Path of Light, The

The Path of Light is a collection of short stories nothing if not a mirror to the phenomenal range of human behaviour. Taken from the Upanishads to the Jatakas to South Asian folklore, these simple but contemplative tales show how people are capable of both extreme cruelty and inordinate kindness. Old-fashioned storytelling meets classic wit and wisdom in this collection. These unusual stories, told in the author s sharp, humorous style, are distilled human experiences that have the unique quality of endurance. From the ordinary comes the extraordinary; from the human, the supernatural. Ancient and modern, sort-ofknown and unheard of, these magical tales from the banks of the Yamuna to the Kaveri and from over the Eastern seas across the Indic tradition take us through the pitfalls and pleasures of existence, fusing the past with the present in a happy continuum.

Renuka Narayanan is an author and columnist with the Hindustan Times.