Epics have always fascinated me. I love them for their long-winding plots, interesting twists at opportune moments and multiple shades of characters. It gets even more interesting with narratives of different authors with their point of view. I can never get enough of them, and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's 'The Palace of Illusions' is my latest read on The Mahabharata.
Of all the epics, Mahabharata remains my favourite for which I'd give partial credit to BR Chopra's version that aired on TV in the 80s/90s. It only went uphill after that with me reading different versions and interpretations of the epics. The aspect of Mahabharata that I liked the most is its well fleshed out characters. The way everyone from Krishna to Karna, Kunti to Uttara exhibit different shades in different situations. I always felt Mahabharata would be very interesting to read from different characters' points of view. Krishna might have his own version of it, in his support of Pandavas, while Karna might look at it as a conspiracy against his dear friend Duryodhan masterminded by Krishna. Also, Mahabharata is not plain black and white like Ramayana in which good and evil are clearly demarcated and the reader gets polarized quickly in every episode.
All this made Palace of Illusions an interesting read for me as it is narrated from Draupadi's point of view. Draupadi is one of the strongest (or maybe the strongest?) characters of Mahabharata, also exploited to a great extent with some decisions taken without her consent and which went against the rules of the day. She was distributed by her mother-in-law to her 5 husbands, who ultimately lose her in a game of dice to their enemy!
What would've Draupadi felt when she was distributed among 5 people like a sweet/fruit? What would she have felt at her swayamvar where the decision was meant to be taken by her but eventually influenced by everyone else but her? What went through her mind when she was subjected to the ultimate insult in the court of her family's enemies?
All these questions find an interpretation in Palace of Illusions. Chitra illustrates Draupadi's point of view quite well right from her birth - her struggle to come to terms with the prophesy about her destiny, her righteous indignation against the discrimation she faces due to her status of a 'princess', her travails in the forest with her husbands in exile, her devotion towards her husbands against all odds - everything is etched out in detail and it's a pleasure to read it in Draupadi's own words.
IMO, the best part is the narrative of Draupadi's unprofessed love towards Karna. I've read about it in a couple of other versions and some articles and it seems quite logical and sensible for her to have been married to Karna. But strange are the ways of destiny, and she ends up being his rival who he detests much. How would the whole epic sound if Draupadi were to marry Karna, or if Karna were to know his birth secret much in advance of the war? Do karma and dharma influence one to the extent of being the cause for the greatest war ever? Palace of Illusions brings up a lot of these questions to the fore and has some narratives that could scandalize some conservative readers who hold our epics in high stead and consider them directives for human lives.
Overall, a great read and unputdownable!
Of all the epics, Mahabharata remains my favourite for which I'd give partial credit to BR Chopra's version that aired on TV in the 80s/90s. It only went uphill after that with me reading different versions and interpretations of the epics. The aspect of Mahabharata that I liked the most is its well fleshed out characters. The way everyone from Krishna to Karna, Kunti to Uttara exhibit different shades in different situations. I always felt Mahabharata would be very interesting to read from different characters' points of view. Krishna might have his own version of it, in his support of Pandavas, while Karna might look at it as a conspiracy against his dear friend Duryodhan masterminded by Krishna. Also, Mahabharata is not plain black and white like Ramayana in which good and evil are clearly demarcated and the reader gets polarized quickly in every episode.
All this made Palace of Illusions an interesting read for me as it is narrated from Draupadi's point of view. Draupadi is one of the strongest (or maybe the strongest?) characters of Mahabharata, also exploited to a great extent with some decisions taken without her consent and which went against the rules of the day. She was distributed by her mother-in-law to her 5 husbands, who ultimately lose her in a game of dice to their enemy!
What would've Draupadi felt when she was distributed among 5 people like a sweet/fruit? What would she have felt at her swayamvar where the decision was meant to be taken by her but eventually influenced by everyone else but her? What went through her mind when she was subjected to the ultimate insult in the court of her family's enemies?
All these questions find an interpretation in Palace of Illusions. Chitra illustrates Draupadi's point of view quite well right from her birth - her struggle to come to terms with the prophesy about her destiny, her righteous indignation against the discrimation she faces due to her status of a 'princess', her travails in the forest with her husbands in exile, her devotion towards her husbands against all odds - everything is etched out in detail and it's a pleasure to read it in Draupadi's own words.
IMO, the best part is the narrative of Draupadi's unprofessed love towards Karna. I've read about it in a couple of other versions and some articles and it seems quite logical and sensible for her to have been married to Karna. But strange are the ways of destiny, and she ends up being his rival who he detests much. How would the whole epic sound if Draupadi were to marry Karna, or if Karna were to know his birth secret much in advance of the war? Do karma and dharma influence one to the extent of being the cause for the greatest war ever? Palace of Illusions brings up a lot of these questions to the fore and has some narratives that could scandalize some conservative readers who hold our epics in high stead and consider them directives for human lives.
Overall, a great read and unputdownable!
7 comments:
Yep, one of the best books Ive ever read and written a review of. Exciting and very assertive stance on Draupadi. :)
Totally agree. I also loved the way Draupadi's love for Karna is expressed, and his for her... and the narrative gives a new perspective to the whole epic, from a woman's point of view...
@rads & Scarlett, Yes, the most exciting part for me was that it was seen from a woman's point of view - Draupadi's reflections of events in her life are not very different from what we would think if we faced similar situations. A very contemporary outlook!
Nice review here Sangeetha.Looking forward to reading it. The Karna-Draupadi love angle has been explored before. Remember seeing it in a movie somewhere. Should make for interesting reading.
Cheers,
SK
I've not read the book yet, but in some of the versions I read, it is Draupadi herself who stops Karna at her swayamvar, when he comes forward to participate. I was of the opinion that she disliked him because of his perceived low birth. So wherefrom the love?
@thevc, Like I said, Mahabharata has always had multiple interpretations, and what you're talking about is the popular interpretation. There are other versions where authors talk about Draupadi's unprofessed love/attraction towards Karna. Palace of Illusions is one such version.
Interesting Review .. I haven't read the book, but now want to try it! I saw a play called 'The Dark Lord" where they showed a hint of a relationship between Draupadi and Krishna. The multiple interpretations are fascinating.
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