Famous Last Words: The End (Week 11)

I finished reading the Mahabharata this week and I actually think I enjoyed The Ramayana more. There were pros and cons to both, however. I loved the way Draupadi stood up for herself, and she definitely was more outspoken than Sita. I thought the characters were a little more active in The Mahabharata. However, I have a special place in my heart for some of the characters in The Ramayana. Hanuman is by far my favorite character out of all the versions of the Indian epics that I have read. He is funny and sassy and definitely a little crazy, but he is so loyal to Rama and Sita. I thought the battle scene out of The Ramayana was a little better too. It was more specific when it came to the fighting, and I really loved how they described the death of Ravana. However, in The Mahabharata I loved the respect they showed to the elders. Even though the Pandava brothers fought against all their mentors and elders that they had grown up with, they still showed them the utmost respect when it came to fighting and killing them. I was struck by how similar these stories were. For one thing, they both centered on royal families. The main protagonist and his (or their) lovely wife were sent to exile in the forest for years, through no fault of their own. (I am on the side that Yudisratha was not aware of all that he was gambling away. That he was caught up in the game.) They also had an epic battle with a villain who had tried to disgrace the female protagonist of the story. These are two absolutely beautiful stories and I am somewhat heartbroken that I am done reading them for this semester. I absolutely see why they have lasted through the ages.

Bharata and Rama by Raja Ravi Varma
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Storytelling Week Fourteen: Dhritarashtra's Blessing

Never once had he said this. Nor had he ever thought he would say it. But the king was glad that he was blind. Not forever, obviously. But for this particular moment, he did not want to see. He had gathered too much already from his other senses. He could smell death everywhere. He would have known he was on a battlefield the second he breathed in, without anyone telling him. That, or hell. He could smell the blood and sweat and decay radiating from what he assumed were millions of bodies. It was a hot summer day and this only helped to make things ten times worse. But the smell alone could not indicate to the king how many had died here. But he could hear the crowing of the ravens and the vultures that feasted on this land. Never had a vulture wasted a drop of food, yet there was too much for all the vultures in the entire universe to feast on in this field. The king could hear the sounds of thousands of birds, so loud it almost drowned out what his chariot driver was saying to him. Yet, this still did not indicate him the true magnitude of the lives that had been lost here. The king sought for another sense that would tell him of the sorrow that he could not see. So he tasted the water of the stream that ran next to the field. Yet as he drank, the king cried out and spit out the liquid. For what the king could not see was that this river was not clear with water, but ran red with the spilled blood of so many warriors. He stood there spitting the blood of a million men out of his mouth, yet he then could not understand the magnitude of this battle. But finally, the king had his question answered. And his heart broke when he finally grasped what had happened here. This epiphany came not from the earth, the water, or the birds. It came from the women. He could hear them although they were miles and miles downstream. These widows were screaming for their husbands that had died in battle. There tears had turns the dirt road to mud. The hair they ripped out of their heads coated the sides of the road like fur. As the king heard the cries of a million women, he finally understood

 

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Author's Note: The magnitude of this battle struck me so hard. Krishna stated that the men who had died had numbered in the thousands of millions. The world has never seen a battle like that. It would be unimaginable. As I read this, I thought how the king would finally be lucky to be blind. To not have to see the wreckage his son had caused, that he had allowed.

Source: Buck, William (1973). Mahabharata

 

Storytelling Week Thirteen: Arjuna's Reservations

You have got to be kidding me. When Urvasi had cursed me so many years ago, it just did not seem like a big deal. I know, I know. I should have thought more seriously about a woman cursing me to lose my manhood for a year. But at the time it just did not seem that important. Maybe I was caught up in the ambrosia. Let’s be honest, Indra knows how to throw a good party. He had all the finest girls dancing for me. They are such teases! After all the strain those women had put me through, losing my manhood for a year did not seem to bad. Don’t get me wrong, I was right to reject her. It was not right to have her. But did she have to be such a bitch about the whole thing? Still, there was no getting around it. Arjuna took a deep breath and called down Urvasi’s curse. He furrowed his brow and gritted his teeth, preparing for the pain he was certain would come with the absence of his penis. However, nothing hurt. Sure, he felt a slight tingle down there, but nothing to be concerned about. That happened when the wind blew wrong. Arjuna carefully looked under his robe, and almost gasped aloud. There was bare skin. And down there, something weird! Why, it was the parts of a woman! Arjuna smiled at the ridiculousness of it all, but then practical concerns came about. How would he urinate? Did women urinate? They had to. Arjuna was so preoccupied with these thoughts that he did not notice the gold cuffs that had formed around his wrists. He also did not notice how his defined muscles were shrinking down and becoming softer. And he certainly did not notice that long wisps of hair that were curling down his back to his now ample backside. But soon enough Arjuna did take notice of all these changes, and was as amazed as before. Why, he looked like a woman! But now, the weight of the whole situation began to set in. Actually, just the weight of this stupid hair began to set in. How did women do this? And in such pretty, ornate fashions. And then the weight of his earrings and jewelry set in as well. God, his ears felt like they were being pulled to the ground! And how the hell was he supposed to walk in this sari. Arjuna sighed a resigned breath, and began his long stumble towards the kingdom where his brothers resided.

Urvasi Curses Arjuna
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Author's Note: I found Arjuna's curse to be ironic and funny. That such a strong man would lose his manhood for an entire year struck me as something entertaining, but also very important, that simply was glossed over in both versions I have read of the Mahabharata. Therefore I decided to elaborate on the implications of becoming a woman, and also wanted to add some humor in. I think these are very real thoughts that a man would have if this kind of change happened to him.

Source: Buck, William (1973). Mahabharata

 

Storytelling Week Twelve: Duryodhana's Shame

Damn those Pandava brothers! They could at least have the courtesy of having one flaw. Well, besides that eldest being such a miserable dice player. Duryodhana chuckled to himself as he thought of the way he had tricked the five brothers and made a show of their whore wife. What man wants to share a woman anyways? Especially with five men. Duryodhana occupied himself with thoughts of anatomy and how the whole five husband thing would play out. He shuddered. They could have that. He then daydreamed of his wives, and then of course there was his harem. Thousands of women, just awaiting the day they could grant his every desire. Now that is how a man should live. But Duryodhana’s daydreams dissipated like a cloud in the summer sun when he thought of the occurrence that day. He had been trying to show off his wealth to those wretches, and had gotten captured! How could he have been so stupid! He had misjudged those Gandharvas. I mean, who knew they were such masters of illusion? Really, it was not his fault that he had gotten captured. But this train of thought made the young prince feel weak, so he desperately thought of another justification for the battle earlier that day. Why had the Gandharva’s obeyed the Pandava brothers? What was so special about them? He hated them so much. Their smug faces as they let Duryodhana out of the iron cage he was being held in in the sky. That was so humiliating! He was squashed among his common soldiers like a fruit at the bottom of a farmer’s basket. He could still feel the sweaty men crushing him. And the smell. Who knew that many soldiers could make such a foul stench? That odor could have killed him alone. But amid all these random thoughts, a small voice spoke out in the back of Duryodhana’s mind. Why had the brothers saved him? Did they want to save the pleasure of killing him for themselves? He had certainly done enough to deserve their hatred. But they were worthless peasants, and as prince he could do whatever he wanted with them. Or maybe, were they simply that honorable? Duryodhana quickly shook this preposterous idea out of his head. Nonsense. Suddenly, his face lit up. He had figured it out! They feared the wrath of Duryodhana! They saw how I was being treated and worried that I would seek vengeance. That is it! Duryodhana adopted a smug smile as the idea crossed his mind, and let himself fall asleep with the thought of the Pandava brothers bowing to him caressing his mind.

