Reading Diary B: The Battle Continues

 

I am most interested in the scene in which Nala kills Prahasta—during the battle for Sita on the island of Lanka. This takes place on page two hundred and forty-two in my book, which is pretty different from the page numbers listed on the reading guide, so I thought it would be helpful to write it down instead of having to track it down later. I like the scene because the battle feels about even and I actually almost thought one of the “good guys” was going to die, which is not a common theme! Luckily, rage took over and fuelled Nala’s passion, which enabled him to successfully rise up and kill Prahasta instead of himself being killed! The specifical wording used was actually quite interesting: “and drove the life out from his [Prahasta’s] body.” I just think that is such a dramatic, moving way to describe the killing of someone. I would like to utilize such powerful wording in my own writing, when appropriate of course. I also enjoyed the scene just before Prahasta goes into battle. When he is offered a drink from Ravana, Prahasta drinks the entire liquid gone and proceeds to eat the glass itself, along with some pepper seeds. Even Ravana seems to be disturbed by this strange and interesting occurrence!

(Wikipedia) 

Queen Sita

“Come away with me; be my queen over all of my wives.”

“Queen?” Sita could not help but show at least a fraction of her interest seeping into her voice.

Ravana heard that little fraction. “Yes, my love. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known. You deserve nothing less than to be the queen over all my queens, wife to the Great Lord Ravana. Come away with me.”

“But I cannot leave Rama; what would he do without me?”

“Did Rama consider you when he chose to go away to the forest, even after his brother begged him to return? Did he consider taking his brother’s offer for the sake of his beautiful wife?”

And with these words, Sita was convinced. Flying on a chariot, Sita and Ravana rushed off to Lanka, Ravana’s island. Rama and Lakshmana soon returned to their home, having realized the golden deer was a trap. When they found Sita gone, Rama promptly killed his brother, whom Rama believed had failed to protect his wife. Rama remained secluded in the forest, continuing his exile while mourning Sita—whom he presumed to be dead. However, months passed and eventually word got round that Sita was residing happily in Ravana’s palace, presiding over all the other fair queens. At this news, Rama decided his life was no longer worth living. He could not imagine living the remainder of his life in shame, unfit to be king due to his own wife leaving him so cruelly. Rama performed his funeral rights and killed himself, leaving a note of his wish for his brother, Bharata, to continue to rule in his place.

Sita, who had been at Ravana’s palace for nearly a year now, was lounging among the many wives and concubines of Ravana one day. The sun was shining beautifully, the servants brought her fresh fruit, wine, and any luxury she could possibly desire. She wore only the finest silks, or nothing at all—that silly Rama had always forced her to cover herself and “look decent.” Ravana appreciated Sita’s beauty and did not mind her sharing it with the world. Sita could wear anything she liked. On this day, however, Sita caught wind of some discomforting news. Apparently her previous husband, Rama, had eventually realized he had been abandoned, not widowed, and committed suicide. Though dismayed to hear such news, she was also a bit relieved. She had always worried Rama’s silly pride would one day lead to him storming the palace and forcefully taking back his former wife. He could be such a stubborn man. Now it seemed, Sita could truly live in peace, no more forest-dwelling for her…

Author’s Note: Obviously I changed this story quite a bit. I completely altered the portrayal of Sita’s character and chose to let her go with Ravana willingly. In the original, Sita went along with Ravana forcibly. That was an important point in the story, because the audience only viewed Sita as innocent and loyal due to her unwillingness. It also provides the unbreakable motivation of Rama, who feels obligated to protect his wife, in the original. In my version, Sita is very different. Her perspective on the events and other characters is very harsh and cold. She resents Rama for putting her in the position to either live away from her husband or be confined to the forest—neither of which is an ideal position. She blamed Rama for that and because she held on to that resentment, she felt no remorse when her ex-husband killed himself due to her actions. I wanted to do this in order to illustrate how different the story would have been had Sita changed. Her change in character managed to make Rama look weak—clingy even—because such a high level of love and affection is no longer being returned, changing the perception of his love for Sita from endearing to desperate. I chose the image below because it is a picture of a harem, and one woman in particular happens to be partially nude. This is similar to the end of my story, when Sita is with the other wives and Sita is more exposed than the others. Although it depicts a harem in Arab lands, it still fit my topic quite well. I also really liked the attitude and mood conveyed in this image. It feels relaxed and slightly sensual, which is how I imagined Sita’s final scene to be as well.

