Rajiv Malhotra Interview with Aditi Banerjee on her forthcoming book, The Queen Who Cursed a God

Interview with Aditi Banerjee on her forthcoming book

The Queen Who Cursed a God 

Aditi Banerjee describes her first novel exploring the life and character of Gandhari, the famous queen who blindfolded herself in the Mahabharata. Some highlights:
 

1. The inspiration behind the novel and related issues about how to approach the stories and figures of Hindu Itihaasas and Puranas creatively, yet with respect and authenticity. While Hindu Dharma embraces the long-standing tradition of creative exploration of our sacred lore, this should not allow unfettered creative license to distort ancient texts and Hindu philosophy in the guise of individual freedom of expression. There must be shraddha and consistency with the principles and worldview of the tradition in any such artistic exploration.
    
2. ​The relevance of ancient texts like the Mahabharata to modern society and the lessons we can learn from complex, ambiguous characters like Gandhari who are neither good nor bad, full of noble attributes yet also certain tragic flaws, especially for young women.
    
3. Ultimately, the story is an invitation to dive into the deep, philosophically rich waters of the Mahabharata for personal spiritual enrichment, and to better appreciate and understand the subtle nuances of Dharma.