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
Web Source

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
Web Source

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
Web Source

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
Web Source

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
Web Source

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