Week Three: Famous Last Words

     This week has been ridiculously hectic for me! I was lucky enough to find a new, less stressful job! I started that Tuesday and it went well! I also had my older sister staying with me Wednesday and Thursday. She had a conference in Oklahoma City and I basically functioned as a free hotel, haha. But I don’t mind. She lives three hours away from OKC and it gave us a chance to spend some extra time together. Though I have class until nine twenty at night on Wednesdays and I work until seven Thursdays, so it was very limited time! I also had my younger sister visit me on Saturday! My stepmoms birthday was that day, so her and my dad came to OKC. They dropped off my little sister with me because she is only ten so they didn’t want to leave her at home alone. My brother, who is sixteen, isn’t quite responsible enough to count as sufficient care for her yet! So my parents went to a show in OKC and got a hotel room and got to relax without kids for once. My little sister and I went to Weatherford, Oklahoma because I needed to be fitted for a formal dress I had originally bought for a wedding I may no longer be attending. Long story short, I was supposed to go to a very formal wedding in Egypt. Now, the wedding is on hold and I am going to be getting my EFL teaching certification in New York during the time the wedding was originally scheduled for. So I have a really pretty dress for nothing! Haha, but I will probably wear it to the Pink and Black Ball since I was planning to go anyways and it happens to be pink! So if you happen to notice an over-dressed blonde girl in a floor-length pink dress, its probably me! But otherwise classes are still going well. I am somewhat frustrated by my busy past week, because I had managed to get several days ahead in this course and was feeling good about that. Now I am not ahead at all and am just barely getting these weekend assignments done in time! Below is a picture of my older sister (on the left), my younger sister (in the middle), and myself (on the right).

(Personal Photo taken October 2014)

Sita Self-Immolates

Introduction: This story will be a new, very different version of the end of the Ramayana. It will begin from the moment Rama left the battle with Ravana. It will feature a much stronger female heroine and it will have a very different ending. An important note to keep in mind in my version is that Ravana did not suffer from any curse restricting his ability to touch unwilling women, including Sita.

     “He did what!?” I practically shouted at the poor attendant sent to inform me of Rama’s immediate return to his kingdom upon vanquishing Ravana. 

     “I’m s-sorry, ma’am,” stuttered the little man, “he was most anxious to reclaim his throne, seeing how the fourteen-year exile is ending soon.” 

     

     "Very well, I’ll make my way there myself," I muttered. “Bring me a chariot then. I’ll depart as soon as you can prepare me this.”

     As I traveled toward Ayodhya, I was a mixture of fury and gratitude. I couldn't believe my dear husband had worked so hard to find and free me, only to leave without so much as glimpsing at me. Luckily, the charioteer explained during the trip that my sweet Rama had been inclined to return to his kingdom due to his brother’s desperate state of mind—Rama worried he might end his own life! Of course, I immediately forgave my husband and spent the remainder of the trip in anxious excitement at the prospect of being reunited with my love. I felt very sure Rama would succeed in calming his brother as well.

     After a time I realized I was not in just any chariot, but rather the vimana of Indra himself! Suffice to say, the trip back was a very quick one indeed. We arrived at the city gates and I proudly exited the chariot. As I strode through the city streets toward the palace, I began to notice an uncomfortable air about the citizens. Darting glances, hushed whispers behind my back: all this greeted the return of the rightful king’s wife? I could not believe their disrespect, but it was of no import to me. "I’ll be with my Rama again soon, and none of these things shall matter any longer," I thought to myself.

     I entered the palace courtyard and nearly fainted with joy at the sight of my beloved husband!Finally, I would be able to move on and forget the wretched feel of the evil Ravana. I rushed toward his glorious embrace, filled to the brim with happiness at being reunited with him. Much to my surprise, however, Rama stepped back at my approach. I was shocked. His face was cold, shut off. I stood stock still, more confused than I had ever been in my life. "How can this be?" I wondered aloud.

     “It is improper for a woman who has been alone with another man to remain in the household of her husband. You may do as you wish, but you cannot stay here.” Rama’s words crushed me. I tried to offer a rebuttal, but only a faint whimper came out. My knees gave out and I sank to the ground. A cry of anguish escaped my lips. A rush of memories assailed me: the first time Ravana approached me, the last time--just before the battle began, and all the many times between. Every single time Ravana raped me  was burned into my memory. I shook my head, trying to clear my haunted thoughts.

     “You think I have forsaken you, my dear husband? Have you no faith in our love, the love that is known through all the heavens and the Earth?”

     “It would be impossible to believe such a beautiful woman had remained pure through such a long tribulation, I’m afraid.”

     “Not only have you held me to such an impossible standard—to avoid rape, being unwillingly touched by a man unwillingly, without an ounce of pleasure or love—but now you refuse to accept your loving, devoted wife even though you worked so hard to free her? I had no say in what was done with my body, husband of mine.”

