Mahagatha: 100 Tales from the Puranas

Satyarth Nayak

Dec 2022 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

Do you know the story where Brahma and Vishnu race against each other or where Shiva battles Krishna? Do you know about Maya Sita or Narada's monkey face? Or why Surya falls from the sky or why Chandra commits adultery?

The Puranas of Hinduism are a universe of wisdom, embodying a fundamental quest for answers that makes them forever relevant. Now, for the first time, 100 of the greatest mythological tales from these ancient texts have been handpicked and compiled into an epic illustrated edition. Besides popular legends of devas, asuras, sages and kings, Satyarth Nayak has dug up lesser-known stories, like the one where Vishnu is beheaded or where Saraswati curses Lakshmi or where Harishchandra tricks Varuna. Nayak also recounts these 100 tales in a unique chronological format, beginning with Creation in Satya Yuga and ending with the advent of Kali Yuga. Using Puranic markers, he constructs a narrative that travels through the four yugas, offering continuous and organic action. In such a reading, it is revealed that these stories are not isolated events but linked to each other in the grand scheme of things. That every occurrence has a past and a future. A cause and effect. An interconnected cycle of karma and karma-phal.

Delving into the minds of gods, demons and humans alike, Mahagatha seeks a deeper understanding of their motivations. The timelessness of their impulses speaks across the aeons to readers of today. Written in lively prose with charming illustrations, these 100 tales will entertain and enlighten, and make you connect the dots of Hindu mythology like never before.

Ratings and reviews

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About the author

Satyarth Nayak is an author and screenwriter based in Mumbai. A former SAARC Award winning Correspondent with CNN-IBN, Delhi, he holds a Masters in English Literature from St. Stephen's. Sridevi – The Eternal Screen Goddess (Penguin, 2019) is Satyarth's best-selling biography. His debut novel, The Emperor's Riddles, was released in 2014. He followed it up with his second thriller titled Venom in 2020. Satyarth has also scripted Sony's epic historical show, Porus, touted as India's most expensive television series that aired from 2017 to 2019. His short stories have won the British Council award and appeared in Sudha Murty's Penguin anthology, Something Happened On The Way To Heaven.