Drona and Duryodhana
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Author's Note: I find Duryodhana to be a pompous, ignorant slug. I thought this scene illuminated these qualities in Duryodhana so I could not resist the urge to write on it. The Pandava brothers were simply being honorable, and saving their kinsmen. Yet Duryodhana, as disillusioned as he was, would have never picked up on that. He would have simply looked for another answer that allowed him to remain the best.

Sources: Buck, William (1973). Mahabharata

 

Storytelling Week 11: Draupadi's Disrobing

All I feel is my hair being torn out of my skull. I feel the tears running down my face and my single sari beginning to slip off my body. This could not be happening! I was a princess! I had never before been touched by a man who I had not wanted to touch me, much less been dragged along the floor like a sack of flour. What had my husband done? They had told me he had staked me in a game. But I was not gold or a cow or a piece of land. Could men really bet me like I was a piece of property? Duryodhana’s vile brother Duhsasana would pay for this. He threw me into a heap on the floor and I glanced up. My god, I was in the assembly hall! In front of everyone! And yet, everyone was allowing it. Not a single of the brave warriors or wise elders stood up and commanded that this abuse stop. My heart became numb as hopelessness sunk into it. If I was really Duryodhana’s now, he would make me a slave. A sexual treat to impress his visitors. Visions flashed before my eyes as I saw myself sweeping filthy rooms, getting on my knees for fat, old kings. Rage burned inside me. This would not stand. Then the words that imbecile Duryodhana was mumbling pierced through my head. Take off her robe. Suddenly my insides went ice cold. He would not. I knew he was vile, but this was beyond reason. There was absolutely no reason to disgrace me in this way. Yet, through my disbelief, I felt Duhsasana’s hands on my robe. I looked at my husbands, but they all had their eyes downcast. My brave Pandava’s, infamous for their skill in war, stared at the ground and would not save their common wife. Shame burned in me for them. These were not men. These were monsters. I did not know what to do. I closed my eyes and prayed. This is what I had done all my life when I had trials, and it is what I reverted back to this habit. I prayed and prayed to every god, and then Krishna illuminated my mind. I saw his smile, and knew, I was safe. I did not have to hear the exclamations of awe to know that Krishna had saved me, and my honor.

The Disrobing of Draupadi
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Author's Note: This was such a violent and heartwrenching story to me, and the entire time I was reading of this situation I was wondering what was going on in Draupadi's mind. Was she angry? Numb? Hysterical? I decided to incorporate a medley of emotions into her personal monologue, because I believe that is the most accurate of what a woman would feel.

Sources: Buck, William (1973). Mahabharata

 

Reading Diary B: Dhritarashtra's Legacy

I think it is odd and also kind of awesome at the way Dhritarashtra was described leaving the city. My impression of the king the entire time I was reading this book was that he was a fool. He used being blind in order to excuse indulging his son and making weak decisions. Everyone told him that his son was evil, and would destroy their race, but he would not stop him. Even the queen, his wife, told him how evil their son was, how he cried and it sounded like a jackal when he was a baby. So I never really had a lot of respect for Dhritarashtra. He let his son kill all of his sons, all his friends, millions of his subjects. While he was king! He could have said one word, and his son would have stopped. He could have said one word and had his son killed! Yet when he leaves to die in the woods, the Pandava brothers treat him as respectfully as they can, as a father. Their mother accompanies the king and his wife in the forest. All these signs are bestowed on a man who in my opinion does not deserve it. Yet it is obvious the king has a kind heart. Maybe that is what the Pandava's are seeing.

 Dhritarashtra, Kunti, and Gandhari depart
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Reading Diary A: Duryodhana Curses Krishna

This is crazy! Crazy crazy crazy! Everyone recognizes that Krishna is the god Naryana incarnated, one of the most elite gods ever. Yet Duryodhana curses him, calling him a slave and the son of a slave. Now don't get me wrong, I know Duryodhana is stupid. I get that. He fought until not only all of his friends and eldesr were gone, but until his whole race was gone. Idiot. But to curse a god, a known god! That seems beyond help to me. And not only that, but Duryodhana starts to turn the Pandava brothers against Krishna. Now do not get me wrong. I do not like that a god reincarnated lied and cheated to win a war. I am sure there was a divine reason and this was all Karma and blah blah blah but it still seems wrong to make such a wise and moral character so flawed when it came to these decisions. But maybe that is genius. It certainly livens up the story a lot.

Duryodhana in the Lake
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Reading Diary B: Amba

I love love LOVE Amba! This is such an empowering story after all the women that get pushed around in the Indian Epics. I think I want to make my third story in my storybook about Amba. It will be a positive departure from the sad tales of Sita and Draupadi. Amba was first stolen by Bishma. Which, hold it right there. For some reason in The Mahabharata it is honorable to steal women away???? That proves you're the best warrior?? How screwed up is that? And to top it all of, Amba was in love with King Salwa. Who apparently loved her back. But that is complete bullcrap. Because when Amba stayed true to Salwa and was finally sent to him after insisting she would marry  no other. Instead of holding her and apologizing that she went through such an ordeal, as he should of, he instead rejected her and left her husbandless and landless. What a jerk. But that is okay, she comes back as a man and kicks some ass.

Bhisma takes the three princesses
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Reading Diary A: Irony

I think it is so ironic that Yudhishthira goes to King Virata's court in the guise of an expert dice player! This is how he lost his whole kingdom, his wealth, his life, and his identity. If I were him, I would never want to pick up a pair of dice again! Yet he goes into Virata's kingdom and portrays himself as a wise brahmana with a special skill at dice. I also loved the specific disguises that each took. The twins with their animals, Bhima as a cook, Arjuna as a enoch, and Draupadi as a servant. They seemed happy there. Even though they were elites serving others, and of course for the little incident with the Queen's brother, they seemed to be genuinely cared for by the royalty and had comfortable lives doing hobbies they thoroughly enjoyed.

Draupadi and Sudeshna
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Reading Diary B: Kailasa's Beauty

Oh, would I love to live in Kailasa! I do not think I could have the strength of the Pandava brothers and move on from such a place. Especially if Hanuman guards it! I adore Hanuman as a character, and he is every bit as mischievous in The Mahabharata as he was in The Ramayana. Buck describes Kailasa as having waterfalls that fall into streams of coral and ruby, elephants and swans and red geese, silver and fire red and molten gold trees. This is the most beautiful description of a place I have ever read, and if I had been wandering for years this is where I would reside. A pond with lotuses with a thousand petals each would just be the icing on the cake.

marble Hanuman carving at Swaminarayan temple in Bhuj
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Reading Diary A: Arjuna and Krishna's Bond

I was struck by the intense bond of Krishna and Arjuna in this version of The Mahabharata. I thought their friendship was beautiful. Krishna remembers their past lives together, but Arjuna does not. However, Arjuna still recognizes the deep bond each one has for the other. This bond is used throughout their lives, specifically in the great battle. I like the idea of a great God like Krishna having such a close bond with Arjuna. I know Krishna is bound to his human form, and therefore has human emotions, but if that bond has always been there that must mean he is a loyal god. Krishna describes them as "one person, saying you are mine and I am yours. Who strikes you strikes me also. You come from me, and I from you, and there is no one who can understand the difference between us." This is a beautiful statement of friendship.

