An Alternative Reading of the Other in The Mahabharata

This book studies gender, sexuality, and representation in The Mahabharata. Drawing on Feminist theory, Queer theory and Deconstructivist theory, it revisits the epic as a saga of agency, empowerment, and subversion, and examines how it gives the gendered marginal - the women and the queer - a voice.

Autorentext

Seema Sinha is Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus, Rajasthan, India.

Kumar Sankar Bhattacharya is Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus, Rajasthan, India.

Inhalt

1. INTRODUCTION 2. THE CROCODILIAN FEMALES OF THE 'NARI TIRTHA' 3. RENUKA AND AHALYA WHO LUSTED AFTER OTHER MEN 4. THE WILD WOMEN OF THE MADRAKAS AND THE BALHIKAS 5. ULUPI, THE WARRIOR PRINCESS OF THE NAGAS 6. CHITRANGADA, THE ANDROGYNOUS QUEEN OF MANIPUR 7. HIDIMBA, THE DEMON-BRIDE OF BHIMA 8. YUVANASHWA, THE PREGNANT KING 9. SHIKHANDI, THE TRANSGENDER PRINCE OF PANCHALA 10. YOGINI SULABHA WHO CHALLENGED KING JANAKA 11. VIDULA, THE FIREBRAND QUEEN MOTHER 12. KUNTI: THE MOTHER OF KARNA 13. KRISHNAA' DRAUPADI: 'IN HER WILL RISE MANY FEARS!' 14. CONCLUSION