Echoes of the Epic: Intertextuality and the Mahabharata in Gunjan Porwal's Ashwatthama's Redemption

Echoes of the Epic: Intertextuality and the Mahabharata in Gunjan Porwal’s Ashwatthama’s Redemption Dr. Shashi Ranjanam* In his novel Ashwatthama’s Redemption: The Rise of Dandak, Gunjan Porwal revisits the Mahabharata’s most tormented warrior, Ashwatthama, reimagining his fate through the transformative arc of penance, quest, and mythic revival. This article examines how Gunjan Porwal intertwines intertextuality with the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, updating ancient concepts like karma and sacred geography for modern audiences. In his mythological retelling, Porwal transcends the binaries of hero and villain, fate and agency, punishment and redemption, blurring boundaries between modern ethics and ancient epics. This article analyses how intertextuality serves as a conduit for moral exploration, emotional depth, and cultural re-mythologisation in a post-epic narrative framework. *Mentor, Gyanshala, Education Support Organization, Patna