Arjuna and Krishna
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Reading Diary B: Maya's Skill

I thought the description of Maya's palace that he built for the Pandava brothers was breathtaking. I have heard of Maya from The Ramayana, but this description of his skill was even more intricate. Look at the way Buck describes the tree of lights Maya put by the front door "Its leaves were cut from thin sheets of emerald and beryl, with veins of gold. Its tall trunk and long branches were encrusted with every known jewel, and from it came the fragrance of high mountain forests". This is just ONE tree in the whole palace. There were ponds that were so still people fell into them, and crystal floors so flawless that people paused as if they were made of water. What a wonderful palace to live in. I just wish Buck had included Duroydhana's envy of the palace as in the shorter version.
Srikrishna offers mayasura to build a palace to Pandavas
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Reading Diary A: Different Priorities

I am really enjoying Buck's version of the Mahabharata. But I guess I was expecting him to focus on the same things as the much more condensed version, and he definitely didn't. It struck me as odd, that in the shorter version the author really described Draupadi's robe being unraveled, and this was a really crucial situation to me. But in Buck's version, it was only one or two pages. However, he did include a lot of side stories that I really enjoyed. I liked the one about Amba being reborn and turned into a man. I also liked at the end when the Pandava brothers were in the desert and Indra comes but the king refuses to go without his dog, who turns out to be Dharma.

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Famous Last Words: Divinity

I found many similarities between The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. They both involved somewhat divine heroes, and their faithful, beautiful wives. It involved an epic battle between an enemy and those said heroes. It also involved divine intervention in the form of weapons, boons, and curses. I am starting to realize that the epics of India have a writing style all their own, and I really enjoy reading these. I cannot wait to start on the fleshed out version of The Mahabharata next week. I would love to eventually study the whole thing, although from the introduction that sounds like it would be quite the undertaking. In a very loose sense of the word, this is somewhat like a bible to me. It describes life and death, how certain types of positions should act, and various parables that guide one’s life. It is all through the various tales of unordinary people’s lives. It had some striking similarities to the Christian bible, but obvious differences as well. I definitely found this more readable than my bible. It is like a religious text and an epic legend all in one. However, one of the most striking differences I found was that God was questioned in The Mahabharata. Granted, I do not blame Draupadi for questioning his existence and powerfulness. She was mishandled and almost raped and completely humiliated in front of her husbands. I would not be feeling all lovey-dovey towards God either if I had gotten treated the way she was. It surprised me that this passage was put into The Mahabharata, when the rest of the text is highly invested in religion and the gods. Of course, the words were put into the mouth of a woman, because a man would never say something that stupid. There were a surprising amounts of contrasts in this epic that I enjoyed very much.

Draupadi and Krishna
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Storytelling Week 10: Dhritarashtra's Monologue

I feel weak. I have always felt disadvantaged, but never weak. I am a king, for Christ’s sake. I have 100 sons and excellent counsellors. I have a stunning wife who serves me in every way. I have countless chambers of women ready to please me. I have never let my blindness stop me from being the king I was born to be. So this new feeling, this feeling of no control and disapproval from my friends, this is not okay. I cannot handle the way Vidura talks to me these days. To me, the inflection of the voice is everything. It is all I have. I have the touch of my wife and the warmth of the son, but to really judge how a person feels about me, it is all in their voice. Not even in the words they say, no. In the manner which they say them. I do not need sight to tell when someone is deceiving me. I do not need sight to tell when someone is smiling or weeping. I have heard the inflection of admiration, of awe, of love, but never of this horrible disapproval I am getting from Vidura. I know I have always been partial to my son Duryodhana, but he is a good boy, bless him. I know the prophecy, that he would be the end of our race. I was not blind to the way he howled like a jackal as a child. I knew there was something wrong. But he was my first born, and I could not bear to part with him. He is brilliant. He will do awesome things. Terrible, but awesome things. I am afraid I will always let him into my heart, and therefore my decisions. Vidura does not understand that, I am afraid. Listen to the way he chides me. He has always spoken too bluntly to his king. I keep on distracting him with questions of life, destiny, and death. It is a salve for my soul. He keeps on telling me how I need to abandon Duryodhana, but I know in my heart I will never do this. So I distract him for a moment. I can tell he is getting tired, and even Vidura’s knowledge is not limitless. Aha! I have finally asked him a question he does not know the answer to. Now the inflection has changed. That is so much better, to listen to him struggle for an answer. Maybe now he will drop the subject of abandoning my son, and I can rest.

Dhritarashtra and Duryodhana
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Author's Note: I am fascinated by Dhritarashtra's character. He was a strong and respected king, but so foolishly partial to his son. He allowed his son to persecute the Pandava's for years, and did nothing about it. I constantly wondered what was going on in his mind, and so I elaborated just a little bit on it in this story.
Narayan, R. K. (1978). The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic.

Reading Post B: Draupadi's Plight

I thought Sita was mistreated in The Ramayana, but compared to Draupadi, Sita had it easy. SIta was merely cast into a stereotypical role and never allowed to truly shine as the woman she could have been. Draupadi was forced into a marriage with five men. While they all treated her well, and promised to erase all thoughts of her while she was with one of the other husbands, how unfair is that? No one asked Draupadi what she thought of this arrangement. There is no passage describing Draupadi's joy at having five husbands. Sure, there is a tale that describes how she came to be fated to have these five husbands. But even in the tale, she is simply calling out for her husband that she served her whole life who left her. And this is just the beginning. After that, she is dragged out into a room full of men after she was lost in a bet by her husband, in a single cloth because she was on her period. She was a princess! And this is how she was treated. After she was manhandled and dragged by her hair into the presence of not only her husbands but all these elites, her single cloth was torn off of her. Not a single of her brave five husbands stepped in to stop it. No one did anything, so she begged Krishna to help her, and he was her only salvation. There is so much wrong with this character and the situations she was put in.


The Disrobing of Draupadi
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Bibliography: Narayan, R. K. (1978). The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic.

Reading Diary A: The Different Sides of Krishna

Krishna is a fascinating character in The Mahabharata for me. It is said he is God, and presents an image to Dhritarashtra that is so grand that it says the king regained his sight more a moment in order to see it. However, during the war Krishna proposes a plan that is quite deceitful and in my opinion not very godly or omniscient. He says to lie to a foe about the death of his son in order to make him more vulnerable. This does not sit well with me. Maybe it is because of the barriers of growing up in a very different religion that I see God in a very different way, but to me Krishna is too human. I do not see God lying to people in order to kill them, or speaking rashly the way Krishna does at the end of the tale. I do not know if it is because he is reincarnated, and therefore has human restraints. He knows of his reincarnation though, so I do not think he surmises himself to be human. This is an interesting point for me, and one I will continue to ponder.


The Death of Jayadratha
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Bibliography: Narayan, R. K. (1978). The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic.

