Course Improvements

Personally, I like the way the course is set up and there isn't much at all that I would change about it. Some of my favorite aspects of the course are: the grace period, the extra credit, and last but not least, the stories that we have to write. For someone who does feels the most motivated to do homework late at night/early morning, I really appreciate the grace period. I definitely overuse it but it has helped me to turn in so many more assignments than I would have if I didn't have that option. As for some feedback on the idea of changing the review weeks to planning weeks, I personally would not agree to it. Not that it isn't a good idea, it's just I rarely stick to any long term plans that I try to make so I don't feel like that option would really work for me but that's just how I am. For others, it could be of great help to them so what I would suggest is giving people the option to do either/or. This way people who prefer one method over the other can choose to do so without being forced to do either one of them.

Reading Notes: Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art, Part C: Ardhanari's Secret and Shiva's Secret Part 1.

(Vishnu and Lakshmi)

In Hinduism, God is represented in many forms. He is best embodied in three couples: Brahma and Saraswati, Vishnu and Lakshmi, Shiva and Shakti.
Brahma: The Creator
Vishnu: The Sustainor
Shiva: The Destroyer
Lakshmi: Wealth
Saraswati: Knowledge
Shakti: Power

Since the river is always changing, one cannot step into it twice.

Shiva is known as the destroyer. He destroys desire, death, and the three worlds.  The three worlds are: our private world, our public world, and the rest. This interprets out to be that Shiva destroys our desire for life, our fear of death, and the need for the world around us. Ash is the symbol of destruction and permanence because it is created by burning things but it itself cannot be burned.

Pattanaik, Devdutt. Seven Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art. Link to videos online.

Portfolio Introduction

The Demon Within the Forest

(Soorpanaka on the ground in pain after her nose was cut off by Lakshmana. Rama and Sita are standing behind him. Image source: Wikipedia.)

 Link to "The Demon Within the Forest" Story

The mother of Rama, Kaikeyi, wants her biological son, Bharata, to become the heir to the throne. She therefore orders Rama, her other son, to be exiled to the forest. The story follows the journey of Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana as they encounter numerous obstacles during Rama's exile. They come to encounter the evil demon, Soorpanaka, who brings danger upon them. Will Rama be able to defeat Soorpanaka and save his family? Read to find out!

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Redemption's the Winner 

(Ravana and Rama battling)

Link to "Redemption's the Winner" Story.

Infuriated, Rama wages a battle with Ravana to save his beloved wife. What will happen when Rama decides to unleash the Maya weapon? Will it be enough for him to save his wife? Or will he leave this battle empty-handed? Read to find out!

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The Reconciliation

 (A figure representing Pandu)

Link to "The Reconciliation" Story

Cursed, King Pandu relives his death over and over again. Will King Pandu be able to break this wretched curse? Or will he be doomed to die in the arms of his wife for eternity? Read to find out!

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How the Mind Kills

(Krishna killing Kamsa)

Link to "How the Mind Kills" Story

After finding out that one of the sons of his sister, Devaki, would one day kill him, Kamsa makes it his mission to stop this horrible fate. Will he be able to maintain his position on the throne? Or will he be doomed to meet this horrible fate? Read to find out!

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The Journey of Mohini

(Mohini)

Link to "The Journey of Mohini" Story

Mohini just can't seem to find her purpose in life. Was she born to just exist? Or is there something bigger in store for her? Read to find out!

The Journey of Mohini

(Mohini)

Mohini never felt like she belonged anywhere. She was adopted when she was a baby so she never got to know her birth parents. In school, Mohini didn’t have any friends. Many would make fun of her due to her being different. See, Mohini somehow always had the ability to attract bugs. Sounds weird right? Well, due to her strange ability, many would avoid even sitting near Mohini. She grew up with only a little bit of love, which was given to her by her adoptive parents. Although Mohini loved her parents dearly, she wanted to experience friendship. She wanted to be normal.

Mohini lived in such a small village that everyone basically knew each other. Her parents worked in the fields, tending to the land of a farmer who supplied a variety of crops a to big company. Their family made just enough money to get by. Their family resided in a small house made of wood. The house itself was old with some of the wood splitting and the tin roof starting to rust but the interior made it feel brand new. Inside the home was where Mohini lived her best memories. Since she never had any friends, Mohini spent most of her time with her family. She loved watching her mother cook and her father working on different chores in the house. This was before they started to work in the fields. Mohini’s parents wanted her to go to a good school so they had to start working in order to pay for it. That’s when Mohini began to feel more and more alone. She had always felt that a part of her was missing but she didn’t know what.

This year, many of the people who worked in the fields were getting laid off. Mohini’s village had been suffering a terrible drought and the since the crops were dying, the farmer wasn’t able to pay some of his workers so he had to let them go, Mohini’s parents included.

Every day, many of the villagers would gather to the center of the village to pray to the Gods. They prayed for an end to this terrible drought. Then one day, an old sage came.

“You need not worry! For the God, Vishnu, will be the one to stop this terrible curse! Legend says that Vishnu will one day come when there is a terrible drought and I believe that that time has finally come. We need not lose hope.”

Everyone thought that the sage was crazy. However, they did not want to lose hope as the sage had said in the case that Vishnu would actually come. They quickly began to prepare offerings to the God. Many brought fruits while other hunted animals. They earnestly waited the arrival of their savior.

At first, Mohini was happy that her parents no longer had a job. Now, she could once again spend time with them. However, her parents were deeply saddened by the whole ordeal. One day, when Mohini was on her way to the bathroom, she overheard her mom crying. This was the first time she had seen her mom sad. She didn’t know what to do so she ran out of the house. She ran all the way to the village. There, she saw the offerings that the villagers had prepared for Vishnu and it made her angry.

“Why aren’t you here? Why haven’t you saved us from this horrible drought?”

Mohini began to cry. She cried and cried. Then, as Mohini's tears hit the ground a single drop of rain hit her cheek. She looked up and suddenly, it began to pour. Everyone gathered to the center of the village and rejoiced. Then they began to look for Vishnu, who the sage had said would be the one to bring the rain. Suddenly, a bright light appeared and Vishnu now stood where Mohini had. The people gasped in shock of the sight they had witnessed.

“Hello, everyone. As you may have noticed, I am Vishnu. I have been asleep for centuries, waiting for the day that I would be needed. Your cries of help have awakened me.”

“Wait, so are you Mohini?” asked a villager.

“Mohini and I are one. She is me and I am her.”

