Mahagatha: 100 Tales from the Puranas

aditi.ajmera@harpercollins.co.in | 21 November 2022

Mahagatha: 100 Tales from the Puranas
By Satyarth Nayak

Connect the Dots of Hindu Mythology Like Never Before!

‘A great read and a must-have in your home library’– Anand Neelakantan

ABOUT THE BOOK

Do you know the story where Brahma and Vishnu race against each other or where Shiva battles Krishna? Where Indra attempts foeticide or where Rama punishes a Shudra? 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 eons 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.

Satyarth Nayak says, “Mahagatha is an epic labour of love and devotion that took five years to be put together. It has been a joy to compile the 100 greatest stories from the sacred Puranas of Hinduism for readers everywhere. For the first time, an attempt has also been made to narrate these stories chronologically from Satya Yuga to Kali Yuga which reveals that they are not isolated events but linked to each other in a cosmic pattern of cause and effect. Karma and karmaphal. I hope my readers discover their own seminal truths in these pages and connect the dots of Hindu mythology like never before. I would also like to thank Onkar Fondekar for the charming illustrations in the book and above all, the HarperCollins team led by Ridhima Kumar, for their incredible vision for this magnum opus.”

Ridhima Kumar, Commissioning Editor, HarperCollins India said “Everything is just so stunning about this book—the cover, the stories, the illustrations. I’m so excited to be publishing this magnum opus that makes stories from the Puranas so interesting.”

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.

For further information please write to Aditi.ajmera@harpercollins.co.in
Mythology/Fiction | Rs 599