There are a few things that strike us upon reading 'Marvels and Mysteries of the Mahabharata'. The determination of the author, Abhijit Basu and a reason to know him better. This interview does provide us with a little insight into the mind of this very well-read author.
He talks about what he calls 'a spontaneous urge' within himself that prompted him to become an author and all the books and authors, which have touched him. But what his take on the Mahabharata was, at the start and how he develops it into the book, he explains to us in great detail.
He started reading it in original Sanskrit form, 20 years ago, and in him was born a need to share it with the world with what he terms, as a lens for modernity.
How did
‘Marvels and Mysteries of the Mahabharata’ happen?
The Mahabharata has
always fascinated me. Especially, ever since I started reading it in its
original Sanskrit form some 20 years ago, there was this seed of an inner urge
to share my view of the pristine epic, as seen through the lens of modernity. The urge was reinforced by the introductory words of the narrator-bard
Sauti – that while many can memorise the epic, few can comment on it. It was
quite a forbidding challenge, but I was fortunate to have some awareness of the
old Epic-Puranic wisdom (prajnaa puraanee),
as also of several modern interpretive commentaries.
But a more circumstantial inspiration came a couple
of years back when I was writing my previous book, ‘Prophets, Poets and
Philosopher-Kings’. There, one of the essays,
titled ‘The Unlikely Protagonist’, dealt with Yudhishthir as the central figure
of the Mahabharata drama. It was while working on that essay that the idea of
taking up certain subtler aspects of the Mahabharata as the theme of a new book
project on the epic started crystallising in my mind. Hence, shortly
after finishing that book, I began vigorously researching and writing on MMM.
Obviously a
lot of research has gone into it. How did you pick out the best ones you
thought would fit into this book?
The research that went
into it was a labour of love. Of course, it
involved lot of reading: from the original Sanskrit epic; from its translated
versions, and from tomes of commentaries – both old and new, Indian and
Western. There was also extensive internet research. Then there were my
discussions with a few scholars that helped me along some innovative lines of
thought.
As regards picking up
the best lines for research, the task was
relatively simple, once I had the right questions in mind about aspects that
might evoke awe or puzzlement in a reader’s mind. Why is Vyasa less of a
narrator and more of a participant in the epic? Why did Pandu become a
wandering ascetic at the height of his power? How could Yudhishthir be so
indecisive and yet enter heaven with such unerring majesty? Why did Krishna
change so radically from a peace-negotiator to ruthless exterminator? Was the
burning of the Khandava forest a sanctified deed or a gory pogrom? Was
Draupadi’s polyandry linked to tribal custom? When did the Kurukshetra war
happen? Was a simple warrior story later overlaid with Krishna emphasis? Which
came first, the Ramayana or the Mahabharata?
Obviously,
these were not just rhetorical questions, but core research issues which fitted
in my working hypotheses. But for me, the real thrilling ‘discoveries’
were the new insights, such as: a global comparison
of curses in Indian and Biblical/Greek traditions; the intriguing significance
of Yudhishthir’s mleccha pseudonym
‘Kanka’ during his year in disguise; the reason behind Arjun not suffering any
post-war guilt, unlike his elder brother; the Megasthenes reference to an
Indian Hercules, explained by historians as Hari-kul-esh, or Krishna/Balaram;
ethnological interpretation why Yudhishthir never refused a game of dice.
The
similarities between the Sumerian, the Greek and the Indian epics is another
story in itself, which you have included into this book. Did you notice these
before you researched the Mahabharata?
Yes, the broad subject of comparative literature,
especially between folk-epics of the world, has been one that generally
interested me since long. I thought the comparisons between say, Gilgamesh and Odysseus, between Dhrtarashtra and Priam,
or between Karna and Hector, would be a germane aspect to cover in the book so
as to inform and tickle the reader’s mind.
Why do you
think that the Mahabharata is an epochal tragedy? Did you find it difficult to
tell your story the way you saw it?
As for the challenge of
story-telling, once I did the grind of jotting down the points, the writing
just flowed from that. When one is immersed in the
task of writing on a deeply reflective subject, one is occasionally blessed
with some ‘eureka’ moments of new revelation, even at the oddest of times.
Thus, there were
occasions when I found clear answers to a few of my own knotty questions during
the hours of half-wakefulness at night. Far from
proving difficult, writing MMM was on the whole a thrillingly stimulating
experience.
