Week 6: Reading Diary B

Yet again the ability of characters to hurl curses at will comes into play again. I wonder who is capable of these curses and who isn't, and why they aren't used more frequently if it is so easy to do. It doesn't seem absurd that Rama has issued a curse, but it is strange that he hasn't done it more often. Furthermore, when he finally decides to use his cursing abilities, he curses the ocean. The curse isn't directly effective, but succeeds in getting the water god's attention. The universe seems to be on Rama's side, as every available creature that isn't inherently evil helps him construct a bridge to Lanka.

Vibhishana is a brave soul to go against Ravana. I'm surprised that Ravana didn't kill him right on the spot when Vibhishana asked him to let Sita go. Vibhishana is both smart and dumb at the same time. On one hand he seems to realize that Rama cannot be stopped, while on the other hand he goes to Ravana and directly opposes him.

Ravana's cronies seem terribly incompetent. First he sends Shuka to spy on Rama's coalition, who is caught and released. Then he sends Sardula and Sarana to spy on Rama, who both fail their mission. Lightning tongue and Thunder tooth do their jobs of impersonating Rama's bow and dismembered head well enough to fool Sita, but this ends up being irrelevant because Prahasta gives up the secret that Rama is actually coming to Lanka. If I was Ravana I would have a stricter recruiting process.

I found it strange that Kumbhakarna has enough of a moral code to tell Ravana it is morally wrong to have stolen Sita from Rama. Kumbhakarna is Ravana's brother, and these are supposed to be the most evil demons on the face of the Earth. Perhaps he just fears Rama and is trying to avoid facing him, but I am disappointed by the moral compass of Kumbhakarna.

I have to admit that I didn't think Rama would ever be defeated in battle. I could have believed his allies being killed, but Rama too? Of course Rama can't die for good, the only question is how will he be revived? I thought it was pretty cool that the medicine was heated because Hanuman was flying so fast, and evaporated into the air as a result. This is a very effective way to deliver medicine to everyone quickly.

Week 5 Storytelling: Vali and Mayavi

A crowd followed Vali through the streets of the village as he set out to fight Mayavi. They sang songs of his battle with the buffalo demon Dundhuvi, and carried the demon’s head on a spear.  The procession arrived at the base of the mountain where the battle was to take place. The field where they gathered ended at the base of the mountain, where cliffs rose out of the ground. Vali walked through the crowd and found his brother Sugriva. “Sugriva, if I fall to the demon Mayavi you must avenge my death and look after my family”. Sugriva agreed, and helped Vali put on his armor. As Vali finished preparing for battle, the demon Mayavi came into view atop the cliffs. Mayavi let out a tremendous roar, and jumped from the cliffs. He came crashing down to the ground, leaving a small crater where he impacted. Some of the people who came to watch the fight became frightened, and they ran back to town. As the crowd thinned, Mayavi spotted one of the people carrying the spear with his father’s head on top. He became furious and rushed at the man holding the spear. Just before the demon reached the man, Vali emerged from the fleeing crowd and stepped in front of the man.

The monkey king Vali, Wikipedia

Vali and Mayavi began to fight, and what was left of the crowd formed a circle around them.  As Vali and the demon were fighting, Mayavi knocked Vali to the ground. While Vali was down, Mayavi rushed at the nearest villagers and chopped off their heads. Everyone but Sugriva fled the field and hurried back to the village. Mayavi smiled and laughed at them as they ran. Vali got back on his feet and charged at the demon, cutting off his tail. Mayavi recoiled from the blow, and then ran towards the cliffs. Vali gave chase, followed by Sugriva.

Mayavi ran into the mouth of a cave and taunted Vali, then retreated into the cave. Vali stopped and waited for Sugriva then asked, “I don’t know if I should follow him, it could be a trap”. “Vali, you are the mightiest warrior I know, you can defeat whatever lies in the cave”. Vali was emboldened by his brother, and charged into the cave after the demon. As Vali moved deeper into the cave, Mayavi called out to him from further deeper in the cave. Soon enough, Vali began to have trouble seeing in the dark. “Come and face me”, barked Mayavi. As Vali struggled to find the demon in the cave, Mayavi snuck around him and headed towards the entrance. Mayavi then struck the wall of the cave so hard that the ceiling collapsed and blocked Vali from leaving.   

Author's note: This story was inspired by Buck's Ramayana: King Rama's Way. I wanted to write a story where Mayavi tricks Vali and defeats him.

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

Week 5: Reading Diary A

Bharata seems like such a good brother. Although he was given the keys to the kingdom, he does not desire to be king. Even though his mother Kaikeyi is responsible for taking the throne away from Rama, Bharata seems to feel guilty for what has occurred. As soon as he can, he goes to the forest to seek out Rama. I liked how the forest king Guha used divination to make sure that Bharata was seeking out Rama for a noble reason. Bharata could have been coming to destroy Rama, making sure he could rule unchallenged. Although Rama probably doesn’t need such protection, it is cool that the forest king is looking out for Rama.