Commenting Review Week

I have made a few connections in the class! As the semester goes on I am returning to people's blogs and getting to know them and their writing styles better. I think repeat interactions are the key to creating connections. Maybe, make our storytelling commenting groups the same every week (and assign us one random one on top of a standard two), that way we can see each other progress and really get to interact with each other on a weekly basis, while also experiencing other people's writing styles. The introductions help as well. You could also add an extra credit option where you get some extra credit if you and another person comment on three of each others post and respond to at least one of their comments about your writing. My project comments have been suuuuuper useful. I do not use my storytelling ones as much but they do encourage me in my writing. When I leave a short comment, I focus on the big picture. What I liked most and what I liked least. When I have a longer comment, I will focus on the more minute details of the story. I make a lot of comments in other classes, but it is a different kind of class, more science-based.


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Writing Review Week

Honestly, I have adored every story I have written. I have absolutely loved being able to flesh out parts of the story that I felt warranted more attention than they received. It was so much fun to flesh out characters and add in details that I wanted to. The storytelling is my favorite part of the week, and probably what I spend the most time on. Some writing goals I have are maybe to branch out on my writing style. Do a perspective I normally would not do or write from the opinion of someone with opposite beliefs of mine. Maybe modernize some of the epics. Just push myself. I have not really gotten any of my ideas from other student's writing, but I have picked up little tips here and there. The most helpful feedback for me is specific feedback! Saying "Oh it was a little bland" or "Oh I didn't really get where this was going" does not help me. Telling me what was bland or where someone got lost is what is productive for me. I have learned some things about myself as a writer. I skip over grammatical details because I am more worried about how the story flows, and I do not realize that this will be distracting for my reader. I also have realized that I need to take a step back and make sure someone who is not inside my head will understand my writing. Oh, and that I really, really, realllllly love comma splices.

Rama is one of the most interesting characters in The Ramayana and I just love writing about him so much. There is so much there to work with!
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Reading Review Week

Looking back over my reading diaries, I have to say that honestly I do not really take notes actively while I was reading either version of The Ramayana. These stories are so vivid and interesting that I stay engaged without note-taking, and the scenes from that week's reading stay fresh enough in my mind that I am able to write about them just by referring to my book. I have only read a few fables and The Ramayana so far, but I really enjoyed it. I liked the sequence of the books. Starting off with the shorter more concise one and then working into a longer and more descriptive one was a good decision. It allowed me to appreciate the rich details in Buck's version. The Reading Diaries do not remind me of scenes I have forgotten per-say, but they do remind me of reactions I have that I no longer remember. That is beneficial to me. I used to read a lot for pleasure, unfortunately I do not have the time anymore. The reading in this class has been like pleasure reading to me. It does not feel forced and it certainly does not seem like I am reading a textbook. I am not a computer-reader, I am old fashioned and like the feel of a book. So if you proceed with the Un-Textbook, I would still offer resources so that future students may purchase a paper copy if they choose. I know that is the option I would prefer.


This is one of my favorite pictures. It pictures a scene that does not get a whole lot of renderings. I also like all the emotion in it.
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Famous Last Words: Week 7

I have really enjoyed fleshing out my storybook this week. When I first came up with the idea of showing how feminism is prevalent in the Indian Epics, it seemed like a pretty cool idea. I have always considered myself a proponent of feminist ideology, and I am all for empowering women and getting them on equal footing as compared to men. As I read through the Ramayana it became increasingly apparent that women did not get a fair shake in the old stories of India. They were valued as physical and sexual objects, at best as damsels in distress that need to be saved by the smarter and stronger men. When I read about Ravana visiting Sita in his grove, my blood boiled. He had his harem, and his “main” wife, follow him as he begged another woman to rule over his kingdom. His wife stood by his side and comforted him when the woman who’s attentions he so desperately sought ignored him! She led him back to his bedroom so she could serve him and comfort him! There is so much wrong with that whole scene. Women are NOT just sexual objects, and whether or not you believe in having multiple wives, they should not be subjected to that kind of situation. As I get farther into my storybook I grow more and more excited about what I am writing about. As silly as it sounds I feel like I am giving these women a voice that they have never had before. Yes, I get that these are figurative women that do not exist in reality, but it does have some real-world application. Women are continued to be oppressed and if we can start seeing basic cultural works in a new light, maybe some real changes can occur in society too.

Panchakanya: Ahalya, Tara, Mandodari, Sita Kunti, Draupadi.
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UnTextbook Online Reading Options

The Illiad of the East: The Ramayana by Richardson

I looked at Ravana's Crime
I am really fascinated by Ravana and I enjoy reading about him in more detail
I enjoyed this! It really fleshed out on my mental picture of who Ravana is.
I liked the descriptions of Ravana. I also liked hearing the Ramayana in yet another version, every version gives me new insight into this epic. I thought Buck's was a little easier to read, but I did not have too much trouble.
I would definitely enjoy reading this as part of the curriculum.

Reading Diary B: Rama's Turmoil

Rama shows the first sign of humanity at the end of Buck's Ramayana. When I first heard that he sent Sita away, I jumped to the conclusion that he was just an idiotic man who could not suck up his pride. However, after having read the whole thing, I think I understand where he was coming from. He loved Sita, but Rama's entire destiny was to be a leader. He had worked and abstained and wandered the woods for 14 years and saved his wife and the world from evil. He finally was where he was supposed to be. Everyone respected him, everyone loved him. So, after all that, he hears whispers that he is tainted due to living with a soiled woman. He knows in his heart that this is not true. He has looked Sita in the eyes, heard her plea, seen her in the pure fire of the Fire God. He knows that she never once yielded to Ravana. But to him, it did not really matter what he thought. It was what his subjects thought. He needed to be the best, most pure ruler he could be, and that involved sending Sita away. Rama saw this as a self sacrifice, something required of him to stay on the path of Dharma. It is interesting to see how wrapped up in this Rama got. He gave away the one person he fought a war for. It poses the interesting idea of whether he was wrong or not. I think he was, and I do not think that that is what the gods intended for him. But then Buck harkens back to an old mistake Vishnu made, that caused him and his love to always be separated. It is by far the most frustrating and ironic scene of the whole story.


Sita plays hide and seek with Rama
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Reading Diary A: Friendship

I really enjoy the strong friendships that are present in the Ramayana. The friendships between Rama and Lakshama, Hanuman and Rama, Hanuman and Sita, Hanuman and Sungriva, they are all so strong. These people are willing to die for one another, and when they do violate these friendships they feel extremely remorseful and do what they can to fix their mistake. I think that is something that can be learned in this day and age, too often we throw away friendships when they become tough, we are at fault, or they are inconvenient. I think that is why friendships these days are not as strong, and we are losing our ties and roots. We think we have 500 friends on Facebook, but those are people we barely know. I can think of maybe one or two people in my life that i could say have the same friendship that hanuman and sangria had, but i don't think i have one that compares to the one Rama and Hanuman have. That is pretty sad to me, and something that i need to work on.