(Image from Wikimedia)




Bibliography:




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

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Week Five: Famous Last Words

This week I am feeling pretty good about this class. I have done pretty much all the extra credit so far that was available, and I have only missed one assignment. I am pretty far ahead on the expected points to have at this point in order to have an A, which makes me feel good and also relieved. My goal is to finish this course at least three weeks early—but the earlier the better! My final three weeks will be super difficult in my other courses, so I am trying to alleviate some of that stress by not having to worry over this one at the same time! It kind of sucks though, because this is my most interesting class! But I have 130 points at the moment, and the professor has not gotten to my project yet. I turned it in on time, so I can assume I will have ten more points for that, which puts me thirty points ahead of schedule already! I have an exam on Friday for my French Phonetics course. I am a little nervous because there will be an oral portion, but otherwise I feel okay. I did well on the quiz, so that leads me to believe the exam will be okay too. I have a midterm coming up in my Jews/Other Germans class. It is an essay, which I normally would not worry over. However, we only have three grades in this course so I am pretty nervous. No room for error here. I had my monthly massage this week! I know this doesn’t seem important but oh my goodness this girl works wonders! I have mild scoliosis so anytime I get some pain relief it’s a wonderful thing. This weekend I am going to the Pink and Black Ball with my boyfriend. I got my dress last weekend and I really like it! They altered it to fit me quite well. Saturday I’ll celebrate Valentine’s Day with my boyfriend. I basically hate the holiday, but there will be chocolate and wine so I tolerate it, haha. Here is a picture of my boyfriend and I at last year's Pink and Black Ball:

(Personal Photo)

Reading Diary A: Rama Goes Away

So this began even worse than I recall it being in the previous version we read of the Ramayana. Not only was Rama sent into exile, he was also disinherited!? Geez. This story gets worse and worse. And now the king has died? This is depressing. Bharata is still loyal as ever to Rama, his brother. Bharata’s crazy mother, Kaikeyi is included in the group of people who follow Rama into the forest. She should have been forced to stay home after all the trouble she caused. Vinata is now a slave because she lost a bet—one which was rigged? People really can’t play nice in this story can they? Who loses their freedom over a little bet? So Ravana’s sister falls in love with Rama on site, and Ravana falls in love with Sita only from haring her physical description. Goodness, this must be one sexy couple! But seriously, what is this nonsense? Why does everyone in this story fall in love for such shallow reasons? I noticed Rama and Sita are one of few couples who are not in a polygamous relationship. I wonder if this has something to do with their status in India and Hindu culture as a “perfect couple” or if it is a mere coincidence…

(Image from Indian Epics Resources)

Reading Diary B: Searching for Sita

Reading the actual story behind Ravana’s curse was really interesting! It added a lot to the story—in my opinion—to include this information.  Though, the story itself made me rather sad because even though Sita and others who might catch Ravana’s interest in the future are protected, this curse did nothing for Rambha herself. The issues between the two monkey brothers are still rather sad. It seems silly they did not communicate better, but I guess that’s the way the world works… Also, WHY DO WOMEN JUST KILL THEMSELVES WHEN THEIR HUSBANDS DIE??? Stop it, right now. It seems pretty ridiculous that Sugriva was too drunk to pull it together and help Rama, after everything Rama did for him. He would still be hiding away on a hill without Rama! Angada thinks he screwed up so he decided to meditate and die. What? Why does everyone want to die? Seriously? This is so dramatic—not in the good way. They waited an entire rainy season to even begin looking for Sita and he thinks one extra month means he should just die? Why is everyone so intent on death and destruction in this story?

