Week 10 Reading B: The War Begins

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 133-179 of The Mahabharata retold by R.K. Narayan. 

• I hate Duryodhana.  He is the new Ravana. 
• Is that really supposed to make a mother feel better?  Don't worry I'll only attack one of your sons.  
• NOOOOOOOO. Bhishma.  Dang it Arjuna fight honorably.  
• Oh Krishna sneaky sneaky.  Reminds of a scene in the movie Hocus Pocus where they trick the witches into thinking it's sunrise by shining car lights through the window.  
• So I guess invincible weapons break after one use?
• For Krishna who first wanted to make peace before the war, he's fighting dirty.  
• Woah Bhima.  Early vampire?  
• Should've listened to Krishna.  He is merciless.  
• Does Krishna get karma for lying and killing everyone?!
• Moral of the story: Never kill ANY animals. 
• Well.  I guess being killed because you were mistaken for an animal is the perfect karma.

(Arjuna and Krishna)

Week 10 Reading Diary A: Duryodhana's Embarrassment

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 85-131 of The Mahabharata retold by R.K. Narayan.  

• How exactly is Duryodhana trying to embarrass the Pandavas?  By making a royal camp?  I can think of worse things.  
• WHAT IS WITH THIS STORY AND DEER?
• See the deer led them to the water.  Just leave deer alone and you won't die.  
• Gift of unrecognizability?  I'm guessing this will turn out bad because it is their 13th year of exile and that's unlucky.  
• Why is Draupadi not in disguises with them?  She's part of the family!
• There is just way too many characters to keep track of in this story…
• It seems whatever the Pandavas try and do they never seem to succeed at… 

(Krishna and the Pandavas)

Week 9 Reading Diary B: The Pandavas Live

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 41-83 of The Mahabharata retold by R.K. Narayan.  

• I guess Karna is not very karmic since he wants war!
• So the Pandavas got the Gandiva bow as a reward for trapping animals and burning a forest?! WHAT?
• Dhritarashtra built an entire assembly hall just to play a game of dice...
• Um what happened at this game of dice.  Thank goodness for Krishna.  
• The second game of dice results in an exile.  Rama's exile is 14 years while the Pandavas is 13.  
• Surya gives them an endless supply of food while in exile!?!
• So living with women is a blessing in disguise?
• This has been a very interesting section.  So much has happened and there' a lot of potential for the storytelling assignment.  

(The Disrobing of Draupadi from the Reading Guide)

Week 9 Reading Diary A: Starting The Mahabharata

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 1-39 of The Mahabharata retold by R.K. Narayan.  

• I'm especially glad that there are reading guides to go along with this book because I just started it and I'm already getting all of the names mixed up!
• This is a harsh punishment for stealing a cow…
• Stealing the cow did not work out to well for Bhishma.  I don't know why he things stealing daughters from a swayamvara is a good idea.
• They have a very strange solution to the problem of not having an heir...
• First time that I've heard of a mantra for obtaining sons from gods…
• Karna is one letter off from Karma.  I'm suspicious.    
• Karna has a similar upbringing to Moses.
• So now Pandu basically has the children of gods.  
• Madri most be irresistible.  
• Wow the sister of a dangerous rakshasa falls in love with the hero.  Influenced by the Ramayana?  
• Draupadi gets 5 husbands!!!! Wow normally it's the men in this time who can have multiple spouses and not the wives!

(Pandu goes hunting)

Week 7 Reading Diary B: Rama's Remorse

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 374-432 of the Ramayana retold by William Buck.  

• Thank goodness for Hanuman.  Things would have turned out very different for Bharata.  
• Manthara asks for forgiveness.  WHAT
• Well at least Sita and Rama had a good 10,000 years...
• UGH THIS MAKES ME SO MAD. LAKSHMANA DO NOT DO THIS.
• Seriously.  Rama makes his brother deal with this situation.  HOW ABOUT YOU GO AND TALK TO YOUR LOVING WIFE.
• I have a hard time believing this is a curse if Rama made the decision himself.  He parted from her himself, instead of it being an effect of karma. 
• He invites Sita's father to the festival but not her..
• My heart broke when Sita asks to prove her innocence.  
• That's how Lakshmana dies :(
• Sorry but I don't like that Rama gets a happy departure.  He disgraced himself in the end, I wish a stronger warrior took him down.  

(Sita Bhumi Pravesh from Wikipedia.)