So that’s how Mohini found the missing piece in her life. She had always gone about wondering what her purpose was. She always felt out of place, but not anymore. Mohini was the female form of Vishnu. With this newfound knowledge, Mohini lived her life helping others. She would become the light that would guide people. She would be the hand that reached out to those in need. She became the person who they needed when times were rough. Lastly, she would finally become the person she had always wanted to be for herself.


Author's Note:

For last week’s reading, I read about Mohini. She is known as the female form of Vishnu. In history, Mohini is known as a goddess that enchants lovers which ultimately leads to their doom. In my story, I wanted to portray her in a different light. I made it to where she didn’t know that she was the female version of Vishnu in order to create a story that would explain to the audience how she came to find out she was. She finds out who she was after it was her tears that caused the rain to finally pour. My story portrays the journey of a girl who was once lost but has now found her true calling in life. I chose this topic because it is one that can be applied to all aspects of life no matter the time we live in. Since I did not base my story off of another story, but off of the fact that Mohini was known as the female form of Vishnu, I don’t have much to explain in my author’s note. I just wanted to try and write a more modern story while still applying original Hindu teachings that were well known. I would still like to expand more on different parts of the story. I hope you will enjoy!

Bibliography

Pattanaik, Devdutt. Seven Secrets of Vishnu. Link to videos online.

Wikipedia: Mohini. 

Reading Notes: Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art, Part A: Ganesha.

(Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, and Kartikeya)

The wife of the God, Shiva, is Parvati.  Their children are Ganesha and Kartikeya. In Hinduism, Shiva is one of many Gods. The Gods in Hinduism aren't always male either. Many of which are female. such as Shiva's wife, Parvati. Unlike many other religions, Hinduism is not based off of one idea, but rather many ideas that join together to make up who they know to be God.  Myth is an idea that comes from my world and not the world. Shiva embodies the emotions ranging from: fear to love, and domination to affection. The four heads of Brahma represent the four expressions of Veda, the four goals of life, which are:

Dharma- righteous conduct

Artha- economic activity

Kama- pleasurable pursuits

Moksha- spiritual practices

Turmeric is a golden herb associated with antiseptic properties. It's bright yellow color is associated with gold.  The wives of Vishnu are Shri and Bhu. They are the Goddesses of wealth and earth. Kama is the Hindu cupid who is associated with the parrot and lotus.


Bibliography

Pattanaik, Devdutt. Seven Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art. Link to videos online.

Wikipedia Trail: From Mohini to the Peripheral Nervous System.

(Mohini)

First, I started with Mohini. From there, I found that in the Mahabharata, Mohini appears in the form of Vishnu in order to take back the pot of Amrita from the asuras. Then from there, I found that remedies against leprosy can be found in plants that asuris have projected their powers into. Lastly from there, I found that leprosy is primarily a disease of the peripheral nervous system.

Reading Notes: Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art, Part B: Narayan.

(Narayan)

The world exists when Narayan is awake and ceases to exist when he is asleep. He sleeps on an ocean of still milk. It is a representation of possibility because Narayan is asleep, the world is nothing. However, when he is awake, there are many things that can become of the milk. The world isn't actually gone when Narayan sleeps. It's just that no one is aware of anything so we say that is ceases to exist. When Narayan finally opens his eyes, the world ceases to be as pure as it once was. the consciousness, which the video compares to a "uncreased piece of paper", is now creased. This "creased consciousness" is known as Brahma. when Narayan is awake, he is known as Vishnu.

Lakshmi- Goddess of wealth.
Tumburu- celestial musician.
Pralaya- the end of the world

Unlike in many of the Greek and Biblical worldviews, death is considered the end. In Hinduism, however, death is seen as a "comma", meaning that there is something that comes after it i.e. it is not a full stop.

Bibliography

Pattanaik, Devdutt. Seven Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art. Link to videos online.

Reading Note: Seven Secrets of Vishnu, Part A: Mohini.

(Vishnu)

Mohini is the female form of Vishnu. Reality that you can experience through your senses is called material reality and it is represented by females. On the other hand, there is a type of reality that you cannot experience through your senses. This is called spiritual reality and it is represented by males. These two realities are interdependent of each other. Without one, you cannot have the other. This dependent nature of the two realities is expressed as a human couple in Hindu mythology.  This mythology focuses a lot on the couple: the man and the woman. There are many physiological differences between a man and a woman that led to them be associated with the reality that they are now. Men create life outside of their body while women create life inside of theirs. Vishnu's sacred mark is known as the vertical namam. It includes both realities.

Material Reality: Red because it is the color of blood which sustains life
Spiritual Reality: White because it is the color of bones which keeps us upright.

Spiritual growth is one's ability to have material things while being able to overcome while still being able to enjoy them without greed. A goddess called is created because Brahma yearns for comfort. Maya constantly changes herself. That is why she is often seen as a delusion.

Culture: the world imagined and contructed by man with maya is known as Brahmanda.

Bibliography

Pattanaik, Devdutt. Seven Secrets of Vishnu. Link to videos online.

Wikipedia Trails: From Draupadi to Neurons.

(Draupadi being dragged from her chamber)

First, I started with Draupadi. Then, I found that she had joke around and said "A blind man's son is blind", whenever she saw Duryodhana fall into the water. From there, I found that blindness can be caused by problems that occur in the brain. And lastly, from there, I found that the brain is composed of two types of cells: neurons and glial cells

Story: How the Mind Kills.

(Kamsa getting warned by a goddess.)

After hearing that a son of his sister, Devaki, would one day bring about his death, Kamsa vowed to kill each and every one of her children. He wanted to make sure that no one would jeopardize his position as ruler of Mathura.


On the fifth night of the winter season, Devaki gave birth to her first son. Kamsa heard of this and made his way to where she was. Devaki knew of her brother’s evil plan so she had previously made plans with her husband, Vasudeva, and arranged for her son to be taken away to a safe place. Upon his arrival, Kamsa was furious to find out what his sister had done. As punishment, he ordered for her to be locked in a prison for the rest of her life.


The caretaker of Devaki’s son, Yashoda, named him Krishna. She nursed him as if he were her own. As he grew, Yashoda came to find out that Krishna was no ordinary child. One day when she found out that Krishna had been eating mud, she immediately tried to remove it by telling him to open his mouth. However, when she looked inside, it wasn’t mud that she found. Instead, inside Krishna’s mouth, Yashoda saw the entire universe.


