Review of Sundari Venkatraman’s – ‘Matsya’

Title: MATSYA – The First Avatar

Series: Dashavatar (Indian Mythology)

Genre: Mythology Retelling

Author: Sundari Venkatraman

Source: Kindle Edition provided by the Author

Lord Brahma is highly disturbed

 

GENERAL OVERVIEW

A culture without mythology is not a civilisation. – VS Ramachandran

Such true words. This is no hidden truth that since time immemorial, mythology has been deeply entwined with the cultures of various regions of the world. I believe that these mythological tales provide such beautiful panorama of the culture of that region. These mythical stories are as old as the early civilizations.

With the passage of time, these tales traveled all around the world. They were passed down, orally or in writing. Their forms changed but their core remained intact keeping the faith of the people within.

These tales have acted as the connection between an adult and the child; strengthening the roots of our beliefs towards the almighty and being the cradle of life’s most important lessons. However, at present times, these tales are being forgotten by the younger generations.

Through these retellings of Indian Mythology, the author aims to revive the interest of the young readers towards these tales.

PLOT

The book is about the first of the Dashavatars of Vishnu. As per the Indian Mythology, the Trinity controls the cycle of life in this whole universe. Brahma- the Creator, Vishnu- the Preserver and Shiva- the Destroyer. The book tells the story about the event when Lord Vishnu incarnated on earth in the form of fish, to save the Vedas and humankind.

PROS

This is a very famous Indian mythological tale. I had heard and read about this story during my childhood. Reading this book made me feel nostalgic. As told earlier, the author has focused on the younger age group readers. She has retold the story in simplest of ways with easy vocabulary. Although the target readers are kids it is definitely enjoyable by every age.

The language is crisp and precise. If seen with the point of view of a child, the adequate length of sentences, with minimum usage of commas and semicolons, ease their understanding of the story. The pace of the story is smooth and steady. There is a consistent turn of events within the story at regular intervals which helps in gripping the reader’s attention.

The story is well balanced. As the author provides information about – how the days for humans and gods are different; how the ‘kalpa’ ends and begins again; the time period of various ‘yugas’ and their traits, she makes sure to not go overboard and make it confusing.

The short read about the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is bound to make a connection with the readers of every age. A mythological tale retelling which is refreshing and leaves you spellbound.