About the book: 2014 / "Mahabharata" without gods, without demons, without miracles. The Mahabharata presented from the point of view of the Kauravas. All the characters are ordinary people, with their own strengths and weaknesses, passions and ambitions. Are the covenants of ancient scriptures always true? Can any action be justified by fate, destiny or divine intervention? What is more important - duty, friendship, love, power or wealth? Who will give answers to eternal questions - gods or people? I offer for your acquaintance my amateur translation of the first part of the book “Ajaya” by the Indian writer Anand Neelakantan. This translation does not pursue commercial gain, its purpose is to introduce the Russian reader to a sample of modern Indian literature, as well as to interest professional translators and publishers. Ajaya is a story about the invincible Kauravas, who were destroyed to the last man. A revolution is brewing in the heart of India's most powerful empire. Bhishma, the noble patriarch of Hastinapura, tries his best to maintain the unity of his empire. Dhritarashtra, the blind king, and his foreign queen Gandhari sit on the throne. In the shadow of the throne stands Kunti, the dowager queen, eager to see her first-born son as a ruler recognized by all. And behind the scenes: Parashurama, the mysterious guru of the powerful Southern Confederacy, bides his time to seize power and impose his will from the mountains to the ocean. Ekalavya, a young Nishada, longs to be freed from caste restrictions and become a warrior. Karna, the son of the humble Charioteer, goes south to study with the most eminent guru of the time and become the greatest archer in the land. Balarama, the charismatic leader of the Yadavas, dreams of building an ideal city by the sea and seeing his people prosperous and proud again. Takshaka, a Naga guerrilla leader, sparks a revolution for the oppressed as he lies in ambush in the jungles of India, where survival is the only Dharma. The beggar Jara and his blind dog Dharma wander the dusty streets of India, observing people and events far beyond themselves, while the Pandavas and Kauravas confront their searing destinies. Amid this chaos rises Prince Suyodhana, heir of Hastinapura, determined to claim his birthright and act according to his conscience. He creates his own destiny, at least that's what he thinks. While in the corridors of the Hastinapura palace, a foreign prince plots to destroy India. And the bones fall. Cover theme suggested by the publisher.