The Mahabharatha: A Child view

by Samhita Arni

The great Indian epic Mahabharatha is a complex tale of ambition, war and destruction. Twelve year old Samhita Arni's version is bold and unorthodox in its depiction of character and in the sharply critical tone it adopts towards the epic's main theme: war. Samhita has illustrated the book herself with intricate line drawings. 

About the Author:

Samhita Arni , the daughter of a diplomat, was born in Madras, India, in 1984. "The Mahabharata. A Child's View" was published in two volumes in 1996 - the result of an encounter between ancient subject matter and an Indian girl living in the present.

Samhita Arni "feels that the real message of the Mahabharata has to do with war. It tells us that war is futile". It is with this in mind that she rewrote the epic. The omissions and the decision to add particular episodes lie in a deep understanding of the characters and the overall plot. Thus Arni's serious and simple language and the alternately beautiful and grotesque characters complement each other in a unique way.