Hanuman brings the medicine hill to save Rama

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Un-Textbook Reading Options

- I used a laptop (HP)
-I used the Internet Explorer App for Windows 8
-I liked the internet archive, it seemed to just move between the pages smoother. I also liked google books because there was a google bar right there if I wanted to google a concept
-I did not like the first one as much, but there wasn't something in particular that I did not care for.
-I read a lot online for my online classes, mostly photocopied articles or links to articles online. I do not care for it, it hurts my eyes. But I am probably just old fashioned.
-I use the same note-taking method you do! That works quite well for me
-I use the same notetaking method for PDF's as I do for the internet. My computer has a split-screen function where I can accomplish the same idea as above with a PDF file.
-I rarely print things off unless required for class or if it is a math/science based course. Like I said, I prefer hard copies but I try to do my part for the environment and limit my paper use. I print at home however.
-I liked that in all the interfaces the books still looked like books!

Famous Last Words: Week Six

I read Buck’s version of The Ramayana this week and it really kind of changed me as a person. I read the introduction in Narayan’s version and how he had chosen not to include the ending where Sita is sent away and lives with the hermit Valmiki. I knew that Buck had chosen to include it in his version, and honestly I was not really looking forward to it. I saw it as ruining this perfect version of Rama that I had in my head and I did not want to see my favorite character, Sita, suffer like that. However, after finishing Buck’s version, I realized that I really liked that ending. It gave me a lot of closure. It showed some real heartache that lots of people go through every day. I also saw Rama as a more realistic person now. I do not agree with his decision, and I understand now that he had not lost his love for Sita. He did what he thought was best as a ruler, and I think he also saw himself as a self-sacrificer who was doing what Fate wanted and therefore he was staying on the path of Dharma. It was just so epically tragic. And I also found a whole new layer to Sita with this ending. She raised two boys without her husband, and instead of running back to her husband that sent her away the second she saw him, she returned to Mother Earth. I loved that ending. It was really sad, don’t get me wrong, but I thought it had such a rightness to it. I learned a lot from this epic, and I think it has so many messages that can be taken from it. I am glad I read the longer version, I thought it added new depth and layers to the story that it did not have before.

Sita and Valmiki, from Nina Paley's Sita Sings the Blues
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Storytelling Week Six: Hanuman's Love

Hanuman shook his head roughly. He had never seen such beauty as when he looked at Sita. But that was Rama’s Sita. Rama adored her, and that was what this whole war was about. Hanuman tried to comfort himself with the idea that his head was dizzy from all the perfume and women he had just encountered in Ravana’s chambers. But deep down Hanuman knew. He had fallen deeply in love with Sita, upon first site, and he would never recover. Hanuman, good at heart, incapable of a transgression, now loved another man’s wife. But he would not act on it. He refused! He would help Rama regain his lovely wife and live mate less for the rest of eternity if he had to, but he would never do anything to wrong Rama. He would never tell anyone of his unrequited love. The only way he would ever illustrate the love he harbored for her would be the fierce protection with which he guarded her.

As he hid in the tree above Sita, he saw Ravana entering his grove to speak with Sita. As the conversation progressed, Hanuman grew more in awe of this lovely woman he saw before him. Despite being covered in dirt, thin from fasting, and tortured in all kinds of ways, she held fast to her innocence. She resisted the incredible Ravana, and only thought of her husband. Why, she was the essence of loyalty and femininity. Hanuman’s reverence was quickly interrupted with a fierce form of anger when the Rakshasis began tormenting his poor Sita. No, Rama’s Sita. His heart turned hard and he clenched the branch beneath him so hard there were claw marks deeply engrained in the wood. He poised to jump in and rescue her, all sense or thought of future consequences lost, when an elderly Rakshasa stepped in. He took a calming breath and sense once more visited his mind. If he had revealed himself, everything would be ruined. He waited patiently until all of the Rakshasis had left the grove.

Finally, Hanuman announced his presence to Sita. He introduced himself as Rama’s servant, and his heart ached when Sita burst into tears at Rama’s name. 99% of Hanuman’s good golden heart ached to see a woman in such pain, and heartache from her lost love, but there was that 1%. That sad 1% that was jealous and wishful that a woman such as Sita would cry like that over him. He shook his head again, clearing it. As he and Sita talked low and confidingly, he slowly grew bigger with the happiness her presence was causing him. Her sweet smell and bell-like voice were headier than any drink or lotus flower. He kept having to blink his eyes and shuffle to focus on what they were saying. Sita’s conversation only consisted of Rama. Finally, she did it. The final act that Hanuman knew sealed his fate and his heart. She smiled her smile at him. The earth-shattering, heavenly white, deeply warm smile that could only come from the daughter of the earth. Hanuman felt something sear inside of himself, and he knew he would never be the same. And Hanuman did not have a single problem with that.

Hanuman and Sita in the Ashoka Grove
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Author's Note: Hanuman visited Sita in Lanka as a messenger from Rama, on a quest to discover Sita's whereabouts. Although Buck's Ramayana illustrates a very deep love for both Sita and Rama by Hanuman, and a deep appreciation for Sita's beauty by Hanuman, there is no romantic interest indicated in the original epic. To me, it seemed more reminiscent of a mother-son relationship. However, I found this to be an interesting take on their relationship, which was indeed a special one.

Bibliography: Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way

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Week 6: Reading Diary A: The Female Perspective

As I continue to read The Ramayana I also continue to learn new things about the Indian culture, and I believe there is much to be gained from their culture that Americans and other cultures do not value. For one, the women in these epics are sometimes portrayed as being very supportive of one another. In today's society I feel that women too much of the time try to tear each other down, instead of lifting each other up. We face enough disadvantages, the last thing we need to do is busy ourselves with making each other fail. I feel that the epics are sexist, and I do not approve of most perceptions of women found throughout this epic, but that one I do. Buck states, "And as they left, behind Ravana's back his other wives, daughters of gods and of great kings, consoled Sita with their eyes." This to me is pretty cool. Instead of being jealous of one another and especially the woman who their master is begging to be his mistress, they support her and feel sympathy for her. That is beautiful. Now, there is SO much wrong with this picture that I cannot even comprehend it. For one, the fact that Ravana has hundreds, maybe thousands of wives, is disgusting. They all sleep on one another on the floor in his bedroom waiting to pleasure him. Nothing is mentioned of these wives except for their beauty, because that is all that matters, right? Secondly, his "Head Mistress" or whatever she is feeds him sips of wine as he goes to swoon another woman, begging to make her mistress. Then, when Sita rejects him she takes him back to his bedroom cooing the entire time. All of this is so wrong, and not what any woman today would do


Mandodari and Ravana
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Reading Diary B Week 5: Bharata's Reaction

One thing that really struck me in this part of The Ramayana was how this whole situation must have seemed to Bharata. I feel like everyone is focusing on Rama and his woes, which are indeed pretty serious. But I would honestly rather be exiled for 14 years and have two parents that love me dearly than to come home and find your father dead and cremated, and your mother the sole reason all of this has happened. Bharata lost a brother, a sister-in-law, another brother, a father, and a mother all in one day. That must have been catastrophic. And on top of that he is now expected to run a kingdom he was never meant to run with subjects that do not want him and resent him for what happened to their ruler. He really got the short end of the stick in this whole situation. A whole other book could be written on Bharata's life, and I would love to write a story and flesh this whole thing out. How did Bharata handle it? How did he feel? Did he ever forgive his mother? I do not know if I could, but when I think of my mother I do not think I could hate her. Just one of the thoughts that struck me.

