Not Your Mother's Mahabharata

S.P. Jayaraj, Azure Anderson

The Mahabharata is this epic Indian work that encapsulates a great deal of Indian Mythology. It is a magnificent story that is constantly being rewritten and retold since its inception that was somewhere between 3000 BC and 1500 BCE ‘Not Your Mother’s Mahabharata with SP Jayaraj’ is a podcast where S.P. Jayaraj tell the story conversationally to his wife Azure Anderson and to friends, most of whom have never heard of the tale. Listeners familiar and unfamiliar with the epic are treated to their entertainingly honest first reactions.Doing it conversationally as opposed to it being a straight up reading allows there to be  variations in the story and the chance to pick apart some of the ideas about life that the Mahabharat brings to the forefront. This podcast’s goal is to make this great work accessible, and entertaining to an adult audience. Come in expecting some laughs, some pop culture tangents, and some adult language. This is a labor of devotion to the Mahabharat quite unlike any other you might come across.

  1. FEB 17

    RE-RELEASE: NYMM 37: Two Lovers and a Talking Swan: The Pandavas without Arjuna Part 1

    Hello friends! We're just getting back from our long trip to India. While we work on some brand new material for you all, we thought we'd return to a love story from a few episodes back. You know, because it's close to Valentine's Day and all.  Look for new episodes in 2 weeks!  -Satish & Azure Yudhishthira is still lamenting over his gambling addiction. Luckily the visiting sage Brihadashva brings some hope to the eldest Pandava by telling him the tale of Nala And Damayanti. Our friend Andy Caranicas joins us to hear the wondrous story of Nala and Damayanti, a prince and princess who are deeply in love with each other despite having never met. To be together they will need to outmaneuver the gods, a demon, a heroic turned villain hunter, and another king. Fortunately- to the pleasure of both Andy and Azure, Nala has a talking swan on his side.   Andy Caranicas plays competitive bridge, rides his bike as often as he can, plays trombone in a community band, and formulates stories for the Moth story hour. S.P. Jayaraj is the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow.  He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. The Mahabharata and other global mythology inspires him in all his projects. spjayaraj.com Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor. Support the show Support the show Have an imaginative day. Artwork and music by Azure Anderson

    1h 13m
  2. FEB 3

    RE-RELEASE: NYMM 20: A Boar, a Lionman, and a Dwarf walk into a story. Krishna Chronicles 4.5

    RE-RELEASE (2/3/26) We continue our Krishna Chronicles with Jenny McDougal by telling her about three more avatars of Vishnu. Jenny and Azure try to guess the only animal form that can take on the first invincible demon. We imagine the monstrous form Vishnu takes to deal with the second demon, and Satish tells the more pleasant story of the third invincible demon who is celebrated in Satish's home state of Kerala. Support the podcast and join the NYMM community on Patreon.com/nymmpodcast to get access to additional content, including our continued discussion session with Amy "Our religious non-religiousness."   S.P. Jayaraj is the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow.  He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. The Mahabharata and other global mythology inspires him in all his projects. spjayaraj.com Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor. Jenny Mcdougal is a poet, home baker, mom and union steward. She is a voracious reader of fiction. Jenny would like you to know about The Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center (MIWRC)  The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) is a non-profit social and mental health services organization committed to traditional ways of being and support of Native women and their families.  Founded in 1984, MIWRC provides a broad range of programs designed to educate and empower Native women and their families, and to inform and assist those who work providing services to the community. MIWRC is located in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis, which has the third largest urban American Indian population in the United States. https://www.miwrc.org/ Jenny and Satish met in a poetry class run by Deborah Keenan, someone who had a profound impact on their passion for creativity. https://deborahkeenan.com/ Have an imaginative day. Support the show Support the show Have an imaginative day. Artwork and music by Azure Anderson