I’m wondering what special powers the bow that Agastya gave Rama has. Hopefully it will be good against demons, as Rama will be encountering plenty of those. Agastya is a powerful sage himself, and has experience defeating demons.

I think it is interesting how Ravana’s kindom is set up. The demon capital is Lanka, where Ravana rules from. The Dandaka forest is like a state occupied by Ravana’s forces, with Khara in charge of the rakshasa forces in the forest. I like how the gods and demons have the same power structures that humans do.

I liked the story of Kashyapa and his wives. I thought Kadru must be evil if she gave birth to a thousand naga, and it seems I was correct. She tricks Vinata with a bet, and Vinata becomes her slave. However, Karma seems to be at work again, and Vinata’s child ensures her release while also ensuring that Kadru will not get to keep the ransom of amrita. I love that amrita is the same concept as ambrosia in Greek mythology.

I felt pity for the gandharva Tumburu. It would be a terrible fate to be cursed and transformed into a demon, especially for someone who wants nothing to do with evil. Karma seems to be on Tumburu’s side though, as once Rama kills him he is freed and rejoins the rest of the gandharva in heaven.

I have been noticing that the idea of Karma is everywhere in the story. It cannot be avoided, tricked, or reasoned with. Karma will catch up to you one way or another, and only your actions can keep you on the good side of Karma.

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Week 4 Storytelling: The Realm Divided

King Dasharatha sat on the throne with a heavy heart. A woman who only a few hours ago he loved and trusted had stabbed him in the back. His wife Kaikeyi had used the two promises King Dasharatha owed her to name Bharata the successor to the crown, and to banish Rama to the forests for the rest of his life. Rama would have to live the life of a sage, and would have to have to end his marriage with Sita. The King was a man of great honor and could not violate his word. As Rama entered the throne room, his father began to weep. "What is the matter father, what has made you so upset?", Rama asked. The King gathered himself and asked everyone else to leave the room. When they were alone, the King looked Rama in the eyes and told him the situation. Rama accepted his fate only out of respect for his father. He did not want to go against the promise his father had made, even though he and his father were wronged.

Rama walked backed to his chambers and thought of what he would tell Sita. Leaving her was the only part of his fate that truly upset him, and he could not bear the thought of being without her. As he approached her chambers, he decided he could not bear to look upon her beauty again then have to leave her forever. Rama went to his brother Lakshmana, told him the news, and asked him to inform Sita of his departure and the circumstances surrounding it. Rama then gathered what possessions he would take, and left the city in a disguise so nobody would see him leave.

King Dasharatha on his deathbed, Wikipedia

King Dasharatha died of grief the night Rama left the city. The whole city mourned his passing and discussed the rumors of what caused it. Over the next few days the true story of why the King died became know amongst the city. The people rioted in the streets, and demanded that Kaikeyi be executed. Lakshmana came before the people of the city and asked that they respect the honor of the King, and in turn honor the promise he made to Kaikeyi. The people of the city respected Lakshmana, and did as he asked of them.

Bharatha arrived in the city and was crowned as King. As Bharatha was crowned King, an agent of Ravana entered the room disguised as one of the King's guards. Ravana had learned of the situation and decided to seize the opportunity. He sent an agent to assassinate the King, who would then surrender himself to the King's guard. When interrogated, the agent would lie and claim to be working for Kaikeyi. He hoped this would cause a rebellion among the people of the city, and his foes would be weakened by this divide.

The agent of Ravana moved closer to the King as the ceremony drew to a close. Just as the King tried to retire from the crowd, the assassin stuck the King's heart with a dagger. In the aftermath of the killing, the assassin was captured and interrogated. Ravana's plan had worked, and the investigators believed Kaikeyi had planned the killing so she could be Queen. The night before he was to be executed, the agent of Ravana escaped the dungeon. As he was leaving, he spotted Sita. Her beauty was unrivaled, and he decided to kidnap her and offer her to Ravana.


Author's note: This story was inspired by Buck's Ramayana: King Rama's Way. I wanted to tell an alternate version of Rama's banishment and how his quest against Ravana began.

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

Week 4: Reading Diary A

I'm really glad that Buck included a map on page xxiii, I was curious about where in India the different parts of the story were taking place. I also enjoyed how one character telling of Ramayana said "Before Ramayana there was no poetry on Earth". This must have truly been a great epic at the time of its' inception, the people of India had probably never seen anything like it. I wish we could enjoy the story as it was originally told, in poetic form with song and music, but learning Sanskrit is out of the question for me. 

I like the way Valmiki was introduced into the story. His career in poetry was inspired by the emotions he felt upon seeing a bird in love killed by a hunter. Valmiki then receives divine inspiration from Brahma, which gives him the authority to write the true story of Rama. This is a very cool way to tell the story of the story. The author’s authority was given to him by the god who created the entire universe, so nobody can dispute the story he will tell.

As the children of Rama begin reciting the story, they describe Ayodhya as a utopia. This was interesting considering that heaven was in ruins, as it had been sacked and razed by Ravana and his army of Rakshasa. I like that fact that the gods do not always prevail against their nefarious counterparts. The story is so much richer because the gods have weaknesses. However, I thought it was strange that Brahma's high heaven was described as beyond change. To me, this means that it is impervious to demons and gods alike. But this isn't the case, as Indra throws a rock through one of the windows in Brahma's palace. 