At the age of fifteen, the city of Mathura were well aware of who Krishna was. Everyone recognized the greatness that he offered. At this age, Krishna also came to find out from Yashoda about his evil uncle.


The city of Mathura was a beautiful one. People roamed the streets while animals grazed the grass. However, Mathura was known for its powerful earthquakes. With one shake, thousands of innocent people lost their homes. Krishna wanted a structure that could withstand these powerful quakes so he asked the divine architect, Vishwakarma, to build him one.


“I have constructed you the world’s first indestructible building. However, there is one thing that can cause this building to fall: lead. Unfortunately, I am deathly allergic to it and therefore I don’t have knowledge of the material which is why I could not protect the building from it. So as long as lead does not touch these walls, the building will continue to stand tall.”


Devaki waited ten years before conceiving her second child. She thought that surely by now her brother would have let go of the thought that one of her children would kill him. However, she was terribly mistaken. One by one, Kamsa took Devaki's children from her and killed them. Kamsa would take her child to the forest and kill it by throwing it against the wall of what looked like an abandoned building. He loved his sister dearly but he couldn’t risk giving up his position. This horrible routine continued on for years. Kamsa constantly lived in fear that Devaki’s next child would be the one to kill him. This strain caused him to become delusional.


After he gained news that Devaki had had another child, he rushed to claim it. He once again proceeded to the abandoned building in the forest and continued his routine like normal. All of a sudden, the ground started to shake and the building collapsed, trapping Kamsa inside of it. It turns out that due to his mind being destroyed by the constant fear that he would someday die, Kamsa had hallucinated. He had thought that he was carrying the baby from the prison where his sister was kept to the forest when in fact he had grabbed a small statue from his home. That statue turned out to be made of lead and the building that he would go to in order to kill the babies was the building that Vishwakarma had built for Krishna.


In the end, Kamsa died not from one of Devaki’s children, but from the fault of his own deranged mind. After the whole ordeal, Krishna was finally reunited with his mother and he became the king of Mathura. People no longer had to live in fear. The city flourished under Krishna’s rule.




Author's Note:

In the original story, Krishna is born as the eighth child. The person who told Kamsa of his fate told him that it would be the eighth child of his sister that would one day kill him. Kamsa locks up his sister and her husband as a result of that. In order to make the story flow the way I wanted it to, I made it to where Krishna would be the firstborn child. That way, it would allow for Devaki, Kamsa’s sister, to have more children that Kamsa would kill over the years. I wanted him to be continuously exposed to this in order to show why he became mentally ill. In the original story, Krishna does return to the city of Mathura and kills his uncle. This caused an uproar amongst the allies of Kamsa. They began to continuously attack the city which prompted Krishna to take action. He asked the divine architect, Vishwakarma, to build him a new city, the city of Dwarka. In my story I made it to where Vishwakarma built him a building, which was where Kamsa would go to kill Devaki's children. As you can see, I decided to focus more on Kamsa than on Krishna, as it is in the original story. I wanted to demonstrate to the audience how powerful the mind can really be. The irony in the story was that in the end Kamsa wasn’t killed by any of Devaki’s children, but by his own mind. He brought about his own demise because he wanted to keep his power.




Bibliography

Epified TV (India). Krishna. Link to videos online.

Reading Notes: Epified Krishna, Part B.

(Krishna and Balram meet their parents)

I loved the story about how Brahma came to realize the greatness that was Krishna. It really goes to show how great he (Krishna) really is to not only the people around him but also to the people who he had never met before. Krishna used kindness to get close to Hastin, who everyone had feared. He showed them that with just a bit of if, you could do great things. I wonder what was in the water that Akrur used to wash his face that caused him to see hallucinations. In the town Krishna and Balram met a woman named Trivakra. She was an old woman with 3 deformities: a twisted neck, a hunched back, and a paralyzed knee. It turns out that someone had told Trivakra that it would be the son of  Vasudev that would be able to heal her deformities. When she realized that that son was Krishna, she asked him to heal her and he did. After finally defeating Kans, Krishna was able to free all of his family members that were once imprisoned by him (Kans). After Kans died, Ugrasen became the king of Mathura. Now that Kans was dead, many of his allies attacked Mathura. Due to this, Krishna asked Ugrasen to move the city in order to keep the members of the city safe. After much convincing, Ugrasen asked Vishwakarma, the divine architect. to build the city of Dwarka. In this new city, Krishna became king.

Bibliography
Epified TV (India). Krishna. Link to videos online. 

Wikipedia Trail: From Kunti to Birthdays.

(Pandu and Kunti)

First, I started with Kunti. From there, I found out that she perished in a forest fire and attained heaven. From there, I discovered that in Greek thought, the immortal soul will return to the one who created it after death. Then from there, I found out that Judaism does not celebrate one's birth i.e. their birthday like we do, but one's death.

Reading Notes: Epified Krishna, Part A.

(Krishna and Radha)

Krishna worked hard to protect the ones that he loved. He had a strong distinction of right from wrong. I like this characteristic of him. Due to him hearing that the 8th son of his sister, Devaki, would cause his demise, Kamsa tried to kill her and her husband. Since he did love his sister very much, he locked them up in prison instead and killed every child they had. He killed the first 6 newborn by smashing them against the wall. The 7th son was transferred into the womb of another. This tricked Kamsa into thinking that Devaki had a miscarriage.  Vasudev followed the voice in his head and ended up switching him with Maya, the daughter of Yashoda. when Kamsa tried to kill the baby girl, it turned out to be Durga. Putana ended up being a demoness in disguise. She tried to kill Krishna by feeding him her poisonous milk but in the end, Krishna didn't die from her milk but he actually consumed it and her powers as well. Krishna became famous as "the boy who stole butter". When Yashoda found that Krishna was eating mud, she tried to get him to remove it by telling him to open his mouth. However as she looked inside, she found that his mouth contained everything: the universe, the sun, the moon, everyone, etc. Krishna's brother from another mother was Balram. In the forest where everyone played, there was a lake that was the home to Kalia the snake. He challenged the snake after finding that a bunch of his friends had died from the poisoned air and water. He danced on the head of Kalia and it caused her to leave the lake and therefore the poison in it disappeared. After the townspeople decided to shift their worshipping to the Govardhan hill, Indra was angered. He attacked their homes with thunder and lightening but Krishna sheltered with the hill by lifting it with his little finger. Krishna was in love with Radha, who had the purest of hearts. She would always put his safety first no matter what.

