V for Varuna’s Sabha - Mahabharata Mashup

Namaste, 

Narada described various celestial courtrooms (Sabha) to Yudhistira during his visit to Indraprastha for the first time. This event took place in Sabha Parva. We have seen Brahma’s Sabha, Dwaraka, Indra’sSabha, and Kubera’s Sabha until now.

Varuna is the god of rain, water, ocean, seas, rivers, etc. His Sabha is called Pushkaramalini and was built by Vishwakarman, the celestial architect. True to his powers, Varuna’s Sabha is located underwater (in an ocean) and has the right temperature for everyone to thrive. It has white walls and arches and is the same size as Yamadharmaraja’s Sabha (we’ll do this next). 

The Sabha is surrounded by celestial trees with gemstones, lovely blooms, and fruits. Plants of all colors - turquoise, yellow, black, purple, white, and red can be found in this Sabha. Exotic birds are also a part of it. The sweet melodies of the birds fill the Sabha.

The rooms are large and artfully decorated to suit Varuna’s taste. He is accompanied by his queen Varuni and lords over the Sabha with many heavenly creatures, beings, rishis, kings, and gods. For example, the Nagas are predominantly found in his Sabha. Similarly, Kings like Bali, Prahalada, Naraka, and many daityas (anti-gods) are also present. 

The oceans, seas, and rivers are a part of Varuna’s Sabha, along with lakes and tiny ponds. All aquatic creatures can be seen in this Sabha, sharing space with the Gandharvas, Yakshas, and apsaras. Varuna’s minister Sunabha, with his sons and grandsons, waits on him near the holy place of pilgrimage called “Gau” or Puskara.

Sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? 

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The AI images are made on Bing.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall - Book Review

Series: The Sunken Archive #1 (cliffhanger)

Publication Date: 25th April 2024 

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Epistolary 

3.5 stars

One Liner: Ultra-slow-motion; but beautiful! 

E. sends a letter to renowned scholar Henerey Clel after she spies an intriguing aquatic animal outside her window. Soon, they correspond regularly and fall in love. However, life in the underwater world has its risks. When the duo uncovered a mystery, they didn’t know it could destroy E.’s home. E. and Henerey vanish, presumed dead. 

A year later, E.’s sister Sophy begins to archive her articles. She contacts Henerey’s brother Vyerin, and they begin to go through the letters and notes to discover more about their siblings and the mystery.   

What happened and why? How does the truth change their lives? 

The story comes in the form of letters, news reports, and other snippets shared by different characters. 

My Thoughts: 

Firstly, a huge thanks to an early reviewer. Her review helped me go into the book with the right expectations (ultra-slow pacing, almost non-existent plot, and a cliffhanger). I’m sure I enjoyed the book more because I knew what it was going to be. 

The beginning is intriguing but soon dissolves into a lengthy character-building exercise. While the idea of showing character development only through letters and journal entries is a great idea, it cannot come at the cost of the plot. 

I continued to read and read and read and finally, after 70%, saw a ray of hope. Maybe if the letters were shuffled to provide two tracks – one to get to know the characters and another to follow the mystery, we might feel better involved in the book. 

The underwater setting is ambitious. It takes time to understand the whole thing, so wing it until you get a hang of it. There are enough details to picture the setting, so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Moreover, the technology and stuff used can be compared to what we have, making it even easier to create parallels. 

There’s no denying E.’s arc. It is indeed beautifully done. Sophy and others are well done, too, but E. shines just as she should. Henerey is equally adorable. My only grouse is that the plot and pacing needed to be sacrificed for this. 

The letters are formal, with many post scripts, dashes, and parentheses. Do I mind it? Nope! That’s how they are supposed to write. It aligns with their professions and backstories. However, I wish the voices were a little more distinct. Giving them each a quirky trait might have helped. On a side note, I have no idea how this would work on audio. 

The last section is truly where things start to come together. But it shouldn’t have been left until that point. Strengthening the threads from the midpoint would have worked even better. 

Also, sorry, but E. Cidnosin sounds a bit too close to e coli (at least to my brain). It’s a me thing, but I had to mention it. Her full name, though! Poor girl. I understand why she preferred E. 

