, the Mahabharata version of the Shakuntalam and the Ramayana, and the dating of the war based on astronomical data.

With clarity and simplicity, the tales in this elegant volume reveal the eternal relevance of the Mahabharata, the complex and disturbing meditation on the human condition that has shaped Indian thought for over 3000 years.
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Previous page
  1. Part of series
    The Great Indian Epics Retold
  2. Print length
    349 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    India Penguin
  5. Publication date
    August 16, 2010
  6. Dimensions
    9.02 x 7.01 x 0.88 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    014310425X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0143104254
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

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I had always thought of reading and knowing the Mahabharata but somehow I just couldn't sit down and go through the traditional one. That is when I stumbled upon JAYA. And grateful as I am, this book is for all those who just want to know that little something about our culture and beliefs. The work put in by the author in gathering the facts will leave you absolutely stunned and once you are done with it you would feel like acting like an expert on hindu Mythology.....!!! Really it is that good...... So go ahead and grab your copy..... do not borrow it but Buy it..... it is one of the must haves in your classics.....! Happy Reading...! --Siddhartha Sharma on 28 Sep 2011

This has to be one of the best books on Mahabharat. The best part of book is it is impartial and factual. Also every chapter end with few bullet points, trying to connect events and customs in story, with probable prevailing customers in reality around that period. It interprets Mahabharat not just as a story, but also from a rational point of view. A Must-Read ! --Parth Pooniwala on 22 Sep 2013

All I have is Respect for Mr.Devdutt for his brilliant understanding of mythology and mastery in portraying the most complex thoughts in the simplest , believable and UN-offending manner. Jaya is mahabharat the biggest epic ever written uncovered to the roots... I loved reading every single word from it...like I was discovering my own past. Its a must read for all mythology buffs! --Sumit Pandey on 16 Nov 2012

About the Author

Devdutt Pattanaik is a medical doctor by education, a leadership consultant by profession and a mythologist by passion. He has written and lectured extensively on the nature of sacred stories, symbols and rituals and their relevance in modern times. His books with Penguin India include The Book of Ram, Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, The Pregnant King, Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana and the Devlok series of stories for children. Devdutt's unconventional approach and engaging style are evident in his lectures, books and articles. To know more visit www.devdutt.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ India Penguin (August 16, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 349 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 014310425X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143104254
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.02 x 7.01 x 0.88 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 5,593 ratings

About the author

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Devdutt Pattanaik

Devdutt Pattanaik

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Devdutt Pattanaik was trained in medicine, and worked in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry for fifteen years, before turning his part-time passion for mythology into his full-time profession. He has authored over 1000 articles and over 50 books on the relevance of sacred stories, symbols and rituals in modern times. These have been translated in Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati and many international languages including Russian, Polish and Japanese. He is a much sought after corporate speaker and acts as a consultant to organisations on matters related to leadership and culture.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
5,593 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

