Week 7: Reading Diary B

The Wonderful Return:

·        I liked how this version of the story did a better job of introducing us to Guha’s character. His character was much less developed in Narayan’s version of the Ramayana.

·        I have mixed feelings about the changes made in regard to Rama’s return. In the previous version, I really liked how Bharata’s anxiety about Rama’s returned helped to establish his loyalty to his brother. His preparation to kill himself provided a suspenseful element to the story. On the other hand, Buck made no mention of Bharata’s anxiety. Instead, he established Bharata’s love for his brothers through dialogue and acts of service upon their arrival. Although I preferred the suspenseful aspect of Narayan’s story, Buck still did a very good job of revealing Bharata’s emotions through his words and actions.

·        I really liked how this chapter ended. It was very reassuring because almost everything that was said agreed with what I included in Rama’s letter from my storybook intro!

In What Dream:

·        I thought that it was an interesting addition that everything was able to communicate under Rama’s rule. Even inanimate objects could speak and tell stories.

·        How can Rama banish Sita, especially when she’s pregnant, simply because a few people in the kingdom refuse to believe that she didn’t sleep with Ravana? She even passed the fire test to prove that nothing happened between her and Ravana.

Farewell Again, My Lady and My King:

·        What a bold move by Sita to sacrifice herself in front of all of those people in order to prove her innocence. Rama must have felt terrible for banishing her due to other people’s beliefs about something she never did. Even if Rama recognizes how wrong he was, there’s no way of making up for his actions since she’s gone.

·        It was cool that Rama met his sons and finally realized who they were.

Week 7: Reading Diary A

Ravana and Time:

·        This is kind of random, but I don’t really understand what’s going on with all of the italicized text that’s scattered throughout the story. In an earlier chapter, the italicized text indicated something that the gods were saying but I don’t know if this is still the case. Sometimes they seem like random bits of poetry, or possibly quotes from another version of the Ramayana, that are stuck in to supplement the story.

·        The battle are described so much more thoroughly in this version of the story. Although it can be a little gruesome at times, it is definitely more exciting.

·        The previous version of the Ramayana didn’t make Jambavan such an important character in the war. I really liked how the single battle scene did so much for the development of his character and really helped him to earn a place in the story.

·        I was really surprised to see Ravana listen to Suka so patiently, especially with the types of things that he had to say.

·        What was up with Ravana’s letter? If he fully expected to lose the battle, why didn’t he just return Sita and avoid his death? He also seems to be aware of Rama’s true identity.

Here’s Love:

·        Hanuman’s ability to fly is mentioned all throughout the story, so why did he have to muster all of his strength in preparation for a jump to Lanka when he was looking for Sita? There was so much description about his preparation for the jump when he could have just flown there.

·        I really liked this chapter. It provided a feeling of closure after the battle and such a long time of searching for Sita. There was also some more character development.

·        I’m not exactly sure about the time frame, but I have a feeling that Rama should be in a bigger hurry to get back to Ayodhya.

Week 6 Storytelling: The Tale of Mainaka

It was getting late and Papa Monkey had just finished tucking his son into bed. As Papa Monkey got up to leave the room, his son stopped him. “Papa, where do the clouds come from?” “Is that seriously what this kid thinks about as he’s falling asleep?” Papa Monkey thought to himself as he walked back to his son’s bed and prepared to tell the tale of Mainaka.

“Many years ago, all of the mountains had huge wings that they used to fly anywhere that they pleased.” “Wait! Are you telling me that mountains used to be able to move?!” his son interrupted. “That’s correct, but the mountains were clumsy and careless creatures. Whenever they got tired, the mountains would simply put their wings away and fall to the Earth, crushing everything below. The mountains destroyed many kingdoms and took the lives of countless animals. The animals begged the mountains to be more careful, but the mountains wouldn’t listen. The animals tried setting up traps to keep the mountains from taking to the sky, but they couldn’t make anything strong enough to bind the mountains to the ground. They tried building ceilings over their kingdoms, but none were strong enough to hold the weight of a mountain. When the animals felt that they had exhausted all of their options, they sought the help of Indra, the lord of heaven and god of rain and thunderstorms. When Indra heard of the destruction that the mountains were causing, he was furious. With his mighty thunderbolt, vajra, Indra descended to earth and removed the wings of every mountain, except for one. Mainaka, the son of the Mountain King, was carried to safety by the wind. When they had escaped Indra’s sight, Mainaka hid at the bottom of the ocean. Meanwhile, the wings of all the other mountains drifted upward and remain suspended in the sky as the clouds that we see today.”

