Hari, a remarkably well-set-up young village lad raised by a pious widowed mother, has a soul untained by worldly sophistication. But now, poised on the brink of manhood, Hari feels himself moved by strange new urgings – urgings he interprets as a hunger for spiritual enlightenment. And so he sets out upon the pilgrim's path, a wanderer in search of true wisdom.
But who can foresee the ways of the Gods? For Hari and his quest have become the subject of a wager between two immortals: the pulchritudinous Apsara Mohini, and the vile demon Ravana who lusts after her. Joyful, romantic Mohini will try to get Hari entangled in the charms of seven different women; meanwhile, the cruel and violent Ravana will have seven chances to get Hari killed.
As the sages have written, there's a seeker born every minute; but Hari's journey of discovery is fated to be stranger—and far livelier!—than most.
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Cover art by Tristan Elwell
First published in 1996 by Tor