It is a popular belief that the Ramayana is idealistic while the
Mahabharata is realistic. Yet these two epics have identical building
blocks, identical themes, and identical history.
In this groundbreaking book, Devdutt Pattanaik, India's most popular
mythologist, explores the similarities and dissimilarities between the
two epics in a 'playful analaysis'. Whether it is the family structure,
forest exile, or war, the comparison between the two epics prove a
startling point - the Mahabharata is in fact a reaction to the events in
the Ramayana. Ideas in this book are distributed over 56 chapters. In
temples ritual, Vishnu is offered eight different meals daily, different
on all seven days of the week - 56 dishes in all. May each chapter serve
as a mouthwatering offering to the Vishnu within you.