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lunarimpact · 3 years

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Let me talk about Rati and Kama for a minute here, just a short minute. And this is written out of frustration for people who just gloss over Kama for uwu they’re just a tsundere and just another Sakura-face. It’s unfortunate that Kama is forced into the body of Sakura when we could have just gotten him on his own, in his own body, especially if they’re going to pull that Beast card. If Kama/Mara is a Beast, they don’t need someone else’s body to exist, especially as a Servant, as proven by Kiara.

I also want to talk more about Rati, who is rarely brought up in Kama's lore within fgo. It's pretty lame, honestly, given how very few Gods can exist without their partners for very long, but also given just how amazing the history surrounding the Gods of Love is. Their stories are so interwoven that to get to Rati, we need to start with Kama.

If you didn’t know by now, the story of Kama’s birth is a lot. In more ways than one, it’s an insult to Brahma, but according to everyone I've asked, he’s always been just like that.

Skipping much of the backdrop of the myths I know best, we start with Brahma, the drifting God of my brain is too big and full of too much. He has noticed that his sons are outperforming him in the creative department, and that's no good. But they have help, you see, they have wives to help channel all of that creativity through. So, with the help of his sons, he creates the most beautiful woman in existence. To quote Anuja Chandramouli (Kamadeva, The God of Desire):

In all of creation, there was nothing as exquisite as her. She was the product of primordial desire, every inch of her seeming to cater to that tender yet terrible emotion. Her name was Sandhya.

She’s perfect. Desire made flesh. And she inspires lust within her father-creator and her brother-creators. And it’s sinful. There’s no if’s, and’s, or but’s about it. Brahma knows this, and so do his sons. They know that if they make a move on her, if they give in to their carnal desires, well, they would give into eternal damnation. So, whilst two of the brothers beg for some divine intervention, i.e. Shiva, their creator-father figures he need only make someone take the blame.

Enter, Kama.

Brahma focuses and wills into being this young God who is a near match to Sandhya, as beautiful and desirable. He is a creature born of lust, after all, so why wouldn’t he be? And he is so overjoyed to have been created, thought up into existence within the primordial world. He’s young, naïve, and so full of life. And he’s a scapegoat and he doesn’t even know it yet. Brahma names him the God of Love, gift him this gorgeous bow and lotus blossom arrows. They will inflict a love-lust frenzy on whoever gets hit. See where this is going?

Well, overcome with his purpose, our good boy Kama does his thing. He starts letting those arrows fly, and by sheer plot armor, does not strike his creator-father, his brothers, or Sandhya. Sandhya, who is so aware and horrified by the feelings of her creators, that she too is praying for divine interventions.

Enter Shiva, taking a sharp left. We don't know where he was going. What he was doing. He's just here now. And he's here to do his favorite thing: bully the ever-loving shit outta Brahma. This will have consequences, mind, but that doesn't matter. He's going to humiliate Brahma, his sons, and mozy off. That's just what Shiva does. (That is not all that Shiva does.)

But during this matter, Brahma is cursed to bear Shiva's mark, Kama is cursed to die at Shiva's hands by Brahma, and Sandhya immolates herself for shame. It's horrifying beyond words. But it doesn't end here, no, because Vishnu needs to get involved. After all, Shiva's made his appearance, fucked off into who knows where, Brahma is seething, Kama is freaking out, and there's still a problem. Brahma needs a wife. So Vishnu takes the essence of Sandhya, and splits her in two. He makes, from her essence, the Goddess Saraswati, and gifts her to Brahma. She's Vishnu's daughter now, so no incest my dudes, it’s all good.

As for Kama, he takes all that desire and promises him a wife. The problem's solved. Reality preserved, etc etc.

How Rati is born changes from story to story. Sometimes Vishnu fathers Rati, sometimes Shiva, sometimes it's Brahma and his sons, and sometimes it's Daksha alone. A lot of the time it involves sweat. But always, always Rati is born from desire. And rarely is there ever a kindness in how she came to be.