Rama’s stoic expression made it clear to me that he would not reconsider. I immediately left the palace court. I would not be a victim—not again.

     It took many hours, days, weeks, and months of meditation, counsel, and self-reflection, but eventually I was able to live a happy life. I lived through the trials of Ravana imprisoning me, Rama’s judgment and ultimate rejection of me, and now it was time I live through something new, something good. It was at this point I met Ardhanaranari, who turned out to be the love of my life. Yes, yes, I know. I had said this once before. But Ardhanaranari taught me that love is not about being in eternal servitude; it is about equal love and respect. We take care of one another, and I have continued to enjoy my newly found hobbies. I enjoy reading stories of old, belly dancing, and I even continued my meditation—it’s great for dealing with the inevitable annoyances of living with a lover! Sometimes, I feel as if my new personality has lit my very soul on fire, almost as an offering to the gods...

Author’s Note: I had a lot of fun writing this story. If you can’t tell, I’m a feminist and this story for me represents the Sita I had been wishing for throughout the reading of the Ramayana. I still appreciate the epic as it is; it is a wonderful glimpse into the cultural and religious traditions of India. However, my feminist mind couldn't help recreating Sita as a stronger version of herself. I did try to convey her extreme devotion and original personality as much as possible in the recreated version. I also felt obligated to address the issue of rape in the story, as the manner in which this was handled in the original version really bothered me. I strongly believe it is important to address these issues in our media, and not continue to sugarcoat the issues as our society often does. I guess this is my little contribution to that movement. I only used one source other than the Ramayana; that was Wikipedia. I was initially searching for an androgynous traditional Indian name. I ended up finding this name because it is the name of a particular incarnation of Shiva—one which was half male and half female. I chose this particular name—among several choices—because it was the most neutral in meaning, in my opinion. I liked the idea of Sita’s new partner’s sex and gender remaining unknown. I prefer to let my readers make their own choice, if they wish. I pinned a couple things to my Pinterest board, which is here, in regards to androgyny in case anyone is interested! I chose the image below because it makes me think of Sita with a great sage, who I imagine could have been helpful to her after her trials with Ravana and Rama. In reality, the image actually shows Menaka and Visvamitra, but I chose to interpret the picture differently to fit my story. I chose this title because of Sita's final thought in my version, which is also a throwback to the original.

(Image from Wikimedia)

Bibliography:

Narayan, R.K. (1972) The Ramayana

“Ardhanarishvara.” Website: Wikipedia 
"Vimana." Website: Wikipedia

Week Three: Reading Diary B

So this was the end of the Ramayana—at the least short version of it anyway. The fight scene was very long and dramatic, which made me curious to see what the original will be like! Of course our protagonist, Rama, won and the evil Ravana was defeated. Ravana’s brother took over as ruler of Ravana’s kingdom, which was pretty cool since his brother had turned to the side of Rama and the monkeys. I was a little skeptical of this however, because although the brother did not agree with Ravana’s choice to kidnap and imprison Sita he never interfered in these actions. In the end, he only fled and helped Rama because Ravana kicked him out of their side. He would not have helped to save Sita in any way—in my opinion—were it not for his exile, which did occur due to his speaking out against Ravana’s actions, in his defense.

My least favorite scene in the entire epic came at the very end. This was when Sita attempted to immolate herself due to Rama’s rejection. This irritated me for two reasons: Sita should value herself as a person beyond being Rama’s partner and Rama should also not have held Sita to such an unfair standard. Sita was strong-willed, yes. But had Ravana not suffered from a curse that prevented him from touching an unwilling woman, Sita would have been raped long before Rama’s arrival. In that case, she would not have passed Rama’s test and would have been burned to death and forever kept from Rama. This is an unrealistic, sexist, patriarchal standard and I am not a fan of it. It seems to me that the older the religion, the worse the outlook is for the women. I will say though, this tells me nothing of how Hinduism regards women today, and it is the oldest religion on Earth, after all. I'll keep my hopes held high, for now.

(Image from Wikimedia)

Week Three: Reading Diary A

I was most interested in the section of today’s reading when Rama ‘helped’ the brother to fight his older brother and ultimately kill him. This scene was strange for me because I really did not agree with Rama’s actions and I feel like Rama is supposed to be such a pillar of good morality throughout the Ramayana Epic—as well as the entire Hindu tradition, I suspect. The scene was complicated because at the end Rama explained his reasoning for shooting the older brother whilst he was completely unaware of Rama’s presence. Rama thought that it was right because the older brother had completely mistreated the younger (who had taken on the role of ruler while under the false impression that the older brother was dead). Rama’s reason for shooting him without facing him was in order to avoid the older brother attempting to plead with him after Rama had already made a promise to the younger brother. I guess I was expecting something along the lines of Rama acting as a mediary between the two brothers in order for them to work out their differences and realize what a big misunderstanding it all was. But no, Rama just killed the guy because that was “simpler”…. I did like reading the fight scene though. I also enjoyed the jab the older brother made about how humans fight with weapons while monkeys do not. I actually really, really agree with the sentiment that winning a fight using a weapon does not make you a strong warrior, and I think that’s something most people today forget. But I also wished someone in the story would have pointed out the unfairness of the fight between the brothers—one of which had an obvious advantage thanks to the gods!

