Week 14: Reading Diary B

This epic as Buck tells it is really a story within a story. I love the tale is simply passed down verbally and there is no mention of the epic being recorded except in the minds of those who listen. I like how Yudhishthira is guilty about all the death caused on his behalf. I thought he dream was very strange, considering Duryodhana was in heaven and the rest of the Pandavas were in hell. I laughed when Krishna was upset with the new chariot because he didn't want something flashy. I was relieved at the end when it was explained the Yudhishthira's earlier dream was also a test, and he and his family ascended to heaven.

Week 13: Reading Diary B

The whole gender switching thing going on with Sikhandini is kind of hard to wrap my mind around. I guess female warriors just weren't allowed, so Sikhandini had to become a man to fight in the battle. If I was Yudhishthira there is no way I would meet my opponents before battle, considering how many times they have tried to kill me. I was surprised that none of Duryodhana's forces made an attempt on his life before the battle. Also, if I was Bhisma I would not want to live with a body full of arrows any longer than needed. That sounds incredibly painful. Through the rest of the battle, it seems clear that Karma is on the Panadavas side.

Week 13: Reading Diary A

After the whole gambling incident I wouldn't want to trust Yudhisratha with my life, but the rest of the Pandavas didn't have a choice. They were also unconscious so it was him or nobody. I think that a graveyard is a great hiding place for such powerful weapons, who is going to look there? The thirteenth year of their exile seems pretty boring, and they all have to take on jobs that are beneath them. If I was Karna there is no way I'm giving up my armor for a throwing dart, even if it is infallible. Without his armor he may never get the chance to use the dart. Draupadi is not a woman to be messed with, and she shows this again by having Kichaka killed for his repeated and unwanted advances.

Week 12: Reading Diary B

At least Arjuna got to have some positive experiences at the end of his exile. Also, the ability to use divine weapons will surely come in handy for him later. The story of Mankanaka seems very silly to me. I can think of many dangers of eating just grass and weeds, but dancing as a result of bleeding grass juice was not one of them. I can't believe that the Pandavas saved Duryodhana, and then let him go. So much trouble could have been avoided if they just dealt with him then.

Week 12: Reading Diary A

It seems strange to me Yudhishthira is able to gamble things that aren't his to gamble. I understand him gambling jewelry and elephants, but I cannot understand him gambling his brothers. These aren't his servants, they are his family members. They seem to be cool with the whole thing though, which is also very strange. After Draupadi secures their freedom, I don't understand why Yudhishthira would accept Duryodhana's final offer. They were obviously going to lose. After all this, I feel like Yudhishthira needed to hear from Vyasa to let him know that it can be much worse.

Week 10: Reading Diary B

The Pandavas are so mighty, yet they make countless offers for peace. Their foe has been stubborn from the beginning, and I am not surprised that he wants to go to war. Duryodhana has never been an honorable man, and his plans to take Krishna captive while he is serving as an emissary should have been expected by the Pandavas. Unfortunately for Duryodhana, Krishna turns on god mode at the assembly and thwarts Duryodhana's plans.

I found the first part of the battle to be quite confusing. People are coming out of nowhere. This seems like a complicated way to bring about the death of Bhishma. I don't understand why Drona would listen to his enemies about the death of his son. I would think the supreme commander of an army would not let himself keep be affected by anything that comes out of his enemies mouth. Furthermore, he just gives up and sits down after they tell him his son is dead. I was very surprised by Bhima drinking the blood of Duryodhana's brother after he had killed him. Then the systematic elimination of Duryodhana's leadership continues with the death of Karna. I like how Duryodhana called out Krishna for all the deceit he used so far, but Krishna drops a karma bomb and tells him he had it coming.

Week 9: Reading Diary B

I bet that Duryodhana was shaking in his boots when he realized the Pandavas were still alive. Luckily for him, his son decided to take the diplomatic approach and make peace with the Pandavas. I'm surprised that the Pandavas needed a sage to tell them of the dangers of sharing a wife between five brothers. I can't imagine sharing a significant other with one person, let alone five. At least they take yearly rotations.