But Rati loves Kama, and he loves her back. Loves her with all his being and beyond. Their existence is interwoven. They exist for each other. Love and Desire go hand in hand. But Love and Desire are fated to be torn from one another, after all, there's still the matter of a petty curse. And we know where this is going because Shiva's flame is still burning Kama.

But what happens to Rati?

In the Bhagavata Purana, grief-stricken Rati goes mad with Kama’s death. She smears herself with her husband’s ashes, much like how Shiva covers himself in Sati's ashes. She rants, she raves, she screams and curses the Gods, the Heavens. She curses Parvati to have a barren womb, unable to give Shiva a child. She curses all the Gods who play a part in Kama's death.

In other versions, Rati, instead, performs meditative asceticism and severe penances for some forty days, during which Shiva and Parvati are wed. At the end of those days, Shiva's magnificent wrinkle brain works, and he understands why Kama disturbed his meditations, and he forgives all the Gods involved and restores the God of Love. (This is part of why Holi is celebrated.)

Of course, at some point Narada, the world's most annoying man-child-know-it-all (affectionate) aka Vishnu's No. 1 Fanboy and provider of all Vishnu facts, does bother Rati during her meditations, asking who she belongs to. And she snaps at him, rightfully so, but she's punished for this. Cursed, even. It's how she ends up getting her husband back in his incarnation as Krishna's son, Pradyumna.

#the chorus fucking vents #fgo #Kama ( fgo )#Kama ( myth )#Rati ( myth )#mythology talk #I could go on and on and on but I'm tired

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raat-jaaga-paakhi · 3 years

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top five mahabharat characters

❤ Thank you for this ask, Goki! Ah, you've allowed me to talk about my favourite subject! You know my heart. 🥺 In no particular order -

Ekanamsa. The least known character in this list. Yashoda's daughter (yes, that one), who exchanged places with Krishna and unlike what later narratives will tell you, didn't die. Some may try to tell you she's the same as Subhadra because of the incarnation theology of Nidra and Yogamaya (who some scholars consider as one and the same) for Ekanamsa and Subhadra respectively; they would be wrong. Time and again Ekanamsa is called Yashoda's daughter (the girl who lived, everyone), and Subhadra doesn't feature as Yogamaya's incarnation until Srimad Bhagavata Purana, which is preceded by Harivamsa. Raised like a son (that's the words Harivamsa uses - the best conclusion we can come to is that Kamsa didn't, or wasn't able to, kill her; the reason is very much up to interpretation and Medha obviously has her own), doesn't marry to the best of our knowledge. Dark beauty, very much a badass from what we can gather, and Medha can talk about her for ages. Issue is: no one will listen because they don't even know of her (I don't blame anyone at all, it's not like I learned about her from thin air), even though she has been worshipped alongside Krishna and Balarama from as old as late 3rd-2nd century BCE through the famous Vrishni triads [Sankarshana-Ekanamsa-Krishna].

Sanjaya. Highly underrated. A master of sass, a speaker of hard truths. Excellent politician and speaker. Suta and sharp-tongued in the most efficient way possible. Genuine badass who talks back to his lord and king on a regular basis and is right in his criticisms.

Kunti. What a woman. Shame on adaptations by Divakaruni and Shinde (among others) for making Kunti antagonistic towards Draupadi at various levels. The canonical Kunti passionately supported Draupadi and wanted to see her molesters brought to justice, reprimanded her sons, ordered them to follow Draupadi's guidance and judgment. Women supporting women, and the best mother-daughter (in-laws) relationship ever. Austere, learned, politically sound, and an underrated, unfairly blamed (sometimes due to lack of information and mostly due to basic empathy) icon.