geoff_boycott
5.0 out of 5 stars love this book
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2017
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love this book; started off with My Gita and then ended up reading this book. I admire the author's deep research on the subject and he has made it clear that the story is 5000 years old and hence lot of it is based on folklore and myths. Author has left it to each reader on how to interpret the stories within the Mahabharata -- but has done an excellent job at the end of each chapter to provide a summary and his take on the topic. Love the details and how he has provided extra tit bits on how cultures/practices in different parts of India have different perspective on the contents. This has formed the basis of many of our religious views/edicts/practices/beliefs in different regions of India. I also am wonder struck at how open the author is to topic such a polygamy; alternate life styles etc. He has also given apt references on how Hinduism is very different to the 3 Abrahamic Religions (Judaism; Islam and Christianity). To top it all the illustrations are superb and personally created by the author himself -- it is very clear he comes from a medical background and his display of the human bodies symmetries/depiction in the drawings are very stark. Great work -- so relevant in todays world -- the same old lessons human need to be reminded on stay away from greed; excesses; get along with all and how material aspirations can turn to evil deeds. I never knew the difference between 'heavan' (abode of Indra and other Gods) and 'vaikuntha' (abode of Sri Vishnu) or that not all Vijayas (victories) are the same -- that the only Vijaya that real matters is Jaya (victory over ones own desires)....hence the title of the book Jaya. Look forward to other books by Devdutt Patnaik -- love his shows on Epic TV Channel. Need more of it on Youtube for all worldwide readers to see. Unique Interpretation on a very old/enriched subject.
8 people found this helpful
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Book Myths
4.0 out of 5 stars Great refresher with beautifully crafted illustrations
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2014
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Great read and a good refresh of Mahabharata from my childhood. Although the way everything is written feels a bit rushed and the narrative is sometimes too shallow in areas where it should not be.
The parts covering Pandavas 12 year exile, Bhagvad Gita, Bhisma & Abhimanyu's death .. all the really important events feel a bit too light and breezy and doesn't get the analysis depth that it deserves, which the author has so nicely done in some other areas, specially covering parts related to Draupadi or Karna..
The illustrations are great and is probably one of the most creative I have ever seen
2 people found this helpful
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Gaile Roberts Nunez
5.0 out of 5 stars An ingenuous format for the summarizing of the fantastic Mahabharata. The telling of stories intermingled with "blocks" ...
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2015
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An ingenuous format for the summarizing of the fantastic Mahabharata. The telling of stories intermingled with "blocks" giving interpretations from various regions of the sub-continent and a sampling of religious interpretations. The illustrations are simple, but elucidating. I purchased the book in print and from Audible. That may seem foolish, but I can assure anyone that it was not. It made for an enriching experience. First, the Audible version was free as I bought it with a credit, and I got to follow the paperback, taking note as I am want to do in a book I like, while I got to listen to the rich Indian accents of the various narrators. It was educationally very sound, by the way, to get the input via two senses simultaneously. For me, it was pure delight.
2 people found this helpful
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geerisha
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book...Must Read!
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2015
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Great book.... Read several versions of the Mahabharata, but this version really gives us the facts...it relates the epic in a way that allows the reader to make his own judgement and draw his own conclusions. The way it links the book to the real-life situations in today's world makes one wonder.....In Most of the mahabharta narrations, the kauravas are the adharma ones and the pandavas the dharma followers. But in this book, the author shows the weakness of the pandavas as well...the addiction of Yudhishtir to gambling....the arrogance of Arjuna...the greed of Bhima...kunti's failure as a fair mother....Draupadi's manipulation of her 5 husbands to get what she wants and her regret for not choosing Karna as her husband who according to Krishna would have given her all due respect and never let her go through the humiliation she went through.. Without krishna's influence, the pandava's would not have gone so far...It also shows Karna, son of Surya God was far more powerful than Arjuna who always thought he was the best archer...... Arjuna's chariot was destroyed long time back during the battle.....but the presence of Krishna as charioteer sustained it...only when Krishna moved from the chariot, it blows to ashes.....! Must read!
One person found this helpful
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lennart norreklit
4.0 out of 5 stars Captivating and enlightening
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2013
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Pro: Told with a good sense of storytelling. it never gets boored although you know the main stories already, because there are lots of special perspectives and new angles. Smooth and easy to read for a western educated person. The traditional burden of ancient indan terminology is really kept to a minimum. Each chapter has a section of enlightening comments.
Con: none. I would like more.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Too Hot To Handle?
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2016
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Excellent account of the great Epic. For me, this really is the pinnacle of research on the Mahabharata because it incorporates several viewpoints of the Epic from all over India, not just the written accounts but also orally told stories and folktales. Thorough, precise, and highly detailed - a must read for anyone interested in understanding the Mahabharata from its roots up. Even readers who have read several books on the Mahabharata before will discover something new in this book.. and in it, the true gems of wisdom.
Just a note to readers: To get the best from this book I would suggest keeping a broad and detached mind while reading it and the less judgemental one is, the better - this may be especially true for those who have been exposed more to mainstream thoughts and concepts on the Epic and its key characters.
6 people found this helpful
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Ajay Melwani
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2014
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The style of the book with the little illustrations on it make it a light and entertaining read. However this book can be read only if one has already read the Mahabharatha and is familiar with the characters and the main plot. It is a good read for those who would like to read about the Mahabharata in a different light. The synopsis at the end of each chapter are quite insightful.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Sai Krishna Lohith
5.0 out of 5 stars Best mahabharat Book for this present generation
Reviewed in India on April 29, 2024
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Still I am having same high after 50 days of completing this book.. if u have basic idea on this mahabharat and when u starting reading this book the excitement will be in peaks and also U may already had listened, read or watched this epic ithihasa .. but this particular book is the best version of mahabharat for modern mind. The way the author devdutt wrote and collected this, like for every back story of some character has a parallel story for other person in past and additionally he provides so many anecdotes and info which actually enlights excites the reader.
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Carlos Jíménez Gil
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
Reviewed in Spain on February 9, 2024
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Si buena lectura y sus ricos
comentarios.
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Prajesh Joshi
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for South Asians who grew up abroad
Reviewed in Canada on August 21, 2018
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So for me personally, I grew up in North America without much religious upbringing about Hinduism or Hindu culture. I just knew I was born a Hindu, and my parents are originally from the Indian subcontinent.

This book was truly a great introduction about the Hindu mythology for me. The book is divided into 18 parts, and the whole first part is used to outline certain laws and ancestral stories that play a contextual role later on into the story.

I loved this book! It's not heavy on Hindi jargon, and if there is no English translation/substitution for the word, it provides a nice, simple explanation of what they are. The notes at the end of each chapter also help to make sense of the story, and how they have different versions of that same story in certain parts of India, Nepal, Indonesia, etc. And they also provide cool cultural, social, or historical details about the story which was really cool!

So, if you're a white-washed south asian growing up in the US/UK/Canada, and want to learn more about Hindu mythology without much Hindi jargon, I would 100% recommend this book!
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oisaduas8
5.0 out of 5 stars The most beautiful book I have ever read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2017
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The most beautiful book I have ever read. It took me on an emotional roller coaster, and had the most brilliant ending and numerous life lessons.

This is one book I plan to read every year, for the rest of my life.
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Psbra
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Brazil on February 21, 2015
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This book is great. Easy and deep understanding of the Mahabharata. I've read some other versions and each one of them is important somehow.
This version has some notes at the end of each chapter that make you comprehend a little bit more what you've read.
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