Bibliography
Epified TV (India). Krishna. Link to Reading Guide. 

Wikipedia Trails: From Carol Dweck to the Human Gastrointestinal Tract.

(Carol Dweck: Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset)

First, I started with Carol Dweck. From there, I found out that she was a professor of psychology at Stanford University. From there, I found that the son of the founders of the university had died of typhoid fever. Lastly, from there, I found that the cause of typhoid fever is from a bacterium called salmonella typhi that grows in the intestines and blood stream.

Week 8 Growth Mindset: Becoming a Better Writer

(Tree growing out of a book)

In this class, I have been able to discover several of my strengths. I had always thought of myself as being a poor writer. I never thought that I had the creativity needed to write an interesting story. I use to always dread writing essays so I eventually equated that to writing stories. However, as the semester progressed and I wrote more and more stories, I was able to discover that I was actually a better writer than I gave myself credit for. I realized this from the many positive feedback that I received from my peers. Even though writing stories in this class is an assignment, I still found myself wanting to do it. I didn’t feel as if it hindered my willingness to write. I really like how Laura made the class a fun learning environment. The assignments don’t even seem like assignments. She also gives us more than enough chances for extra credit so that we have the opportunity to rest. This helps me a lot since for some weeks, my creativity would be quite low. I will continue to try and practice my writing skills as the semester progresses.

Week 8 Reflections: Connecting With Others

(Person writing words on the board)

Throughout the semester, I have had the chance to read many stories, both good and bad. I got to observe the many different writing styles of my peers. From this, I have obtained a pretty good idea on what I like and dislike in a story. One of the things that I like in a story is action. Even if the author's writing style is not very good, I feel like having action in the story makes up for that. I admire people who are able to write in a way that doesn't look like they're trying to write a story but rather the story just naturally flows. Some habits that I see a lot include the absence of a  good climax in the story. I will go through the whole story without feeling any excitement due to the fact that the story did not have any turning point that really made me want to finish it. Also most of the time, I believe people do not add enough back story to their character. Most of the people who do this tend to have a pretty anticlimactic plot, which is why I suggest they add more of a backstory to their character. I feel as if it would make their story flow a little better while adding some interesting elements to it. I do feel as if I am slacking a bit in my feedback. I mainly focus on their plot when I'm reading their story. However sometimes, it's actually their grammar that is causing the issue. In the future, I would like to be more in-depth with my feedback by also commenting on the formatting of their story i.e. their grammar and the overall layout of their writing. Everyone is a good writer and with the help of our peers and instructors, we can all improve and move closer to becoming a great one.

Wikipedia Trail: From Drona to Herbivores

(Drona commanding the Kuru army)

First, I started out with Drona. From there, I found out that he had discovered a dog that had arrows jammed in it's mouth. These arrows were later found out to be shot by one of his unknown pupils, Ekalavya. From there, I found that dogs are naturally predators and that now all predators are carnivorous, some are herbivores.

Reading Notes: Epified Mahabharata, Part B.

(Ekalavya)

If I remember correctly, I believe that is was a Brahmin had cursed Pandu for shooting him. He cursed Pandu to died in the arms of his loved one. In the epified version however, Pandu is cursed to die whenever he becomes intimate with a woman. It is interesting to see the slight variations in the different versions of the Mahabharata. I did not know that this was a curse that had haunted Hastinapur for many generations.  I was under the impression that it was a curse that was uniquely created for Pandu due to his actions. Yama is the the god of not only death but also truth. Pandu named his first son Yudhishthir. It was funny to see that their second son, Bhima, broke the rock he had fallen onto. Kunti refused to use the mantra anymore after the birth of their third son, Arjun. Kunti helped Madri have 2 sons and there were the 5 sons of Pandu. Madri took the leap of faith as she jumped into the fires with her dead husband. I was shocked to see that Ghandari had given birth to a lump of flesh. Vyasa did not want to harm the lump so he divided it into 100 pieces and placed them all into vats of oil. The first son to emerge was Duryodhana. They all looked demonic. Durodhana became jealous of all the love that Bhima was receiving. Duryodhana tries to push Bhima into the lake while he was in a deep sleep due to the laced food that he had eaten. Vasuki, the ruler of the serpent world, gives Bhima powers. They met Drona while trying to retrieve a ball from the well. Bhishma makes him their teacher. They all met Ekalavya  in the forest when they saw how he had shut a dog up by jamming a bunch of arrows in the dog's mouth. It turns out Ekalavya had learned his archery skills from Drona, well kind of, he hand crafted an image of Drona after being rejected by him and practiced in front of that and became the world's best archer. Drona did not want him to beat Arjuna so he made Ekalavya cut off his right thumb and he did not hesitate to follow the orders of his guru.

Bibliography
Epified TV (India), The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution. Link to video online.

Reading Notes: Epified Mahabharata, Part A

(Bhishma)

Whenever I read something, I tend to just go over it without fully understanding everything that's happening. While I do know the overall plot-line of the story, I can sometimes overlook the important details. One of the main things that surprised me was the telling of how the first son of Shantanu, Devavrata, became Bhishma. I must have overlooked that part of the original Mahabharata because that was definitely news to me.
I really liked viewing the Mahabharata as an animation because it helped me to take the visuals that I had in my head and actually bring them to life.
I enjoyed watching about how Gandhari blindfolded herself for life in order to be equal to her husband, Dhritrasthra. Even though all of Hastinapur was happy for their marriage, Gandhari's brother, Shakuni (the future king of Gandhar).

Bibliography
Epified TV (India), The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution. Link to video online. 

Wikipedia Trail: From Arjuna to Watermills.

(A statue of Arjuna)

I first started with Arjuna. From there, I found that Arjuna had saved his teacher from the attack of a crocodile. From there, I found that American crocodiles are sometimes found in rivers which can be used as a source of power for mechanisms such as the watermill.

Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Section D.

(Draupadi and Yudhishthira gambling)

It is very unfortunate that Bhisma died simply die to the fact that Shikhandin (Amba) was a woman, or born one. In the end, I had always thought that the Pandavas would be able too exact their revenge and win. It was low of the Pandavas to kill Drona by fooling him, saying his son was dead. Their intentions don't seem as pure. After reading about how Bhima drank the blood of Duhsasana, I was very shocked. I kind of want to include the fact that he enjoyed in my story to show more of his sadistic side. Arjuna ended up killing Karna after Krishna brought up the son of Arjuna. Duryodhana ended up hiding under the water even as the battle continued. The fight has been going on for so long that I feel like at this point, there is no winner. Even if there were to be a victor, it wouldn't feel like a victory since so many of people's loved ones were lost along the way.