 

(Indra with vajra: khabar)

 

“That’s so cool!” the son exclaimed. “But what ended up happening to Mainaka?” “After helping Hanuman with his jump to Lanka, Mainaka returned to the bottom of the ocean. To this day, he is the only mountain with wings, but he knows better than to fly above land and harm the animals.” Papa Monkey responded, then kissed his son on the forehead as he drifted to sleep.

 

Author's Note: I chose this story because I thought it was an interesting addition to the Ramayana. I also enjoy using the bedtime story writing style. I didn't really change much from the original story, but added a few minor details here and there.

 

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

 

 

Week 6: Reading Diary B

Here I Am (Continued):

·    Wow! I didn’t realize that Lanka was so heavily guarded. I wouldn’t expect Ravana to feel the need for any of the cannons, catapults, or other defenses due to his arrogance. Why didn’t Hanuman target all of these things as he was destroying the city from within?

·    Nala’s “imperfection” is certainly an unusual one. Today, most people would consider it to be a blessing if none of their stuff could sink to the bottom of the ocean. Regardless of how they interpret his condition, it definitely proved useful in Rama’s quest.

The Building of the Bridge:

·    I really liked the conversation and development of emotion that led up to Vibhishana’s banishment. While he was certainly raising good points and trying to help Ravana, it was also obvious that he was making Ravana angry. The entire situation was developed much more thoroughly in this version of the story.

·    How didn’t anybody in Lanka notice as Nala built a one hundred league bridge toward their city over the course of 5 days?!

The Siege of Lanka:

·    First of all, spoiler alert for the title of this chapter. If I hadn’t already read another version of this story, that might have taken away some of the suspense.

·    I think that it’s funny that Kumbhakarna’s response to Ravana’s situation was simply, “Give her back.” Ravana’s brother had been asleep for the past 6 months and immediately recognized the error of his ways.

·    “What I don’t like I don’t hear!” What a perfect quote from Ravana that summarizes his entire character. Ravana always does whatever he wants without any regard for the potential consequences of his actions. He even banished his brother for condemning him for being a coward and putting all of the Rakshasas’ lives in danger.

·    I liked how Kumbhakarna even supported Vibhishana when Ravana tried to act like he was a traitor.

The Invisible Warrior:

·    How can Ravana be so irrational when he’s surrounded by so much wisdom?

·    The Sita illusion was well played. I must admit that I wasn’t sure whether or not Indrajit actually killed her.

Week 6: Reading Diary A

Hanuman’s Jump:

·       I’m not quite sure how I feel about the portrayal of Sampati in this story. At first, it seemed like he was still able the fly. The author even described his “flying shadow” and said that Sampati swooped down. Then he went on to act like Sampati couldn’t fly because his wings were burnt. It just seemed a little inconsistent. I also prefer to think of Sampati and Jatayu as eagles instead of vultures, but I think that I already mentioned that in a previous reading diary.

·       The imagery provided about Hanuman’s jump was great! Even before I saw the picture, I could imagine how Hanuman looked as he prepared for the jump.

·       The description of Lanka also confused me. It seems like she’s both a city and a character, which didn’t make a lot of since to me. She must be some kind of animate creature since she had the ability to kick Hanuman and be punched between the eyes.

·       Every aspect of Lanka, as a city, is described in such great detail! This version of the Ramayana is definitely more focused on providing imagery than the last version was.

·       While all of the added details can certainly help to tailor the reader’s interpretation of the story, sometimes the numerous descriptions distract me from the actual story.

Here I Am:

·       It seems kind of funny that Ravana tries to act nice to Sita even though he’s keeping her prisoner and allowing the Rakshasis to torment her.

·       I don’t really understand why Sita refused to try to escape with Hanuman. It seemed like she was kind of challenging Rama to come and rescue her, as if she didn’t believe that he cared about her. She should have trusted the fact that he sent Hanuman to search for her as proof that he still loved her.

·       While the Rakshasa probably deserved everything that Hanuman did to them, it was not the wisest decision for him to go back and try to destroy Lanka.

