Unsung Valour

Some key battles on both sides were won by warriors who are either forgotten or demonised. This is an attempt to reconstruct their perspective.In a war that consumed 18 Akshauhinis of warriors (four million soldiers), Unsung Valour puts the spotlight on the stories of battles that are forgotten.It explores dharma from the perspective of eight warriors who are neither the five Pandavas nor the hundred Kauravas, drawing a never-before interpretation of the Mahabharata itself.It beautifully captures the forgotten stories of popular warriors being defeated by the warriors whom we forgot!Saiswaroopa Iyer, curator, is an IITian and venture-capital professional turned bestselling author of five novels, all based on strong female protagonists set in ancient India. Her second novel, Avishi, has been optioned by a major studio for adaptation. Her areas of interest include Indic philosophy, literature and music. This anthology has been curated for Indic Academy, an institution that seeks to build a global renaissance of Indic civilisational thought .Did you know that a little-known Panchala prince, Yudhamanyu, single-handedly defeated the great Duryodhana? Or that Shakuni was a valiant warrior on the battlefield? How did Iravan, the son of Arjuna by Naga Princess Ulupi, rout the whole Gandhara armies all by himself? And how did the ageing king Bhagadatta, perched on his famed elephant Supratika, defeat a whole army of the Pandavas led by Bhima? Loyal. Valiant. Steadfast. They were all that and more. They secured crucial victories. They were indispensable. And yet, there were forgotten. Unsung Valour: Forgotten Warriors of the Kurukshetra War is an attempt by ten writers to bring forth those forgotten warriors of the Mahabharata. Reimagined with passion and devotion, each story brings you a new perspective of the epic as each warrior gears up for his big day on the battlefield. In this epic battle, they are all related by either blood or loyalty. These stories capture the poignance, valour, unsung victories and eventual destinies of the warriors. This is a magnificent attempt to explore the epic in dimensions that have not been explored yet.The Pandavas were on the side of dharma while the Kauravas fought by adharma. Or so we were taught by our elders. But what did dharma mean to these unsung warriors each of whom was only fulfilling their duty to their best? As we traverse through their untold stories and their understanding of dharma, we explore the immortal epic of Mahabharata from a fresh perspective.