I wonder why a horse was chosen as the animal of sacrifice for the Ashwamedha cermony. Draupadi became the queen of sacrifice. I love the story that the mongoose told about how a family gave up all their food to their guest even though they were starving themselves. In the end, it was revealed that they had fed Dharma. It goes to show that the people who have the least, give the most. I like how in the end, Vyasa brought everyone back to life. It allowed them to feel happy after learning their lesson the hard way.

Bibliography: Public Domain Mahabharata. Link to reading online.  

Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Section C

(Arjuna and the Gandava (the divine bow))

It is interesting to see how Sita willingly follows Rama into exiles with no regrets while Draupadi very much shows her dislike of her fate and continues to weep about what she use to have. I loved reading about how Arjuna came to be able to live on air alone. It really showed the audience how much determination he held as a person. Gandava, the divine bow, sounds like it would be an interesting component to possibly include in my story.

Indra: King of gods

Varuna: God of waters

Yama: King of the dead

Kuber: Lord of treasures

For some reason, I was very surprised to see the epic mention a car (Indra’s great car). Karna sacrificed his invincibility, his armor and his earrings, to Indra in return for an invincible dart that could kill a single person. However, if the dart was used when Karna still had weapons or if he was not at the breaking point, the dart would kill him instead. I wonder why Bhima left five locks of Jayadratha’s hair instead of cutting in all off. As I read more and more, Draupadi continues to reveal herself as a bad person. She is even called the dark princess in the story. I wonder what she will do in the future. I really appreciate Karna because he still chose to stay loyal to the people he called his friends even after finding out that he was the child of Queen Kunti. I am intrigued by Ghatokatcha, who has the power to change his shape and create illusions.

Bibliography
Public Domain Mahabharata. Link to reading online. 

Wikipedia Trails: From Bhima to Monks.

(Bhima. image source: Wikipedia)

First, I started out with Bhima, from there I found that he was a master at using the mace, which is a weapon that has a heavy head on one end. From there, I found that universities display maces in order to symbolize authority. From there, I found that in many of the older universities, or medieval universities, such as Christian cathedral schools or monastic schools, monks and nuns actually taught the classes.

Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Part B

(Bhima standing. Image source: Wikipedia)

I found the part where Bhima carried his whole family on his body was very interesting. The bald baby that Bhima and Hidimbi had that was named Ghatotkacha for "pot-headed" made me chuckle. Baka devouring the men sounds like it could be an interesting component to add to my story. I really enjoyed the story of how Prince Arjuna saved the cursed water nymphs. The story of how Agni came to feed his hunger was fun to read. I liked the idea of how his hunger was subdued by the forest since he was the god of fire. It was an interesting surprise. my favorite part of this section was the part where the soul of Sishupala ended up being drawn to Krishna and therefore entered his body. I like this because it allowed for him to continue to live on but in another form. When Bhima drank his own blood, it definitely caused a fright for me. it was a great, while not to great, way of grabbing the people's attention.

Bibliography
Public Domain Mahabharata, link to the reading online.

Story: The Reconciliation.

(A temple in the town of Hastinapur. Image source: Wikipedia.)

There once lived a king who ruled over the land of Hastinapur. His name was Pandu. He grew up in an environment that taught him that it was okay to harm people in order to get what you wanted. He grew up to be a king that many people hated but more people feared.

King Pandu loved to hunt. He felt a sense of satisfaction when the arrow would hit the animal. One day, he decided to take a break from his duties and go hunting. The forest was dim due to the many trees that provided shade to the ground. As King Pandu ventured deeper, he encountered two deer. Excited at his discovery, he drew his bow and aimed. They dropped to the ground. Pandu ran over to his catch excitedly only to find that the two deer had now taken the form of humans. It turned out that King Pandu had accidentally shot a Brahmin couple. The two were taking their last few breaths when the Brahmin whispered a curse.

“For this wretched deed you have done, I curse you to forever die in the arms of your wife.”

Pandu quickly ran out of the forest and tried to forget the events that had happened that day.

Pandu felt anxious over what had happened so he tried to sleep it off. That night, he dreamed. He dreamed of the time when he was pure, of the time when he had not been exposed to the evil of society. He suddenly awoke by the sound of a rooster.

“Well, that was an odd dream.”

King Pandu then went about his day. He got dressed and took a stroll around town. While walking through the marketplace, a kid bumped into him. He was taken aback at first but then moved on. When he came back to the palace, he was greeted by his favorite wife, Madri.

“How are you today, my sire? Isn’t it nice to finally see the sun after the rainy season?”

“Yes, it is, my dear.”

They proceeded to take a romantic stroll through the palace. The smell of fresh flowers filled the air. The couple walked along a long path that led to a field of flowers. Suddenly someone stepped in the middle of their path.

“Who are you?”

Out of nowhere, the strange man drew his bow and shot Pandu right in the chest. The king fell into the lap of his wife and died. Suddenly, Pandu woke up again in his bed.

“What just happened? Was it really just a dream?”

Confused, Pandu once again started to get ready for the day. He started with his usual stroll through town. Then, a little kid bumped into him. Wasn’t that the same kid from my dream, he wondered to himself. He continued on his stroll and then headed home. He was greeted once again by his wife.

“How are you today? Isn’t it nice to finally see the sun after the rainy season?”

“Why are you asking me the same thing again?”

“What are you talking about? This is the first time I have asked you this.”

Puzzled, King Pandu decided to brush it off. He and his wife began to take a stroll through the palace to try and take his mind off of the matter. Suddenly, as they were strolling along the path, a man appeared. He looked very similar to the man in Pandu’s dream. This time Pandu wanted to know who this mysterious man was. However, right as he was about to speak, the man drew his arrow and shot the king to his death. King Pandu once again awoke in his bed. This cycle occurred continuously. To King Pandu, months seemed to pass but to everyone else, it was just a new day.

Pandu started to think about what the Brahmin had said to him before he died. He wanted to seek answers but could not since the Brahmin was dead.

The next day, Pandu got ready as usual. He got dressed and proceeded to stroll in town. As he was walking, he saw the group of children running around. He braced for the impact of the child that was going to run into him but nothing happened. The child was nowhere to be seen. King Pandu then went to find the child because he thought that the child could be the solution to this miserable cycle. He began to search far and wide for the child. Then, he heard a loud screech.