The New Moon:

·       I thought that it was funny how Ravana’s punishment for Hanuman resulted in even greater destruction of Lanka.

·       Rama made an unfailing promise to kill Ravana. What a suspenseful note to end the Book of Beauty on!

Typing Test Tech Tip

For this assignment, I tried RankMyTyping.com and TypingTest.com. I started typing in the sixth grade, when I took my first computer class. I've always considered myself to be a fairly average typer, and the results of these tests pretty much confirmed this assumption. At roughly 50 words per minute, my results from RankMyTyping placed me just above the average of all of my categories. Of the two tests, I liked RankMyTyping more because it gave better feedback. TypingTest allowed me to choose Aesop as the subject of my test, which was kind of cool since it related to our Week 1 assignments.

Week 5 Storytelling: Vali and Sugreeva

When Sugreeva received news that the great warrior, Rama, had arrived at Mount Matanga, his heart immediately filled with hope. Sugreeva’s closest companion, Hanuman, had told him many tales of Rama’s heroic deeds, and the two of them were convinced that he could be none other than the human incarnation of Vishnu. “All of these years, I have lived in fear of what my oppressive brother might do to me if I set foot off of this mountain, but no more! On this day, Vishnu himself has come before me to return my kingdom!” Sugreeva thought to himself. When Rama reached the top of the mountain, he was greeted kindly and proceeded to ask his acquaintances if they had any news about Sita. “What little information that I have about your beautiful wife is nothing in comparison to the strength of my armies. If you will return my wife and my kingdom, then I will do everything in my power to ensure that you find Sita free from harm.” replied Sugreeva, followed by the story about how Vali took his wife and forced him to live on Mount Matanga. “It is not like me to intervene in the affairs of rivaling brothers.” Rama responded. “However, it is my life’s mission to eradicate evil from this earth. Your brother is a very malicious and violent creature, who has taken many lives. For this reason, I will accept the conditions of your proposal.” Upon this agreement, the 4 embarked on their mission to confront Vali.

When they reached the base of the mountain, Rama and Lakshmana climbed to the top of the tallest tree and strung their bows, Hanuman stood at the base of the mountain, ready to protect his closest friend, and Sugreeva began to taunt his warmongering brother. Vali heard his brother’s petty challenges and could feel that he had finally set foot off of the mountain, unprotected by Sage Matanga’s curse. Vali equipped his armor and quickly departed toward his brother. When the two brothers finally caught a glimpse of one another, each one pounded his chest and let out a deafening screech. The battle had begun. Vali was much larger than his younger brother and clearly more experienced in hand-to-hand combat, but Sugreeva was agile and wise. For several hours, Sugreeva ran circles around his older brother, dodging Vali’s attacks, condemning him or his actions and trying to explain what really happened, but Vali would not listen. As the battle progressed Sugreeva grew tired, but Vali was used to long-lasting battles. When his brother stopped to rest, Vali raced toward him and kicked him with all of his might. Sugreeva fell to the ground, grasping his side, where Vali had broken several ribs. Rama knew that Sugreeva could not last any longer. As Vali approached his younger brother, both hands raised high above his head, ready to deliver the final blow, Rama quickly drew an arrow and delivered it to Vali’s heart.

 

(Battle between Vali and Sugreeva: ritsin) 

Vali removed the arrow from his chest and read Rama’s name from the head of the arrow. “Show yourself, coward!” demanded Vali. “I’ve heard stories about your noble ways and unrivaled marksmanship, yet you interfere with a conflict between brothers and slay one from the safety of the trees. You know nothing of honor, nor do you respect the rules of war.” At this moment, Rama emerged from the trees, his faced was red with anger. “How dare you challenge the honor of my ways! Your brother cared for you and did his best to protect you. He took care of your kingdom in your absence and you rewarded him by trying to take his life. He has lived in fear atop Mount Matanga all of these years, while you sleep safely inside the walls of your kingdom with his wife.”

In his final moments, Vali realized the corruption that came with his gift of strength. He had betrayed his own brother and treated him like an enemy. Vali sincerely regretted his actions and apologized for the years of torment that he had brought upon everyone. With his last breath, he gazed at Rama. “You are truly a great warrior. Watch over my brother and see to it that he is restored to his rightful position on the throne of Kiskinda.”


