This is a remarkable study of the contemporary power of a myth whose origins can be traced back to the ancient civilizations of Europe, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and South Asia. The author views the myth as a significant reflection of the tension between the adolescent male, striving for a separate identity, and the dominating mother figure, filtered through the consciousness of the Brahmin priest/myth maker/narrator.

Basing her discussion on the classical Hindu versions of the legend, the author intersperses her analysis of the psychological meaning of the narrative with observations of how the present-day attitudes and behaviour of the Hindu male bear out such an interpretation.

A further dimension is added to this study by accounts of the annual ritual enactment of the myth both in village and urban settings (evoked by fascinating photographs taken by the author), which reveal how deeply cathartic an experience living through this ancient narrative is for the devotee. Finally, the enduring value of the myth is demonstrated by an analysis of sculptural representations in India over a period of 2000 years, illustrated with eight pages of photographs.