Satyabhama. Queen. Just queen. Part of the famously unique, tight and inviolable Arjuna-Draupadi-Krishna-Satyabhama group, warrior and partner-in-crime of Krishna in needling Indra, and an icon. Stereotyped very easily by renditions (as Kunti is). Glorious, unapologetic.

Okay, now this is tough. I still have two left and cannot choose and...Goki, my Gopika, please let me cheat again? *makes pretty eyes* *assumes you have fallen for them and will send pretty eyes right back in due time*

5a. Pradyumna. Rukmini and Krishna's first (and heavily mourned) son, abducted as an infant. Him being branded the incarnation of the previously Ananga (bodiless) Kama, his relationship with Shiva (his father Krishna's chosen aradhya), and his relationship with sexuality (and as such, his highly intriguing wives, who make it into my List of Fascination Mbh Characters) fascinates me. Heavily under-explored, despite there being a very well-written book on Kamadeva (and thus, Pradyumna) by Anuja Chandramouli (her second and better book).

5b. Abhimanyu. In certain dramas and films, there will be this character who gets little screentime, whose part is very small--but in the most critical phase of the story, they ascend, enrich the story with the sheer force of their performance and personality. There's no one better than Abhimanyu to fit this definition. 'Nuff said.

Bonus faves (because Medha just can't let it go because she's been asked about Mahabharata!): Subhadra, Shikhandin, Sahadeva, Balarama, Ghatotkacha and Iravat/Iravan (and how they are both literary parallels as well as foils). Okay, okay, I will stop now. God, I can talk about every single one of these people for ages.

I've excluded two categories of Mahabharata characters from this list:

The upakatha (subtale)-characters, like Kacha, Shakuntala, Damayanti, Savitri, Satyavana, etc. {No I'll not even think of Yayati and Nala and Dushyanta, those major assholes, and this is me saying this, me who's a sucker for grey morality and hates purity culture, so you can guess.}

My all-time favourites: the three Krishnas (Arjuna-Draupadi-Krishna) and Rukmini. There's no comparison across fandoms, and I wanted to be fair, lol.

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readerviddh · 4 years

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▶What do you think about this #book? Tell me about your #currentread.

I have been reading this amazing book by @anujamouli, published by @rupa_publications. I have been reading this one from a few days and totally enjoying it. I am loving how the story is turning out to be. I have always loved @anujamouli when it comes to mythology and this book once again made me fall in love with her writing more.

Her books have surprises stored for the readers.

I am loving, how the story is turning out to be.

//Synopsis//

We all know, Mohini, from the essence of Vishnu, is part of him. With extraordinary powers of beauty, magic and enchantment that are hers to wield. She is loved and desired by all in existence and yet, she is an elusive tantalizing temptress, traipsing her way across the topsy-turvy terrain of fable and myth.

Set against the tumult and intrigue of a celestial quest for immortality, Anuja Chandramouli brings the extraordinary saga of Mohini to vivid life. She takes the reader on a dizzying ride through the shifting sands of time, expertly navigating the quagmire of gender, love, lust and desire, deftly untangling the threads of tall tales and terrible truths while spinning a deliciously entertaining yarn for the ages.

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#mythology #currentread #currentlyreading #bookstagramindia #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #Instagram

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fallow-ground · 5 years

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The pressure to become parents and its perils

Advances in science and technology have made so much possible; but just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should.

by Anuja Chandramouli

A 74-year-old Andhra woman, Mangayamma Yaramati, reportedly resorted to In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment to give birth to twin girls, recently.

The father, Sitarama Rajarao, is 82. Having spent over nine months in the hospital, being constantly monitored by a panel of experts, the babies were delivered after a Caesarean section was performed.

Needless to say, geriatric pregnancies of this nature being extremely rare, there has been considerable press coverage and the couple pronounced themselves delighted, insisting this is the happiest time of their lives.

The reaction to this has, of course, been mixed, given that she is the oldest new mother in the world today. Many feel that congratulations are in order, but in this situation, it is also evident that the couple have been under tremendous pressure to become parents.

