Bloomsbury India Mahabharata Unravelled - II

Ami maintains the same flow, energy, and credibility in this book as she did in its predecessor, Mahabharat Unravelled. This book is a must read for those who abide by Dharma in life. Managers, entry level employees, people in high positions, can all benefit from reading this. In her marketing efforts, Ami heavily emphasized the discourses by Bhisma Pitamaha to Yudhishtira as pivotal aspects of this book. Those sections are phenomenal and provide extremely relevant advise for today’s world as well. More notably was Ami’s inclusion of other discourses by figures like Vidura and Narad Muni. Again, I highly recommend this book and hope Ami Ganatra writes more like this!

As a Director of my team, I was struggling with an employee of mine. He was excellent technically but had poor behavior. As a result, no one preferred to work with him which created a big dependency on him. My management style was to keep giving people chances and even let bad behavior slide, hoping they would change. I thought if I am tough then I am giving into my ego as a boss. But the Mahabharata unraveled II book was a game changer for me.Page 7 says "what I find astonishing is that the broad constructs in these discourses seem as relevant in this day and age as they were then, thousands of years ago. We may not have kings today, but we do have administrators, policymakers, leaders, institution builders, influencers and ordinary people like most of us."Further page 25 says "A wise king, therefore, would govern with compassion towards all his citizens. But being compassionate does not mean being ever forgiving. An ever forgiving king is not feared by his people. Such an attitude only encourageous unrighteousness The school of brahaspatya suggest that a king should be like the sun of spring - not blazing hot and not too cold".This gave me the clarity that I needed. Fast forward a couple months, I gave an official warning to my employee about the poor behavior. Things unraveled pretty fast after that and HR had to step in to let him go. Now the work has been transitioned to a different member and we are actually building a team instead of relying on one person. Yes I'm not a king, but I have a responsibility as the director to ensure sustenance of my team. Whatever I need to do, I have to do it. This is why I love reading itihasa. It is not some abstract discussion. It is not some roadmap to go to heaven. It is literally giving us tips that are applicable and shall remain applicable as long as humans are around.

Ami Ganatra has once again delivered an exceptional book that lives up to the high standards set by her previous work. "Mahabharata: The Dharma Discourses" is a must-read for anyone who wants to move beyond the myths and falsehoods surrounding the epic. This book masterfully delves into the deeper, more philosophical aspects of the Mahabharata, providing readers with invaluable lessons on Dharma and its practical application in daily life. What makes this book truly a five-star read is its focus on the profound discussions that are often overlooked. Ami Ganatra brings to light the wisdom of the elders and learned men, from Bhishma's comprehensive advice on Raj Dharma to Vidura's timeless Neeti on achieving mental peace. The chapters on Narada Muni's administrative guidance, the philosophical insights of the Yaksha, the spiritual depth of Vyadha Geeta, and the nuanced understanding of what constitutes Kama are some of the most eye-opening and thought-provoking discussions I have ever read. These are not just ancient stories; they are a practical guide to living a more mindful and righteous life. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in truly understanding Ved Vyas's Mahabharata. It’s an essential guide for navigating the complexities of Dharma and is a phenomenal source of practical wisdom that can help you improve yourself and your actions.

The book delves into, as the title suggests, the lessons on Dharma from the epic, exploring various conversations (mainly with Yudhishthira), such as Bheeshma's conversation with Yudhishthira, Maharishi Narada's Inquiry, Yaksha Prashna, Vyaadha Geeta, and many more. I already had some background on the book, as I had watched many interviews and podcasts featuring Ami Ganatra ji, and I recently had the pleasure of meeting her in person. She brings a lot of insights from these epics and beautifully ties them to the contemporary discourse. Compared to the first one, which is also suitable for teenagers, this might be a bit of a heavy read for that age group. However, it's still a good book to give as a gift. Definitely recommended!

Excellent book !!! Must read if you’re not interested in reading the original Mahabharata text

Author has ignored lots of books in Marathi ,Hindi and other Indian languages on various aspects, dimensions and characters in the epic however this epic gives different ideas to different authors and this book is consistent with that

Great book to read. Know the true history of Imdian civilizaton. Read it to your children.