Pandu decided to follow the sound. He followed it all the way to the forest. He couldn’t seem to pinpoint the source of it, so he decided to give up. As he turned back around, there stood the child.

“Who are you?”

“I am the lost soul of Brahmin. I have followed you around in order to make sure that the curse I placed on you carries through.”

“How could you make sure? You are only a child.”

“Think again, my confused one. I am not only the child that bumped into you every day, but I am also the man that killed you as well. I wanted you to pay tenfold for what you had done to me and my wife. I wanted you to suffer because I thought that it would bring me peace in the afterlife. However, I was wrong. I know now that in order to leave this world peacefully, I must make amends with you. So I stand here today to forgive you. I hope this not only helps you to realize the importance of a life, but also be a better person.”

With that, a bright light appeared and the Brahmin proceeded to walk into it. After that event, King Pandu began to change his ways. He became kinder to the people who worshipped him. He became more aware of how much life had to offer him. Last but not least, he became the person he once was. He became Pandu.

Author’s Note

For my story, I decided to once again keep many of the original components of the Mahabharata while still adding my own twist. In the original story, King Pandu accidentally kills the Brahmin and his wife in disguise while he was hunting. The Brahmin then places a curse saying that King Pandu would die in the arms of his wife. I decided to keep that part of the story. To make my story more interesting, I wanted to add an interesting twist. I decided to make it to where Pandu had to continuously relive his death. I forgot to add earlier that this idea was inspired by one of my favorite shows, Supernatural. In the show, one of the brothers has to continuously relive his older brother's death. This was the work of a trickster. In my version, I wanted these events to be the result of a curse. I did this to Pandu because I didn't want to actually kill him. I wanted him to not only survive, but to also learn that what he did was wrong and to pay for his sins. In the original book, the Brahmin and Pandu simply died without any continuation of their story. I wanted them to make amends with each other in order to create a happier ending which is why I brought the Brahmin back in the form of a lost soul. That way, he would be able to release the anger that he felt towards Pandu while also letting go of his past in order for him to successfully leave the world in peace.

Bibliography

Public Domain Mahabharata. Link to the reading online.

Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Part A.

1

(Drona drawing his bow. Image source: wikipedia)

1

Vyasa and Ganesha

Vyasa was the author of the Mahabharata but Ganesha was the one who was the scribe. The semen of Uparicha, king of Chedi fell into a river and after a female fish swallowed it, there was a boy and a girl that emerged. The girl’s name was Satyavati. I kind of got confused how they mention a child being born (Vyasa) out of nowhere.


King Shantanu and Ganga

Ganga made a deal to become the mother of the 8 Vasuses. King Shantanu came to become fond of her and made his wife. Ganga agreed under the condition that they would split up if he ever muttered a word of harshness to her. Every time she had one of the Vagauses, she would drown them in the Ganges River. At first, the king didn’t want to say anything to her about it because he didn’t want her to leave him but in the end he did. She left him but before she did she gave him her last child who was named Devavrata.


King Shantanu and Satyavati

Parashara promises to get rid of Satyavati’s odor if she became the mother of his child. Vyasa left his mother and her odor disappeared as well. She was once again a virgin. Satyavati’s “father” refused to let her marry Shantanu until her son Vyasa would be promised the heir to the throne. In the end she refused because she could not leave her son Devavrata.


Devavrata’s Vow

Devavrata says that if he cannot make the fisherman’s daughter his wife, then he would never accept his place as heir to the throne. Satyavati got married to the king and gave birth to 2 sons, Chitrangada and Vichtravirya.


 Bhishma at the Swayamvara

After Bhishma’s father (Shantanu) died, he wanted to find his half-broter Vichitravirya a wife. The three daughter of the king of Benares-Amba, Ambikia, and Ambalika- were the candidates.


 Amba

Amba was rejected by both Bhishma and the man she truly loved, the king of Shalwas. She tied her failed love to Bhishma and causing his demise was now her goal. She summoned the Great God Shiva by fasting and going through intense regimes. She asked Shiva to slay Bhishma. He said that if she wanted to she must become a man and a warrior. She enters a fire and destroys her old body in order to obtain a new one.


 Dhritarashtra and Pandu

Queen Satyavati asks Bhishma to become the father of the future heirs to the king but he couldn’t so her other son Vyasa did and he had Dhritarashtra (blind) with Ambika and Pandu (pale) with Ambalika.


 Kunti and Her Son

King Pandu had two wives named Kunti and Madri. Kunti secretly had a son with the god of the sun, Surya. He was named Karna. She was ashamed of what she had done so she set Kunti afloat into a river in a basket. The couple, Radha and Adhiratha, found him and were very ecstatic since they could not have a son of their own.


 Pandu and His Wives

Pandu accidentally shot two deers who ended up being a Brahmin and his wife in disguise. He was cursed to die in one of his wives arms.


The Sons of Pandu

King Pandu dies in the arms of his favorite wife, Madri. Kunti and Madri argue. They both want to die for their beloved husband. In the end Madri died by throwing herself into flames.


Gandhari and Dhritarashtra

I loved the use of the word ass. The kind urged Bhishma to abandon his son, Duryodhana because he was cursed. In the end he didn’t.


Pandavas and Kauravas

The blind king, Dhritarashtra, protected the 5 heirs to kind Pandu after hearing and mourning his (Pandu) death.


Bhima and the Nagas

Duryodhana poisoned Bhima and threw him in the Ganges River. There were snakes in the river that tried to poison him but failed since their poison counteracted with his poison. Bhima sunk to the underworld (city of serpents).


Drona, Son of Bharadwaja

Drona thought that he and Drupada were companions but Drupada considered him a “luckless beggar”.


Drona Trains the Princes

Drona trains the princes to become warriors to fight Drupada. Arjuna was had the best warrior skills. Nakula could tame steeds (horses). Sahadeva was a strong swordsman. Drona liked Arjuna the best out of the 3.


 Ekalavya
Ekalavya wanted to be instructed by Drona to be an archer but Drona refused because he didn’t want to teach him how to use weapons. Drona was saved by a man who wanted to become his pupil. Drona said that if he wanted to be his pupil he would have to give him the thumb of his right hand and he did. Since his thumb was now gone he now drew the bow with his middle fingers and everyone followed his style and that is how it all started


The Contest

All the disciples now engage in a tournament in order to display their skills as a warrior.