Author's Note: I chose to recreate this story because it was one of my favorite parts of the Ramayana. It was also one of the most significantly changed stories between the two versions that we've read, so I thought it might be fun to give my take on the events that occurred.

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

Week 5: Reading Diary B

The Golden Deer:

·       This is kind of unrelated to the actual story, but I think that it’s weird how so many of the characters’ names are spelled differently between these two versions of The Ramayana.

·       It’s funny that Ravana considers Rama’s obedience to his father to be a weakness when everybody else considers his noble ways to be one of his greatest strengths.

·       I prefer to think of Jatayu as an eagle instead of a vulture. Eagles just seem like more majestic animals.

Hanuman:

·       I liked the addition of Indra’s support while Sita was in captivity.

·       The curse that was placed on Ravana by Nalakubara also explains why Ravana didn’t rape Sita, which definitely seemed like something that he’d consider.

·       The story about Hanuman definitely helped to develop his character and provide a greater understanding of his strength.

·       In the previous story, it seemed like only Vali was cursed to die if he returned to the woods, but this version says that all monkeys were banished and cursed. I wonder why Sugriva and Hanuman were able to return to Matanga’s Wood? Perhaps it was because they had renounced Vali.

·       Vali’s final words were definitely better in the last version, but he also wasn’t made out to be quite as evil of a character in this one.

The Search:

·       Once again, it was good to see that Sugriva was more than happy to help Rama.

·       Despite his forgetfulness, he’s definitely a valuable ally with his knowledge of all areas of the world and the size of his armies.

·       This version gave a lot more detail about all of the different parts of the world. The imagery was great.

• I don’t understand why the monkeys and bears resolved to die. I’m sure that they must have been disappointed after failing to complete their mission in the allotted time, but they still could have continued trying to find Sita.

Week 5: Reading Diary A

Bharata Returns:

·       Why would Kaikeyi expect Bharata to delight in the news that his father banished his brother, then died from the pain that it caused him?!

·       I liked how much more dialogue there was in regard to Kaikeyi’s actions. The emotions that each character experienced were much more thoroughly developed. I also liked how Manthara actually received some of the blame.

The Sandal:

·       Regardless of what good is to come from Rama’s exile, I definitely do not agree with Bharadwaja’s statement that Kaikeyi has done no wrong. She banished somebody who treated her like his mother, consequently killing her husband in the process. She did all of this with no knowledge about what might happen to Rama in the next 14 years.

·       I thought that the sandals being able to identify injustice was an interesting addition. In a way, they brought a piece of Rama’s character to the thrown because he would never make an unjust decision.

Dandaka Forest:

·       I liked the story about Agastya. I do not remember reading about him in the previous version. I also liked how he alludes to the tale of the golden deer while asking Rama to stay with him. I wonder if this story will appear in this version of The Ramayana.

·       It’s really nice to have additional stories with new characters, but sometimes they don’t seem to make any contribution to the overall story.

·       I liked that Lakshmana was not so brutal when he attack Surpanakha. He was also polite when he first spoke to her, but chose to attack her as punishment for going after Sita.

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Week 4 Storytelling: The Development of Manthara's Plan

As the perpetually angry Manthara entered the palace gates, she immediately took notice to the lively, festive atmosphere. All around her, people were smiling, laughing, and partaking of the king’s favorite wines. “Look at all of these ridiculous people, what right have they to be so happy?” she grumbled to herself. When Manthara arrived at Queen Kaikeyi’s room, she noticed three servant girls wearing extravagant jewelry. “Thieves!” she declared as she struck the nearest girl with her cane. “How dare you steal from guests in the king’s palace!” As Manthara reared back to assault another servant, Kaikeyi rushed to intercept the blow. “Subdue this rage!” Kaikeyi insisted. “These jewels have been given as gifts in celebration of Rama’s coronation.” “This can’t be!” she thought to herself, “How could that little demon that once shot toy arrows at my hindquarters be elevated to a position of authority in this great kingdom? This will surely bring an end to our people.” Manthara silently took a seat, with a look of utter dismay painted on her face as she pondered solutions to this catastrophe.