Mangayamma clearly feels vindicated on having ‘succeeded’ after over five decades of trying and failing to conceive. She said her determination to be a mother stemmed from the fact that she had been criticised and stigmatised. People in her village would make her feel guilty and look at her as if she had ‘committed a sin’.

This accusatory mentality is typical in India where too many men and women are subjected to unrelenting pressure to become parents.

Those who cannot or have chosen not to become parents are made to feel like failures or accused of being selfish and self-indulgent in the latter scenario, never mind that it is nobody else’s business.

Not that such considerations stop relatives and random strangers from hounding the couple, especially the mother, and peppering them with unwanted suggestions, tips, and assorted voodoo on getting pregnant.

These include but are not limited to bizarre sexual positions, dietary remedies like seared animal genitalia, umpteen temple visits, expensive pujas, amulets and foul-smelling herbal concoctions sold by charlatans, gaumutra, painful fertility treatments, and what not.

It would be funny if it didn’t amount to harassment and mental torture, which sees couples go through hell merely to prove that they are ‘virile’ or ‘potent’ even though they certainly don’t have to.

It boggles the mind, that in a heavily populated country like India, we are still turning on the screws to force our citizens to have more children, when less or none is clearly the need of the hour.

Interestingly, Mangayamma was inspired to do what she did after another 50-plus neighbour successfully opted for IVF. Three years ago, Daljeet Kaur, another geriatric woman, had a successful birth. It is believed that she too was in her early 70s though her exact age is not verifiable.

Medical practitioners and ethicists have questioned both the doctors and the parents for the dubious choices involved. Extreme geriatric pregnancies like these involve much higher risks for the mother and child.

There is also the question of providing a viable support system for the children down the line, given the life expectancy of their parents.

As for the doctors involved, surely the ethics involved in making the decision to encourage people to opt for such treatments given their advanced years and far from optimal physical condition is debatable at the very least.

Advances in science and technology have made so much possible. But just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should.

[email protected]

#bold emphasis added by me

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booksteacupandreviews · 2 years

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PTM in my kid's school - Life and Reading Update

How was your week? What are you planning to read this week? #weeklywrapup #lifeupdate #readingupdate

Hello readers! I hope you all are great and had a lovely week. Last week was good, not in reading of course, I just read one book but as for life, I enjoyed most of the week. There was PTM in my kid’s school on Saturday. It was great to meet moms again. Her school took surprise test this month and my kid got A+. I was happy to hear from her teacher that she is amazing in academics, she just…

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readwatchandthinkblog · 5 years

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Book Review : Ganga - The Constant Goddess by Anuja Chandramouli

Ganga - The Constant Goddess by Anuja Chandramouli offers a great read with the beautiful story and the language and making it a quick, easy read. Catch our take on the book #books #bookreview #ganga #rwat #readwatchandthink

I have always been amazed at the author’s language style. It always seems to carry a poetic quality and sounds melodies which is an odd way to describe a book but it is what it is for me. Just as with the previous books, Ganga too takes on a beautiful mythological journey and in between taking in all the snippets of other added mythological stories we have all grown up, listening. The difference…

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#Anuja Chandramouli #book review #ganga #Ganga - The Constant Goddess #goddess #gods #hindu folklore #indian author #mythology

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ambidextrousarcher · 5 years

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Arjuna- Fortune’s favorite child?

@an-oranophobic-maniac, this post is dedicated to our mutual Karna fan.

Recently, I read Arjuna by Anuja Chandramouli, which was a good book, but one aspect of the book bothered me. Then, I had the misfortune to stumble upon StarBharat’s eulogy of Karna. This is me giving vent to my frustrations that arose from these, apologies if I offend anyone.

