The Pregnant King; the title of the book is intriguing enough to surge the curiosity in any reader’s mind. And if one comes to know that it is written by Devdutt Pattanaik then it is difficult for any mythological genre lover to keep the hands off the book. Devduatt Pattanaik is the most celebrated mythological writer of India and is known for his grip over this genre.
The Pregnant King is the story about a King Yuvanashva of Vallabhi who is trying from a long time for a son who could someday will take over his reins but he is childless for 13 years. Till accidentally becomes pregnant by drinking magical potion of pregnancy meant for his three wives.
This story is bizarre and unthinkable but Devdutt Pattanaik’s impeccable writing makes it not only convincing but also interesting to read. Though it is difficult to believe in the story of the Pregnant king where a man becomes pregnant like a woman and gives birth to a child but Devdutt has smartly included other similar known stories of people who are man and a woman at the same time in the book to give weight to the plot. Well I personally know stories of Shikhandi and Arjuna becoming eunuch for 1 year during his exile from Kingdom.
Devdutt has coincided the story of the Pregnant King with the Mahabharata epic story. Both the stories goes side by side, of course, the Pregnant King is the main focus. Mahabharata story is just to give relevance and familiarity. Which was the smart thing to do. That is what Devduatt Pattanaik is known for. He interweaves the two different stories as one becoming metaphor for another.
The book also has words of wisdom on Yama, Kama and Dharma which makes the book an impressive read. It really questions the mind set of our society in accepting the third gender. They are down looked upon. It is very thought provoking.
The Verdict:
Devdatt Pattanaik has put fiction, mythology and philosophy all in one making The Pregnant King a very interesting mythological book to read. The book is very thought provoking.
Books Similar to The Pregnant King
The Pregnant King has prepared a base for Devdutt Pattanaik’s new released book Shikhandi : And Other Tales They don’t Tell You which solely covers Queerness in our Hindu Mythology with also references to other country mythological tales. Shikhandi is about people who has experienced both the maleism and feminism in their life.
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