(Image from Indian Epics Resources)

My Maria

                “Kumbhakarna!”

                “Yes, dear?”

                “Dinner is ready!”

Wonderful! My beautiful wife, Maria, is always cooking up delicious mountains of food for me, which is good because I am a very large fellow. It takes a lot of food to keep this belly from rumbling! I hope she made dessert, too. Last week, she made a rich gulab jamun and I ate myself sick, but it was well worth it. I just cannot control myself around desserts.

"Maria, what have you prepared for me today?"

"Oh my single-minded man, can I at least receive a kiss before you assault the food I've worked so hard on all day?"

"Sorry, honey. My stomach made me forget myself."

I wrapped my arms around Maria, kissing her softly. I pulled back gently and caught sight of the table. Oh my. Maria outdid herself. The table was piled high with scrumptious-looking delicacies. She caught me staring past her at the food and began lightly scolding me. Luckily, she is used to my love of food and knows I love her just as much—maybe even more!

“Alright, dear, you can eat now. I’ve prepared a whole butter chicken, lamb vindaloo, naan paranthas stuffed with vegetables, samosas, a big pot of rasam—“

“Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom”

“Ugh, that man! He isn’t even listening… I guess I won’t tell him about the ladoos.”

My ears perked up, even in my food-induced craze I could listen for the sound of desserts! I’ll just have to sweet talk her into giving the precious ladoos to me, as soon as I finish off this dish…

“Dear, can’t I please have some of the ladoos? I know how hard you worked on it; I want to show my appreciation! By eating and enjoying it, of course!” I said while rubbing my belly happily.

“I’m afraid not, Kumbi. I’ve already thrown it all out.”

“What!? How could you?”

I dropped to the floor in despair and—strangely enough—opened my eyes in my family’s house, back on the island.

                Oh my. That was some dream. I really must get off this island and find me a wife, one who can cook as well as the wives of my dreams. I must’ve dozed off again… What year is it? I suppose I’ll have to venture outside and check. Ugh. I HATE waking up… Sometimes I wish I could sleep forever, but then I’d miss out on all the food! I could try ringing the servants’ bell. *RING, RING, RING*… Hmm, that is strange. The servants know better than to ignore me when I first wake up. I am always rather grumpy, but who could blame me following a dream like that, only to wake up wifeless and hungry? No matter, I will punish the servants later. Right now, I need to track down some food. Hey, what’s that noise? I hear a faint rumbling outside. Was that a battle cry? Oh, goodness. Did I miss something important? I do believe there is a battle going on outside; I hope Ravana hasn’t started trouble again…

 

(Image from Pixabay) 

Author’s Note: I chose to tell this story because I was interested in Kumbhakarna’s character, but he was not elaborated on very much at all in the original version. I completely made up his dream world and I changed the scene in which he initially wakes up during the battle between Rama and Ravana. I liked telling the story using a lot of dialogue as well as inner thoughts of Kumbhakarna because I felt it showed the relationship between him and Maria very well. I was hoping to convey that they cared for each other, in spite of Kumbhakarna’s obsession with food. I think my version of Kumbhakarna is much more relatable and lovable than the original, which was an important goal of my story. I used the Ramayana for my inspiration and VahRehVah.com for the names of the traditional Indian food mentioned in the story. I have personally tried samosas—the Indian food, not the drink!—and they were pretty good, though I hear they are much more impressive when they are homemade, as Kumbhakarna’s were in the dream. The image is something I found by simply searching “traditional Indian food”, so I am unsure what exactly is in the picture. I love the song "My Maria," so I chose to use that inspiration for the name of the wife, which is why she does not have a traditional Indian name.