Also, if I am wrong about any citation, you are welcome to correct me from equally authentic sources (My source is Ramesh Menon’s rendition of the KMG, and a little bit of the Bori CE)

Let’s come to the part that bothered me, shall we? The author Anuja called Arjuna Fortune’s favorite, while Karna was supposed to have a star-crossed destiny. As for StarBharat, Karna was outright a good character, even protesting against the Varnavrat scheme.

Warning: Long post under the cut.

First things first: Is Arjuna actually Fortune’s favorite, and Karna a victim of destiny? I don’t think so, and here’s why:

Yes, Kunti abandoned Karna is a baby. She gets a lot of flak for that, and even I hated her for the same, but then I read the Mahabharata.

Kunti was a child (11-13 years of age) when Durvasa blessed her with the infamous boon and when she called Surya using the same. He came to her, and stipulated that he will give her a child. Kunti, scared, begged him not to, for she was an unmarried virgin and she had called him out of nothing but childish curiosity. Surya does not budge. He tells her that if he leaves without doing what he was called for, childish curiosity or not, he will be ridiculed amongst the Gods. Kunti, seeing no way out of it, agrees on the condition that the child gets divine protection. Basically, he rapes her.

That’s right, Kunti is the reason that Karna has his famed Kavacha and Kundala!

Kunti casts Karna on a river, and Adiratha and his wife find him, and give him a loving family. Unlike popular perception, Sutas were not low caste. In fact, they were pretty high caste. Proof: Virata’s Queen is a Suta, Plus, Adiratha was indirectly connected to Anga’s royal family. (Check out Sacredtexts.com)

So, anyway. Karna gets a wealthy family (Adiratha was Dhritarashtra’s friend to boot), and a loving upbringing.

Meanwhile, Kunti has her swayamvar, and marries Pandu. He marries Madri, gets cursed by the Deer Rishis, and leaves for exile. It is in exile that the Pandavas are born. By the time Arjuna is born, Karna is 18 (He’s 16 years older than Yudhisthir). The Pandavas have a childhood in the forest, as opposed to Karna’s earlier years, and then Pandu dies.

Madri does Sati with him, so Kunti is left a single mother with five young children, who she brings to Hastinapur. The Pandava/Kaurava rivalry starts pretty quickly, with Bheema as the bully of the bunch. The Kauravas are quick to retaliate, poisoning Bheema. He does return, but that was the childhood that Arjuna (and his brothers) had. Surrounded by hate rather than love.

Then the princes meet Dronacharya, and it’s time for their gurukul shiksha. Karna is also a student of Drona. It is mentioned clearly in the Mahabharata, along with the fact that he’s Duryodhana’s friend. Arjuna outshines everybody, becoming an Athirathi in the gurukul itself, also becoming the Guru’s favorite through sheer determination. He alone saves Drona from the crocodile, something even Drona’s beloved Ashwathamma is hesitant to do. Karna is envious of him.

Here we come to the infamous Ekalavya incident, one that is used to blacken Arjuna’s character often. Yes, Arjuna was irritated, but it was that of a child who is promised something he did not get. He did not ask for Ekalavya to be mutilated, that was Drona’s own decision. Arjuna’s feeling here is that of the hurt honor student asking his teacher if he is no longer the best.

For example, I myself have felt jealous of other students who were compared to me, but that doesn’t mean I want them dead and gone! So it probably was with Arjuna.

When their shiksha is finished, the royal princes exhibit their skills. Here, Arjuna shines...until Karna enters the fray, and replicates Arjuna’s feats. Duryodhana is very pleased and welcomes Karna as a friend, who goes on to challenge Arjuna to a duel.

I have a question here: If a grown man challenges a child just out of school for a duel, is it a matter of pride and prestige for the man? I find it laughable that Karna is lauded for replicating the feats of a boy less than half his age, and that many people think he is the greatest based simply on this. For this is indeed the situation here. Yudhisthir is 18, which makes Arjuna 16 and Karna 36.