“How can these fools express so much joy when presented with such terrible news? If nobody else will stop this madness, then I must take these matters into my own hands. Unfortunately, it is too late to slay this monster. I am old and weak, while he is a trained warrior protected by numerous guards. Oh, how I should have responded when Rama first wronged me! I cannot simply approach King Dasaratha and beg him to reconsider. His unwavering love for his son will surely cloud his judgment, and I can’t waste time trying to convince an old man who cares more about his son than the people of his kingdom. That’s it! I may not be able to persuade Dasaratha, but my queen has been granted two wishes. If I could just convince her of Rama’s evil ways, then he may be banished and the more respectful Bharata can take his place on the throne.”

 

(Manthara Persuading Kaikeyi: LiveIndia)

 

“My dearest queen, how can you celebrate when such a threat has been imposed on your life?” “To what are you referring?” asked Kaikeyi in confusion. “You don’t understand the events that are to unfold. Rama’s spirit is but a serpent, hidden within a garden. His body is beautiful and his ways seem noble, but once he is installed as king of this earth there will be no power above him, no reason to hide his oppressive and malicious ways.” “What reason have I to believe these accusations? Rama has never wronged me. His ways are noble and his actions are just. Your words are treason!” Kaikeyi responded, baffled by such bold statements against a man that she regarded as a son. “I see now that my words have fallen on a closed mind. If this is how you truly feel then I must go, but please consider this: All your life, you’ve been in a position of authority over Rama, yet you act as though you understand how he treats those who are subordinate to him. By the time that you realize his true nature, I fear that it will be too late.” These words weighed heavily on Kaikeyi’s mind, as she began to fear for what might happen to Bharata and herself. Just as Manthara opened the door to leave her chambers, Queen Kaikeyi shouted, “What would you have me do?” and Manthara’s plan was set into action.


Author's Note: Manthara's (or Kooni's) actions were one of the most sudden and underdeveloped parts of both versions of The Ramayana that we've read. I wrote this story to elaborate on Manthara's thoughts upon learning about Rama's upcoming coronation. I chose not to provide a more logical incentive for her actions because I think that she is a highly irrational character. I also tried to provide better dialogue between Kaikeyi and Manthara to expose how she might have instilled fear into Kaikeyi to motivate her to go along with such an absurd plan.

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

Week 4: Reading Diary B

The Two Wishes:

• I find it kind of funny that Dasaratha takes offense to his advisors' celebration upon learning that Rama is to be crowned king.
• Manthara's character definitely seems more likely to persuade Kaikeyi than Kooni did in the last story.
• It was nice to hear about Rama's childhood prank much earlier in the story. It's good to have some understanding of the incentive behind Manthara's actions, regardless of how petty the prank was and how unjustifiable her response seems to be.
• Regardless of how much I dislike the situation, I did think that the interactions between Rama and Dasaratha are much better in this version of The Ramayana.
• "A wrong thrown at Rama seems to bring out no anger in him; it is like a seed thrown on stone." What a great simile to describe Rama's response to the situation! It amazes me how little he seems to care that not only his crown, but his entire way of life is being taken away from him.
• One thing that I preferred from the previous story over this one is that Lakshmana took up arms against anybody that would try to force Rama to leave, opposed to setting out to kill their father, who obviously feels terrible for what is happening but feels bound by his word to fulfill Kaikeyi's demands.

The Lord of the Wild Trees:

• I thought that it was really funny that Guha was so committed to kicking the Shiva statue everyday. Even when he was hungry, and wolves had surrounded the statue, he waited patiently for any opportunity to kick the statue and was disappointed when such an opportunity did not arise before the next day.
• It was pretty cool that this ritual ultimately saved Guha's life since Shiva regarded it as a form of worship to which Guha was completely dedicated.
• I do not understand why Dasaratha feels so strongly bound to his word when he has already refused one of Kaikeyi's wishes in the past.
• Although I appreciate the added detail in this story, sometimes the descriptions can be unnecessarily long. For instance, Sumanthra's description of the grieving kingdom drags on for almost a full pages.
• Dasaratha's story of the young boy that he killed was much better in this version of The Ramayana. I liked the older man's wisdom and how he didn't actually curse Dasaratha. However, the foreshadowing of Dasaratha's faint still remained evident.

