The Mahabharata, one of the key epics of Hinduism, continues to provide inspiration to many writers in India and elsewhere. Often, the received wisdom of this rich and nuanced text is recast to consolidate the existing structures of power and patriarchy. In this long poem, Karthika Naïr subverts the 'palatable' version of the text and opens it up to bring to light minor characters, to question Hinduism's constructed narrative of a 'golden age' where there was no inequality, no patriarchy. This powerful long, narrative poem is breathtaking in its reach and intensity.