    49 min
  3. JAN 21

    RE-RELEASE: NYMM 19: Krishna returns to Mathura: Krishna Chronicles 4

    RE-RELEASE (1/20/26) Jenny McDougal joins us for part 4 of the Krishna Chronicles. Krishn'a destiny to deal with his tyrannical uncle Kamsa comes a calling.  We tell the story of Krishna and Balarama leaving their old cow herding life behind to return to the nation of his birth, all while Jenny asks the most insightful questions. Support the podcast and join the NYMM community on Patreon.com/nymmpodcast to get access to additional content, including our continued discussion session with Amy "Our religious non-religiousness."   S.P. Jayaraj is the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow.  He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. The Mahabharata and other global mythology inspires him in all his projects. spjayaraj.com Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor. Jenny Mcdougal is a poet, home baker, mom and union steward. She is a voracious reader of fiction. Jenny would like you to know about The Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center (MIWRC)  The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) is a non-profit social and mental health services organization committed to traditional ways of being and support of Native women and their families.  Founded in 1984, MIWRC provides a broad range of programs designed to educate and empower Native women and their families, and to inform and assist those who work providing services to the community. MIWRC is located in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis, which has the third largest urban American Indian population in the United States. https://www.miwrc.org/ Jenny and Satish met in a poetry class run by Deborah Keenan, someone who had a profound impact on their passion for creativity. https://deborahkeenan.com/ Support the show Support the show Have an imaginative day. Artwork and music by Azure Anderson

    44 min
  4. 12/23/2025

    RE-RELEASE: NYMM 15: The Fire Born Woman Burning Every Man's Loins.

    RE-RELEASE Today we were happy to have two guests with us! Mystery author Mindy Mejia and our other good friend, clay artist and yoga teacher Jenna Jo Bodling! Satish really wanted an extra lady at the podcast table to introduce everyone to Draupadi, the dark skinned beauty that every king, prince, warrior and teenage boy wants for themselves - How will the pandavas resolve their desire for one woman? Before we get to that, Satish tells the story of Arjuna's hot headed encounter with an elf and how that encounter probably helps the Pandavas keep their cool when facing the enemies who tried to kill them. It's a laugh filled culture challenging season finale to Not Your Mother's Mahabharata. Mindy Mejia is a best selling Mystery Author. Her lates book, a World of Hurt is the latest in her Iowa Mystery Series. https://mindymejia.com/ Jenna Jo Bodling is a clay artist, yoga instructor and happy mother to two girls, three cats and a dog. S.P. Jayaraj is a mythology and Mahabharata fanatic and the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow.  He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. He draws inspiration from global mythology. spjayaraj.com Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor. Support the podcast and join the NYMM community on Patreon.com/spjayaraj #Mahabharata #ComedyMeetsCulture #Comedystorytelling #IndianMythology #MahabharataRetold #MythologyNerd #Bheem #Draupadi Support the show Support the show Have an imaginative day. Artwork and music by Azure Anderson

    1h 5m
  5. 11/25/2025

    NYMM 43: A Cosmic Soap Opera. Featuring Shiva and Parvati

    We meet Aaron King, RPG Game designer and Co host of the Podcast RTFM (Read The F****** Manual), and tell him some of the origin stories that the immortal sixteen year old sage Markandaya tells the Pandavas. We revisit the origin of Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva, and go down the bloodline of Brahma's child Daksha who has grown to despise Shiva and is against his daughter marrying Shiva- even though she is his cosmic other. Things go from bad to worse in this godly soap opera that spans a goddess's 2 lifetimes, that also leads to the birth of of Kartikeyya the warrior god destined to vanquish a tryranical demon while still a child We also introduce the Hindu God of Love Kashyapa- and we all have opinions on his superiority to Cupid.   S.P. Jayaraj is a mythology and mahabharata fanatic and the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow.  He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. He draws inspiration from global mythology. spjayaraj.com Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor. Aaron King  is a game designer, editor and collage editor, and cohost of the podcast 'Read The F****** Manual' where they and their cohost read and review Roleplaying Game Manuals. You can find out more at RTFMCAST.com  Support us on patreon.com/nymmpodcast Support the show Support the show Have an imaginative day. Artwork and music by Azure Anderson

    1h 22m
4.1
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

The Mahabharata is this epic Indian work that encapsulates a great deal of Indian Mythology. It is a magnificent story that is constantly being rewritten and retold since its inception that was somewhere between 3000 BC and 1500 BCE ‘Not Your Mother’s Mahabharata with SP Jayaraj’ is a podcast where S.P. Jayaraj tell the story conversationally to his wife Azure Anderson and to friends, most of whom have never heard of the tale. Listeners familiar and unfamiliar with the epic are treated to their entertainingly honest first reactions.Doing it conversationally as opposed to it being a straight up reading allows there to be  variations in the story and the chance to pick apart some of the ideas about life that the Mahabharat brings to the forefront. This podcast’s goal is to make this great work accessible, and entertaining to an adult audience. Come in expecting some laughs, some pop culture tangents, and some adult language. This is a labor of devotion to the Mahabharat quite unlike any other you might come across.