Mystical Stories from the Bhagavatam

Picking this book up can be deceptive - it might be seen as a children's book, not for very young children, but rather for young adolescents. It can be read as stories from a storybook, but this storybook is a collection taken out of a larger work called Srimad Bhagavatam - a holy book from India. I said deceptive because it is not a children's book, but is far deeper. The tales are constructed to raise consciousness. This book did raise my own consciousness.The stories are well written in English, and are captivating. The book is not unlike stories taken from the Bible, but of course the characters are very different. This book is filled with wisdom, compassion, and cautionary tales.For me, it is another view of how similar the mystical underpinnings of all religions are.

Amal Bhakta has done an excellent job presenting selected stories from the Bhagavatam. Each story is less than five pages long and that makes it very easy for the reader to get through the book without feeling overwhelmed by it. There is a purpose behind selecting each story and they all are very well written. The book really does provide a sense of the richness and vastness of the Indian scriptures.I read one story a day at bedtime and really looked forward to it.I'd recommend it as a "starter" book for anyone interested in reading the Vedic scriptures.

These stories bring to both young and adult readers a taste of the ancient culture of India. They are full of adventure, suspense, and intrigue, as well as moral and spiritual enlightenment. The author is a master storyteller, so that a modern reader can easily follow the plot and know the characters deeply. It's a real page-turner.

One of the world's great spiritual traditions has much to teach us about how to live our lives, as art is supposed to do. I especially like the gender-bending aspects and the stories are pure excitement for the mind and spirit.