MACMILLAN Feminine Journeys of the Mahabharata: Hindu Women in History, Text, and Practice

The Mahabharata preserves powerful journeys of women recognized as the feminine divine and the feminine heroic in the larger culture of India. Each journey upholds the unique aspects of women's life. This book analytically examines the narratives of eleven women from the Mahabharata in the historical context as well as in association with religious and cultural practices. Lavanya Vemsani brings together history, myth, religion, and practice to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the history of Hindu women, as well as their significance within religious Indian culture. Additionally, Vemsani provides important perspective for understanding the enduring legacy of these women in popular culture and modern society. Review “In this engaging and fascinating book, Lavanya Vemsani sheds light on many important female characters in the Mahabharata, including some who have not received adequate attention from earlier scholarship. In so doing, she makes a substantial contribution to our collective understanding of the Mahabharata and the ancient Indian social context from which it has emerged.” (Jeffery D. Long, Carl W. Zeigler Professor of Religious Studies, Elizabethtown College, USA)   "This book is something that has been crying out to be done, but that no-one before this author has thought seriously of doing. Feminine Journeys of the Mahabharata is a most valuable and original contribution to scholarship based on Hindu categories. It contributes to new understandings. It makes important “corrections” to well-established views and gives a critical account of the topic. It restores complexity to a subject that indeed is at times badly over-simplified. It also sets a new parameter to examine feminine from devoid of gendered perspective." (Sushil Mittal, Professor of Hindu Studies and Gandhi Studies, James Madison University, USA)    " Feminine Journeys of the Mahabharata is the most useful and interesting book on the Mahabharata, the longest epic of the world. This book makes an original contribution to historical understanding of the feminine in the Hindu culture through in-depth analysis of numerous early narratives of feminine divine and feminine heroic. This book is essential for anyone interested in the history of women as well as social and Cultural history of India." (Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India)   From the Back Cover The Mahabharata preserves powerful journeys of women recognized as the feminine divine and the feminine heroic in the larger culture of India. Each journey upholds the unique aspects of women's life. This book analytically examines the narratives of eleven women from the Mahabharata in the historical context as well as in association with religious and cultural practices. Lavanya Vemsani brings together history, myth, religion, and practice to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the history of Hindu women, as well as their significance within religious Indian culture. Additionally, Vemsani provides important perspective for understanding the enduring legacy of these women in popular culture and modern society. Lavanya Vemsani is Professor of History at Shawnee State University, USA. Her publications include Modern Hinduism in Text and Context, Krishna in History, Thought, and Culture, and Hindu and Jain Mythology of Balarama. Vemsani is President of the Ohio Academy of History. She is the Editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Indic Religions and Associate Editor of Air Force Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, and Canadian Journal of History. She is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award, Research Award, and SACA/CASA Best Thesis Award. About the Author Lavanya Vemsani is Professor of History at Shawnee State University, USA. Her publications include Modern Hinduism in Text and Context, Krishna in History, Thought, and Culture, and Hindu and Jain Mythology o