The situation with the gods and Ravana is very interesting. I don’t understand why Brahma would grant him immunity against all gods and demons. But I suppose that is sort of the nature of Brahma, we cannot understand why he does things. Anyway, because of Ravana’s immunity, he must be defeated by man. Ravana will not be suspecting this, as he has sacked heaven itself, he thinks he has nothing to fear from man.

I like Buck’s version of the epic much more than Narayan, the backstory is provided which is something I was curious about. Buck also goes into a lot more detail about certain things, which I am thankful for. Although I enjoy Buck’s version more, I am glad we started with Narayan’s. It is nice to know the general layout of the story in advance.

Week 3 Storytelling: Ravana The Hermit

Shurpanakha stumbled into Lanka, leaving a trail of demon blood in her wake. As she approached Ravana's fortress, she fell to the ground unconscious. One of the gods Ravana had enslaved in his service was flying around the fortress in the form of a falcon. The falcon spotted Shurpanakha lying in the streets and cried out for help to the guards. Ravana's cronies brought Shurpanakha to him, and he roared with rage upon seeing his sister. "I will get revenge ten fold on whoever did this to my sister" screamed Ravana.

Shupanakha awoke, and called out for her brother. Lakshmana had gouged out her eyes, and she blindly stumbled around the room screaming in rage. Ravana arrived and demanded to know who had done this to her. She told him that Lukshmana had caught her and mutilated her, and that he was in the forest with Rama and Sita. A sage who was forced into Ravana's service stepped forward, and offered a revenge curse. "Ravana, if you go to them and mutilate Lakshmana, and then bring back Sita, we can sacrifice her. This will restore your sister's body, and make her as beautiful as Sita." explained the sage.

Ravana met with his uncle Maricha and told him what had happened, and how the revenge curse could heal Shupanakha. "I am leaving for the woods where Rama is camped, and you will join me in avenging our sister." barked Ravana. On their way to Rama's camp, Ravana devised a plan. Rama was too powerful, and couldn't be defeated in combat. Instead, Maricha would distract him and lure him away from the camp. Then Ravana would ambush Lakshmana, mutilate him, then steal Sita. In the woods outside Rama's camp, Ravana hid in a tree and ordered Maricha go and lure Rama.

As Ravana was perching in the tree, he saw a golden deer run under him. The golden deer dashed through the woods, with Rama in pursuit. As soon as Rama was out of sight, Ravana ran to Rama's camp. Rama spotted the hut that Sita and Lukshmana were in. He snuck up to the door and knocked it down, then burst into the room. When the dust cleared, Ravana laid eyes upon Sita and froze in his tracks. This was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He lusted after her, and decided that he would take her back for himself. He wasted no time dealing with Lakshmana, grabbed Sita, and headed back to Lanka.

Ravana abducting Siva, Wikipedia

Author's note: This story was inspired by Narayan's The Ramayana. This story is an alternate version of events after Shurpankha returns to Lanka. I wanted to show Ravana as a truly evil character who is only concerned for himself.


Bibliography:

Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana

Week 3: Reading Diary A

The demon Ravana has set a very intelligent trap in order to capture Sita. He knows that Rama and Sita love each other very much, and used this to his advantage. A demon capable of enslaving gods in his service seems like he would be capable of making Sita love him once she has been captured. Ravana knows that Sita will be drawn to the golden deer that Maricha takes the form of. Because of this, Rama will surely want to capture the golden deer for his wife. In turn, Sita will be unable to resist the decoy call of Maricha using Rama's voice. I thought Sita would run after Rama's voice, although sending Lakshmana to help makes more sense, as he would be able to face any danger that caused Rama to call for help. Ravana seems like a very smart and devious demon, his peers charged into battle against Rama and met their demise.

I think Rama feels sorry for Sugriva because he thinks they are both in the same situation. Both of them were forced into exile, both their brothers are kings, and both of their wives were stolen. I cannot blame Sugriva and his advisors for deciding to seal the cave that Vali chased Mayavi into. Even though Vali doesn't seem like an inherently evil character, I think he overreacts to Sugriva sealing the cave.

I found the interaction between Rama and Vali to be very interesting. Vali made some very good points as to why what he did was justified. Too often in the world, people try to force others to abide by their code of morals and ethics. Vali explained to Rama that as monkeys, their society does not function according to the same rules as human society. Although this is a great argument, Rama trumps it by saying that Vali did something that violated a moral code present in both monkey and human society. Eventually Vali accepts Rama's reasoning, and decides that he has deserves this fate.


Sampathi was the brother of Jatayu, who is now dead after falling in battle to Ravana. Sampathi's wings were burned after he flew too high and angered the sun god. This reminds me of Daedalus and Icarus in Greek mythology. Once again, these two different cultures have produced mythology with such very similar stories. Although I suppose Sampathi ends up doing a lot better than Icarus.