Moments That Shaped the Mahabharat
What happens in the instant before a choice becomes destiny?
In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, bestselling author Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, Mahakshana (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.
Mahakshana pauses at the defining moments when choices are made, emotions collide and destinies change forever. Through these moments, the ancient epic becomes a reflection on the dilemmas that remain deeply familiar even today.
From Devavrata’s transformation into Bhishma and Amba’s turn towards vengeance, to Karna’s dilemma over the Shakti, Bhima’s wait to confront Kichaka, and Abhimanyu’s contemplation before entering the Chakravyuha, Mahakshana explores the epic through moments of decision, consequence and irreversible change.
What makes Mahakshana especially relevant to contemporary readers is its focus not merely on Gods, warriors and heroes, but on the human emotions that drive their decisions desire, doubt, rage, love, ambition, loyalty and guilt. These are emotions that continue to influence relationships, leadership, conflict and choices in the world around us.
Sometimes, history is shaped in a single moment. Mahakshana traces the story of the Mahabharata through these key moments..
More on the book
Devavrata stands on the brink of becoming Bhishma. Amba’s humiliation hardens into vengeance. Dhushasana steels himself for an act that will scar history. Bhima waits for the moment to strike Kichaka. Karna wrestles with the consequences of using the all-powerful Shakti on Ghatothgacha. Abhimanyu contemplates before entering into the Chakravyuha on the Kurukshetra battlefield.
These are not stories of Gods and heroes. They are stories of desire and doubt, rage and love, ambition and guilt of ordinary human emotions colliding with extraordinary destinies.
In this extraordinary retelling of the Mahabharata, Mahakshana, Arun Krishnan steps inside the minds of the men and women who shaped Bharatavarsha, capturing them at the instant when choice becomes destiny.
About the author:
Dr. Arun Krishnan is a passionate historian and storyteller, he is the author of the Battle of Vathapi Trilogy, published by HarperCollins, and Daughter of Two Rivers, which has been longlisted for the IGF Archer-Amish Award and won the Special Jury Mention for the SL Byrappa Prize for Historical Fiction. A polyglot and history enthusiast, he draws on his diverse experiences to bring India’s past alive through his writing.
An engineer, and technologist with experience across IT, high-performance computing, bioinformatics, computational biology and HR analytics. He holds a doctorate from the US and an Executive MBA from ISB, Hyderabad.