Arjuna is ready to duel Karna nonetheless, but then Drona and Kripa step in, asking Karna of his lineage. Here, it is Bheema and not Arjuna who insults Karna as a Sutaputra. (The title itself is not the insult, but Bheema’s intent surely is.)

By the end of it, Karna is the King of Anga. For the rest of his life, he lives in palaces. Karna is also a student of Parashurama, and is cursed by him for lying about his identity. (Don’t give the thing about Parashurama and Brahmin students only. He taught Bhishma, who was Kshatriya). Oh, and did I mention that Drona did not teach him the Brahmastra not because of his suta status but because he was not worthy? Arjuna had to go through a test before he learnt the same.

Now, it is time for Drona’s Guru Dakshina. He asks his students to capture Draupada. The Kauravas and Karna together fail. Arjuna and Bhima alone succeed, with Arjuna defeating Draupada single-handedly. Arjuna is the person to give his Guru Dakshina, no one else.

Sometime later, Yudhishthir is crowned Crown Prince. What do the Dushtha Chautyam do? (In the Mahabharata, in the Vyasa’s own words, Shakuni, Duryodhana, Dushassana and Karna form the Evil Four.) They plan the Varnavrat fiasco. Karna is an avid part of the nefarious plan, and also of the previous tries to kill the Pandavas, especially Arjuna and Bheema.

Arjuna, on the other hand, does not even think of Karna after the almost-duel.

The Pandavas escape Varnavrat, and go into the forest as Brahmins. They live on alms. (Oh, Arjuna too. The guy who is ostensibly Fortune’s favorite was living as a mendicant, while the guy who is ostensibly with a star-crossed destiny was living it up in Hastinapur. You were saying?) Arjuna wins Draupadi’s swayamvar where she does not insult Karna according to the Critical edition. KMG says she did then goes on to contradict itself. So basically, Arjuna proved himself as a better archer than Karna, the permanent blower of trumpets.

The Pandavas return to Hastinapur, and beget Khandavprastha. Cue Khandavdahan. Arjuna (without Gandiva) and Krishna defeat almost all Gods. I think Arjuna defeats Indra in single combat. Not sure. but Arjuna and Krishna together defeat almost all Gods, please Agni and Arjuna gets Gandiva.

(Point to be noted: Arjuna gets Gandiva through hard work. It is not an advantage he was born with).

The Pandavas build Indraprastha. Arjuna conquers the North and returns as Dhananjaya (bringer of wealth). He is already Savyasachi (ambidextrous) in his gurukul days I think.

Somewhere during this time, Arjuna interrupts Draupadi and Yudhisthir to get Gandiva so that he can help a poor Brahmin, and is exiled for 12 years. During these years, he is kidnapped by Ulupi (I count it rape by coercion. He had no choice here.), and abducted Subhadra. (We do not have Subhadra’s own views on this, but it was supported by Krishna, and Arjuna and Subhadra seem to have a good relationship along with Draupadi too.)

Indraprastha prospers.

Dushtha Chautyam get jealous and get Yudhisthir to play dice, whereupon he loses his Kingdom, his brothers, himself and finally his wife.

This is when Cheerharan occurs. Even though Arjuna and Bheema are slaves and cannot defend Draupadi, Bheema tries to physically (he is stopped by Arjuna who realizes that they cannot afford to break their unity, for then they are lost. Here is the only character flaw of Arjuna I have seen. His excessive obedience to his eldest brother.) Arjuna himself also rises a question on the validity of the stake, for Yudhisthir had already lost himself.

Karna, the beacon of morality, calls Draupadi a whore and initiates the disrobing. Fortunately, she is saved by Krishna.

This is where Arjuna starts hating Karna, as opposed to Karna himself who has hated Arjuna from the beginning, just because he was better.

