Book Review 87
Name Of The Book : Ashtamahishi - The Eight Wives Of Krishna
Author : Radha Viswanath
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Year : 2018
Category : Fiction
Review :
Krishna, the eternal lover, is believed to have charmed the heart of every woman he came across and his marriage with 16,100 women is the stuff of numerous ballads that have enthralled us over the ages. But who amongst them all did Krishna love? Who ruled his heart and influenced his life? Not one, but there were eight women whom Krishna married solely on the basis of mutual love and respect. Each of these wives—the Ashtabharyas—contributed to making Krishna what he was. While their names figure in the text of the great epic Mahabharata, not much has been discussed about them. Who are these women and what was that special ‘something’ in each of them that won Krishna over? What was each of those relationships like? Radha Viswanath delves deep into the great Hindu epics, Puranas and other ancient texts, weaving nuggets of information with rich imagination to give us a fascinating picture of Krishna’s life with these eight extraordinary women.
The story of Krishna has been told repeatedly over the years, yet it never fails to captivate its readers. This is one such book. The theme of this book is extremely interesting and I did not know much about the eight wives of Krishna. The story of how and why each of them came into the life of Krishna is narrated in detail. The writing is eloquent and comprehensive and we will be engrossed in the book. I expected only the story of Krishna and his wives but the author has also talked in depth about their inner significance. This was a valuable insight and I was able to acquire a great deal of knowledge apart from the story. Mythology and its meanings are explained alternately thus the readers will not lose interest. There is an equal measure of fun and philosophy and we will develop a great sense of love and respect for each of the characters. This book is recommended for those who want to gain a deeper insight into the life of Krishna and the symbolic representations in the epics and Puranas. This is a book that can be read at a slow pace as it requires some time for assimilation but it only adds to the magic of the reading experience. The cover page of this book also has a beautiful illustration and the gold spine is mesmerizing.
Rating : 4/5
Name Of The Book : Ashtamahishi - The Eight Wives Of Krishna
Author : Radha Viswanath
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Year : 2018
Category : Fiction
Review :
Krishna, the eternal lover, is believed to have charmed the heart of every woman he came across and his marriage with 16,100 women is the stuff of numerous ballads that have enthralled us over the ages. But who amongst them all did Krishna love? Who ruled his heart and influenced his life? Not one, but there were eight women whom Krishna married solely on the basis of mutual love and respect. Each of these wives—the Ashtabharyas—contributed to making Krishna what he was. While their names figure in the text of the great epic Mahabharata, not much has been discussed about them. Who are these women and what was that special ‘something’ in each of them that won Krishna over? What was each of those relationships like? Radha Viswanath delves deep into the great Hindu epics, Puranas and other ancient texts, weaving nuggets of information with rich imagination to give us a fascinating picture of Krishna’s life with these eight extraordinary women.
The story of Krishna has been told repeatedly over the years, yet it never fails to captivate its readers. This is one such book. The theme of this book is extremely interesting and I did not know much about the eight wives of Krishna. The story of how and why each of them came into the life of Krishna is narrated in detail. The writing is eloquent and comprehensive and we will be engrossed in the book. I expected only the story of Krishna and his wives but the author has also talked in depth about their inner significance. This was a valuable insight and I was able to acquire a great deal of knowledge apart from the story. Mythology and its meanings are explained alternately thus the readers will not lose interest. There is an equal measure of fun and philosophy and we will develop a great sense of love and respect for each of the characters. This book is recommended for those who want to gain a deeper insight into the life of Krishna and the symbolic representations in the epics and Puranas. This is a book that can be read at a slow pace as it requires some time for assimilation but it only adds to the magic of the reading experience. The cover page of this book also has a beautiful illustration and the gold spine is mesmerizing.
Rating : 4/5