Any discussion on the Mahabharata invariably escalates into a spirited debate. The comprehension and conversation session centring on Madhavi S. Mahadevan’s book, ‘The Kaunteyas’ (a Tranquebar publication), organised by the Ranga Mandira Academy, ran true to form.
CHENNAI: 26-06-2017---- Discussion on book 'The Kaunteyas' by Madhavi S Mahadevan at Ranga Mandira in Chennai. Photo: K.V. Srinivasan
While mediator Siddharth Chandrasekhar steered the attendees through a lively exchange of views with the author, the participation of prolific writer K.R.A. Narasaiah was a value addition.
The session began on a vibrant note with the students of the Academy, Anjali and Ankita, rendering the folk song ‘Thaane Kathe,’ an ironic take on patriarchy made iconic by Bhanvari Devi. The duo, in the course of their internship with the ‘Ek Potlee Ret Ki’ collective had visited Lakha Mandal, an ancient Shivalaya in Uttarakhand. The locals believe that this was where the palace of lac was built to house the Pandavas. After touching upon this tangible link to the epic, excerpts from ‘The Kaunteyas’ were read aloud.
Distinctive approach
Dr. Narasaiah dwelt on Madhavi’s distinctive approach. In the chapters wherein Kunti is the main protagonist, the Mahabharata does not showcase her viewpoint; only those of the men dominating her life — namely, her father, husband and sons. Though named Pritha at birth, she was re-named Kunti, to echo the identity of her adoptive father Kuntibhoja.
Madhavi, however, chooses to envision the epic through the eyes of this remarkably courageous woman whose strengths and frailties make her all too human.
The author’s reading of the psyche of the idealised mother persona surprisingly reveals a steely, even coldly pragmatic core. For instance, during her meeting with Karna, Kunti negotiates a trade-off for the lives of her sons.
In the process, the reader is introduced to three-dimensional characters, shorn of the element of divinity that places many of their actions above reproach.
Why Kunti as protagonist? Madhavi reminisced that in Uttarakhand, her birthplace, stories from the Mahabharata were told differently. In them, the women were well-defined personalities.
Kunti’s was never a passive voice. The occasions on which she spoke were those that became turning points. For instance, after Arjuna brought Draupadi home, her unknowing advice to all her sons to ‘share the prize’ resulted in polyandry for Draupadi.
The discussion generated a gamut of shared experiences, contemporary perceptions of women and their roles, the many versions and interpretations of the Mahabharata by authors including Kamala Subramaniam and its place in popular culture through TV serials.
Given the complex tapestry of human emotions, the intensity and universality of which render the epic relevant to every era, the Mahabharata will always be a source of unending fascination — raising more questions than it answers.