Bharata and Rama
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Week 4 Famous Last Words: Buck's Retelling

I have really been struck by the differences between Buck’s version of the Ramayana and Narayan’s version. Buck’s is much more true to what I think is the traditional epic script. Already in Buck’s version there have been countless descriptions that are absolutely beautiful, and yes, I do get bogged down by them sometimes. However, it is said that the original script written by Valmiki was over 25,000 verses long, and I think Buck has done an excellent job of transcribing that to a modern version. There was one passage describing Sita that I thoroughly enjoyed, “Her dark eyes were like the eyes of a doe, her lips were full, her long dark hair was falling down her back clear to her ankles… She wore crimson robes and silver veils light as air, belts of embroidery and fine charms swaying as she walked, jeweled diadems and bell anklets, new barley shoots behind her ear, bridal garlands of jasmine, and seven strands of pearls around her neck and falling over her full round breasts.” This is a beautiful retelling of Sita, and now I have a much better idea of what she really looks like. The way Buck describes nature also moves me thoroughly. When he describes the seasons and the mountains and the places that Rama, Sita, and Lakshama encounter in their exile, I feel like I am really there. I can smell the rain and hear the animals that they encounter. Narayan’s retelling was an excellent introduction to the Ramayana, and it gave me a simplistic, concise retelling of the plot that allowed me to understand the gist of the story without getting bogged down by too many names and too many descriptions and too much detail, but I am thoroughly enjoying getting to go back and see this familiar story fleshed out with gorgeous descriptions.

Sita, Rama, and Lakshama in the forest
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Bibliography: Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Storytelling Week Four: Rama's Reaction

         Rama, the king of Konsola, sat upon his throne as he was regaled with performances in his annual festival in the forest. Suddenly, Rama was presented with a pair of twins said to surpass all other musicians. Rama gave the casual smile he had worked on perfecting for the last 16 years. As others swooned over the two musician’s rendering of his life he simply brushed them off with the practiced apathy he had been using for years. Their words beautifully describing the tales barely hit his ears. Rama, Ruler of All Earthly Lands, was heartbroken. It was an old wound, one that would never go away but that he nevertheless had learned to deal with. He had sent away his darling Sita, the one he adored with all his heart. He could remember seeing her for the first time like it was yesterday, her hair covered in jasmine, seven strands of pearls on her beautiful breasts. But all of that paled in comparison to her blinding smile, 40 puffs of perfectly white cotton that broke his heart and mended it all in an instant. His divine Sita, whom he had loved and lost.

            Rama shook his head, uncharacteristically aggravated by this train of thought. Lakshmana looked over worriedly, ever concerned for his brother’s wellbeing. Rama took a deep breath and silently uttered a prayer for peace, and Lakshmana returned his attention to the two musicians. Meanwhile, Rama pondered the reason for his sudden aggravation. He was a calm, wise king who had long ago made his peace with this trial. Why then, were these feelings coming up fresh as if it was 16 years ago? His eyes wandered thoughtfully until they locked on one of the musicians. Kusa had told a lively tail of when Rama had jumped into a river, ignorant of the fact that that river was famous for the piranhas that inhabited it. Lakshmana, of course, saved his brother and pulled him out swiftly, but was unable to avoid bathing himself in the cold water as well. Kusa started laughing, and that is when Rama caught sight of that familiar smile. It was like a flash of lightening, and it suddenly every feature popped out at him. Those deep brown lotus eyes on the other, the curve of both their chins, the soft green and glowing gold of their skin tones. Rama quickly calculated the time, and realized, these were his sons.

            Rama devoured the sight of his two strong, talented sons, giving no outward sign of the revelation he had just had. Oh, they were just beautiful. Sita had done a wonderful job. As Rama thought this, his eyes filled with tears. He glanced at the golden statue of Sita that followed him everywhere. However, with eyes usually filled with longing and reverence, he now gazed at the statue with disgust. This statue was all wrong. After eyes filled with his sons and the living traits they carried from their mother, the statue looked lifeless and stale. Rama had to stifle the urge to knock it off its pedestal then and there. However, Rama calmed himself and considered the situation. He wished to let his sons know he knew their identity, but their voices were so beautiful, and he would never be rude enough to interrupt their performance.

            As Rama sat back, his head still whirling with the epiphany he had just had, he listened to the story with a renewed interest. No longer was he the passive king just listening out of curtesy, Rama was now the most avid listener in the crowd. He cried when the twins mentioned his father, Dasharatha, and the grieving way he died. He smiled when the accurately retold the way he broke Shiva’s bow. His heart strained when they mentioned his wife’s gentle touch at their wedding. As Rama sat there listening, he vowed to see his sons made strong kings. He may have given them up for 16 years, but after seeing their strength and talent, Rama knew what to do. He would love them until the end of time, and see them take all the world had to offer them.

Lava and Kusa, sons of Rama
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Author's Note:

Author’s Note: This scene was adapted from the very beginning of Buck’s retelling of the Ramayana in which Rama’s two sons, Kusa and Lava, are participating in a year-long festival held by King Rama in the Naimisha Forest. They were taught the Ramayana by the famed poet Valmiki, who took in Sita, Rama’s pregnant wife, when she was exiled from Rama’s kingdom, due to rumors of her yielding to Ravana, the evil demon king, during her captivity in his kingdom. No such rumors were true, yet Rama still sent her away. She was taken in by the poet Valmiki, who helped raise her sons and taught them to play instruments and recite poetry. Buck’s Ramayana mentions how Rama stared long at the two boys while they performed in the festival, and wondered who they were. This scene struck me as particularly interesting. I could imagine the inner turmoil Rama might have felt, recognizing features and calculating ages compared to the time that he had spent apart from Sita. I decided to add the possible emotion that I imagined could be seen in a fleshed out version of this scene.
Also, the story of Lakshama rescuing Rama from a piranha infested river is not written in the original version.

Bibliography: Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Reading Diary B: Kaikeyi's Complexity

I really enjoyed how Buck added on to Dasharatha and Kaikeyi's story. In this version Buck narrates how Kaikeyi tries to persuade the king to teach her the language of the animals. Both parties know the second that he shares this secret his life will end. It says a lot about Kaikeyi's character that she still tries to persuade the king to tell her this knowledge. This only adds to her selfish and reckless demeanor. I wonder if she really loves the king. It is obvious that the king loves her but I don't know if the same can be said about the reciprocal. I see Kaikeyi as a seductive evil temptress, who used her looks and body to swoon an older man. I think she thinks that she can get anything she wants through this form of persuasion. And the king. Honestly he strikes me as a weak old man. I know he promised Kaikeyi, but he let her exile his son and almost gives up his life to share with her the knowledge of speaking to animals. She eventually kills him, out of grief for his exiled son. Every man in this epic has been so strong, it strikes me that a king would have such a soft spot for a younger pretty wife.


Dasharatha grieves over Rama's exile
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Storytelling Styles

I have decided to write about sexism in the Indian Epics. This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I have taken many women and gender studies courses, and am a huge proponent of certain feminist ideals. As I was reading the Ramayana there were countless instances of male bias, but I found two in particular that I want to use. Firstly, Sita’s return to Rama after she had been abducted. Sita had done NOTHING wrong, and yet she was met with hesitation and judgment when she met her husband. She had abstained from any behavior that would have compromised her marriage, even though that would have made her life much easier. She was the epitome of a kind and nurturing wife, and yet even she was met with harshness after all the trials she went through. Another example is Ahalya. She was submitting to her husband, whom she had no idea was a stranger until halfway through, and once she found out it was too late and she continued to be raped. Instead of consoling his wife, her husband turned her to stone for centuries, after which time she was told to go submit to her husband again, that her past had been forgotten. HER past. I cannot imagine that there is not similar male bias in the other epic we will study.

