Tag Archives: Epic

One section is devoted to the fascinating tale of the origin of Death (not ‘Evil’ as Doniger writes; from Shanti Parva section 238, not 283). Mrityu—Death is a woman, clad in black-and-red cloth formed from Brahma’s fury to lighten the over-populated earth, who obdurately refuses to kill. Her tears of misery become diseases that kill. There is an equally interesting tale about what sets a king apart from other humans.

The novel is divided into four parts, titled ‘Headwaters’, ‘Confluences’, ‘Rapids’ and ‘Delta’. The fated manoeuvres of the river become the signposts which structure this retelling in a way that signals the evolution of Ganga from a vociferous cosmic river to a fluid sense of being mortal, as she navigates Shantanu’s affection, the drowning of her children, the coming of Satyavati and the reluctant survival of Bhishma, who ended up pledging lifelong celibacy. Ganga feels, for the first time,

Bhishma is not perfect, is a flawed character himself. When Chitrangada, son of Shantanu by Satyavati died, his brother Vichitravirya ascends the throne.