Week 2: Reading Diary B

After completing the second "chunk" of this week's reading, I decided to look at some of the other reading diaries for help organizing my thoughts. I still like using a bulleted list, but hopefully it will be easier to follow this time. Here are a few of the things that stood out to me:

• Following Rama's exile, I was amazed by the number of people that chose (even insisted) to serve his sentence at his side: Lakshmana immediate took up arms against anybody or anything that might try to remove Rama from the kingdom. When Rama interfered with this, Lakshmana insisted on accompanying him, saying "I know no father and no mother, other than you." When the king heard that Rama insisted on fulfilling his father's promise, he could not bare the thought of his sons being in danger and died.
• Despite my expectations, Bharatha was very loyal to Rama: Upon receiving the news of his brother's exile and his father's death, Bharatha related his mother to a serpent. He went on to say that the only reason he didn't have her slain is that Rama would despise him for such an act.
• On several occasions, Rama serves as the voice of reason in contrast to Lakshmana's rage. I particularly liked when Rama asked if he noticed Bharatha's "battle-dress," which was actually a tree-bark garb, as Lakshmana prepared to fire an arrow at their brother.
• Rama boldly challenges the rakshasas by telling Soorpanaka that his mission in life is to eradicate their kind.

Some other thoughts and questions that arose: With all of the rational decisions and wise comments that Rama has made, why would he completely abandon his logic in pursuit of the golden deer? I did not expect Jatayu to fall in his battle with Ravana. How is Rama going to find Ravana and Sita?

These notes were taken while reading The Ramayana by R. K. Narayan