So, the Pandavas leave for exile. (Side note: Arjuna spent nearly 26 years in exile.) Here, Arjuna does tapasya and manages to please the Gods, especially Shiva. (Becoming Gudakesha, the man who won over sleep on the way.) He ascends to heaven. Not because he is Indra’s son, but because he won the Gods over with his austerities. Even in Heaven, the Gods ask his help in defeating demons. Arjuna defeats the demons even the Gods couldn’t and learns celestial weapons, music and dance. According to the KMG, he is cursed by Urvashi during this time, but Critical Edition has removed it. Before Arjuna’s tapasaya, Karna and Duryodhana organize a Ghoshayatra to humiliate the Pandavas and Duryodhana ends up a prisoner of the Gandharvas. His friend, Karna, runs away to save his own skin, leaving Bheema and Arjuna to come to the rescue.

The Pandavas start Agyatvasa. Arjuna, the best warrior in the world, is disguised as an eunuch. (Yeah, he’s so fortune’s favorite). At the end of Agyatvasa, he defeat the entire Kuru army which includes Drona, Bhishma and Karna single-handedly. Did I mention Karna runs away once more?

Now, the Pandavas and Kauravas start preparing for war. Arjuna and Duryodhana arrive at Dwarka at the same time, Arjuna leaving with Krishna and Duryodhana with Krishna’s army.

Kurukshetra begins. Before the war begins, Indra asks for Karna’s Kavacha Kundala, which Karna, the Danveer, exchanges for the Vasavi Sakthi, so that he can kill Arjuna. (It is also documented that Karna starts doing Daan for one reason. So that he gets enough punya to kill Arjuna.) Indra does so to eliminate Karna’s unfair advantage (it was inborn, not hard-won.)

Arjuna’s son is killed by 6 men at once, while they distracted Arjuna himself with an army of suicidal killers, which he again, defeated single-handedly.

Karna, however, cannot defend his own son when Arjuna kills him in single combat in front of his father. Finally, the Arjuna-Karna showdown begins. Arjuna injures Karna badly. Karna is struggling to stand when his chariot sinks in the mud. He asks Arjuna to desist, citing rules of war. (Really? Where did the rules of war go when a chariotless Arjuna was attacked during the 14th day? When Abhimanyu was killed?) Still, Arjuna does, until Krishna reminds him of the insult to Draupadi at which he fires the Anjalika astra, killing Karna. Who, by the way, was armed. Many, many warriors, including Arjuna, have fought on on foot in the War. Why did Karna not do so? That decision was Karna’s alone, it is not Arjuna’s.

All his life, it was Arjuna who had an elder brother who did not give two hoots about his individuality (thanks, @ambitiousandcunning!), a brother who was envious of him and who called the man who gave Krishna and Shiva the credit for all his victories along with Yudhisthir himself as arrogant when he fell down from grief, not Karna, who had a good friend and a loving family.

At the end, I just want to say that there are ample examples of Karna’s less than exemplary conduct, both as a man and a warrior. There are also examples of Karna being luckier than basically all the Pandavas. Equally, there are examples of why Arjuna was not Fortune’s Favorite, and also of Arjuna as a peerless warrior, one who even Shiva called his equal.

#arjuna #karna #anti-karna #mahabharata #karna is not the folkhero he is portrayed as!

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storizenmagazine · 3 years

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Padmavati is a timeless tale of love and valor. It is a story that deserves to be told and I am delighted that I got to narrate it.

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sachwlang · 4 years

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By choosing to tell Mohini's story, I opted to go past the known narratives: Anuja Chandramouli

By choosing to tell Mohini’s story, I opted to go past the known narratives: Anuja Chandramouli

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In the author’s own words, “Getting to know the Enchantress has been a journey of liberation and I invite people to open themselves up to Mohini and lose themselves in the spell of her enchantment.”

Best selling author Anuja Chandramouli’s latest book ‘Mohini’ has been published this year. Known for her mastery in retelling the finest nuances from mythological fiction, several of the…

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cosmosrival · 3 years

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I don't know how or why but you've turned me on to Kama x Medb...