            The first storytelling style that interested me was possibly doing a therapy session between a therapist and Sita. I have not decided who would be the therapist. Sita would be traumatized from her trials during her kidnapping and would tell the therapist of her story and then the therapist would console her and tell her of other women in the same situation

            The second storytelling style was to reincarnate Rama and let him try to treat Sita in a new form like he does her in the Ramayana., and do the same thing with all the other couples in the three other stories I do. I think I could have a lot of fun with a modern version of these stories, and let ancient male bias take on the modern lady.

            A third idea was to have all the women who were shown male bias be in a support group and send letters to one another explaining their tales and how it affected them and just let them vent to each other and support each other. This probably would be an emotional style, as I would bring out the women’s inner feelings that they could only reveal to someone who had been in the same situation as them.

            Finally, I could do the classic beauty salon setting. What better place would there be to vent about male bias then at a beauty salon? I think I would begin with Sita walking in and telling the owner that she needed a new hairdo for her blind date tonight. Obviously then the other women would ask what happened to Rama, and she could tell them the rocky story of their undoing due to his chauvinistic ego. This could be a lot of fun as well.

 

Rama and Ahalya, from the studio of Raja Ravi Varma. You can see Ahalya at the very moment that she is emerging from the stone.
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Sources: Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana

 

Week Three Storytelling: Ravana's Redemption

         All the festivities were arranged for Ravana’s funeral. Many people, including Rama’s brother Lakshama, wondered if this was appropriate for Ravana. He humbly asked his brother, “Do you really think this is all necessary for the demon who captured your wife and killed many of your friends? His lust is incorrigible. His greed cannot be satiated. He lived for death and destruction, and his own arrogance brought him to his demise. Plenty of extremely wise counselors told him that you were not to be trifled with, and that it was a mistake to underestimate your might. He was regaled of tales of how you broke Shiva’s bow. He heard of you sending a single arrow through the trunks of seven robust trees. He had knowledge of you giving up your throne to fulfill your father’s ancient promise, and also of you killing Vali, who was thought to be indestructible. Do you know what Vibishana told us Ravana’s response was? Ravana responded, “Why are you lost in such admiration for Rama? Because he snapped the old rusty bow of Shiva? Or sent his arrows through the trunks of those seven decaying trees? Lost his kingdom because of a hunchbacked woman? Killed Vali without daring to come up before him? Lost his wife through a very simple trick that I tried? I am astonished that after all this he has not taken his own life but continues to breathe and move about! An indeed you are his admirer” Sire, I cannot allow myself to celebrate the life of a man who has said and committed such terrible crimes against the brother I owe my life and allegiance to.”

           Lakshama breathed in deeply to continue his rant, but Rama gently raised his hand and silenced him. Rama admonished, “Stop, you do not know what you are saying. What Vibishana said is probably true, but that is in the past, and there is no use in bringing up old words. Ravana, however terrible he was, was capable of awesome things, and accomplished significant acts in his lifetime. He deserves a place in heaven along with our brothers. You did not see, but I looked into his face when he fell from his chariot. I did not see the conceit and lust and rage and egotism that has characterized him for his entire life. That had fallen away. What I saw was a devout and pure soul, who achieved enlightenment and greatness despite his acts in his life. This is why I celebrate him. For who he was, not what he had done.” At this, Lakshama tried to insert humble protests, but again Rama raised his hand and simply said, “That is all I have to say on this matter. Rally the people. It is time I spoke of the great Ravana.”

Ravana, by Anant Shivaji Desair
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Author's Note:

This scene is not included in the original telling of the Ramayana. I was fascinated by Ravana’s death scene, which mentioned the absolute peace that fell across his face as he died. I also was interested in the kind manner in which Ravana was regarded in the Ramayana, despite his absolutely treacherous acts. He was described as devout and possessing fantastic ability, and I thought this was a very kind way of describing such a horrible demon. I chose to illustrate this disparity between actions and perceptions in the form of Rama and Lakshama. This also fit well into the way the two brothers are portrayed throughout the entire epic. Rama is calm and wise, always patiently seeing the good in people and taking a very humble approach to his achievements. Lakshama, on the other hand, is the muscle of the pair and has been known to have a quick temper when  it comes to the brother he has devoted his life to protecting. Lakshama represents the humanistic view of what Ravana was, while Rama represents a divine perception, focusing more on Ravana’s achievements, potential, and devotion to the gods, despite the horrible acts that he nonetheless committed on man, gods, and many other beings.

Sources: Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana

Reading Diary B: Ravana's Enlightenment

One thing that has really struck me throughout this entire book is how valued knowledge and enlightenment are. I think this is a characteristic that has a much higher priority in Indian culture than it does in other cultures. When Ravana was killed by Rama, there was no anger or strife. Naryan wrote, "Rama's arrows had burnt off layers of dross, the anger, the conceit, lust, egotism which had encrusted his real self, and now his personality came through in its pristine form- of one who is devout and capable of tremendous attainments. His constant meditation on Rama, although as an adversary, now seemed to bear fruit, as his face shone with serenity and peace." This struck me as an extremely cultural interpretation of Ravana's death. If this was an American epic, I think it would have focused on what power and might Rama had shown, and how Ravana deserved what he got and how justice had been served. That is what Americans focus on. Justice and strength and getting to the top. However, since this is an Indian epic, Ravana's enlightenment was what was emphasized. He did bad things, but he was devout and had greatness in him yet, and died a peaceful death and his soul was sent to heaven. To me, this is an incredible way to interpret his death. Knowledge and goodness are what was emphasized. I really enjoyed this scene of the book, I think it is very powerful and it added to the complexity of Ravana's character and also gave a lot of closure for the end of the book.

Hanuman, Rama, and Lakshmana attack Ravana
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Week Three Reading Diary A: Rama's Humanity

This week I was so fascinated with the way Rama was presented at the end of the book. He was so human. He made mistakes. I feel like through the first half of the book he was presented as this perfect god who could never make a wrong move. He stepped down from his throne and let his brother be crowned while he was exiled to the forest for fourteen years. That takes someone who is morally and intellectually pure. Rama is met and loved by anyone he encounters, and creates quite a following of extremely loyal followers. However, he has some human limitations. The first one is when he kills Vali, Sugreeva's brother. He did not know Vali, and the quarrel between the two brothers was not his to fight. Yet he killed someone in hiding who had done nothing personal to him, and this is considered one of Rama's greatest mistakes. However, he was right in doing it, and Vali gains enlightenment and salvation on his deathbed, and thanks Rama for what he has done as well as forgives his brother and asks for forgiveness back. Secondly, when Rama receives Sita back from her capture, he is resentful towards her and cannot accept her. This is heartbreaking to Sita, who has remained completely pure for her husband. I found it interesting and possibly a characteristic of Hindu gods that in his human reincarnation Rama had these human limitations, and was not perfect.

