Mother and child is the basic unit of human society, rest all is socially constructed. Naturally, world of literature and art is replete with the energy and possibilities that such a primal source material provides. Shrewd selection of the theme "Boons and Curses: The Legend of the Mythological Mother" ensures a canvas pregnant with thrilling possibilities. Mention of mothers in Indian context carries the apprehension of cloying deference. This may overwhelm the individuality of a woman by the stream rollar of motherhood. It is to the credit of Yugal Joshi that all mothers remain strong vivacious women while serving his narrative schemes beautifully.
There is a fairly established annual award in literature "Bad sex scene in fiction award". Yugal Joshi is not a contender for this award by a long stretch. He comes into his own when dealing with human, or for that matter equestrian intimacy. He dwells lovingly and with a satisfying languid pace on the physicality and joy of what he delicately calls 'copulation' or 'procreation'. All these mothers are wild when it comes to their sexuality and Yugal shares their passion and has the wherewithal to bring that on the page. Sanjana-Soorya, Taara -Chandra are some but not the only memorable steamy encounters. Full marks there.
As a kid raised on Amar Chitra Katha and not so infrequent subscriber of Gita Press, your reviewer considered himself fairly well acquainted with the family trees and milestones of Indian mythology. After reading the book he is more well-informed about manasputras of Brahma and their prolific genealogical output. Rishis and sages and their role in the pantheon and mythology will be a huge take away of the book, though it is never pedantic.
Apart from the knowledge, this book has a very sensible cosmopolitan sensibility. It is tolerant and broad minded. Large hearted ness, not only about gender issues, is hallmark of this unputdownable book. Yugal has hit the mark on the generosity and liberalism of Indian ethos. His paragraphs, specially in the second chapter on various moral and worldly issues display a level-headedness which is not tainted by even a hint of parochialism. It enhances the pleasure of this deep but easy read.
The reviewer was apprehensive about the use of English language for a very Indian topic. Somehow, it is very rare to convey the nuances of Prakrit , Sanskrit and Hindi sensibilities in English with their complete ethos and flavor. The reviewer is a regular viewer of Yugal's weekly Facebook live on Grehlakshmi where he narrates his stories in Hindi. He is a bona fide social media star there with, sadly for us, largely female fan following. His narration in Hindi gels very fluidly with his topic and while commenting I also found it easy and natural to use Hindi. To our utter relief, the colloquial eloquence of his Hindi narration remained fully intact in English and, surprisingly, got enhanced on many occasion.
Despite, all the strength of characters, the Mothers of the book are players in a patriarchal set up. They are overpowering the masculine restrictions to achieve masculine objectives of power for their children, mostly sons. They are using their guile, sexuality , force of personality and sacrifice within men's world and for men. They are using men, fathers, lovers, brothers, son and husbands to achieve their goals. This might appear jarring to few woke readers. However, this is not Yugal's burden to bear. He has taken up the valid field and period and has narrated that with utmost sensitivity. His sensibilities are robust and generous. He is never a voyeur or a exploiter and still manages to tell a gripping story, this is no mean achievement.