(I RUN TOWARDS YOU AT EXTREMELY HIGH SPEEDS)

SO KAMAMEDB IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT IN CHALDEA, MEDB TRULY IS THE SERVANT WHO IS CLOSEST TO RATI IN TERMS OF PERSONALITY !!!!!!

(i make u sit down with me) RATI IS FIERCE, UNHINGED, FIGHTS ALONGSIDE KAMA, AND HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH BEING HORNY OR OPENLY SEXUAL. SHES NOT SHY ABOUT IT EITHER !!!!!! AND I THINK THAT MEDB'S TYPE ARE THE TYPE THAT KAMA IS ATTRACTED TO SUBCONSCIOUSLY BECAUSE OF THIS.

subconsciously because they've forgot the FEELINGS that they had for rati and rati for them (interlude) but certainly not THEIR HUGE HISTORY TOGETHER and HOW RATI WAS. and this makes me howl because their gaze just follows medb around. she's so strange and curious. and feels familiar. and they long for her in this strange way. quietly because its embarrassing. but they cant help but look at her just have fun and do whatever she wants all the time.

and one day she notices kama staring.

😳

#answered #ree's fgo hcs #kamamedb #THEYRE SO DEAR TO ME. THEYRE A COMFORT SHIP ACTUALLY #ive been reading a book abt kamadeva #by anuja chandramouli!!!! AND THE WAY RATI JUST...#MAKES KAMA LAUGH AND SMILE #IN THIS SPECIAL RATI WAY #MEDB COULD GET CLOSE.#esp if they learn to trust eachother too. OH MAN #THE ANGST TOO!!! BC MEDB ISNT RATI IN THE END #SO ITS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO CREATE TENSION #MMRMGMMRMFMMGMGMG

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booksenstuff · 4 years

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B O O K R E V I E W . 🌼🌼 🌼Mohini the Enchantress by Anuja Chandramouli 🌼🌼🌼 . 🌬️"Dream outlast the dreamer in the same way a creation survives a lot longer than the creator" . Mohini the Enchantress as we all know her is the female incarnation of Lord Vishnu but this book carries more about Mohini than just her glamour sagas. . An entirely diverse outlook to the stories that I have read or heard about the Devas and Asuras. I don't think anybody would have said to me these stories had I not read this book. . The tales about how Shukra became the mentor for the Asuras and how Kavyamata, a strong-headed woman knowing her ways was eliminated by the Devas was the one I loved the most. Then there are tales about the Churning of Ocean milk where Mohini's role is a well-known one. . 🦋And the impactful story of Shastha, the child of two of the Trimurti, Shiva and Mohini who was cited to as unnatural because he belonged to the third gender. . The insight about how the scriptures have the mention of other genders too was something impressive to read and I appreciate the author for writing about it. . I was looking forth to this book since I have never read a detailed book composing Mohini just listened to some tales about her. All the legends about the Devas & Asuras told from the perspective of Mohini, so you will listen to her mind more than her attractiveness in the book. . 👉The book is penned beautifully only that if you're new as a reader, the toughness of words may not keep you hooked up for too long but if you're into reading for a big-time, you will like the tales provided that you are a mythology lover. . You can flip through the book because there's always another interpretation to any story and we have the right to learn it. . . 🦋qotd: What was your favourite Mythology tale growing up? . . . #booksbooksbooks #bookreview #bookblogger #booklove #bookworm #booksofinstagram #booksofig #booknerd #bookaddict #booknerdigan #bookphotography #bookandcoffee #bookaholic #bookalicious #booksofinsta #bookishlove #bookish #bookclub #bookcommunity #bookobsessed #bookshelf #bookshelfie #bookshelves #mythology #bookstagram #bookstagrammers #books (at India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFMcQO8AsAR/?igshid=x00h90pjs7id

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