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.