Her patience snaps, eventually. Pure in her love, this gentle woman is transformed into an avenging angel, raining death and doom on all her foes, until the gods are forced to intervene. Ilango Adigal's Tamil classic, Shilappadikaram presents life with all its flaws but also with hope.

    The Kaurava brothers tricked their Pandava cousins out of a kingdom, and even Lord Krishna could not stop the horror and bloodshed that followed. Veda Vyasa composed an epic poem, the longest in the world, to describe the events that unfolded. In this epic tale of superhuman heroes and gory action, Veda Vyasa explores human ambitions, relationships and conflicts to find the true purpose of life

    This Amar Chitra Katha tells some of the tales that depict Indra's bravery, his generosity and also, his occasional arrogance.

    Maya, their gifted architect, had created for them three cities fortified with iron, silver and gold and the great lord Brahma himself had decreed that these cities would be indestructible, unless struck by a single arrow. The three cities, known together as Tripura, orbited the earth and only once in a thousand years fell in a straight line, directly one above the other. Would Shiva be waiting to destroy them with a twang of his deadly bow?

    Later, the memory of the hills and forests which are his home call him back. Kacha goes back to his people and is made the Kaka or village chief. However, the Hegade or feudal lord authorised to collect tribute on behalf of the king, exploits the villagers by demanding in excess and keeping more than half for himself. Kacha is determined to fight this tyranny. The Elusive Kaka is adapted from the Kannada play, Kakana Kote, written by Masti Venkatesha Iyengar. It speaks of the bond that the Kurubas have with the forest and how they must fight to preserve it, if they must preserve themselves.

    He would choose as his minister the man who could keep a ram for one month without allowing it to lose or gain any weight. Jinadatta was a man who followed instructions blindly and found himself struggling with losses. These two characters feature in the two tales taken from Jain texts written in the 10th and 14th centuries.

    The wise, like Nigrodha Kumar, cherish their companions. Pottik's selfless loyalty is rewarded by unexpected riches. On the other hand, for the selfish ingrate Shakha there awaits only a shameful loneliness. Rich or poor, ugly or handsome, powerful or helpless, a friend is one whom you can trust and for this luxury, you should repay your friend with respect and honor.

    What is not so well known, however, is that the gentle, lovelorn Shakuntala immortalized by Kalidasa is very different from the original Shakuntala of the Mahabharata—a strong, fiery woman who stood up for her rights when she was spurned by her beloved.In this thoughtful retelling of the story of Shakuntala, Utkarsh Patel brings to the fore the original heroine, the bold and beautiful daughter of Menaka and Vishwamitra who fights to get herself and her son the recognition they deserve. She does not surrender to anyone, not even the king of Hastinapur. Retold to suit the modern-day context, Shakuntala: The Woman Wronged is a must-read to understand one of the most powerful yet underrated female characters of the Mahabharata.

    Unscrupulous courtiers were terrified that he would oust them from positions of power and comfort, and tried every trick to keep him away from their king. But Aushadha was needed at court for the greater happiness of the kingdom. Eventually, nothing and no one could subdue his destiny.

    Kalidasa, the greatest of Sanskrit poets, wove a tale that caters to every reader's taste. Warring cousins, wily courtiers, jealous wives, disguised princesses, all play their part in his play, which continues to thrill centuries after it was first written.

    Bullies and misers, dreamers and the narrow-minded, all got a taste of his wit, much to the delight of readers.

    Little did his family realize that Soordas could often see more than anyone else. He could direct a shepherd to his lost goat and a father to his missing son. He could describe exactly how the idol of his beloved Lord Krishna was dressed in the temple each day. The Mughal emperor Akbar personally came to invite him to his court. The poet Tulsidas visited him. The powerful, the wise and the ordinary flocked to him for his all-seeing wisdom and his soul-stirring songs of devotion.

    The deva also told him that if the necklace broke the person who repaired it would die. It happened as the king feared. The necklace broke and Queen Chellana, who was wear

    A decision he never regretted. Recognizing her abilities, Malharrao trained the young girl in the art of statesmanship and trusted her enough to leave the administration in her hands when he went on military expeditions. Then, in a series of misfortunes, Ahilya lost her husband, father-in-law and son. The brave queen took charge and turned Malwa into a contented and prosperous kingdom. So much so that even the British, whom she opposed steadfastly, praised her as a truly great ruler.

    Gossiping neighbours and an unhappy marriage would have ruined many women, but Prafulla was not one to give in easily. With hard work and good sense, she turned her life around. An attractive heroine in Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel, Prafulla rose from poverty to a life of riches and fame.