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

Week 4: Reading Diary A

Before I started reading this book, I was a little worried that I would have trouble paying attention as I read the same story for the second time in a row. Fortunately, this was not at all the case! Buck's recreation of The Ramayana almost feels like a completely different epic with so much more detail and provides vivid imagery of almost every character and setting. The relationships between characters are also much more explicitly defined. Here are a few of my thoughts, separated based on the chapter in which they occurred:

Born As A Man

• How is this story going to start out by telling us that Rama ultimately banished Sita from his kingdom?! After all that he went through to get her back, I never would have expected him to leave her. I wonder what she could have done to make the kingdom's residents speak ill of her.
• We are informed that Valmiki has created The Ramayana as one of the earliest forms of poetry, and that Rama's life has been revealed to him in great detail such that all of his words are true.
• This book refers to Vishnu as Narayana, who agrees to descend from heaven in the form of a man in order to slay Ravana.

The Thorn In The World's Side

• Here, we learn that the first of the rakshasas convinced Viswajarman, Heaven's Architect, to create the city of Lanka as their kingdom.
• We also hear the tale of how Ravana came to earn his immortality. Apparently, Ravana was once very devoted to serving the gods. When it came time for him to sacrifice his last head to the gods, he was begged not to and offered a gift in exchange for his loyalty. It seemed strange to me that the gift that came immediately to mind was immortality and protection from the gods, who just saved him. Nonetheless, Brahma granted his wish without hesitation and the belligerent demon that we know him to be was born...
• It really amazed me how little thought the gods appeared to put into the gifts that they gave the rakshasa. Did it not occur to them that Ravana and Meghnaad were able to capture Indra without any special powers, so invisibility and that special chariot will only make it easier if they ever try to attack again?

Taste This Water

• One thing that stood out to me in this chapter was Buck's depiction of how Indra deceived Ahalya. In the previous story, Ahalya did not realize that it was not her husband until it was too late. However, in this story Ahalya knowingly betrayed Gautama. The ending of her punishment was definitely happier in this story. I like how Gautama knew when Rama would pass by and returned for her.

Week 3 Storytelling: Jatayu and Sampathi

It was getting late when Jacob and Samuel’s father came into their room and told them that it was time to get ready for bed. As the boys finished their nightly routine, their father carried them back to their room and tucked them in. “What bedtime story do y’all want to hear tonight?” he asked kindly. “You decide,” replied Samuel. “Yeah, tell us something that we haven’t heard before!” added Jacob. The father paused for a moment to decide on a story, then he began:

“There once were two brothers, named Jatayu and Sampathi. However, this was no ordinary pair of brothers. Jatayu and Sampathi were the two most majestic eagles that ever lived, with beautiful feathers and wings that spanned almost thirty feet. Like the two of you, Jatayu and Sampathi loved to compete with one another in every way possible. One day, Jatayu challenged Sampathi to a competition to see who could fly higher. Without responding, Sampathi took off toward the sky and Jatayu raced to keep up. The two birds flapped their wings with all their might, soaring past the highest trees, tallest mountains, and, eventually, the clouds.  At an instant, Jatayu blew past Sampathi and turned back to taunt his older brother. ‘What’s the matter? Can’t keep up?’ Jatayu asked mockingly. As Sampathi glanced in his brother’s direction, he noticed faint waves of smoke rising from his wings. In their competition, the two failed to realize that they had climbed well into the outer layer of the atmosphere, where there is little protection from the sun’s powerful rays. ‘Jatayu, your wings! We must descend!” Sampathi begged, but Jatayu would not fall prey to his brother’s trickery. Sampathi realized that his brother would not end the competition and hurried to get ahead of him. Just as Sampathi managed to protect Jatayu in the shadow of his wings, the older brother burst into flames. The flames greatly injured Sampathi’s wings, sending him in a downward spiral toward the Earth. Jatayu dove after his brother in a desperate attempt to save him. Jatayu reached Sampathi in time to wrap him in his wings, just before hitting the ground. When they awoke, Sampathi no longer had his wings. Fortunately, a sage happened upon the brothers and offered himself to care for them in their time of weakness.”

 

(Two Eagles Soaring: Intimate Love Divine)

 

“Goodnight, boys.” The father got up and headed for the door. “What?! How can you expect us to go to sleep after such a sad story?” Samuel insisted. “Well, if you must know, legend had it that Sampathi’s wings would be restored in the presence of a great warrior by the name of Rama. Rama’s mission was to remove all of the evil spirits from the world, but we’ll save that story for tomorrow night.” The boys smiled at their father as he turned off the light and they drifted to sleep, anxious to hear the next night’s story.

