Punarbhava: The Rise of the Legend of Panini ('PANINI' Series) Kindle Edition

“Punarbhava’ might make you believe that magic and adventure is a part of us. It urges you to get lost in a realm where an alternate reality surges with ecstasy. In this riveting blend of mythology, thrill, fantasy and magic—Ashutosh Jain presents to us a book that entertains us ceaselessly.In the slow-clad mountains of Siachen, Captain Abhinav and Officer Ravi suddenly find themselves teleported into a land of enchantments, quite beyond the reach of the mortal vicinity. They emerge in the land of Nandanvan—the pleasure garden of the Gods, a terrain of magic, illusions and fantasy. Finding themselves among spiritual godly beings like rishis, yogis and ferocious creatures, the brave warriors must lend a hand to fight an unknown enemy who threatens doom. Abhinav must embark on a journey that will take him to the depths of his soul and legend—the ‘Yogi warrior’—Panini. But in the due course, he is severely wounded by some mystical evil creature and it is up to Major Ravi and the yogini Gayatri to venture out to the fabled land of Gandharva Loka to find a remedy. As the adventure slowly unfolds, the enemy of the Gods loom large before everyone. In this epic clash between the dark, evil forces and the righteous holiness—what secrets will emerge? Will Abhinav and Ravi prove to be useful in their quests?The author utilizes his mind-boggling expertise in crafting a tale that engulfs us into a state of surprises and revelations. Each of the pages has a mystery waiting for us—the kind of mysteries that makes you want to go on and on, wanting to never end. He ignites our curiosity, plays with our perceptions and we get fascinated very ably.The story unfolds in the hilly mountains of Siachen, where an army operation is getting dangerously executed. Within no time, we have shifted to a completely unexpected realm—that is neither heaven nor earth, but something in between. We are welcomed by ideals and spirituality that has its roots deep into ancient Vedic wisdom. This book encompasses the kind of fantasy that makes us believe that its indeed true, starkly different from the type where fantasy seems intangible. It makes you feel you are a part of the story, with the actions unfolding before your eyes like a vibrant cinema. The characters’ persona resonates with your own beliefs, and their intentions seem justified.Once in a while, each one of us perhaps want to escape reality and flee to a land of ‘maybe’s and ‘what if’s. This book emphasizes on this fancy of ours, dissolving legends with reality. It makes us wonder, that perhaps miracles do occur, magic might do unimaginable favours. It harps on ‘belief’ and ‘faith’—the primal faith that good things will befall the righteous ones, and dharma will prevail.The premise and thought behind the plot of the book makes it shine like a star. Be it Abhinav’s charisma, or Major Ravi’s spirit to tackle any impending predicament, or Gayatri’s righteousness—the author ensures that each of his characters are distinct and original. However, Abhinav’s dominance in the plot was slightly below what was expected, and the readers would surely have expected more from him. Gayatri and Ravi take away most of the load of major characterisations, and they do so quite convincingly. The events unfold in a very methodical way, testifying the surety that the book has been well planned and segmented. The plot twists or the gradual storyline advancements—it all gets conveyed with an air of mastery in storytelling.A visible downside to the book was perhaps the over-simplifications of the crises. As one danger kept getting unleashed on the protagonists, the severity of the situation somehow kept getting dismissed. There was seldom any heightened critical moments of doubt or premonition of what to expect. This fluidity might be very appealing to some, but to me, it was falling short.This mythical thriller deserves a very engrossed read from the fantasy overs in the reader community. Legends, myths, mysticism—it has everything and in the right amounts. These ingredients make this book find a place in my list of recommendations!

A thriller that combines various genres to hook the reader till the very end is how one can describe ‘Punarbhava~ A Hero Reborn’The story starts off in modern India wherein we ‘witness’ a short yet intense battle rage in the world’s highest battlefield the Siachen Glacier before moving into another realm, a realm ancient yet intriguing into which two valiant Indian soldiers Maj. Ravi Chandra and Capt. Abhinav Trivedi happen to accidentally enter. Now is it accidental or is there a greater force at play?....Only time and a read of this book will reveal.What ensues is a travel through time, mythology and spirituality, and an introduction to characters like Brahmarishi Sanat Kumara, Asura Guru Shukracharya, Pannini, Gandharvas, and many more. Together they weave a story both thrilling and enlightening, a story with some twists, some turns, a dash of romance, and a flight of fantasy that may seem impossible to the modern mind. However, who knows the same could well have been real considering that our holy texts and ancient literature are full of such happenings, gadgets, stories, etc., and we ourselves are witness to things like travel to the moon, launching of satellites and rockets, as well as a lot more which our ancestors would have laughed off as impossible.So moving on, the story sees the dark forces rising and as it happens only one man can stop it, a warrior who can tame the mind and is a yogi in every sense. He is Pannini… However, where is Pannini or should I ask who is Pannini?.......That is the secret, a secret I’m unwilling to reveal here.A book with lots of insight into the ancient spiritual tradition of yoga, ‘Punarbhava’ sees the story shift between different timelines with ease, ease that speaks volumes of the author’s storytelling capability. Another thing that struck me was the fact that the book is written by a physician and not a soldier. Why?... Well, the imagery presented in the first chapter is deceiving. The way in which the author presents the happenings in the Army camp high up in the altitudes and the battle at Siachen Glacier gives the impression that the author is somehow linked to the armed forces .It is so vivid and precise. This combined with the story as whole points to the fact that a lot of research has gone into the making of the book.Other things that need special mention are the style of narrative, characterization, and language. While the style does justice to the narrative, the language compliments it. Simple and lucid it reminds one of the free-flowing water streams that flow forth without encountering even a minor hitch on their way. All the characters are well-fleshed out and help move the story forward. One can easily relate to them, their strengths, and their weaknesses.So is there something that I felt was wanting, something that could have been avoided?Well, to be frank, I felt that the budding romance between Major Ravi and Gayatri has no bearing on the story and as such is unnecessary. However, considering that this book is just a prequel to another that is in the making, I could be wrong. Only time will tell.VERDICTAn engrossing and unique read in every sense, ‘Punarbhava’ will see you wish to lay your hands on the sequel which the author promises to be more interesting and action-packed without even an hour’s delay. However, one can’t have everything one’s way. So, we must wait and see how the story unravels further. .

a fast paced plot which will enthrall young and mature readers. The autbor manages to seamlessly travel between plots and subplots and keeps you riveted to the pages. A well researched book ...will be looking out for more from the author

Excellent read.Young readers will enjoy the mythological characters embedded into a modern day plot.Can't wait for the next book in the series.