Reconstructing the Epic: Cultural Memory and Myth in Devdutt Pattanaik's Jaya
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The Mahabharata endures as a living tradition, continually reshaped through oral, regional, and modern retellings that preserve its role as a vessel of cultural memory. Devdutt Pattanaik’s Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata exemplifies this process by weaving canonical narratives with folklore, marginalized voices, and symbolic motifs. Through simple language and illustrations, Jaya makes the epic accessible while engaging with themes of dharma, karma, and fate in ways that resonate with contemporary readers. Though criticized for occasional oversimplification, the text contributes significantly to cultural memory by balancing tradition and modernity. This paper argues that Jaya transforms the Mahabharata into a pluralistic and secular narrative that continues to shape identity, ethics, and collective consciousness in evolving contexts.
Authors: Shivam, Anant, Ojha, Uday Shankar
Language: English
Topic: Indian and Buddhist Studies
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7079978281
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