NISWARTHI UDYOGA PARVA: An English Trans-creation
A Devotional Folk Reinterpretation of the Mahabharata’s Pivotal Fifth Book (The Book of Selfless Endeavor)
Book Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | NISWARTHI UDYOGA PARVA: An English Trans-creation |
| Transcreator / Author | Anand Kumar Ashodhiya |
| Original Folk Poet | Shri Ashok Kumar Jakhar “Niswarthi” |
| Language | English |
| Print Length | 577 pages |
| Publication Date | 1 December 2025 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-93-5525-694-2 |
| Genre | Epic Transcreation · Devotional Literature · Religion & Spirituality |
| Academic Areas | Mahabharata Studies, Regional Folk Epics, Haryanvi Devotional Poetics, Translation & Transcreation Studies, Karma Yoga Philosophy |
| Publisher | Avikavani Publishers |
About the Book
NISWARTHI UDYOGA PARVA is a powerful modern rendering of the Mahabharata’s pivotal fifth book, the Udyoga Parva (The Book of Effort). This section of the epic details the final, desperate diplomatic maneuvers by the Pandavas to avert the catastrophic Kurukshetra War.
In this work, contemporary devotional poet Shri Ashok Kumar Jakhar “Niswarthi” (The Selfless) transforms diplomatic negotiation into a profound spiritual discourse. While classical analysis often highlights political and strategic outcomes, Niswarthi filters the entire narrative through the lens of bhakti (devotion), asserting that the ultimate endeavor (Udyoga) is one undertaken purely for the sake of Dharma (Righteous Duty), entirely independent of the outcome.
Rooted in the Soil of Kurukshetra: The Haryanvi Folk Innovation
Shri Niswarthi innovates by rendering this vast epic crisis into rhythmic, accessible bhajans and ragni meters, drawing directly upon the earthy wisdom of the Haryanvi oral tradition—the very soil where the Mahabharata war took place:
- Grounded Clarity: Direct, unflinching dialogue reflecting the pragmatic agrarian ethos of Haryana.
- Performative Rhythm (Laya): Melodic structures optimized for oral recitation, singing, and communal memory.
A Masterful Trans-creation
Anand Kumar Ashodhiya presents this volume as a Trans-creation rather than a literal word-for-word translation. This methodology preserves the bhava (spiritual essence), rhythmic momentum, and folk idiom of the original composition, translating sung metric verse into vivid, rhythmic English prose while maintaining its moral authority and cultural texture for an international readership.
“The ultimate effort is not in securing a kingdom, but in honouring the truth. The ultimate effort is not in the outcome, but in the purity of the attempt.”
Suggested Citation
Ashodhiya, Anand Kumar. (2025). NISWARTHI UDYOGA PARVA: An English Trans-creation. Avikavani Publishers.