To summarize, A Letter to the Luminous Deep is a character-driven book that sets the stage for the next book while providing snippets of information. Whatever is revealed is my kinda stuff, so I would love to read the next book and see where it goes. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Little Brown Group (Orbit), for eARC. 

#NetGalley #ALettertotheLuminousDeep

U for Usinara’s Test - Mahabharata Mashup

Namaste, 

Usinara is one of the Hindu kings from ancient times (Dwapara Yuga). He was known as a fair ruler and a yagna performer. One day, he was participating in a massive yagna that surpassed even Indra’s attempts. Indra and Agni wanted to test Usinara to check if he was his dedication to justice and dharma was true. 

Indra became a hawk, and Agni turned into a dove. The dove flew towards Usinara and asked for his protection as the hawk swooped behind. Unisara shielded the dove with his hands. 

The hawk said to Usinara that he was acting against dharma by preventing him from eating his food (the dove). The dove trembled in Usinara’s lap in response. 

Usinara replied that his dharma was to offer protection to the dove that took shelter in his arms. The hawk retorted that eating its food was its dharma and that it would die without food. It asked Usinara to do the right thing. 

The king said he would offer as much meat as the hawk wanted to consume. He gave the hawk options like ox meat, boar meat, buffalo meat, etc. The hawk didn’t want any other meat, as doves and pigeons were its food. 

King Usinara said he would offer all his wealth and anything the hawk asked except for the dove, which was under his protection. The hawk demanded a portion of the king’s flesh in the same weight as the dove. The king readily agreed. 

The guards brought a scale. Usinara cut a piece of his flesh and placed it on the scale. The dove was heavier. This happened a few times. At last, the king stepped on the scale and asked the hawk to consume him.  

The hawk and the dove transformed into Indra and Agni. They praised him for his dedication to dharma and healed his body. Indra blessed Usinara that his glory would be sung forever and that he would find a place in heaven after his demise. 

The same story is also attributed to King Sibi, Usinara’s son. Both can be found in Aranyaka Parva of Mahabharata. It is a popular story in the folklore and has been retold in many ways over the years. 

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The AI images are made on Bing.

T for Takshaka, the Naga King - Mahabharata Mashup

Namaskar, 

We have read about Takshaka in Janamejaya’s SnakeSacrifice. He is the king of Nagas from the Patala (underground kingdom) and is a descendant of the Airavata family. 

Takshaka was first mentioned in Adi Parva when he stole earrings from Rishi Uttanka. This incident angered Uttanka, who later went to King Janamejaya’s court in Hastinapura and informed him of Takshaka’s role in the death of Parikshit (J’s father). 

Parikshit was a capable and loving ruler of Hastinapura. One day, however, during a hunt, he was tired and went to a rishi's ashram, where he insulted a rishi who was in maun-vrat (vow of silence) by placing a dead snake around his shoulders. Though the rishi forgave the king, his son Sringin cursed Parikshit that he would die in a week due to a snake bite. The old rishi sent his student to inform Parikshit about the curse. 

Parikshit then built a tower with no doors and windows and stayed in it. Many rishis, even from far-off places, arrived to treat him if the need arose. However, Takshaka found a way to hide in a basket of fruits carried by the rishis. When Parikshit grabbed a fruit, Takshaka rose from the basket and bit the king, ending his life as per the curse. 

This information made Janamejaya angry, which led to the snake sacrifice. Of course, we know that even that wasn’t successful, and Takshaka was saved in the last moment when Janamejaya agreed to grant Astika’s boon. 

If we see the events, we notice how determined Takshaka was to end Parikshit’s life. But why? 

Well, we could say the answer lies in the past. Takshaka and his family lived in the Kandava forest, the same one Agni wanted to consume as food. Arjuna and Krishna helped Agni devour the forest, which led to the death of Takshaska’s family (he wasn’t in the forest when the incident occurred). His wife saved their son, Asvasena, in the burning. 