The Arrival of Karna

Karna is the son of Surya. He states that he will accomplish all of the things that Arjuna did in the tournament and succeeded. Duryodhana liked Karna a lot. Arjuna was very angry about this. They prepared to engage in a battle. In the end, people started to doubt the strength of Arjuna.


Drona’s Revenge

The Pandavas and Kauravas now prepared to battle Drona’s enemies. The Kauravas were defeated. Arjuna was able to capture Drupada. Drupada then asks Drona if he had not remembered that they were once friends. Drona said they could be friends once again if he could possess half of the kingdom and Drupada agreed.


 Duryodhana’s Jealousy

Duryodhana is getting fed up with how he keeps falling behind of Drona.






Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata, Link to reading guide A.

Feedback Focus

(Cat Focus Meme. Image source: Created by me on Cheezburger)

1. Reading out loud.

I found this technique to be really helpful as it helped me to focus much better on my book. Whenever I was reading Narayan’s version of the Ramayana, I took pictures of the book on my phone so that I would have it everywhere I went. This, however, caused me to often lose my place in the book since I did not have a physical copy in my hand and therefore I could not mark the place I left off at. Also whenever I did try to read where I had left off, I often times would end up rereading a part only to realize that I had done so when it was too late. By reading the story out loud, I was able to remember exactly where I left off. It also helped me to not get tired or bored while I was reading.

2. Copy-and-Delete.

This technique made the story seem to be much shorter than it was. Since this technique calls for deleting the paragraph that the comment was made on it made the story seem shorter. It felt as if I was crossing off the tasks I had completed. It also made it really simply to know what I had read since I made short comments along the way. This is similar to rewriting your notes for a class after you’ve written them in class.

3. Use a Timer

The timer was a great use in helping me focus. During the time allotted for each story I was able to solely focus on the task at hand without giving in to any distractions. It was like I was in a race against time. In my spare time I had the opportunity to go back and reread the parts that I found confusing the first time around.


Overall Thoughts

While all these strategies were very helpful individually, I would have to say that if I had to rank them from most useful to the least, I would go from the first one being the “reading out loud” tip, the second being the “Use a Timer” tip, and the last being the “Copy-and-Delete” tip. For me, the areas in which I have the most difficulty with when reading a story is: staying awake while reading it and reading it in an efficient and timely manner. With the first tip, since I am reading it aloud, I am able to make sure that I stay awake. With the third tip, I am able to set a certain time frame for me to finish a task which will help me to stay on task.

Story: Redemption's the Winner.

(A valiant looking Rama. Image Source: Wikimedia.)

The battle raged on and on. Ravana had begun to reach his breaking point. He utilized most of the resources that were available to him but to no avail. Rama seemed invincible as he countered all of Ravana’s attacks one-by-one, but Ravana was determined not to give up. When it seemed as if Ravana had nothing else to offer, Rama thought that it was time to end this strenuous fight. He decided to try and use the “Maya”, an ancient weapon that allowed to user to confuse his/her opponent by creating illusions. Ravana started to charge at Rama with full force. Upon stepping within arms distance of Rama, Ravana suddenly entered another dimension.

“What just happened? Where am I?”

Ravana began to wander around aimlessly in search of an exit. He walked for awhile until he reached a tunnel. He saw a light at the end of the tunnel so he began to walk towards it. As he reached the end, he faintly heard the voice of a woman. Suddenly a blinding light impaired his vision as he exited the tunnel. When his eyes refocused on the scene, he found himself to stand before a woman holding a child. At first, Ravana was confused by the whole picture. However, as he examined the woman more closely, he was bewildered to find that that woman was in fact his mother. Ravana did not understand what was happening. Slowly, he found himself wanting to touch the face of his mother. Step-by-step, he inched closer and closer to her. Just as he was about to touch her cheek, a bright light once again appeared. When Ravana regained his vision, he found himself in his home. He looked around to find all of the things he use to enjoy as a child, from the toys he played with to the blanket that he always held to so dearly. He began to explore the house when he was stopped by a little boy. The boy looked up at Ravana and spoke in a soft voice.

“Who are you?”

“I am Ravana. Who are you?”

“I am also Ravana.”

At that moment, he once again heard the voice of his mother.

“Ravana, come here my little one.”

Ravana watched as the little boy happily ran to his mother, well, their mother. He continued to watch and admire as the boy and his mother laughed and frolicked. He suddenly started to think.

When did I become so engrossed in hurting people? When did I become so evil?

Ravana did not understand how such a pure little boy could become what he had become. He began to also think about the fight that was going on with Rama.

“Why am I fighting Rama?”

Ravana knew that he wanted to fight Rama for the hand of his wife but he began to rethink the choices he had made. Deep down, Ravana knew what he was doing was wrong, it’s just that he didn’t know how to stop. He didn't know when to stop living up to the picture that people drew of him. For the first time in a long time, Ravana felt remorse. He felt remorse for the wrongs that he had done. He felt remorse for ever straying off into the wrong direction. With that thought, the room started to shake. Suddenly, Ravana found himself back on the battle field only now, everything was frozen in time. This was the perfect moment. Ravana had the chance to defeat Rama once and for all. However, Ravana could not move his feet. He had this new feeling inside of him that prevented him from moving forward with the heinous act. For the first time in his adult life, he felt sympathy. He felt not only sympathy for Rama but he felt sympathy for himself, for a once innocent boy who somewhere along the line took the wrong turn. At that moment, time began to proceed again. Ravana was once again very confused. Rama was now looking at him.

“You, Ravana, have passed the test of the “Maya”.

“The test of the “Maya”?”

“I used the test of the Maya in hopes that you could be redeemed. The Maya is an ancient weapon used to create illusions. For people who cannot be redeemed, it will cause them to go crazy; but for people who even have the slightest chance of being saved, it has the power to show the victim how they once were. Everyone is born pure, and many stray off that path, but the “Maya” was built to restore that path. You, Ravana, have successfully passed the test and therefore, in my book, have beaten me."

So that was the end of the great battle between Rama and Ravana. Though the battle did not conclude with a winner, Rama was able to save another lost soul and that in itself made everyone a winner.

