Books published by publisher Amar Chitra Katha Pvt Ltd

Chandragupta Maurya defeated the Nandas and established himself on the throne of Magadha in 321 B.C. It was a journey fraught with dangerous challenges but his chance meeting with the wily Chanakya changed his destiny forever. The clever Brahmin showed him how by the sheer brilliance of his wit and wile he could help the young Mauryan prince to rise from being an unknown warrior to one of the greatest emperors of India.

The word Upanishad literally means 'sit down near' for the student had to sit close to the teacher to receive instructions. Perhaps, what brought the two still closer were the stories the Guru narrated. These stories provided a meaningful context for the topics under discussion. They also demonstrate that in those days knowledge was not the monopoly of any select group. Thus Janashruti, the ruler of the land, approaches the cart driver Raikva, with humility, to seek the highest truth.

Superbly skilled, speedy and strong, Arjuna boasted that he was the world’s greatest warrior. But, despite his unquestionable courage, this honourable Pandava prince realised he could not confront Lord Indra’s power – or even the wiles of a cheeky monkey – without help. He needed divine weapons, such as the Gandiva bow, with its inexhaustible supply of arrows, and a special war chariot. Most importantly, he needed the blessings of the gods, especially Lord Vishnu.

Young and virtuous, Nachiketa and Satyakama had one thing in common - they sought true knowledge. The song of birds, the thunder of rain clouds, and the glow of the morning sun revealed life's secrets to Satyakama. Coming face to face with the lord of death, Nachiketa found the key to immortality. The lessons the two seekers learned were priceless, for they opened to others the door to eternal bliss.

Bala Kand, the first book of the Ramayana, isabout Rama’s boyhood. It begins by relating how Valmiki composedand launched his great poem. In this book, we meet KingDasharatha of Ayodhya and his queens, Kausalya, Sumitra andKaikeyi. In time, four glorious sons are born to them – Rama, Bharata,Lakshmana and Shatrughna. Devoted to each other, the fourprinces grow up happily in the palace. But the gods have destinedRama to be a hero. His thrilling adventures begin when Rishi Vishwamitracomes to Ayodhya to seek his help against the rakshasaswho are harassing the rishis in the forest. Accompanied by Lakshmana,the young prince goes to the forest to fight the evilrakshasas. Under the tutelage of the great rishi, Rama and Lakshmanalearn the duties of a Kshatriya, and the secret mantras of allkinds of weapons. As they travel with the rishis, they also hearmany fascinating tales about the people and places they see. At lastthey come to the palace of Mithila to see the great bow of Shiva.Here they meet King Janaka, who has promised his daughter’shand to the strongest prince in the land…

The story book talks about Rabindranath Tagore, who rejected formal education and yet began a world-famous university. His poems were mocked for their colloquial language but they were adopted as anthems by two countries. Bengali society despaired of him until he was awarded the coveted Nobel Prize for Literature and a knighthood! Know more about this multi-faceted personality and get inspired.

A power-hungry warrior and a peace -loving-wife-could they ever tread together on the path of non-violence? Ashoka waged war after ruthless war, yet by the time his children grew up, he proudly saw them off as Buddhist missionaries. Read about the charmed life of this famous king of Magadha, who not only built a properous kingdom but spread the message of universal love

Stories From The Panchatantra (5 In 1 Series) is a compilation of five titles from the Panchatantra, a book of fables from Indian folklore. The first story included is The Jackal And The War Drum. This is followed by three other titles, namely Crows And Owls, How The Jackal Ate The Elephant, and The Brahmin And The Goat. The final title in the collection is The Dullard And Other Stories. The stories that are narrated in this book provide advice on the right way of life and morality, which is a common characteristic of Panchatantra tales. The characters in these tales are also anthropomorphic in nature, i.e. they are animal characters with human attributes. The set was released as a part of Amar Chitra Katha, an Indian comic book series established by Anant Pai himself.

Rama was happy living in the forest with his wife and brother. Palace intrigue may have forced his exile, but the next fourteen years promised to be quite pleasant. Suddenly, this idyllic life was thrown into turmoil. His beloved wife Sita was kidnapped! With unmatched skill as a warrior, Rama destroyed the ten-headed Ravana. And along the way, he won a host of very grateful friends.

When Vishnu returned to Vaikuntha after his Krishna avatar, Brahma, the creator, began to worry about the earth. Without Vishnu, he was afraid, chaos would ensue. So he and his son Narada, the wandering sage, set in motion a plan to get Vishnu to return to earth.A talking anthill, an arrogant sage, an irate cowherd, and even the asura king Ravana, each have their parts to play in these stories that describe the founding of the Venkateshwara temple at Tirupati. Set amongst the lovely Tirumala hills, this temple to Lord Vishnu, is one of the most beautiful temples in the world. It is said that more than 50,000 people visit this shrine every day, to pray to Venkateshwara to wash away their sins.

When Guru Ramdas Chose His Youngest Son, Arjanmal, To Succeed Him As The Fifth Guru Of The Sikhs, It Created A Lot Of Ill-Will In His Eldest Son, Prithichand. But The Choice Was Not Wrong. Guru Arjan Was The Very Embodiment Of Love, Humility And Courage. His Greatest Contribution To Sikhism Was The Compilation Of The Guru Granth Sahib And The Construction Of The Har Mandir Sahib In Amritsar. He Was The First Sikh Martyr And By His Death Inspired His Followers To Uphold The Truth Under Any Pressure./A

The demon, Vajranabha, performs severe penance. Pleased, Brahma grants him the city of Vajra, and says that not even air will enter the city, unless Vajranabha wants it to. Now, powerful in his impregnable city, Vajranabha turns his sights on Indra's kingdom. Indra goes to Krishna for help. What Vajranabha does not realise is that his daughter, Prabhavati, has set her heart on marrying Pradyumna, the son of Krishna.