Pareekshit

This volume investigates 11 contemporary environmental justice narratives from Kerala, the south-western state in India. Introducing a detailed review of environmental literature in Malayalam, the selected eco-narratives are presented through two key literary genres: life narratives and novels, conveying the socio-environmental pressures, problems, and anxieties of modern, globalising Kerala. This text also entails primary investigations of ‘toxic fictions’ and ‘extractivist fictions,’ including Malayalam novels that narrate the disastrous consequences of the permeation of toxic pollutants in human and ecosystemic bodies, and novels that chronicle the impact of exploitative mining activities on the environment. All eco-narratives analysed in the book exhibit the familiar pattern of the Global South environmental narratives, namely, a close imbrication of the ecological and social spheres. Reading Contemporary Environmental Justice argues that these selected eco-texts offer inspiring scenarios where the subaltern people show thantedam, or courage, to claim thante idam, one’s own space in society and on the Earth. This volume will be essential for those looking to expand their understanding of environmental justice and the harmful effects of development and modernisation.

This 177-page book is a condensation of most topics of the Bhaagawat Mahaa-Puraan consisting of 12 Skandha’s containing 18000 shloka’s written by Maharshi Vyaas. The Sankalpa recited during Hindu Pooja’s mentions Vaaraaha Kalpa, Vaivasvata Manvantara as the time and, in India, Jambudweepa, Bharat Varsha, Bharat Khanda as the place. This book includes description of these as per Bhaagawat-Puraan and includes diagrams showing Sapta-dweepaa Vasundharaa and Jambudweepa with Bharat Varsha. It also includes Samudra Manthan and avataars like Matsya, Dattaatreya, Varaah, Nrusinha, Kapil, Kachchha, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Vaaman, Parashuraam, Raama, Krishna, and yet-to-come Kalki.

Illustrations of episodes from the Bhāgavata Purāṇa; previously published serially in the Telugu journal Āndhrā prabha.

Though the Kuru family survived on Vyasadeva’s seeds, he never belonged to the house. Moreover, being an ascetic, he was even exempted from obligations of the complicated dynamics of human relationships. This armed him with a ruthless dispassion and he could go on telling his stories with stoical detachment, free from any bias and uncontaminated by quintessential human dilemmas. But had any of his characters given his own account of the story, would not that have lent a different dimension to the events seducing ordinary mortals like us to identify, if not compare, our private crises with those of our much celebrated heroes? The Unfallen Pandava is an imaginary autobiography of Yudhishthira, attempting to follow the well-known story of the Mahabharata through his eyes. In the process of narrating the story, he examines his extremely complicated marriage and relationship with brothers turned co-husbands, tries to understand the mysterious personality of his mother in a slightly mother-fixated way, conducts manic and depressive evaluation of his own self and reveals his secret darkness and philosophical confusions with an innate urge to submit to a supreme soul. His own story lacks the material of an epic, rather it becomes like confession of a partisan who, prevailing over other more swashbuckling characters, finally discovers his latent greatness and establishes himself as the symbolic protagonist.

This is a fictional interpretation of the story of Subhadra as found in the Mahabharata and the Puranas. It has been related to the modern context through a young woman named Priyanka who lives in Gurgaon. Though separated in time and space, the two women can feel each other's joys and sorrows, and the constraints their brothers subject them to, though lovingly.Love, freedom, and several other ageless issues come together in this novel.

Hagiography.

The Skanda Maha Puran, a tale of might, Of Kartikeya’s valor, in battles bright. From his birth to demon’s defeat, In every story, courage replete. Tales of Shiva and Parvati’s grace, In Skanda’s journey, their love we trace. Devotion and duty, it does proclaim, In Skanda’s lore, find dharma’s flame.