As a kid, Sudha Murty was a voracious reader of scriptures such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. A lot of questions popped up in her little mind while reading them, as those stories were really descriptive in nature. And, she thought that one day she should write about these stories. The Serpent’s Revenge: Unusual Tales from the Mahabharata is a culmination of that thought. The book, which is first in a four-book series, explores some of the most interesting and lesser known stories of the epic. “I will publish one book a year. The Serpent’s Revenge contains 25 interesting tales from the Mahabharata,” says Sudha Murty who has not altered the core theme of the stories for the book. She has just made them interesting and readable. “I don’t have the authority to change the story because it was created by someone else. But, I have grouped the stories like Krishna’s strategies and unusual stories such as that of Raja Rantideva,” adds the author of Dollar Bahu, The Magic Drum And Other Favourite Stories and Grandma’s Bag of stories.
It is the first time that Sudha is attempting the mythology genre. Her years of love for mythological stories and a lot of research have come to the book that caters to young mothers and children. “When you read scriptures, you could see either too much of exaggeration or praise in it. And, you may lose interest very fast. I had seen that while narrating stories to my children and grandchildren. While writing this book, I have decided that I will not do such things. I wanted stories that are crisp, interesting, unusual and readable, at the same time conveying the same message. My book is for young mothers who love to narrate stories to their children, and children who can read on their own,” she says.
The Serpent’s Revenge: Unusual Tales from the Mahabharata by Sudha Murty Rs 250, pp 200 Penguin Random House India.
Sudha, who is also the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation prefers writing because she enjoys the process of doing it. “It was difficult in the beginning because I had to keep a chunk of my time for writing which was not possible amidst my busy schedule. So, when I was writing, I would wake up early in the morning and write for four hours. I could sit calmly and write without any disturbances. By 7 o’clock, I would complete my writing, do chores, and then leave for office. Later, that became my routine whenever I am working on a book,” says Sudha who writes in simple English. “That is the way I write,” says Sudha with a smile.
If Sudha’s book Something Happened on the Way to Heaven is a compilation of real-life stories, House of Cards narrates the story of Mridula, a young girl, who lives each day with positive energy. How does Sudha find subjects for her books? “They come to me. And, I am thankful to God for that. I see so much of the outside world and get new experiences every time. Those experiences may also have contributed to my writing.”
Besides writing, she is popular for her philanthropic activities and frugal lifestyle. “I lead a simple life because I come from that kind of a background. My father was a doctor. I don’t hail from a rich family at all. That was my way of living. I am just continuing that,” says Sudha.
Life has been her great mentor. Quiz her about the biggest lesson that she learnt from life, she replies, “I learnt that any amount of money doesn’t bring any happiness. You should be content inside. That is very important in life. When you understand that life becomes easy to accept. Also, you should know your limitations.”
