MultiRealm: When Brahma Prays | Arjuna K | Book Review

PLOT: 3.5/5
CHARACTERS: 4/5
CLIMAX: 3.5/5
WRITING STYLE: 3/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

In MultiRealm: When Brahma Prays, the Multi-realm is portrayed as a conglomeration of several realms or worlds which are populated by many types of beings. These beings comprise of beings who are both mortal and immortal.

They include Gods, demi-Gods, some reincarnated humans, resurrected humans, mythological legends, some energies, some powers, and some intangible forces which are hard to describe or categorize as God but are higher-order God-like entities.

Although a work of fiction, MultiRealm: When Brahma Prays has mythological references to Hinduism that require a basic pre-requisite knowledge of the concepts that are at the core of Hindu culture, religion, and mythology such as the idea of Brahma, the lingam, and those that comprise of the closest kith and kin and serve as extensions or avatars of Brahma.

With an intricately done book cover that is representative of the essence and central character of the book, the novel portrays a sense of intellectual and emotional affinity to the cultural roots of India, and uses Indianness to highlight the age-old significance of Hinduism as a culture, religion, thought process, and way of life for many.

This is particularly conveyed through the discovery of the Lingam on 8th June 2032 AD on the island country of Samashen Ve which is a close ally of India. However, Samashen Ve is unwilling to hand over the Lingam to India as it serves as a major tourist spot for its island country and is seen as a means to boost tourism.

This is immediately juxtaposed with the parallel realm inhabited by Lord Shiva who is a visionary and can foresee a lot of wars and struggles that are soon to occur, and this becomes a matter of concern for him. This is followed by going back in time to the phase of the realm inhabited by Lord Parashurama who had many powerful vests and Rudrakshas.

The stories and realms inhabited by Lord Muruga, Lord Vishnu, Lord Hanuman, and Lord Ganesha follow to showcase the interconnectedness of these eminent characters as they serve as forces that combine history, mythology, and culture to form a thought process that is powerful, assertive, and humbling all at once.

The characters are given space in the plot according to their importance in the course of events which means that there is more room given to Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. Though other characters do not act as mere foil characters, each has its special role and function to take the plot forward, help readers assess the situation, and provide their input to the narrative.

This enhances the script. It makes for an enlightening read which is not immersed in too much information and neither is it too haphazard which makes it difficult to follow. Rather, the segments given to the characters or combination of characters create the notion of interconnectivity and immediately evoke in the mind of the reader the idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam mentioned in the Maha Upanishad which is indispensable to the Indian and Hindu philosophy.

This story’s dependency on one another and interconnectedness of one character to another is reflective of the post-globalized world that is relatable to the modern reader and also lays emphasis on the idea that the same spirit runs within all.

Though MultiRealm: When Brahma Prays is not didactic in nature, it creates a moralizing narrative that is not excessively embedded with lessons, nonetheless, brings the importance of moral values such as cooperation, mutual respect, consent, kindness, forgiveness, and so on. These add to the multiple climactic scenes that move to and fro in time and space and create this multi-dimensional viewpoint that is entertaining, exciting, and mind-boggling.

Similarly, the geographical locales in which the scenes of the narrative are set are highly engaging. Be it the top of the Himalayas, the island country of Samashen Ve, or Rudralok, each has its characteristic feature and importance which adds to the plotline.

The scenes would have been incomplete had they not been placed in their specific locales as the locations serve as characters in and of themselves. It sends forth the idea that nature and those that reside in the lap of nature are all working together to sustain one another and are incomplete without each other.

The lucid writing style, apt vocabulary, and vivid images add to the joys of reading this book. However, the book does not come with an index of vocabulary that explains the different terms or give background knowledge about the different character and their significance in Hinduism. The idea is that the reader is supposed to be aware or at least have basic knowledge about Hinduism which is suitable for the Indian audience but the book could have been made more user-friendly with lists of terms and some background information about the characters.

While a book on the idea of the multiverse is not new as there have been many such as In Search of The Multiverse by John Gribbin, Mission Multiverse by Rebecca Caprara, or Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku, the fact that this book connects Hindu mythology to the idea of defining multiverse only goes on to show the importance and significance of Hindu concepts that have been known to mankind since time immemorial and can only be better understood by going back in history.

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