Duryodhana seems like a very jealous and petty man. I'm sure this will end up haunting him, for karma cannot be avoided. Playing dice seems like a strange way to settle the score and take revenge, but I suppose if they stakes are high enough then a game of dice is a bit more than just a game. Yudhishthira and I have something in common, we are terrible gamblers. I can't believe he gambled away his brothers and wife. Druapadi seems like a woman you don't want to mess with, not to mention her powerful husbands. Duryodhana is really digging himself into a deep hole.

I don't understand how Yudhishthira can gamble on behalf of the other Pandavas, especially after the first time. If I were a Pandava, I would have called a family meeting and removed Yudhishthira from a position where can has the power to gamble my life away. Yudhishthira may be a terrible gambler, but he does understand that revenge is a dish best served cold.

Week 9: Reading Diary A

As soon as the woman by the river agreed to marry Shantanu on the condition that he would never question her, I knew something was fishy. I guessed many things, but I did not guess that she would drown her own children. I thought this was extremely messed up, but of course there is more to the story than that. So it turns out that she is a god, who has been giving birth to gods and then killing them so they can become gods again. From this perspective it seems that the eighth child is the unlucky one, for he has to endure his human incarnation.

Bhishma seems like a pretty selfless person in renouncing his claim to the throne and letting his father marry another woman. I could not imagine letting my father get married again if it meant that I would never be able to marry a woman. I don't think Bhishma deserves the revenge that amba is seeking, after all he let her go to the person she wanted to marry. The King of Shalwa proves to be a jealous man for no good reason, Amba should be plotting against him. I love how the birth defects of Vyasa's children were brought about because of things like the mother closing her eyes while conceiving the baby.

So far this story has featured a lot of sex. Even the deer was getting it on. But of course the deer was actually a god so Pandu is totally going to die if he has sex again. Pandu wants sons, and finds a clever loophole to get them without having sex. Of course these aren't really Pandu's sons, but he will be their father.

Reading Diary Assessment

I didn't catch any new information from reading the instructions again. My reading diary strategy is that before I do the readings I read the reading guides. This give me a general overview of the story so I know what is going on. Then as I do the reading I write down thoughts as they come. After I'm finished with the reading I may go back and add some afterthoughts. For other students that do not read the reading guides prior to the readings, I would highly recommend it. That is unless you don't want any plot spoilers. I approach the reading diary assignments with the same strategy every time. Most of my reading diary posts are at least 400 words, so I would say most of them are a good length. I could have written a few more words on some diaries, but on some readings I didn't have as many thoughts to write down.

I have never included images or quotes in the reading diaries, but after looking over them I see places where I could have. Perhaps I will include them during the next reading diaries. I have made connections to other books and epics throughout the semester so far. As I read I sometimes take notes, but do so on the reading diary blog. I will either expand upon these notes or delete them when I am done. The reason I delete them is because sometimes they wouldn't make sense to anyone else, or even myself if enough time passes. Looking back on my posts, I think they are pretty useful. I can use them to keep track of my thoughts throughout the story and I can see where some of the inspiration for my stories came from. Overall, I think I have done a pretty good job so far with the reading diaries.

Week 7: Reading Diary B

I like how Bharata has Rama's sandals waiting for him after all this time. He placed them on the throne when Rama was exiled, and it seems they have been sitting there the whole time waiting for Rama. Sometimes the hyperbole in these stories in a bit much for me; as it is here with Hanuman collecting water from every river in the world as a gift to Rama. Personally I wouldn't want water from every river in the world, but I guess this water can't hurt Rama.

I don't understand Rama's decision to banish Sita at all. It seems like Rama is letting the town gossip get to his head. The fact that Sita is now pregnant makes the banishment even worse. Even stranger is the fact that this banishment could be the result of the royal priests' curse on Vishnu. How can a priest curse a god? Also I'm a bit confused by Sita's disappearance. She summons a deity which proves her innocence, only to take her away from the Earth. 

The strange events continue as Kala sets up a meeting with Rama where anybody who intrudes on the meeting must die. Lakshmana intrudes on the meeting on behalf of Durvasa and therefore must die. Was he aware of the consequences for intruding on the meeting? It would seem only fair to warn everybody of the dire consequences for intruding on the meeting. Durvasa seems to be something of a terrorist in demanding to see Rama or he will destroy his whole kingdom. 

