Krishna The Entertainer

Flute of VrindavanBy Ashok K BankerPublisher: Harper CollinsPrice: Rs 199Pages: 272The people of Vrajbhumi are a happy lot; they dance and they sing, and they celebrate. In their land is born a male child who is a joy; he is chubby; he gurgles a lot. You may know him only as Krishna, the God of Hinduism, the adviser of Arjuna, but here in this story — Flute Of Vrindavan, the third in the Krishna Coriolis series by Ashok K Banker, he is still the child growing up into adulthood. And the story is good.It’s a story where sights and sounds, and people and heroes of another age settle firmly in your mind right at the start. And it begins with the story of Nanda and Yashoda in Vrajbhumi. In a quandary to explain how their son vanquished Putana, the demoness sent by Kamsa, they call it an act of Vishnu. But Nanda and Yashoda are scared, because Kamsa and the team of asura slayers who came along with Putana are still alive. Kamsa himself is still engaged in the little chicaneries and little dust-ups with his father-in-law Jarasandha, who has been manipulating Kamsa’s behaviour with different potions.While all this is happening, little Krishna is being threatened by a demon called Trnavarta. She appears as a whirlwind and tears up the piece of earth on which Krishna sleeps and lifts him — and the patch of earth he’s on, into the sky. It is complete fantasy, but like many things in this genre, very interesting and readable. It’s while they are floating out in space, that Krishna reveals his true form.‘Krishna opened his mouth wide and showed him the same thing that Yashoda has seen only a short while earlier.’Trnavarta stared fascinated.‘My Lord, I see,’‘What do you see?’‘I see everything, the world, the planets, the movements of the celestial orbs…you are magnificent Lord, you are everything and everything is contained within you.’From fantasy, the book shifts immediately to action. Kamsa and Jarasandha’s men lock horns in an ancient version of Kabbadi; what follows is as exciting as the gladiatorial fights of ancient Rome. When the dust settles, Kamsa has smashed his way through all of his opponents.We are now in Khand 2.Krishna is still growing up, there are delightful accounts of his butter/dahi stealing days, and how he avoids attempts to kill him. Meanwhile, Jarasandha guides Kamsa to a vortal, a world beyond this one which is the realm of Narada and where only mental forms exist. It is thrilling, and a testimony to Banker’s skill as a writer. He convinces you, without once detracting from the seriousness of an epic, that mythology can be as entertaining as a good movie; by the end, Krishna and the Yadavas of Gokul are migrating into exile at Vrindavan.And, it is there that he faces his final test, a demon disguised as a Kraunchya bird swallows him, but can’t digest him. So, out he comes; it’s quite incredible, but like everything in this book really interesting to read. When you have turned the last page over, this is a book you will want to start reading all over again.Buy this book at 20% discount@ www.books.indiatimes.comor sms WHB to 58888or call at 09910118888