The Strategic Interplay of Past and Present in Chanakya's Chant and The Vault of Vishnu by Ashwin Sanghi

This paper investigates the strategic interplay of past and present in Ashwin Sanghi’s novels Chanakya's Chant and The Vault of Vishnu. It examines how Sanghi employs historical reconstruction and mythological reinterpretation as deliberate narrative strategies to comment on contemporary political, cultural, and ethical realities. In Chanakya’s Chant, the parallel structure connects the Mauryan era with modern democratic politics. It highlights recurring patterns of power, manipulation, ambition, and statecraft. In The Vault of Vishnu, Sanghi strategically blends ancient Vaishnav-traditions with modern scientific investigation, creating suspense while demonstrating the continuing relevance of inherited knowledge systems. Under the concepts of tradition and historical consciousness, the study argues that Sanghi does not simply reconstruct the past for dramatic effect; rather, he uses it as a strategic framework to interpret present crises and imagine future possibilities. Ultimately, the novels reveal how historical memory functions as a powerful tool within contemporary thriller fiction, shaping national identity and redefining the relationship between time, power, and cultural continuity.