[DXZ]≫ PDF The Mahabharata Sons of Gods The Spellbinding Story behind the Bhagavad Gita eBook Sharon Maas

The Mahabharata Sons of Gods The Spellbinding Story behind the Bhagavad Gita eBook Sharon Maas

Download As PDF : The Mahabharata Sons of Gods The Spellbinding Story behind the Bhagavad Gita eBook Sharon Maas

The Mahabharata Sons of Gods The Spellbinding Story behind the Bhagavad Gita eBook Sharon Maas

A most excellent novelization of what is probably one of the oldest books existent, and assuredly the longest epic poem in all of history. There's bits left out, and it doesn't go into the depths of metaphysical discussion one finds in such translations of bits of the story, such as the "Bhagavad Gita as it is" - by Swami Prabhupata- something not usually read by anyone outside the Krishna ashrams or a comparative theology course, so don't come looking for explanations for the magic, beyond the magic itself.


Tags : The Mahabharata --- Sons of Gods: The Spellbinding Story behind the Bhagavad Gita - Kindle edition by Sharon Maas. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Mahabharata --- Sons of Gods: The Spellbinding Story behind the Bhagavad Gita.,ebook,Sharon Maas,The Mahabharata --- Sons of Gods: The Spellbinding Story behind the Bhagavad Gita,Karna Books,RELIGION Hinduism Sacred Writings

The Mahabharata Sons of Gods The Spellbinding Story behind the Bhagavad Gita eBook Sharon Maas Reviews

I enjoyed the book very much. There are some quotes of wisdom I have adopted into my life. I was surprised to see the author took creative license in the way that Karna was more prominent in this book. I can't imagine the story without him as a main character.
I've always loved mythologies. Like most of my American contemporaries, Greek and Roman myths were part of our school curriculum. On my own, I sought out Native American and Norse tales. As I let them, they spilled the secrets of the forces and spirits that put color and flourish over the grey cogs of physics and rationalism. I've loved these stories for the freedom from the strictly literal that they offer; the chance to swim in what it says of humanity in the stories we invent to explain the universe.

I had certainly heard of India's rich fables and parables, particularly, the Bhagavad Gita. But I didn't know of its larger contextual epic, The Mahabharata. And I also didn't know that I was poorer for it.

I had read Sharon Maas (writing here as Aruna Sharan) several years ago. Her gorgeous and riveting, OF MARRIAGEABLE AGE, is a treasure to me, as it is currently (but perhaps not for long) out of print. I was delighted for the opportunity to read a new work of hers.

SONS OF GODS THE MAHABHARATA RETOLD is kaleidoscopic in its beauty and intricacy. The hurdle of the tale's massive scope has always daunted translators, and the difficulty of prising the right tone from an ancient grand epic to suit a modern and Western audience has relegated it to largely academic obscurity.

What's saved it for us is that Aruna Sharan knows full well that love, betrayal, lust, envy, pride, devotion, and heroism never go out of style. SONS OF GODS is a literary soap opera with a soul that spans the full horizon.

Love for the panoramic story itself and the patience of more than three decades of careful crafting has solved the literary puzzle of how to present it for an audience in the digital age. Aruna Sharan is well-suited in both talent and passion to deliver a new classic for lovers of mythology.

The unique category of mythology also makes SONS OF GODS a clever fit for 's publishing as a proving ground for its appeal. The price is incredible for a work of such excellence. Still, I hope for the day to hold it hardbound in my hands, as well. This isn't just a book, it's the Universe explained.
There are many retellings of the Mahabharata, India's classic epic. I have read several and would recommend Sons of Gods for anyone not already familiar with this ancient tale.

Taken as a whole, the Mahabharata is unwieldy, to say the least. It is filled with digressions and stories within stories that resist linear narrative. Sharon Maas's version is admirably streamlined for readers who want to get a grounding in the basic story before exploring in more detail the rambling conglomeration of myths, legends, and history that make up this massive tale.

The greatest strength of Sons of Gods lies in its introduction to the complex Kuru-Pandava lineage. Understanding the complicated issues around the succession is key to understanding the tragic war between the two princely lines. Maas lays out the whole convoluted tale, from the grandfather Santanu to the grandsons Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Dhritarashtra, who is born blind, cannot rule. Pandu, the younger one, will inherit.

The princess Kunti serves the great sage Durvasa and because of her piety receives a boon from him. He teaches her a mantra that enables her to summon any god, and though she is warned not to use it lightly, she can't resist trying it. She summons the sun god Surya, and by him she bears a son. Her honor is at stake, however. Not daring to reveal she has borne a child she sets her little son afloat in a basket. Unlike Moses, who is rescued by a royal princess, a charioteer's wife finds Kunti's son. She and her husband, ignorant of his illustrious lineage, raise the child as their own , calling him Karna.

In due course, Kunti marries Pandu. Because of a curse (read the book if you want to know more!) Pandu is unable to father children on his wives Kunti and Madri. To ensure her husband's line, Kunti uses her mantra to summon the gods Dharma, Vayu, and Indra, who father sons on her. She allows Pandu's other wife to use the mantra to summon the Ashvins, twin gods who father Madri's twins. These sons of gods, who by ancient law of levirate become Pandu's heirs (the Pandavas), grow to manhood ignorant of their half-brother Karna just as he is ignorant of his lineage.

Maas's version goes straight and true from the early conflicts between the young Kuru and Pandava princes, who are raised in the same royal household, to the martial contest where an unknown charioteer's son Karna challenges the haughty Pandava prince Arjuna and becomes an ally of the Kurus, through the infamous game of dice to the Pandavas' thirteen year exile to the final war. I read avidly; didn't put it down, even though the ending was no mystery to me. It hits the most important events and illustrates the moral conflicts, but necessarily leaves out a great deal.

Maas's prose is lovely and descriptive. It also reflects the fact that the Mahabharata is a religious text as well as a ripping tale. For me, this sometimes renders the characters two-dimensional. Nevertheless, it's a very good read.
This book about mythology makes you think about good, evil, love, devotion and duty. Makes you question the importance of avenging honor and question what is honorable, especially in light of the Middle Eastern/Western conflict and all of the regional wars being waged today.
This is a very good translation by Sharon Maas. Book came on time and perfect.
Excellently written and brilliantly composed, this novelized rendition of the Mahabharata brings together Kings, Gods and demons in an entertaining way that (for a story that's more than a thousand years old) kept me on the edge of my seat, page after page.
A most excellent novelization of what is probably one of the oldest books existent, and assuredly the longest epic poem in all of history. There's bits left out, and it doesn't go into the depths of metaphysical discussion one finds in such translations of bits of the story, such as the "Bhagavad Gita as it is" - by Swami Prabhupata- something not usually read by anyone outside the Krishna ashrams or a comparative theology course, so don't come looking for explanations for the magic, beyond the magic itself.