Week 7 Reading Diary A: Rama vs. Ravana

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 325-373 of the Ramayana retold by William Buck.  

• It's kind of sweet that Shiva, the destroyer god, took Malyavan away from the battle.  
• I would actually like Mandodari if she wasn't married to Ravana.
• So charioteers are like a necessity for gods and demons ?
• The part where Rama cuts Ravana's heads as they grow back reminds me of the quote, "Cut off one head, Two more shall take its place."
• I don't remember the part of Ravana turning into Indra in the other version.  
• I feel like Ravana dies much faster in Buck's retelling. 
• The letter is an interesting addition to the story.
• Sita and Rama make me sad since I know what will happen in the end. 
• And this section ends with a happy ending….for now.  

(Rama in the Pushpaka from the Reading Guide.)

Reading Diary B: Folktales of Bengal Part 2

This Reading Diary details my thoughts from reading Folk-Tales of Bengal by the Rev. Lal Behari Day, with illustrations by Warwick Goble (1912). The Stories include The Ghost-Brahman, A Ghostly Wife, The Story of a Brahmadaitya, The Origin of Rubies, The Ghost who was Afraid of being Bagged and The Bald Wife.  

• I'm confused.  I thought brahmans were the rich ones…
• Talk about getting replaced… A ghost just took the brahman's place with his mother and wife.
• The neat-herd king was very clever in tricking the ghost!  Very unexpected.  
• Dang.  Never brush by a ghost… they might stuff you into a tree trunk hole.
• These stories with ghosts are very superstitious.  I can't believe there are so many tales where ghosts can just simply take the place of humans.
• The ghost kept the house warm by letting her foot burn in the oven… what…
• I understand why the son and mother don't want to live with a ghost but it seems like they're much happier with the work the ghost performs than the woman herself. 
• What is the deal with ghosts and their feet and shoes?  
• Every happy ending has to include the woman bearing sons. 
• "For to die of hunger is no better than to be killed by ghosts."  
• This section should be called "Ghost stories of Bengal."
• Well the Brahmadaitya is a very powerful and convenient friend.  
• Well I guess ghosts can be nice too…
• Wow this is a story where everybody wins.  
• It's not very often that princes are jealous of the youngest brother.  
• Well I too take fashion advice from parrots.  
• Ok well I guess everything worked out for the spoiled prince…
• Why is the ghost afraid of the bag?  I mean at least he would have company!
• Wow he lived happy ever after by being rich and having sons and daughters.  
• The bald woman's story is very karmic.  
• Typical the man doesn't love her until she is pretty.  

(Image of the story "The Origin of Rubies" from the Untextbook.) 

Reading Diary A: Folktales of Bengal

This Reading Diary details my thoughts from reading Folk-Tales of Bengal by the Rev. Lal Behari Day, with illustrations by Warwick Goble (1912).  I read the stories The Evil Eye of Sani, The Boy whom Seven Mothers Suckled and The Origin of Opium.  

• This is the first story that I've read where the gods go to a human to decide a problem.  
• I already see some similarities to the Ramayana.  The wife wants to follow her ill-fortuned husband into exile.  
• Looks like all of the couple's good luck draws a lot of bad attention. 
• Another similarity to Rama, Sribatsa has his wife kidnapped.  
• Thanks to her good luck she became ugly so she would not lose her chastity…
• It seems that his wife got the brunt of all the misfortune in this story.  I mean she was prisoner for a VERY long time.  
• Wow switch out the mangoes for rice and you have King Dasartha.
• Ok this story took a very dark child-eating kind of turn.
• The boy is very clever.  He does not act too hastily.  He carefully plots his opportunity to ruin the evil Queen.  
• Wow I was very surprised with the happy ending.  I did not think every thing would work out!
• Well the mouse is certainly working his way up the food chain. 
• Well I guess the mouse/elephant is sexist.  
• I feel like the opium tie in was just thrown in at the end… That did not make any sense.  

(Image used in The Origin of Opium from the Untextbook.)

Week 5 Reading Diary B: Sita's Second Abduction

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 162-218 of the Ramayana retold by William Buck.  

• Poor Maricha.  He wanted no part of this.  
• She lets her jewelry fall to the monkeys?? Does Hanuman not visit her?! 
• Again much more Ravana backstory. 
• Monkeys and Mangos.  What can ya do. 
• Buffalo demon?!?!?! WHAT
• I can't imagine which is worse.  Plunging an arrow into my own heart or walking into a pyre.  Women from Indian Epics are tough.  
• Oh ok.  Sita just throws down her jewelry to random monkeys and Rama still gives his ring to Hanuman for him to later see in Lanka.  