However, Asvasena wanted revenge and waited many years. When Karna and Arjuna had a face-off on the 17th day of the Kurukshetra War, Asvasena became an arrow in Karna’s quiver. Krishna saw this and pressed the chariot wheels into the ground, thus causing the arrow (Asvasena) to strike Arjuna’s crown. Asvasena asked Karna to use his as an arrow again, but Karna refused, saying he didn’t need anyone's help to kill Arjuna. Asvasena attacked Arjuna directly but was killed by his arrows. 

We can assume that Takshaka held Arjuna responsible for everything. When Parkishit was cursed, he made sure it was he who fulfilled the curse and got his revenge by killing Arjuna’s grandson. It took Astika and Janamejaya to create a truce between the Kurus and Nagas.  

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The AI images are made on Bing.

S for Samudra Manthan: The Churning of the Ocean - Mahabharata Mashup

Namaskar, 

This is my second most favorite topic of the challenge. Samudra Manthan, or the churning of the celestial milky ocean, is a wonderful episode from Srimad Bhagavatam. It gets a brief mention in the Adi Parva before the actual story begins. 

So, one day, the gods held a meeting on Mount Meru and discussed how too many of them were getting killed or injured due to the constant attacks of the daityas (anti-gods). They asked Brahma for help, who took them to Maha Vishnu. He advised them to churn the Kshera Saagaram (Ocean of Milk) to obtain the nectar of life, amrita (an elixir that would make them immortal). He also told them to strike a deal with the anti-gods since the churning wasn’t an easy task. 

Once the whole thing was settled, Mount Mandara was chosen as the churning rod. However, it sank into the water. That’s when Kurma Raja (the king of Tortoise) agreed to hold the mount on his back. The ocean agreed to allow them to churn her if they shared the gifts with her. 

Acting on Maha Vishnu’s advice, the gods requested Ananta (Sesha Naga), a majestic snake, to carry Mount Mandara to the ocean and act as the rope. The anti-gods held Ananta’s face while the gods held his tail and began to churn. 

It was a back-breaking job, but both sides refused to give up. Maha Vishnu gifted them the necessary strength to keep going. The order and list of items that appeared from the ocean vary in different versions. 

As they churned, the moon rose from the water and went into the sky. Then came out goddess Lakshmi, sitting on a lotus flower. She married Maha Vishnu. 

Suradevi (the goddess of wine) came out of the waves. The anti-gods thought it was nectar, but realized the truth later. The gods invited Suradevi (also called Varuni) to live in heaven. She accepted the invitation. 

Note: There’s a Sura Devi Temple in Dehradun. 

The Kaustuba jewel came out dazzling and adorned Maha Vishnu’s chest. It is a large and radiant ruby. 

The apsaras came out dancing and chose to stay in the heaven. 

Next, the Kalpavriksham (the wish-fulfilling parijata tree) appeared from the ocean. Indra’s wife, Sachi Devi, requested to place it in her celestial garden. 

Three animals – Surabhi (Kamadhenu)- the wish-fulfilling cow, Airavata- the four-tusked elephant, and Ucchaihsravas- a winged white horse, also appeared as a result of the churning. Surabhi was gifted to the rishis by Brahma. Indra took Airavata, and King Bali asked to keep Ucchaihsravas. 

Halaahala or Kalakuta, the most deadly poison, came out fuming, choking everyone. They were terrified and asked Shiva to handle the poison as it could destroy the world (in many versions, the poison comes out first and is followed by other items). Shiva agreed and held the Kalakuta in his throat. This turned his throat blue, and he got the name Neelakanta. 

I recently read a book, Floral Folklore, which had a mini addition to this story. According to the story in the book, a few drops of the Kalakuta still dripped onto the earth. Aconite plants grew from this poison and contain the same properties. 

At last, Dhanvantri, the physician of the gods, arrived through the waves, carrying a pot of amrita in his hands. The devas and daityas were excited. The daityas stole the pot from him and ran away into the caves. 