Bibliography:

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

 VahRehVah.com

Week 4: Reading Diary B

So it has been really interesting getting to read this story in greater detail and having many of my previous questions answered as a result. One scene that still really irritated me was when the king grants his queen the two owed wishes, which she designated as having her own biological son become the new king and having Rama sent away for twelve years. This is simply nonsense to me. I have noticed this theme in Indian culture and it is something that is difficult for me to wrap my head around. I understand that once you have agreed to something you should not back out of it. However, it seems unthinkable for me to consider promising not one, but two, requests be fulfilled without any stipulations or clue as to what those requests might be. I cannot imagine agreeing to such a thing myself! But also, it is madness to think that the so-called stepmother of Rama could be so malicious, even if provoked by the other woman. Everyone is responsible for their own decision-making. It is very hard for me to imagine a justification for the queen’s actions, even if she did truly believe she would fall under such harsh circumstances if Rama were to become king. 

(Image from Wikimedia)

Week 4: Reading Diary A

 

(Image from Wikimedia) 

I am really enjoying this new book; it is a very fast-paced and interesting read! I am getting  a little confused with all the names, once again. I was really horrified by the first chapter, the one where the woman drowned her firsts even babies! But I was fascinated by the five brothers all taking the same wife. I thought it was ridiculous how the mother thought she was advising the brothers to share their alms--not a wife--and yet they had to follow through with it. But it also bugged me that the wife-to-be would not speak up and share her own opinion on the situation, after all, she only agreed to marry one brother, not all five! Then again, she was already allowing her husband to be chosen via a competition, so I guess at this point she was fully resigned to her fate... One recurring question I had was in regards to the brothers conception: do they/the general public/their cousins know of their godly lineage? I do not remember this being discussed anywhere in the story, but it seems relevant. I wonder if the family relations would have went over more smoothly had their cousins known of the divine origins, or if this would have only made them even more jealous...

Styles Exploration

Topic: I want to do my project over Vaishnavism, the worship of Vishnu. It is a particular sect within Hinduism. It is actually the largest sect! I am planning to do an introduction page where I share basic facts about Vaishnavism. I would definitely want to consider the story of Rama and Sita for my project, as it is a favorite of Vaishnavites. I also want to tell some stories about Krishna, as he and Rama seem to be the main incarnations of Vishnu that are focused on. I am thinking the birth of Krishna will be an interesting story to tell. I also found a story about Vishnu himself! A character named Narada asks for a beautiful face in order to win a girl, but Vishnu gives him a face like a monkey instead!

(Image taken from Wikimedia)

Bibliography: 

1. Narayan, R.K. (1972) The Ramayana

2. The Story of the Birth of Krishna

3. The Story of Vishnu and Narada

4. ReligionFacts

5. Wikipedia

Styles:

1. Vishnu

I like the idea of Vishnu himself telling all of the stories, from a first-person point of view. It could be very casual, like he is recalling good memories with a friend. It would make sense too, because Vishnu was an incarnation or himself directly involved in every story I am considering. It would also back up the idea that Vishnu is all-pervading.

2. Each Character

I am also thinking of having each main character in each story tell that particular story. In this case I would want them to be telling their story as it occurred, as opposed to recalling a memory. I would want them to have as much or as little knowledge as their story would suggest they have--for example, Rama would not know he was an incarnation of a god when telling the story of him and Sita.

3. Guru

I also think having a wise old Guru tell each story to a group of students would be fun! In this style, the writing would be in third-person storytelling mode. I like this one because it seems like something that could, and does, actually happen. I could also embellish it with fun side notes about the students interrupting and so on.

4. Bedtime Stories

Also using a third-person storytelling narrative, I think making each story into a brief, embellished bedtime story for children would be fun to do. I would make a grandmother be the storyteller. I could maybe have a grandfather involved too. I think it would be sweet to have the grandmother play Sita and the grandfather play Rama, for example.