The strange ending caps off with Hanuman ripping open his chest to show Rama that his name is inscribed on his bones. Rama, his friends, and followers get to ascend to heaven. 

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: 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.

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: 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.

Week 2: Reading Diary B

Rama's senses of honor and duty seem to know no bounds. He selflessly accepts his exile, and doesn't resent his stepmother at all when Rama was informed it was her idea. He even offers to let his wife, who is his soulmate, stay behind at the palace. I wonder if anything can get a rise out of Rama, or if he is even capable of doing wrong. When Rama learns of his father's death, he becomes very emotional. This is only the second time Rama has displayed such strong emotion, the first being after he first saw his wife. Even when showing emotion, Rama shows great restraint when compared to his peers. His brother Bharatha spent five days in the palace mourning his father's death, while Rama takes only a short while. Rama even acts kindly towards the demon Soorpanaka when first meeting her, even though the destruction of evil entities is the entire purpose of his incarnation.

I was surprised that Kaikeyi told Bharatha the truth about Rama's exile. Bharatha seems to be an honorable man, and Kaikeyi must have known that Bharartha would be very furious with her. He only spared her life because he knows Rama would hate him if he killed Kaikeyi. He also refuses to become King on account of Rama's honor. Rama seems to not only be a paragon himself, but inspire the quality in those around him. Bharatha only accepts the crown after seeming to understand that it is divine intention that he rule for the time being. Even in accepting rule, he renounces it as much as possible. He places Rama's sandals at the throne and declares he is only ruling in Rama's place until he returns.

I was confused by the demon Soorpanaka. She arrived a wolf in sheep's clothing, so to speak, but quickly revealed her true nature to Rama and Sita. I don't understand why she would fall in the with Rama when she is a demon, the very thing Rama is supposed to rid the world of. She shows her true colors after being mutilated by Rama's brother, and scorned by Rama.

It seems that Rama cannot be bested by demons when confronted directly. He coasts through two battles with the demons, emerging untouched. The demons must use trickery to get the better of him, and so Ravana hatches his plan after hearing of Sita's beauty from Soorpanaka.

Week 2: Reading Diary A

Rama is a very interesting character from the beginning. He seems to be a messiah of sorts, in the sense that his mission is to rid the world of evil. Although at this point he does not seem to be aware of his life's purpose, and he is certainly not aware that he is an incarnation of Vishnu. This is an interesting situation with respect to Thataka, who can only be defeated by a human. Perhaps if Rama was aware of who he really was, he would be unable to slay Thataka and start his journey.

In the beginning, the reader doesn't know what Rama is thinking, or how he feels about his life or his journey. He simply follows the sage and defeats demons on demand. This first glimpse into his mind seemed to be after he first laid eyes upon Sita. He is destined to fall in love with her, as she is an incarnation of Vishnu's wife. Rama wrestles with her existence and his feelings for her, which is very different from his matter of fact approach to his journey so far.

I really enjoyed the plot involving Shiva's bow. I have read The Odyssey, and was instantly reminded of Penelope challenging her suitors to string Odysseus' bow and shoot an arrow through the twelve rings. The fact that these two epics, created by such very different cultures, share such a specific subplot is remarkable.

I found the scale of the wedding caravan to be quite spectacular. The procession of elephants with golden head decorations sounded quite marvelous. At first I was astonished by Sumithra's two thousand attendants, which was nothing compared to the sixty thousand beautiful attendants that escorted Rama's mother.

As someone who is not familiar with the culture of the epic, and only slightly familiar with Hindu theology, I wonder about the daily duties and religious practices that characters engage in. The author only declares that a character has done these tasks, and gives no actual description of what is occurring.

I was entertained by the human qualities of the deities. They are not immune to emotions like jealousy and lust, and seem to be quite fallible. I was perplexed by some sages' ability to curse others at will. The sage who cursed Indra was certainly not more powerful that Indra, but nonetheless cursed him.