Maha Vishnu transformed into a beautiful young woman called Mohini and went to retrieve the pot of amrita. He then distributed the amrita among the gods. A daitya sneaked past and consumed a drop of the amrita. Though he was captured and killed, the amrita made him immortal. He became Rahu and Ketu (Rahu is the head and Ketu is the body), the two shadowy planets added to the rest in Vedic astrology. 

The remaining amrita was safeguarded in the secret chambers of heaven with guards and magic protecting the place. 

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The AI images are made on Bing.

Invitation to Italy by Victoria Springfield - Book Review - Blog Tour

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

Publication Date: 14th March 2024 

Purchase Link (US): https://www.amazon.com/Invitation-Italy-Victoria-Springfield-ebook/dp/B0CF4S132C 

Purchase Link (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invitation-Italy-Victoria-Springfield-ebook/dp/B0CF4S132C 

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195963232-invitation-to-italy 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: Heartwarming 

Book Blurb

Abi is distraught when her ex-husband Alex takes their twelve-year-old daughter, Chloe, to spend the summer with his glamorous fiancée Marisa and her parents at their home on the beautiful Italian island of Procida. Persuaded by her best friend to book a holiday at the island's Hotel Paradiso, Abi finally meets the woman she's been avoiding for so long. Will the two women's strained relationship survive the summer?

One-time teenage swimming sensation Loretta has run the Hotel Paradiso since leaving Capri broken-hearted. When childhood friend Salvo comes to stay, Loretta is forced to confront her past and the fears that have kept her away from the water for forty years. But just as she finds the courage to open her heart, she discovers all is not as it seems with Salvo...

It's a summer of new beginnings for Abi and Loretta - and one they will never forget.

Take a trip to Italy with Victoria Springfield for a summery getaway any time of the year!

My Thoughts: 

The story comes in the third-person POVs of Abi and Loretta, with a couple of sections from Flavia and Chloe’s POVs. 

I grabbed this book mainly for the setting and am happy with the results. The Italian island, Procida, comes alive on the pages; be it the alleys, the artwork, the summer sun (eek!), the food, or the sparkling waters surrounding it. With the characters exploring the place, it is easy to join them on a virtual tour and visualize the elements while reading about the local history. 

The characters are decently done. Chloe is pretty much a tween; a kid but not a kid. Kind of mercurial like most kids of that age. Abi’s growth is well done, though I wouldn’t have minded a little more. Loretta shines throughout! I really enjoyed the scenes with her and how she manages the hotel. 

Bill and Alex are a bit 2D. What you see is what you get. That’s okay since they do their job to keep the story going. Bill has a better arc and more space, which is a good thing. And oh, I have to mention Cherry. Everyone needs a friend like her! 

The stories run in parallel, and a couple of minor threads open midway. One of those could have been handled better. It was summed up in a line later. 

The main tracks give us both stories. We see how Abi and Loretta have to do something different than what they are used to and heal from the past to move on and find happiness. There are quite a few secrets, too. 

The book has (squeaky) clean romance, which is more of a natural progression of the plot rather than the primary focus. The priorities continue to be clear from start to finish, making it easy to enjoy the story. 

Things do get worse before they get better, so in a way, we have the third-act breakup and disturbance on multiple levels. They get resolved one by one and it comes together in the final chapter. 

There’s a short epilogue to tie up everything into a neat bow. I like epilogues and wouldn’t mind if it was longer and a bit more detailed. 

To summarize, Invitation to Italy is a heartwarming and steady-paced read with a wonderful setting. It’ll make a good beach read you can finish in a couple of sittings. 

Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources and Orion Publishing, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

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About the Author – Victoria Springfield 

Victoria Springfield writes contemporary women's fiction immersed in the sights, sounds, and flavors of Italy. Victoria grew up in Upminster, Essex. After many years in London, she now lives in Kent with her husband in a house by the river. She likes to write in the garden with a neighbor’s cat by her feet or whilst drinking cappuccino in her favorite café. Then she types up her scribblings in silence whilst her mind drifts away to Italy.

Connect with her: https://twitter.com/VictoriaSwrites 

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This has been a stop on the #InvitationToItaly blog tour conducted by Rachel's Random Resources. (@rararesources) Thanks for stopping by!