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Karna: The Great Warrior
- Publisher : Harper Perennial India (25 August 2019)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 272 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9353571405
- ISBN-13 : 978-9353571405
- Item Weight : 231 g
- Dimensions : 20 x 14 x 4 cm
Through Radheya, the author strives to find and explore the thin line between righteousness and duty by citing Karna’s story. By painting a picture of Karna’s journey, Desai states that while there is nothing wrong in wanting to win, one must be prepared to accept defeat as well.
The story of Karna, the immortal character from The Mahabharata, has time and again been a matter of interest to all modern writers. His story has been enacted in dramas and has been the subject matter of many novels. This novel is based on Karna's life, and the author, Ranjeet Desai, is an accomplished and authentic writer of ancient and historical events.
The story of Karna, the immortal character from The Mahabharata, has time and again been a matter of interest to all modern writers. His story has been enacted in dramas and has been the subject matter of many novels. This novel is based on Karna's life, and the author, Ranjeet Desai, is an accomplished and authentic writer of ancient and historical events.
'Who am I?' It was a question that had troubled him all his life. His whole life had seemed entangled in the answer. His dignity, his destination, his ambitions - they all seemed linked to that entanglement. The irony was that the truth, instead of liberating him, had made him rudderless.
In the Mahabharata, Karna is known to be the only warrior who could match Arjuna. Born of a god and a mother who abandons him at birth, Karna is mistreated from birth. Rejected by Drona, taunted by Draupadi, insulted by his blood brothers, misunderstood by many and manipulated even by the gods, Karna is the classic tragic hero.
In this book, the author has paid a rich tribute to Karna. The tale of the fearless warrior who fought against his own kin in order to stay loyal to his friend serves as the perfect story through which Desai talks about victory and defeat, and about how sometimes, losing is not such a bad option after all. This book is available in Hindi as well.
In his novel Radheya, Ranjit Desai, the author of Marathi classics like Shriman Yogi and Swami, gives voice to the angst and loneliness of Karna. Translated into English for the first time, the novel brings to surface the many sides to Karna's character: his compassionate nature, his hurt and hubris, the love for his wife, his allegiance to Duryodhana, and his complicated relationship with Krishna.
