Parva (novel)
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| Parva | |
| Author | S L Bhyrappa |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Sahitya Bhandara, Bangalore |
| Publication date | 1979 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback & Hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 81-7201-659-X |
| Preceded by | Anweshane (1976) |
| Followed by | Nele (1983) |
Parva (Kannada: ಪರ್ವ) is a Kannada language novel written by S L Bhyrappa based on the Sanskrit epic, Mahabharata. It is a non-mythological retelling of the Mahabharata and is widely acclaimed as a modern classic.[1] The story of the Mahabharata in Parva is narrated in the form of personal reflections of some of the principal characters of the epic. Parva is unique in terms of the complete absence of any episode that has the element of divine intervention found in the original.
Parva remains one of Bhyrappa's widely-debated and popular works.
Contents |
[edit] Background
In an essay titled Parva Baredaddu (How I wrote Parva) [2], Bhyrappa provides detailed information about how he wrote Parva.
Bhyrappa's friend, Dr. A Narayanappa initially urged the author to write his conception of the Mahabharata as a novel. The author recounts that he finalized the decision to write Parva during a tour in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas. He stayed at a village where polyandry was practiced. Further research revealed that the practice persisted in that region from the time of Draupadi. Bhyrappa recounts how this experience led him to briefly visit several places in North India mentioned in the original Mahabharata.
Bhyrappa subsequently moved to a new job in Mysore. In Parva Baredaddu, he narrates how the novel "stayed in his mind," and "forced" him to apply for unpaid vacation from work to begin research. His research covered multiple perspectives including the historicity of the Mahabharata, geography of India (or Bharatavarsha as it was then known), anthropological aspects of the time, techniques of warfare, and philosophical concepts. Bhyrappa visited most of the places listed in the epic over a period of more than a year. He visited the Yadava capital Dwaraka (now believed to be submerged[3]), Lothal, Rajasthan, Rajagriha, Kurukshetra, Old Delhi, and parts of the Panchala territory.
[edit] Translations
Parva has been translated into the following major Indian languages; Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu apart from English. Parva was translated to Tamil as Paruvam and to Telugu as Parva, both of which went on to win the Sahitya Akademi's translation award in the year 2004.[4] The book was translated to English by K. Raghavendra Rao and named as Parva(A tale of war, peace, love, death, god and man).
[edit] Storyline
The novel narrates the story of the Hindu epic Mahabharata as seen by three feminine characters in it, Kunti, Draupadi and Gandhari.[5] The novel seeks to reconstruct the disintegration of a vast community involving the Kauravas and Pandavas.[6]
[edit] Awards
Parva has won the Deraje award. [7]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Bhitti, Sahitya Bhandara, Bangalore
- ^ Essay titled, Parva Baredaddu (How I wrote Parva) Naaneke Bareyuttene, Sahitya Bhandara, Bangalore
- ^ The Lost City of Dvaraka, S.R. Rao, Aditya Prakashan, India, 1999, ISBN:8186471480
- ^ Books for Translation Prize get Sahitya Akademi's nod. Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2005-02-16. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
- ^ NTR award to be given away tomorrow. Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2007-05-27. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
- ^ Various authors, Sahitya Akademi (1987), p430
- ^ Bhyrappa to receive Deraje Award, http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/10/stories/2007021002030200.htm, The Hindu
[edit] References
- (1987) Encyclopaedia of Indian literature vol. 1. Sahitya Akademi, India. ISBN 8126018038.
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