Week 9 Storytelling: King Duryodhana and the Pandavas

A messenger had just returned to King Duryodhana with news that the Pandavas were approaching the House of Joy. King Duryodhana became excited at the thought of his enemies walking into his trap. "Those Pandavas are fools," Duryodhana proclaimed "Messenger, ride to the archer hiding near the House of Joy and tell him to launch a fire arrow once the Pandavas are asleep."

King Duryodhana and his army. Source: Wikipedia

The messenger quickly departed for the House of Joy. As he rode towards the House of Joy he thought about the situation. "How cowardly of King Duryodhana to slaughter the Pandavas in their sleep. Why would anyone want to do this to the Pandavas? They are friends of the people." The messenger decided that he would change the course of events this evening. He rode around the camp where the King's archer was waiting for the signal to fire, and rode straight to the House of Joy. Upon seeing the magnificent house for himself, he understood why the Pandavas could be lured here so easily. He presented himself at the door and said, "Pandavas, I am an agent of King Duryodhana, and I request your audience." The Pandavas gathered at the door and received the messenger. "Pandavas, you are in great danger. King Duryodhana built this place as a trap. This place is meant to be your grave, not your home. There is an archer waiting in the forest to loose a fire arrow on this house while you are sleeping. Flee this place and I will order him to fire, then you may plot your revenge against Duryodhana. I will tell nobody that you have survived."

The Pandavas were shocked by this news of treachery from King Duryodhana. They thanked the messenger for saving their lives and quickly gathered their possessions. They then fled into the forest outside of the House of Joy and waited to watch it go up in flames. Meanwhile, the messenger rode to the archer in waiting. He arrived and showed the King's seal to the archer. "The Pandavas are fast asleep inside the House of Joy, send them to their graves." The archer sent the fire arrow flying and after a brief moment the House of Joy exploded in flames. "Our work here is done. Let us return to King Duryodhana and tell him that the Pandavas have perished." They returned to the king and told him that the House of Joy was in flames. The king was relieved by this news and retired to his chamber.

Author's Note: This story was inspired by Narayan's The Mahabharata. I wanted to tell an alternate version of the story where King Duryodhana is betrayed by his own forces. The Pandavas are loved by the people and would not want to see them killed by Duryodhana.



Bibliography: 

• Narayan, R. K. (1978). The Mahabharata.

Week 7 Storytelling: Sita's Innocence

As Rama realizes that Kusha and Lava are his sons, Sita makes her way through the crowd. She had been trying to make her way through the large crowd for several hours. Rama wondered how this could be possible. He could not deny that these boys were of his blood, but he could not understand how they stood before him. As Rama stood in disbelief, Sita broke through the crowd and saw her children and Rama. Sita froze in place at the sight of him. Rama could not bring himself to do anything, and Valmiki stepped forward to break the silence. "Sita has lived here in the forest since you sent her away," Valmiki explained to Rama. King Rama replied, "I banished Sita from my sight many years ago. Nothing has changed, She must leave this place until the festival is over."

Sita fell to her knees and cried out to Rama, "Please let me prove my innocence for the sake of our children, so that they may grow up with a mother and father. Let my mother, Bhumi, come forth and bear testament to my innocence."

Rama considered her proposal and then replied, "Your innocence is not disputed. However, nothing has changed. You must leave this place until the festival has ended. My sons will return to the city with me, and you will spend the rest of your days here with Valmiki."

A statue of Bhumi. Source: Wikipedia

Upon hearing this Sita collapsed to the ground in despair. She could not bear the thought of losing her children. She cried out to Bhumi and appealed to her for help. As Rama's men came to take Sita out of Rama's sight, Bhumi burst forth from the ground and demanded the men release Sita. Rama's men looked to their king for approval, and he only nodded at them. Everyone stood in silence and stared at Bhumi, who walked to her daughter and picked her up from the ground. Once Sita was back on her feet, Bhumi turned her attention to Rama. "You sent my daughter away after she had remained faithful to you. Now you seek to take away her children. I will not allow this," Bhumi proclaimed. Several Nagas came out of the ground and tried to take Kusha and Lava. Rama took out his bow and shot each Naga in the heart. Rama then turned to Bhumi and said, "Leave with your daughter now and you may live."

Author's note: This story was inspired by Buck's Ramayana: King Rama's Way. I wanted to write a story where Sita ends up leaving Earth the same way, but where her path is different. Here Sita's mother becomes angry at Rama and tries to keep him from taking Sita's children.

