Yayati one of the best book by V S Khandekar

Yayati by V S Khandekar

Summary

Yayati is the first book i am reviewing here which is written by V S Khandekar. This also a best seller book. The plot of book is a kind of love story or love triangle.

It is based on the events happened in Mahabharta. You can say that it is after story of Mahabharta. Yayati is the story of Chakravarty Samarat of great kingdom Hastinapur who's name was Yayati.

Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar who was the Maharashtrian (Marathi) writer born in 1898. The father of vishnu khandekar was Munsif in sangli.

Khandekar was the first Marathi author who won Janapith Award. They had their graduation from Ferguson college Pune.

Overview

Yayati is one of the novels which are based on tales of Mahabharata. There was a brave warrior who's name was Yayati. He was a Chakravarti Samrat of Hastinapur. Also he was a Kshatriya, who's bound to do duties towards his peoples and family.

Yayati was a mighty king. At the age of sixteen he went to Ashwamegh Yadnya and he was easily taken over the whole continent. He was the who kept fall in love with beautiful ladies. His first love or attraction was a lady servant named as Alka.

Later, during his travel, he met Devayani, who was the daughter of Daityaguru Shukracharya. Yayati fell in love with her on first sight and got married to her. Devayani was a beautiful and smart women. But she was also egoistic and short tempered. Yayati later fall in love with Sharmishtha who was one of the friend of Devyani. Sharmishtha also was princes but now she is Devyani’s servant. There is a long story behind why Sharmishtha became a servant of Devyani as she was also a princes.

Later on, both of these ladies blessed with a baby boy. Once in a royal function, a great astrologer told (predicted) that Sharmishtha’s son is going to be a king of Hastinapur whereas Devayani’s son was destined to be unlucky. When Devayani heard about this she filled up with anger and with that anger, she decides to kill Sharmistha and her son. But Yayati successfully protects both of them from Devayani and asks them to leave from Hastinapur.

Yayati was feeling guilty and disgusted about himself, after sending his wife and son away from him. He started feeling lonely. He became alcoholic, no one was there to listen his sorrow. Alcohol helped him for forgetting the unpleasant happenings around him. Later on, Devayani took everything in her hand and pushed Yayati away.

Sharmishtha was doing everything that it takes to save her son's life. She went through worst experiences during her run but she had to kept going on as she knew that on day her son will be the king of Hastinapur. During her run, she mets an interesting character Yati, who's also the elder brother of Yayati. At the very young age, Yati heard a tale that his father was a brave but lusty king. He was cursed because of lusty behaviour of his father. He was cursed as he and his sons will never be happy ever.

Due to the fear of that curse Yati sacrifices his royal wealthy life and accepted sobriety. Yati always wanted to search for god and ultimately the happiness but uncertainties of his life never let him do that. He met Kach when he was treated badly by the villagers. Kach saved his life and helped him to understand different rules of life and nature. Kach who was the son of Angiras, also he was one of the great ascetic just like his father. You will shocked when comes to know that Devyani was in love with Kach before getting married to Yayati. I think this must be the reason behind her rudeness towards Yayati.

Now the story is getting more complicated. Yati saves her. Sharmishtha’s son grow up as a brave, mighty and bold.

Now because of grief of separation from Sharmishtha and insult from Devayani, Yayati had lost his everything. He feels like flooded and misleaded in the flow of lust and pleasure. There was a time came when even yayati was not able to recognise himself as a king of Hastinapur even. He was no longer remains that old Yayati who was loved by his mother, Sharmishtha, Alka. He was totally lost in the dark of lust.

When Shukracharya came to know about this drastically and sudden change in Yayati's behaviour, in very angry mind set, he cursed him to be an old age. Devayani begged to her father to spare him and show mercy for him. Yayati gets second chance to correct his mistakes he did in past. He decides to transform his son Puru and make him greatest one.

When he saws Sharmishtha he drowned fully in a well of shame. In the feeling of guilt he decides to sacrifice his life for puru and gave him his life back. This all happened due to selfishness he generated within his soul. His selfishness ate all good things from his wealthy life.

Final Verdict

This is not like other novel or book i have read before, this is different from them. The story of this novel is about human emotions like love, anger, fear, lust, sadness, ego etc. The story tells about how being a selfish person can hurt people around him and at the same time it also shows a selfless love can give life to their loved ones. The story is all about a classic tale of lust. Lust which was the reason behind a noble person who behaves like an animal but it was not only his lust but also his loved ones who failed to save him with their love.

Addiction of anything for anything weather it is for lust or of other things can never make anyone happy or satisfied in his/her life. Addiction is a monster. Even if you are a good person, it is not going to be matter. The story describes how excessive self-love can lead you to misdeeds and sins.

As i was said above V. S. Khandekar was awarded the prestigious jnanpith and Sahitya Akademy awards of India for this novel without a doubt. This novel is mind-blowing piece of work in Marathi literature. You can easily relate to the character of the story and can feel his joy and pain through which he had gone. The strands of incidents are connected wisely, the launguage is historical Marathi with a hint of Sanskrit.

The author has completely justified their research about this mythological character. Author had shown us how emotionally trapped persons behavior so deeply that we can relate ourselves easily with the emotions of the characters in this book. Yes obviously the book is full of theory but at a same time it gives you knowledge and motivation for life.