Mrityunjay is authored by a popular contemporary Marathi novelist. The author delves into one of man’s eternal quests, the true meaning of being, through various icons of the famous Indian epic, the Mahabharata. The book is a study of humanity, life and existentialism.\n\nThis novel is the autobiography of one of the central characters of the Mahabharata, Karna. The book is a result of the combination of six dramatic monologues by Karna, his mother, Kunti, his wife Vrishali, and Shon, his foster brother. This has been artfully interspersed with narrations by Krishna himself. The author draws the readers attention to an uncanny similarity between Karna and Krishna, hinting all the while at a mystical link between them. The author depicts Karna, one of the most unsung and complex characters of Mahabharata, in a new light.\n\nThe author also explores the more complicated emotions that these prominent characters experienced - Kunti’s guilt, Dhritarashtra's trust, Vrushali's undying devotion, and Draupadi’s secret love. The same is applied to Karna, and his angst and regret have been discussed in detail. Mrityunjay is popularly considered to be a classic.
