Varna or Karma: Reidentifying Disability in Main Stream in the Novels of Amish Tripathi through the Lens of Michel Foucault

The concept of disability has been prevalent in Indian literature and mythology for centuries. In ancient texts like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, we see characters such as Dhritarashtra, who is blind, Ashtavakra, the great Vedic sage with eight deformities and Vamana, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu who was a dwarf. These characters were not seen as weak or incomplete but rather portrayed as strong and wise individuals. Disability studies in Indian literature have also shed light on the social and cultural attitude towards disability. It also counts the LGBT people in terms of disability. The Vedic texts mention the concept of "Varna" or caste system, and they often show marginalized people with disabilities. However, there are also instances where people with disabilities have been revered and held in high regard, such as the story of Kripacharya who was deaf and mute warrior in the Mahabharata. In modern Indian literature, we see a shift towards a more inclusive and empowering portrayal of people with disabilities. Authors like Arundhati Roy, R. K. Narayan, Devdutt Patnayak and Amish Tripathi have explored the theme of disability in their work, highlighting the struggles of their discrimination faced by individuals with disabilities in society. Overall, the concept of disability in Indian Literature and mythology is multi -faceted and continues to evolve reflecting the changing societal attitude towards this marginalised community. Victimisation, oppression and persecution have been major subjects of our society. By analysing literary works that featured disable characters or written by disabled authors, this field highlights the diverse experiences and perspectives of individuals with disabilities and advocates for their rights and representation in society. My research paper will critically explore disabled characters of Amish Tripathi's novels i. e., Shiva Trilogy comprises The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of Nagas, The Oath of Vayuputras and four novels of RamChandra series i. e., Ram: Scion of Iksvaku, Sita: Warrior of Mithila, Raavan: Enemy of Aryavrat and War of Lanka with Focaultdian framework.