This is the final part of a two-volume radical retelling of the ancient Indian epic, The Mahābhārata. The first volume, The Scales, follows the story of Karna as he goes from mysterious and humble beginnings to train in the arts of combat with two sets of princes. His rivalry with Arjuna, the greatest warrior among these, embroils him in the growing enmity between the royal families.
In this second volume, The Yoke, the antagonism between the princes leads to a battle in which Arjuna will inevitably have to face Karna. In the ancient epic, just before battle begins, Arjuna is reluctant to fight, and the action is temporarily suspended to deliver the Bhagavad Gītā, a sacred text involving a dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna. In this retelling there occurs instead at this point a dialogue in which there is an attempt to persuade Arjuna that free will and the distinction between mind and brain are illusions. In the aftermath of the ensuing battle, the mystery of Karna begins to unravel.
This fiction hopes to celebrate ancient India's immense contributions to humanity; but its ultimate purpose is to take you out of reality and then to return you, perhaps to a different place. Have a safe journey back.