Bharata and Rama; note also the sandals on the throne; by Raja Ravi Varma
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Famous Last Words: Week 2

I really enjoyed the assignments for this week. I really liked the storytelling post that I did. This week I discussed Kaikeyi’s thoughts right before she blackmailed the king into allowing her two boons to be making her son king and exiling Rama for 14 years. This was an extremely emotional and passionate scene in this epic, and I adored it. I gave another level of complexity to this story by writing an inner monologue of what she was feeling: her remorse for treating Rama this way, her delusions of being cast out the second that Rama had gained the throne, and of her desire to get what she wanted. I could have written for days and just fleshed out the character of Kaikeyi. I think this is my favorite type of writing, using a story that already has a solid plot and a great set of characters and then just flesh out those characters and give them history and memories and motivations and reflections. I think that is what I want to do for my Storybook project. I have considered focusing on Sita, and looking into what is written about her past, and also comparing her character in both versions of the Ramayana that we read. She is a fascinating character and I believe is meant to exemplify what the perfect Hindu woman is, yet at the end she is exiled and forced to raise two sons by herself for fifteen years. Why did she get this lot in life? How could Rama, the hero of this story who is said to be loved by all and is kind and good to everyone he meets, treat the wife that he adored and loved like this? I remember reading a passage about he could not even lie still because he was so in love. How could he treat his wife like that, especially after she proved her innocence to everyone including him? These are questions I wish to investigate

Sita plays hide-and-seek with Rama; illustration by Warwick
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Possible Sotrybook Topic Ideas

Sita: I adore Sita in this epic. She is the epitome of kindness and affection and purity. I admire Sita, for the way she tended to her husband Rama, but also for the way she abstained from Ravana's desires while she was in captivity. It breaks my heart the way Rama treated her, Sita proved her innocence to her husband time and time again, and yet he sent his pregnant wife into exile and she raised his two sons until they were fifteen. Throughout the entire thing Sita was pure and kind and is my favorite character of this entire epic
Research so far: Obviously, I have read about Sita in the context of The Ramayana, and I have also read the source provided on the India Epics website. I am excited to read more about her!

Sita in the Fire
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Sexism in The Ramayana: I think this would be a fascinating topic to discuss, however I do not know if it is really appropriate for a storybook project. However, as I was reading The Ramayana it struck me how many times sexism and male bias presented itself blatantly. For one, Sita is the epitome of a good and loyal wife, and she is exiled for fifteen years just because her husband cannot get over his jealousy. Ahalya is raped by the god Indra and is turned to stone for her "transgressions". I would love to look at this epic in from the perspective of a modern educated young woman.
Research so far: Like I said, I have documented numerous cases of male bias already in the actual epic. I would like to read the second version of the Ramayana and see if the same male bias is present. I also have read two essays considering sexism in the Ramayana, and there does seem to be some argument there.

Karma: The idea of Karma as a mystical entity has always fascinated me. It is one of the few Hindu beliefs that I am familiar with, and even then I do not know much about it. I would love to write stories based on Karma, not only in how it affects future actions but in how past actions and lives can affect future actions. I could write endless stories on this.
Research: I have read the source provided on the Indian Epics website and also read the Wikipedia post on Karma

Kaikeyi and Dasaratha: I think it would be fascinating to explore the relationship between the king and his favorite wife. I would like to flesh out how it came into existence, and how it ended so violently. Kaikeyi ended up bringing Dasaratha to his demise, and this is such a passionate and violent relationship. There is so much to explore them
Research: I have read the Wikipedia pages on both Dasaratha and Kaikeyi as well as google searched the couple

Storytelling Week 2: Kaikeyi's Monologue

Kaikeyi paced her chamber excitedly. There was so much going on in her head. Damn that Kooni, for putting all these thoughts in her head. She was perfectly content and happy for Rama, and at the back of her mind she knew that he was the rightful ruler of this kingdom. She saw the way the subjects just adored him, and knew he was born to be a ruler. But then what? Even a ruler as kind and generous as Rama would toss her out into the street. Even if she could dazzle him with her soft skin and red lips, he was too caught up in that darling Sita. What did she have compared to that young, perfect angel? Nothing. She was getting older by the day, and soon her looks, which was the only thing she really had, would fade. She was not smart like her sister Lela, nor was she a talented singer like her younger sister Janika. She had only been able to marry a king due to her position in the caste and her looks. She had the king snared in her delicious trap, but that would all change when Rama took the throne. Kaikeyi sighed. This would not do. She would have to blackmail the king into making her son Bharatha king. He would never turn her out, he loved her unconditionally. The king did owe her two boons. He did not specify when she could collect them, and frankly that was his fault. He should have been more wise with his promises. She had lived in finery too long. She refused to be reduced to the handmaiden of the queen mother. How dare Rama! Had she not helped raise him? Had she not adored him from the second he was brought into this world? He was probably plotting her demise at this very moment. I will have to force Dasaratha’s hand. She knew the outrage this would cause. She was not an idiotic doll, as some thought. Oh yes, she had heard the rumors that circulate the palace. That she was nothing more than a sex doll for the king. That she had had to sleep with him before even the courting had begun to gain his favor. All lies, completely! Why, she had pushed the king away herself! He was old and she was in love with another. However, matters of the heart were not for a woman to decide, and she had accepted her lot in life and grown to love the king dearly. She had gained the spot of favorite wife, and that was not a spot she was going to relinquish. She had worked too hard, stayed up too many nights tending to that grandpa, to gain the position she had. As Kaikeyi continued with this train of thought, something happened deep in her soul. All the love, all the kindness she had been showing a mere 45 minutes ago, was devoured by a darkness. An angry, all consuming darkness. If demons could be born in the earthly world, here would be Kaikeyi in labor. She convulsed almost, and all the empathy and human emotion she had felt in her entire life drained out of her. Her face went to stone, her hands ice cold, and she set her jaw. It was time to face the king.

Kaikeyi and Dasharatha
Web Source: Wikipedia

Author's Note: I chose to write this from the perspective of Kaikeyi because I think it is fascinating the transformation she went through in this passage. Such a passionate and hateful transformation needed to be elaborated on. The sisters mentioned in this passage were not in the original story.

Sources: Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana

Week 2 Reading Diary B: Kamavalli

This part of the story was so passionate and violent. I adore the way the author describes unrequited love. Nothing will subdue a person when they are in love and cannot be with the one they want. It is always too hot, as with Ravana. It is never soft enough, as with Sita. It is never quiet enough, as with Kamavalli. She suffered hallucinations in her cave of moping. And the jealousy is there too. She could not be more jealous of Sita. She even tries to steal her away, which is when Rama's brother cuts off her nose, ears, and breasts. I feel as if this has a lot of symbolism. The breasts, other than the vagina, are the one thing that is exclusively feminine about a woman. When he took those away from her, he really reduced her to nothing (in the sexist eyes of the composers of this epic). I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose my breasts, but to me this made her not a woman anymore in this story. She is now only a demon. She then uses this wrath to get her brother killed, and then talks Ravana into falling in love with Sita (there's that jealousy again). I love the passion in this story so far. It is like an ancient soap opera.

P.S.- The description of Ravana's court was also breathtaking

Ravana approaches Sita during her captivity.
Source: Wikipedia