Who was it
that told you that you could become the author you are today?
There were several
friends and relatives who wanted me to write. But
basically, there also was a spontaneous urge within myself that prompted me to
take up authorship in a sustained manner.
My chosen genre was
non-fiction matter, based on cultivation of the rich field of knowledge the
world offers to one seeking cerebral fulfilment. I could pursue that once I had
more time in hand after the phase of active full-time service.
What book is
coming from your desk, next? When do you see that released?
I am now in the
preliminary stages of working on a few leads. One
is a possible book on the Purana
tales, with interpretations of their perennially relevant aspects. Another is a
more thematically integrated book on the saga of a certain ancient dynasty, the
branches of which held sway over India’s classical past.
Yet
another line of work relates to Western classicism, in the shape of a
part-manuscript on Pericles and Cicero as the ‘original’ Republicans.
I plan to decide on the order of the projects soon.
Who is you
inspiration? Is there an author you take inspiration from?
Basically, I am inspired by the twin ideals of good knowledge-linked
analysis and good rhetoric. For the first, across the generic board, I
admire the likes of EW Hopkins, AL Basham, Nirad C Chaudhuri, George Orwell,
Isaiah Berlin, Buddhadeb Bosu and Carl
Among rhetorical
stylists, my ideals range from Cicero, Lincoln, Dickens and Tagore to the wittily
down-to-earth PG Wodehouse and Alistair Maclean.
Is there any
mythological author in today’s list that you like? If so, why?
My liking is more for
the classicists who look for cultural, philosophical and literary significance
in old works, rather than the plain purveyors of ‘mythologies’ as they seem to
be.
The references in MMM give a whole list of such commentator-classicists.
The ones I particularly like are Rajshekhar Basu and Buddhadeb Bosu, IrawatiKarve, Gerrit Jan Held, VS Sukthankar, TRS Sharma, Janaki Sreedharan, John
Brockington, Alf Hiltebeitel, and JL Fitzgerald.
I like
them mainly because of the sheer logical force that makes their interpretations
impact on the modern mind.
Any advice to
writers that would like to be published today? How tough is it to be published
in India?
Each author is a unique
entity and there may not be just one best practice. The methodology would also
depend on the genre of the book. From my own experience, I would suggest that for knowledge-based non-fiction
writing, there is no alternative but to first undertake extensive reading,
discussion and note-taking on the subject and related issues.
Then
comes the writing phase, where language and rhetorical style are of the utmost
importance. An elevated topic calls for a reasonably elevated language, without
compromising fluency and reader-friendliness.
As for getting
published in India, given the large number of aspiring authors, it is a tough
job to get noticed by reputed publishers with a good distributor network. But once a manuscript is read and liked, things tend to
get easier.
Who are your
favourite authors and why?
As
regards favourite genre, my interests are wide-ranging, covering Indology,
Literature, History, Sciences, Philosophy, Art, and certain types of fiction,
like good trial drama.
Among authors of
English titles (other than those on Indian philosophy and literature), here are
a few of my favourites: Robert Harris, Doris Goodwin and Hilary Mantel (for
their well-researched historical fictions); John le Carre (for his realistic
depiction of the shadowy world of cold war espionage); Scott Turow and John Grisham (for their gripping legal novels); Romila Thapar, AJP Taylor, James MMcPherson (for their historical analyses); Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov (for
their scientific works).
Which books
are you currently reading?
Only recently, I have
finished reading a good historical novel on the Dreyfus affair, titled
I am now reading an interesting commentary on Vishakhadatta’s Mudraraakshsam. In the pipeline is
‘Gods, Sages and Kings’, by David Frawley (the reputed Western Vedic scholar)
– a book I plan to read soon.
What do you
do on a day to day basis, besides writing books?
Officially, I am now
engaged as a part-time Independent Director in a
Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Commerce. I am also a freelance
editor and have edited a good number of books on a wide range of areas,
such as the India-China War, Environmental topics, Alternative Medicines,
Philosophy of Management, a travelogue along the Indian coast, Faiths and
Superstitions, a fictional biography of Arjuna, the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
etc.
Whatever time I have
left after all these and after my own writing, I devote to my other pleasures, which are music, recitation and
casual dramatics.
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