Hindu mythology holds many important events and stories which have been handed down generation after generation as a part of society’s ways and norms. The Mahabharata is one such epic that speaks of the King Yuvanashva and his unique story.

The popular and just ruler of Vallabhi, King Yuvanashva, is an obedient son and an equally devoted husband to his wives. But even the happiest of homes have secret tragedies hidden in their midst. Shilavati, the king’s mother, refuses to give him permission to join the famous battle of Kurukshetra, because the king is unable to sire a worthy heir for his throne despite years of devotion and rituals. Finally, out of sheer desperation he turns to Yaja and Upajaya, two powerful sages, who create a magical potion that when taken by his queens will impregnate them.

But what happens next is unexpected, King Yuvanashva accidentally ends up drinking the potion. Here arises a series of complications; a pregnant king? What happens to his son, Mandhata, who is unaware of the circumstances of his birth?

And perhaps the greatest irony of the tale is that the virile King faces his life’s greatest dilemma, when the great upholder of virtue (Dharma) and the epitome of manhood longs to hear his son call him ‘Mother’ just once, before he breathes his last. A rich and complex weave of tales intersecting both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and its characters, The Pregnant King takes its readers through a journey of realism and contemporary ideologies that seem to haunt mankind not just today, but also in a world built 2,000 years ago.

The novel does not end here though. We are introduced to Shilavati, who cannot rule as a king because she is a woman, Pruthalashva, who must sire a child because he is a man, a Yaksha named Sthunakarna, who surrenders his manhood so that Shikhandi (a woman) can become a man and a husband, and later reclaims it, and of the great warrior Arjuna with his many wives, who is forced to disguise himself as a woman when a nymph castrates him. And in this journey, we witness King Yuvanashva’s struggle to be just to all, his conflict with himself, and his duty to bring about Dharma in his kingdom.

Devdutt Pattanaik is a doctor who shifted his focus to Indian mythology and their influence on the people of the country. He has written many books based on Indian epics and Puranas.

Devdutt Pattanaik has written other books based on Hindu epics and other related works. Some of his other books are:

Devi, the Mother-Goddess: an introduction
Shiva: an introduction
Vishnu: an introduction
The Goddess in India: the five faces of the eternal feminine
Hanuman: an introduction
The Man Who Was A Woman and other queer tales of Hindu lore
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune: an introduction

His Writing Style
Devdutt Pattanaik's style is simple and elegant, and he adds value by creating his own line drawing illustrations ? an unusual combination. He is not strictly traditional in his retelling, yet he remains true to the original spirit of the stories. He also explores the influence of the epics on Indian thought and their continued relevance to life, even today, thousands of years after the stories were written.

His Personal Life
Devdutt Pattanaik grew up in Mumbai and graduated with a degree in medicine from the Grant Medical College. He later studied Comparative Mythology at Mumbai University.

After working in the Healthcare industry for 14 years, he turned his attention to the wisdom and insights contained in the ancient Hindu texts. He started to write books and columns on the subject and has also delivered many lectures on Indian mythology.