''Gods, Demons and Others'' is a collection of short stories by

R. K. Narayan Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami (10 October 1906 – 13 May 2001) was an Indian writer known for his work set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He was a leading author of early Indian literature in English along with Mul ...

adapted from Indian history and mythology, including epics like '' The Ramayana'' and ''

Mahābhārata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

''. In this book, Narayan provides both vitality and an original viewpoint to ancient legends.

Introduction

"Gods, Demons and Others'' is a collection of ancient tales from India's complex history and mythology presented in their traditional setting, albeit with Narayan's urbane and affectionate, satirical style, bereft of any didactic interludes. The selection of stories includes only those that center on outstanding personalities who transcend the boundaries of time and age. The book consists of 15 stories.

Book outline

;Lavana The story of Lavana, a king on a spiritual journey (not the asura mentioned in the Ramayana that is different). ;Chudala The story of a king trying to attain self-realisation. ;Yayati The story of Yayati, an asura king. ;Devi The story of the Goddess Devi, responsible for all, in Hindu mythology. ;Viswamitra Story of

Viswamitra Vishvamitra ( sa, विश्वामित्र, ) is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India. According to Hindu tradition, he is stated to have written most of the Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Gayatri Mant ...

, one of the most revered

rishi ''Rishi'' () is a term for an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mentions in various Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas. The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "great yogis" or ...

s of ancient India, who attains enormous power but stays unsatisfied until he realizes that the power should not be used for self-gratification.Washington Post, New in Paperback, July 18, 1993
/ref> ;Manmata Story of Manmata, the god of love ;Ravana Story of the asura king Ravana, Rama's nemesis in the Ramayana. ;Valmiki Story of Adi Kavi Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana who is said to have discovered the first

śloka Shloka or śloka ( sa, श्लोक , from the root , Macdonell, Arthur A., ''A Sanskrit Grammar for Students'', Appendix II, p. 232 (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1927). in a broader sense, according to Monier-Williams's dictionary, is ...

that set the base for Sanskrit poetry. ;Draupadi Story of

Draupadi Draupadi ( sa, द्रौपदी, draupadī, Daughter of Drupada), also referred to as Krishnaa, Panchali, and Yagyaseni, is the main female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata,'' and the common consort of the five Pandava brothers ...

, the wife of the Pandavas in the Mahabharatha. ;Nala The story of how

Nala Nala (Sanskrit: नल) is a character in the ''Vana Parva'' book of the ''Mahabharata''. He was the king of Nishadha Kingdom and the son of Veerasena. Nala was known for his skill with horses and for his culinary expertise. He married prince ...

a pure and righteous king is corrupted by a demon and thereby separated from his wife Damayanti. Nala subsequently overcomes all obstacles and is reunited with his kingdom and wife. ;Savitri The story of

Savitri Savitri or Savithrri may refer to: In Hinduism * Savitri, with all vowels short, a Roman-phonetic spelling of the Rigvedic solar deity Savitr *Sāvitrī, a name of the ''Gayatri Mantra'' dedicated to Savitr *Savitri (goddess), the consort of Brah ...

from Markandeya's narrative within the Mahabharatha. ;The Mispaired Anklet Story of Kannagi from the

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...

epic

Silappathigaram ''Cilappatikāram'' ( ta, சிலப்பதிகாரம் ml, ചിലപ്പതികാരം,IPA: ʧiləppət̪ikɑːrəm, ''lit.'' "the Tale of an Anklet"), also referred to as ''Silappathikaram'' or ''Silappatikaram'', is the e ...

. Kannagi is eulogized by that Tamil community for her purity and devotion to her husband. ;Shakuntala Story of

Shakuntala Shakuntala (Sanskrit: ''Śakuntalā'') is the wife of Dushyanta and the mother of Emperor Bharata. Her story is told in the '' Adi Parva'' of the ancient Indian epic ''Mahabharata'' and dramatized by many writers, the most famous adaption bein ...

the daughter of

and wife of Dushyanta, the founder of the Paurav dynasty. ;Harishchandra Story of Harishchandra, the legendary Indian king. ;Sibi Story of the

Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...

king, Sibi Chakravarthy, who promises refuge to a dove and then sacrifices a part of his right thigh to a hawk, in return for the safety of the dove.

References

{{Works based on the Mahabharata , state=collapsed Short story collections by R. K. Narayan Works based on the Mahabharata 1964 short story collections Hindu mythology in popular culture Viking Press books Heinemann (publisher) books Works based on the Ramayana