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

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 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 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 2 Storytelling: Kaikeyi In The Kopa Gruha

Kaikeyi had been waiting for this moment since the birth of her son Bharatha. She knew her husband to be a man of great honor, the type of honor that would prevent him from breaking his promise to her. She had waited patiently for Bharatha to come of age, and for the king's mind to decay. She knew Rama to be a man of great honor also, and he would not challenge her plan if executed properly. Ever since Kaikeyi saved the King after a battle, she felt that she was owed a great debt. Her marriage to the King and all her worldly possessions were not enough, she felt that her son must sit on the throne.  As she waited for the King to arrive in the Kopa Gruha, she kept reasoning with herself that she had the right to usurp the throne. The minutes she spent waiting for the King seemed like hours to her.

A servant of Kaikeyi's came to her and notified her that the King was about to arrive. She thanked the servant and dismissed her, then began preparing herself for the King. Kaikeyi put on her saddest face and tried to appear as upset and possible. However distraught she might appear, it was only a front. On the inside, Kaikeyi was cool, calm, and collected. The King was already caught in her trap, he just didn't know it.

The King arrived in the Kopa Gruha and looked upon his wife. He wondered what could have upset her this much, and tried to comfort her. The King's mind had been slipping for some time now, and he was unable to sense the treachery lurking in Kaikeyi. As the King tried to comfort her, he fell deeper into her trap. After a few minutes of this, the King began to feel personally guilty for the emotional state of his wife. Kaikeyi noticed this and jumped on the opportunity. She asked the King if he remembered the promise he made all those years ago, after Kaikeyi had saved him. The King recalled him promise to grant to wishes to Kaikeyi, and was eager to grant them in order to appease his distraught wife.

Kaikeyi in the Kopa Gruha, Wikipedia

The King's wife sensed this eagerness in her husband, and spoke her two wishes to the King while sobbing. Upon hearing the wishes of his wife, the King realized there was nothing he could do. He refused to break his word, and told Kaikeyi that her wishes would be granted. The King also called her out for being deceitful and treacherous, but Kaikeyi felt no guilt upon hearing them. She continued with her sobbing facade, but behind this face she was smiling from ear to ear.


Author's note: This story was inspired by Narayan's The Ramayana. I wanted to illustrate Kaikeyi's plot as a premeditated attempt to usurp the throne from Rama. She wishes the throne for herself, but she knows that this can never happen. Instead, she aims to put her son on the throne and rule vicariously through Bharatha.

Bibliography:

Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana

Week 1 Storytelling: The Flag Pole and The Marble Slab

A Giant Oak stood near a brook in which grew some

slender Reeds.







When the wind blew, the great Oak stood proudly

upright with its






hundred arms uplifted to the sky. But the Reeds




bowed low in the wind and sang a sad and mournful song.



(The Oak and the Reeds)



--------------







A giant Flag Pole stood in the center of a town next to a Marble Slab. The Flag Pole held the flag of the town high in the sky, for everyone who lived there to see. The Slab was laid in the ground next to the Pole, and could only be seen if a person was standing near. 



The people of the town decided to record the history of the town on a special flag. The flag was decorated with expensive materials to show off the wealth of the town. The town elders spared no expense, and the flag was the grandest thing anyone had ever seen. Once the flag was raised to the top of the pole, it was visible from around the countryside. 



All of the craftsmen in the town had worked on the flag except for one, the town mason. The mason’s family had kept the town’s history on the Slab for many generations. The Slab was plain and without decoration, and the people of the town gave no thanks to the mason nor attention to the Slab.



One afternoon a mighty storm suddenly came through the town. The people had no warning, and no time to lower the flag from the Pole. As the storm passed over the center of the town, the flag was ripped from the Pole and torn to pieces by the wind. 







A storm wrecked flag pole





When the storm was over, the people of the town emerged gasped at the sight of the empty Pole. The people of the town were in anguish, fearing the rich and noble history of their town lost forever. The mason stepped forward and reminded the people that all the history was recorded on the Slab. 



The people of the town thanked the mason for ensuring the history would survive, and vowed to never again make such a wonderful flag that would be at the mercy of the cruel wind. 



Author's Note: This story was inspired by the fable "The Oak And The Reeds" which is quoted before my story. The original fable can be found in the book Aesop For Children, illustrated by Milo Winter (1919). My story is a different take on the original where something that seems mighty and grand is not so in reality.