Epic Love Stories: Shakuntala and Dushyanta & Devayani, Sharmishtha and YayatI (2 Book Set)

Product Description


One of the least-known, yet most poignant love stories, is the tale of Devayani, daughter of Shukracharya, Guru of the Asuras, and Kacha son of Brihaspati, Guru of the Devas. The Devas or Gods of the Vedic age were eternal enemies of the Asuras or Demonic races. How could the son of the preceptor of the Gods possibly hope to find love and happiness with the daughter of the preceptor of the Demons? Yet love flowers in the unlikeliest places and so Kacha and Devayani began to dream the impossible dream. Their love was doomed to end tragically but the how and wherefore of the tragedy is what makes their story so unforgettable. But the story doesnt end there. Instead, it segues (after a gap of a few years) into another: the love triangle of Devayani, her former friend Sharmishtha, and the man they both loved, Yayati. After a quarrel with her friend Sharmishtha, Devayani used her fathers influence and power to force her friend Sharmishtha to live out the rest of her life as Devayanis personal maidservant. One day, Devayani found herself trapped at the bottom of a well deep in the forest. Soon after, a stranger wandering through the forest, chanced across her.. On learning that he was Yayati, king of a powerful nation, she blackmailed him into a relationship. But unknown to Devayani, Yayati fell in love with Sharmishtha, resulting in a love triangle that presages the plots of countless present-day soap operas. Read on to see how Ashoks storytelling shines brilliant light upon this gem pried loose from the mosaic of his own Mahabharata Series.


About the Author


Ashok Kumar Bankers internationally acclaimed epic retellings are published in 56 countries, several hundred reprint editions, with over 1.4 million copies currently in print. His Ramayana Series is arguably the most popular English-language retelling of the ancient Sanskrit epic. His Krishna Coriolis is hugely popular among young readers. Ashok is of mixed-race and nationality, a non-Hindu, and neither religious nor spiritual. He is one of the few living Indian authors included in The Picador Book of Modern Indian Writing and The Vintage Anthology of Indian Literature. His writing is used as a teaching aid in management and educational courses worldwide. His e-book venture akbebooks. com is Indias first best-selling e-bookstore and e-publisher. Ashok is 48 years old and lives with his family in Mumbai. Over 41,000 readers have corresponded with him at his website ashokbanker.com.