(Image of Vali dying from Wikipedia)

Week Two: Famous Last Words

This week I really enjoyed writing my story about the Ganga. I love personifying animals/things and I had a lot of fun describing how the Ganga was—quite literally—steaming mad! I am still doing well in my other courses, and adjusting reasonably well to having courses in full French! I am also looking into getting my certificate to teach English as a Foreign Language this summer—which will be an exciting, daunting task. I’ll continue doing research this week and hopefully find out next week whether or not I will be able to do this during the coming summer. Depending on cost, as well as time, I may or may not be able to go. My dad has offered to pay for some of the expenses, and possibly loan me the remaining portion needed, depending on exactly how much it would cost. (Interest-free, parent-provided loans=BEST LOAN EVER!) I’ll also be taking summer classes though, so it is important I ensure the two interests don’t conflict with one another. If I go, the course will be in New York City, which is awesome. I have only been in New York City once, when I missed my flight home from France and ended up having to transfer airports in the middle of the night, got screwed over by a private taxi (whom I’m thankful only charged me a hundred dollars for a ride, as opposed to kidnapping me), and then spent about seven hours waiting for my flight. So it will be cool to actually get to do a bit of sight-seeing while in New York, when I’m not obsessively studying for this course; I hear it is really intensive. Outside of school, I had a rough day. I am no longer tutoring. The father of the little boy I tutor doesn't really value education and thought the tutoring was a waste of time. He also didn't like me because I have an academic interest in Islam (I’m a religious studies major!) and he is a prejudiced person. So, unfortunately he overruled the mother who was very open-minded and pro-education, and decided not to continue having their son tutored. It’s their decision of course, but I do hope the son learns to value knowledge and be more open-minded than the father. Wish me luck in my search for a new job! Also, my older sister will be staying with me Wednesday and Thursday night, and my younger sister will be visiting me Saturday! I am looking forward to seeing them both! Ooh, and I am going to include a link to a Facebook event which is super relevant to this class. Please feel free to come, share the event among your friends/ FB groups, or even other classes! It is free and is sure to be an interesting discussion by a professor I have heard speak before; she is fascinating! Conversations with Dr. Nyla Khan

(Image taken from Conversations with Dr. Nyla Khan)

Possible Topics for Storytelling

1       Sita: I am interested in Sita because she seems to be an important figure in the Ramayana, at least. I was hoping she develops into a stronger character, but it doesn’t seem like that really happens. This kind of disappoints me; I would have liked to see a more impressive female lead. I only know of Sita what we have learned from our reading, and that she is an incarnation of Vishnu’s heavenly lover.

  

     Research: I did some reading over Sita on Mythfolklore.net. It seems like Sita continues to play a supportive role to her husband, Rama. She doesn’t appear to ever move beyond this role, though that isn’t particularly surprising given the time period these characters were written in. I also searched on Wikipedia and found a more detailed ending to Sita’s story. I was interested because although Rama never took her back in spite of her dedication to him, she attained a happy ending by being returned to her original realm. Sita was an incarnation of Vedavati, and was the heavenly soulmate of Vishnu—who was incarnated as Rama on Earth. In a sense, I guess you could say the two ended up together after all.

2     

            Karma: I have always been interested in karma. I studied it whenever I took a course on Buddhism, and it seems that Hinduism has very similar viewpoints. I like the idea of people being held responsible for their actions—both in the same life and the next, if there is a next life. I would like to see how karma plays out through the course of an individual’s lifespan, or lifespans.

v    Research: The Wikipedia confirmed by beief that Hindu beliefs regarding Karma were similar to Buddhist views. I think I would like to focus on a particular epic, or character, and discuss how karma affected that story or character in particular. Vedavati would be a good example of this, because she incarnated as Sita in order to get back at Ravana and therefore fulfilling the karmic cycle, at least for the moment.

3

        Vishnu: I am interested in Vishnu because I think knowing about him would be more applicable from a Religious Studies perspective because of what a major role he plays throughout Hinduism in his various forms. I also settled on him because he is the one I have a statue of, and I think that’s cool! Haha. I don’t know much about him, other than that Rama is one of his incarnations. I would like to know more about his other incarnations.