(Killing of Jatayu by Balasaheb Pant Pratinidhi from Wikipedia.)

Week 5 Reading Diary A: Shurpanakha We Meet Again

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 110-116 of the Ramayana retold by William Buck.  

• I guess if you were going to have your kingdom wrongfully taken away from you, Bharata is the best person to receive it.  
• Aren't these people alive for like 60,000+ years?  14 years of exile seems pretty short..
• Dantes was imprisoned for 14 years in The Count of Monte Cristo.  Ironic.  
• Ooooh.  A warning about the dangerous demon Ravana.  Foreshadowing…
• Is Sita just there to get abducted?  
• A main difference between these two tales are the demons.  There are a lot more demon stories in this version.  
• I can't stand Shurpanakha.  
• I didn't like Shurpanakha in the earlier version, and this part of the epic is basically the same.  So I still don't like her. 

(Rama Spurns The Demon Lover from Wikipedia.)

Week 4 Reading Diary B:

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 58-104 of the Ramayana retold by William Buck.  

• The story of Rama's exile is pretty much the same.  Except Kooni changed to Manthara???
• Oh I hate when the townspeople raise a river and it blocks my path.  Happens all the time.  The only other time I can think of this happening is when the water created a path instead of blocking one.  (Moses)
• So Kaikeyi didn't use one of her wishes on learning the language of animals?  What a waste.  
• It's crazy how diction and description can completely retell these stories.  
• This section was fairly similar to the other version of Rama that we read.  
• It's weird reading "Perfect Rama" over again, he really loses himself towards the end of his life.  
• The priests they meet while in exile do not have much barring on the rest of the epic…

(Painting of Dasartha promising to banish Rama from Wikipedia.)

Week 4 Reading Diary A: Rama in Reverse

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 1-58 of the Ramayana retold by William Buck.  

• This story begins where the other story ended.  
• Valmiki becomes the first poet ever because of his outrage when a hunter kills a bird.  
• Buck tells the story of Rama in a very unique way.  The other story cut out the ending where Rama exiles Sita because the author wanted to leave it on a happier ending.  However in Buck's retelling he opens with the sad ending and uses the lost sons to sing Rama's origin.  
• There is an awful lot of description over how abnormal all of Dasharatha's sons look. 
• Many parts that were not touched on in Narayan's Ramayana  are being told here.  For instance, Ravana destroying parts of heaven and the gods discovering they need a human to destroy Ravana.  It also gives more details on the birth of Ravana. 
• This version really sets up Ravana as the villain instead of him just coming out of nowhere at the end and stealing Sita.  
• Why does Buck go into SO much more detail but decides to cut out Thataka? 
• Honestly now that I know what is going to happen, I just feel bad for Sita.  She basically HAS to marry him, then go into exile with him, be kidnapped because of him, be rejected by him and then be re-exiled again.  Her life sucks.  

("Hermitage of Valmiki" from Wikipedia.) 

Week 3 Readying Diary B: Ravana Battles Rama

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 131-171 of The Ramayana by R.K. Narayan.

• Is Hanuman the original Ant Man?  (a superhero who can shrink smaller or grow bigger) 
• I like that Sita refuses to live in Ravana's palace and keep her penance of living the woods. Even though  in the woods she will be guarded and harassed by demons.
• Maya seems to be the most convenient god to have around.  
• How does Ravana not see his downfall coming when a monkey, one of the two creatures he does not have protection against, burns down his entire kingdom???
• There seems to be quite a lot of brotherly conflict in the Ramayana. 
•  Unlike Ravana, Rama trusts the small voice in his entourage that encourages him to do the right thing. 
• I love that every creature helped put up the bridge, even the squirrel. 
• The story definitely left out that Sita befriended one of the rakshasis…
• How long is this fight going to last if a partially paralyzed Rama can wound Ravana while on Hanuman's back?  
• Ravana will let his palace be destroyed twice before waking Kumbakarna. 
• Ravana still thinks he can't be killed by Rama because he is mortal but I guess he's fine with Rama being strong enough to kill all of his demon friends and family.  
• It's commendable that Rama showed Ravana so much honor during their fight and the sequential funeral for a man that kidnapped his wife.  
• Ok Rama you have proof from Hanuman (your new best friend who has no loyalty to Sita) that she was not being unfaithful and refused Ravana's advances.  After all she's been through she should not have to walk through fire for you.  
• Bharata truly is a man of his word.  
• I'm glad this version ended before the decimation of Rama and Sita's marriage.  After everything I'd much rather read a story with a happy ending.  

