K.V. Purneswara Rao (b.1936) Former Heard of the Deptt. of English, KVR College, Naudigama, Andhra Pradesh. He is also a free-lance journalist with the Indian Express. He has written six books in English and is author of a novel in English entitled Cave of Wonders.
My foreword will in no way benefit those who like or dislike the novel.
Critical commentaries appeared in many languages about the story of the Mahabharata and also on the characters in it. They were, in the past, either criticised or admired. In future, too, the comments for and against them will continue.
Some fifty years ago, Brainnasri Varanasi Subrahmanya Sastry garu wrote, Mahabharata Tatvakathanam and in it one can find the of points criticism that came up till then and the rebuttals to them.
I don't have that much of scholarship to review the literary values in the novel, Draupadi. The writer himself has admitted, 'Writing about mythological characters is like taking the vow of standing on the edge of a knife and the novel was written in full knowledge of this fact'. performing feats on the edge of a knife is a delightful job for Lakshmi Prasad, not only in matters of literature but also in others too!
Prasad explains his intention in writing the novel Draupadi. `In the Mahabharata, it was stated that Draupadi was mainly born to get fulfilment for unfulfilled sensual desires and bodily pleasures of her previous two births.
Book's Contents and Sample Pages
Vedas (1122)
Upanishads (473)
Puranas (607)
Ramayana (717)
Mahabharata (332)
Dharmasastras (155)
Goddess (480)
Bhakti (239)
Saints (1387)
Gods (1246)
Shiva (353)
Journal (162)
Fiction (53)
Vedanta (347)
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