Research: I am a little overwhelmed. There is a female incarnation of Vishnu called Mohini. Mohini seems pretty interesting, from what I found on Wikipedia. She is known for enchanting men, and it seems we will be reading about her later in the semester in the Mahabharata. I am also interested in Vaishnavism, a branch of Hinduism devoted to Vishnu. I would like to study this; I think it would interest me because it would give me more definitive answers about at least that sect f Hinduism. Definitive answers can be very hard to find in Hinduism at large! I have found so far that Vaishnavism believes in Vishnu as the supreme god; follow a process of initiation; and focuses on the literal meaning of scriptures.

4.       Ravana: I decided it might be interesting to look at Ravana, as he is the enemy of our current heroine, Sita. He really disliked Rama, too, as the husband of Sita. I haven’t fully decided how I feel about Ravana. I know he is supposed to be the evil character, but I also know stories tend to be very one-sided. I would like to make up my mind for myself! I know nothing about Ravana, other than what I have gathered in our reading.

Research: According to Wikipedia, Rama is also his enemy because Rama cut of Ravana’s sister’s nose! I found it interesting that two of Ravana’s siblings tried to convince him to return Sita to Rama. I also read about Sita’s sneaky trick to keep Ravana from attempting to string the bow and win the right to marry her. This made me like Sita a bit more!

(Image found on Wikipedia)

The Descent of the Ganga

Once upon a time, there was a wild, massive river flowing freely throughout the heavens. This river was so massive, it stretched to every corner of the seven levels of the heavens; it was so wild that no one, not even Kali—the goddess of power—could tame it. However, one very lucky—or simply special, some might say—young man set out to bring this mighty river down from the heavens. For you see, the river had mystical powers, and could cleanse the soul of a human. But I’m getting ahead of myself I suppose…

Before all of that, this ‘lucky young man’ had been one of sixty-thousand sons! Amazing, huh? Tragically, he was the only remaining living son, as his brothers had all been killed. Oh, but that’s another story… This young man, by the name of Bhagiratha, wanted to bring down the Ganga in order to set free his brothers’ souls—which had been trapped, unable to ascend to the heavens in their afterlives. Unfortunately, the Ganga felt that she was entirely too valuable for such a menial task. She was irked at this request and felt she must have a proper revenge on the mortal who had such audacity to solicit her help. Therefore, the Ganga decided to destroy Mother Earth upon her descent!

During her long drop downward, the Ganga was so angry that huge, steaming fumes were coming out of her in all directions. In fact, she got so hot that the entirety of the Ganga began to boil and turned into a giant tunnel of steam! Thankfully, steam is not nearly as harmful as water can be. The Ganga continued rushing towards Earth, but the Earth was no longer in danger. The steam reached Earth and dissipated, so quietly that hardly even a mouse would have noticed. But Bhagiratha was watching, and was much dismayed. He thought his brothers would never be saved with the Ganga having completely disappeared. Little did he know, the droplets of steam did not actually disappear, as much as separate from one another. Many of the droplets fell right to the Earth, landing on the soil and in the great oceans. However, exactly 108 droplets were carried off by the strong winds. These droplets landed in various sacred places throughout Mother Earth, but one such droplet is of significance for this story. That was the droplet which landed on the souls of Bhagiratha’s brothers.

Bhagiratha’s brothers were saved! He was overjoyed! Now he knew with certainty that his wonderful brothers would be able to reach the heavens and live on in the afterlife in peace and happiness. No longer hindered by his burning guilt regarding his many fallen brothers, Bhagiratha went on to live a happy, wonderful life. He fell in love, traveled throughout the lands, and raised a beautiful family. Our sacred places of today come from the places on Earth where the Ganga landed. The number 108 is used for meditation training because this is how many droplets landed on the Earth. This number is sacred and represents a tie to our past, to the time of the Ganga’s descent. The end.



(Image from Wikimedia)


Author’s note: I chose this story because I was fascinated by the story of the Ganga and I also really enjoy personifying things/animals. It was especially challenging to personify the Ganga’s emotions; doing this with animals in the past was much easier for me! Working with only the inner thoughts of the Ganga and limited outward expression forced me to think outside the box, which is why I thought of the Ganga’s entire being reverberating with her rage—something I myself have felt, but never literally experienced in the way the Ganga of my version did. I chose the picture above because it shows a lot of steam blowing off, but it is actually from a volcano—not a giant mystical river! It looks similar to how I imagined the Ganga would have looked, though. The original story tells of another god coming down and literally holding up the Ganga to prevent her from smashing the Earth to pieces. In my version, the anger of the Ganga is what prevents the Ganga from destroying the Earth. I liked this twist because the story becomes more than just a story; it teaches a lesson: when you allow yourself to be angry, you often thwart your own plans. I think this is an important lesson for everyone to learn and one that I myself struggle with more than any other form of self-control and self-discipline.


Bibliography:

Narayan, R.K. (1972) The Ramayana, Naray.