Author’s Note: In the original story, the two brothers were not competing, but trying to catch a glimpse of heaven. During their climb, they crossed paths with the sun god, who grew very irritated and attacked them. I thought that the idea of a competition between two brothers would make for a better bedtime story. I also liked how the story could be tied into The Ramayana as a whole.

Bibliography: Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana

Week 3: Reading Diary B

Memento from Rama

• Sita is alive and remains loyal to Rama
• I liked how Hanuman made a point to destroy as much of Ravana's kingdom as possible before returning to Rama.

Ravana in Council

• Ravana's youngest brother, Vibishana, is probably the wisest of his advisors. Unfortunately, Ravana sneers at his advice and banishes him for admiring Rama.
• Is Vibishana going to try to stop Rama or will he aid him out of adoration?

Across the Ocean

• Vibishana could prove to be a very helpful ally, although I'm still not convinced that he has abandoned his loyalty to Ravana.
• The fact that Vibishana is helping Rama devise a plan of attack on Ravana is convincing me that he truly wants to help Rama.

The Siege of Lanka

• How can R. K. Narayan simply tell us that Rama defeated Ravana?! We've been waiting the entire story for this encounter, and all we know is that Rama destroyed Ravana's crown and chariot.
• Why would Rama let Ravana live?!
• I love how all of Ravana's advisors continuously remind him of his cowardice in taking Sita from Rama without confronting him.

Rama and Ravana in Battle

• Since Rama did not finish his mission during the first encounter, a much more suspenseful conflict is bound to occur.
• Why won't Ravana die?!
• Worse yet, Rama spares him again.
• Finally! Rama should have just began with Brahmasthra.

Interlude

• Why is Rama not overjoyed at the sight of Sita?!
• Was Sita jumping into a fire really necessary to establish her loyalty to Rama?

The Coronation

• I can definitely understand why Rama would insist that Dasaratha take back his vow on Bharatha, but I don't understand how Rama could still look at Kaikeyi as a mother.
• They lived happily ever after!

Week 3: Reading Diary A

Well, first of all, I just realized that the copy of The Ramayana that I am reading has fewer pages than the copy that was used to create our reading assignments. So, for these last two reading diaries, I am going to read 30 of the remaining 60 pages for each. Also, I have decided to try breaking my thoughts up by chapter, especially since my readings do not perfectly align with the rest of the class.

Vali

• "This is one of the most controversial chapters of the book." What a suspenseful way to start the chapter! I wonder who/what Rama is going to kill?
• In this chapter, we are also introduced to the forest kingdom, Kiskinda, which is inhabited by many great and intelligent animals.

Sugreeva's Story

• Vali is obviously very proud of his strength and prone to act in haste.
• How can Vali not understand his brother's installment as king after being absent for over 2 years?!
• I feel really bad for Sugreeva. Vali's actions were very irrational and oppressive.

Dundubi's Story

• Rama receives another sign of Sita! I was not very confident in their quest while they were relying solely on hearsay from people that they did not know.
• "We should not become too analytical about a friend, nor look too deeply into original causes; but accept only what appears good to us in the first instance, and act on it." What?! After all the wisdom that Rama has shown, how could he say something so foolish?
• Despite Vali's unjust actions towards his brother, his death was still very sad. I can see why this chapter is considered to be so controversial. Rama should not have so blindly intervened in the affairs of the two brothers. Although Sugreeva's story was tragic, Rama was not at all concerned with Vali's side. Unfortunately, Rama had already given his word to Sugreeva and, as we've seen, was bound to act on his word.

When the Rains Cease

• There was an interesting side note about some possible incentives for Kooni's actions. This was the first instance in which we've been provided any such information.
• It amazes me how strongly Rama insists on fulfilling every aspect of his father's promise. Even with horrible storms on the way, Rama refuses to find shelter in the city, as it would violate the conditions of his exile.
• I was happy to find that, despite his forgetfulness, Sugreeva was still eager to help Rama find Sita.
• We were also introduced to Jatayu's brother, Sampathi. This was pretty cool because I had already learned about Sampathi during my research for storybook topics.
• Sampathi knows where to find Sita!