After over a decade of experience in finance, Amish Tripathi decided to pursue his passion for writing. Amish is an Indian Author, who specialises in Indian Mythological Fiction. Despite publishers questioning his choice of genre and manner of writing, Amish was well received by different age groups. His work is also translated in seven Indian languages, which shows his vast readership. His first series, the Shiva Trilogy is still considered the fastest selling book series in the country. In many interviews he gives credit for his success to his family for their support, and the Lord for His grace. Amish has, as of now, published seven mythological fictions and two non-fiction books, each giving an insight into Indian Philosophy. In this article, I will be focusing on six of his mythological novels, the Shiva Trilogy and the Ram Chandra Series. This article is not a typical book review, but my understanding of the texts and how they affected me.

As aforementioned, the Shiva Trilogy and the Ram Chandra Series are based on Indian Mythology and scriptures. He creates a fresh story picking fundamental lessons from the Shiva Purana and the Ramayana. The novels talk about Lord Shiva and Lord Rama not as mere humans, but as our revered ancestors. He creates a history and places them in believable chronology. But in the process, he challenges some strong beliefs we have been observing for decades. The society, the novels are set in, are not in any sense Utopia. These societies have issues of economic imbalance, power struggle within the family, corruption at economical and political levels, there are crimes like rape, child-abduction and abuse, to name a few. He creates a world which we can relate to. And by doing so, he seeps into his mythological series, some socio- political, and ethical dilemmas we face today.

Being a part of the mythological genre, the novels make us question our understanding about the concepts of ‘othering’ and ‘center’. Many times, we deem someone evil or dangerous just because they are different from us. We label them without knowing enough about them.  Such judgments and perspectives lead the readers to questions like, 'What is Evil?  Can the concepts of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ be merely binary? If not, then is an ideal society achievable? What is Dharma? Can humans gain higher knowledge while being tangled in society and social life? Is there a higher reason or purpose for human birth?' Such and many more philosophical questions are discussed in the texts.

The Shiva Trilogy, as the name suggests, has three parts: The Immortals of Meluha (2010), The Secret of the Nagas (2011), and The Oath of the Vayuputras (2013).  The timeline across these three novels moves in chronological order. Starting with Shiva, a tribal leader, trying to protect his people, and ending with Shiva becoming Lord Shiva, the protector of all. On the other hand, the Ram Chandra Series is a longer series with three parts published as of now, Ram: Scion of Ikshvaku (2015), Sita: Warrior of Mithila (2017) and Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta (2019). The events of the three parts end with Sita’s abduction from Pachavati. But they begin with three different perspectives focusing on the lives of the three title characters. The plot of the novels overlaps when the three characters meet, but the audience gets three different perspectives of the same events. The beauty of the series is that, we get to see Sita as a hero in her own rights. She is a smart, independent woman who is capable of running the administration of her kingdom. She is wise enough to understand the path paved for her, and chooses to move forward despite knowing the perils of the future. We also get to see Raavan’s point of view. From his birth, through the struggles he faces- the death of loved ones and the unfair treatment his people receive from the masses of India, Raavan is much more than just an evil king in the series. But what makes both these series different from the scriptures, are the characters of Lord Shiva and Lord Rama, and their choices.

In the Shiva Trilogy, Lord Shiva, a tribal chief from Tibet, is welcomed into India to eradicate Evil. All the communities point at each other, claiming they are the ‘Evil’ ones, we are ‘Good’. But with every step, Lord Shiva realises that what was evil for one, was just a way of life for the other. “They are not Evil, they are just different,” says Lord Shiva. It is significant that Lord Neelkantha has to be from another country. Only then will He be able to look at things objectively. He comes into India with no prior bias or prejudice. He believes what He is told, but He makes a judgment only after perceiving things from all angles. This is one major lesson for us. Many arguments lead to war and destruction because the people involved are too attached to the situation and thus, are not able to look at things objectively. This happens at home, between families, cities, states and even countries. Many, if not all, the fights can be resolved if the concerned parties are ready to understand the others’ perspective.

In the Rama Chandra Series, Lord Rama chooses to be good in spite of growing up in a society, which chooses comfort and erratic emotions over Dharma. He paves a path not just for himself, but for all the generations to come. We are used to the idea that Rama’s world was perfect, without any blemishes. This leads to a convenient argument I have heard many use: “it is not difficult to be perfect when there are no ‘real’ problems in life. Our world is different from His, what He achieved then, is not possible today.” By creating a society which is very close to ours, and by setting Rama in a family, where almost no one likes Him, makes a lot of difference. Rama’s surrounding in this series was not so idealistic. His existence itself was not appreciated most of His life. In spite of all the oppositions, He chooses to do what is ‘right’. He chooses to follow His Dharma practically, while many around Him kept Dharma for books and stories, and not life. Rama sets an example not just for His times, but for all times to come.

In these books, Lord Shiva and Lord Rama have only human attributes and no Godly superpowers. What makes them great is the Vision they have, for a better society. They faced many obstacles, even life-threatening opposition. With will-power, benevolence and courage to act according to their conscience, they succeed in creating a better life and society. Additionally, characters like Sati, Ganapati, Kartik; Sita, Hanuman, Ravan, and others, are not mere foils to the protagonists. On the contrary, they have their own individuality. There are times when these characters shine more brightly than the protagonists, and rightly so. Depicting that, Lord Shiva and Lord Rama were not alone in their journey. They rose to be strong leaders, with the help and support of those with them.

Reading these novels opened my mind in ways I cannot still fully comprehend. I look at people differently now. I look at our society through a different lens. Our scriptures insist on “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, meaning “the world is my family.” In times like these, where even family members feel like strangers, how can we think of the world as our family? But it is possible. Difficult- yes, but possible. We can start simple. By looking at the world through the lens Lord Shiva or Lord Rama looked through. In difficult circumstances, we could at least choose to speak politely. Speaking politely or choosing silence over hurtful words can avoid so many unnecessary fights. The first step to changing the world for good could be something really small. We can start at home, or our educational or work institute. We can start at a personal level. Lord Rama did not change the world the day He was born, not even when He grew into a young man. He first changed Himself. He created His ‘Meluha’ only after changing Himself and positively influencing His close ones. It was a long and tedious process. Lord Shiva, too, had a tedious job. He did not accept everything laid out to Him. He questioned and tried to find His own answers. Their lives are now an example, a map for us to follow.  Let us take inspiration from the ones who showed us how to live like humans and still dream big. They showed us that it is possible. By doing so, we would want to help others voluntarily, and speak with everyone obligingly. In other words, we would be able to help ever, and hurt never.

Smita Dhantal is a Researcher (English Literature and Theory), and a Creative and Academic Writer. She is a literary enthusiast, and enjoys reading, writing, and exploring ideas from different field of knowledge.

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