("Killing of Indrajit" painting by Balasaheb Pandit Pant Pratinidhi from Wikipedia.)

Week 3 Reading Diary: Meeting the Monkeys

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 89-130 of The Ramayana by R.K. Narayan.

• So I guess Jatayu really was watching over Sita the whole time… 
• Hanuman and Rama experience love at first sight?  
• I see the story of Vali and Sugriva as a foil for Rama and Ravana.  After Rama/Vali pursued a demon and left their forest abode/monkey kingdom.  The main difference is that Lakshmana chased after Rama, where Sugriva ended up staying behind.  If Lakshmana had been there when Sita was kidnapped maybe he and Rama would have more of a tempestuous relationship.  
• Sugriva and Rama have both lost their wives and are in exile.  
• Vali has a lot of profound things to say especially since he just received a life ending injury.  
• Wait is Tara the original wife of Vali or Sugriva's wife?  Where is Sugriva's wife?!
• Rama used to throw clay at Kooni for her hunchbacked appearance!!!! I knew there was a reason for her manipulation.  
• Wow Rama and Lakshmana are great at keeping their oath.  They passed up a monkey palace to sleep in the forest during the raining season.
• Facial details are not important when needing to identify Sita.  Just look for her feet and delicate waist, they're one-of-a-kind. 
• Sampathi had his wings burnt?!  Dang if only he had been able to warn Icarus.  
• I see that the animal kingdom will be the key to defeating Ravana…

(Image Information: Sampati, by Balasaheb Pandit Pant Pratinidhi  from Wikipedia.) 

Week 2 Reading Diary B: The Exile of Rama

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 53-89 of The Ramayana by R.K. Narayan.

• I'm glad that Bharata unlike his mother has a heart, and I love that Bharata and Rama have an intellectual debate on who should rightfully rule the kingdom.  
• If Jatayu, a great eagle, swore to protect Rama, Lakshmana and Sita, then why does he let Kamavalli, Kara's demon army and eventually Ravana all lurk in the forest?  
• Lakshmana is the best brother ever.  He follows Rama into exile, builds them a perfect hut to reside in AND saves Sita from being kidnapped.  I'm starting to feel that maybe Lakshmana should rule over the kingdom.  
• I have to admit that it's pretty clever of Surpanakha to convince Ravana to seize Sita, did not see that coming.   
• How does a golden deer undoubtedly captivate Sita, who abandoned all material possessions of the palace to accompany Rama on his exile in the forest, and make her convince Rama to chase after it?  What if she just thought it was pretty but didn't want it as a pet or anything? I guess the fates work in mysterious ways.  

(Image Information: Picture of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana living in exile in the forest from Wikipedia.)

Week 2 Reading Diary A: Rama's Origin

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts from pages 1- 53 of The Ramayana by R.K. Narayan.

• King Dasharatha biggest problem is that he can't have children, but he has three different wives who can bear him legitimate heirs… I'm having a hard time believing that a guy who lived for 60,000 years with at least three wives was having long lasting fertility problems.  
• Am I the only one who would be kind of pumped if Vishnu reincarnated himself as a monkey rather than a human and took on the ten-headed demon?  
• Definitely noticing a theme of women getting punished by association.  Thataka and Ahalya were both condemned for being around men committing evil deeds that they themselves were not committing.  
• In a way, Indra profited from seducing Ahalya because he became the "thousand-eyed god."  While she was imprisoned in stone to repent for a 100 years.  
• I'm a little sad that all of the details about Rama and Sita's wedding were omitted from the text.  Narayan's version even notes that the wedding preparations "is one of the most fascinating sections of the epic" (33).  If it's so fascinating why aren't any descriptions included?  This is supposed to be the wedding of two reincarnated gods who were previously married in heaven.  This wedding should be X100,000 times better than William and Kate's!  
• What does Kooni gain from having Bharata as king instead of Rama?  I'm so confused why she interfered and changed Kaikeyi's mind because it seems like everyone loves Rama…
• 14 years of exile is very specific.  Does Kaikeyi only want her son to be king for that long?  

(Image Information: Picture of Sita and Rama at their wedding from Wikipedia.)