Author's Note

I was really intrigued with the description of how the "Maya" worked which was why I decided to focus on the effects it had on the victim in my story. The Maya was a weapon that had the power to create illusions for the person who it was used on. I wanted the outcome of the fight to be one that was happy and the only way I felt that that could have happen was if Ravana was somehow redeemed and/or if he realized the error of his ways. I made this possible by tweaking the effects of the Maya a little by making it send Ravana down memory lane. By doing this, Ravana would be able to see the person that he once was. We are all born pure but some of us end up taking the wrong path. In the end Ravana came to realize that the fight he was in was not worth it. I wanted to make everyone a winner; I wanted a happy ending and with this, I was hopefully able to create that for the readers. I still stuck to the original story of them having an ongoing, strenuous fight but I added my own twist to it i.e the happy ending. 

Bibliography

Narayan's Ramayana, Link to Reading online. 

Story: Redemption's the Winner.

(A valiant looking Rama. Image Source: Wikimedia.) 

The battle raged on. Ravana had begun to reach his breaking point. He utilized most of the resources that were available to him but to no avail. Rama was invincible as he countered all of Ravana’s attacks one-by-one, but Ravana was determined not to give up. When Ravana had nothing else to offer, Rama thought that it was time to end this strenuous fight. He decided to try and use the “Maya,” an ancient weapon that allowed the user to confuse their opponent by creating illusions. Ravana started to charge at Rama with full force. Upon stepping within arm's distance of Rama, Ravana suddenly entered another dimension.


“What just happened? Where am I?”


Ravana began to wander around the dark and ominous field in search of an exit. He walked for a while until he reached a tunnel. He saw a light at the end of the tunnel so he began to walk towards it.

As he reached the end, he faintly heard the voice of a woman. Suddenly, a blinding light impaired his vision as he exited the tunnel. When his eyes refocused on the scene, he found himself standing before a woman holding a child. At first, Ravana was confused by the whole picture. However, as he examined the woman more closely, he was bewildered to find that that woman was in fact his mother, Kaikesi. Ravana did not understand what was happening. Slowly, he found himself wanting to touch the face of his mother. Step-by-step, he inched closer and closer to her. Just as he was about to touch her cheek, a bright light once again appeared. When Ravana regained his vision, he now found himself in his childhood home. He looked around to find all of the things he used to enjoy as a child, from his favorite old slingshot to the blanket that he always held on to so dearly. He began to explore the house when a little boy stopped him. The boy looked up at Ravana and spoke in a soft voice.

“Who are you?”


“I am Ravana. Who are you?”


“I am also Ravana.”


At that moment, he once again heard the voice of his mother.


“Ravana, come here, my little one.”


Ravana watched as the little boy happily ran to his mother, well, their mother. He continued to watch and admire as the boy and his mother laughed and frolicked. He suddenly started to think.


When did I become so engrossed in hurting people? When did I become so evil?


Ravana did not understand how such a pure little boy could become what he had become. He began to also think about the fight that was going on with Rama.


“Why am I fighting Rama?”


Ravana knew that at first he wanted to fight Rama for the hand of Rama's wife, Sita, but he began to rethink the choices he had made. Deep down, Ravana knew what he was doing was wrong. It’s just that he didn’t know how to stop. He didn't know when to stop living up to the picture that people drew of him. For the first time in a long time, Ravana felt remorse. He felt remorse for the wrongs that he had done. He felt remorse for ever straying off into the wrong direction.


With that thought, the room started to shake. Suddenly, Ravana found himself back on the battlefield. Only now, everything was frozen in time. This was the perfect moment. Ravana had the chance to defeat Rama once and for all. However, Ravana could not move his feet. He had this new feeling inside of him that prevented him from moving forward with the heinous act. For the first time in his adult life, he felt sympathy. He felt not only sympathy for Rama but he felt sympathy for himself, for a once innocent boy who somewhere along the line took the wrong turn. He felt apologetic for causing Rama pain. At that moment, time began to proceed again. Ravana was once again very confused. Rama was now looking at him.


“You, Ravana, have passed the test of the Maya."


“The test of the Maya?"


“I used the test of the Maya in hopes that you could be redeemed. The Maya is an ancient weapon used to create illusions. For people who cannot be redeemed, it will cause them to go crazy. However, for people whom even have the slightest chance of being saved, it has the power to show the victim how they once were. Everyone is born pure, and many stray off that path, but the “Maya” was built to restore that path. You, Ravana, have successfully passed the test."


“You have given me the chance to redeem myself and for that, I will be forever grateful. To make up for my past wrongdoings, I shall now live my life in a righteous manner as you do. I shall return Sita to you immediately. I greatly apologize for the trouble that I have caused.”

So that was the end of the great battle between Rama and Ravana. The battle did not conclude with a death but with a birth, the birth of a new Ravana. Rama had once again succeeded in saving another lost soul.



Author's Note

I was really intrigued with the description of how the "Maya" worked which was why I decided to focus on the effects it had on the victim in my story. The Maya was a weapon that had the power to create illusions for the person who it was used on. It was a weapon   I wanted the outcome of the fight to be one that was happy and the only way I felt that that could have happen was if Ravana was somehow redeemed and/or if he realized the error of his ways. I made this possible by tweaking the effects of the Maya a little by making it send Ravana down memory lane. By doing this, Ravana would be able to see the person that he once was. We are all born pure but some of us end up taking the wrong path. In the end Ravana came to realize that the fight he was in was not worth it. I wanted to make everyone a winner; I wanted a happy ending and with this, I was hopefully able to create that for the readers. I still stuck to the original story of them having an ongoing, strenuous fight but I added my own twist to it i.e the happy ending.


Bibliography

Narayan's Ramayana, Link to Reading online.

Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana, Part D.

(Battle between Rama and Ravana. Image Source: Wikimedia.)

7. When the Rains Cease

Hanuman and Angada become trapped in a cavern while on their search for Sita. They were about to accept defeat when they met with Sampathi who told them that he had seen Ravana carry Sita to Lanka. In order to get there, Hanuman must be able to cross the ocean. He became a giant (Mahendra mountain) and crossed the ocean in one stride.

8. Memento from Rama

Hanuman became super tiny in order as he continued his search for Sita. He finds Sita being guarded by demons. He then saves her and destroys Ravana’s capital to ashes.

9. Ravana in Council

Ravana’s capital is now rebuilt into the divine architect Maya. Ravana’s brother, Kumbakarna, first states that what Ravana has done was wrong. He then suggests that since Ravana has already gone too far past the point of return that he should just keep going till the end. Ravana’s youngest brother, Vibishana, urges his brother to stop the terrible path he is going down. He tells Ravana to release Sita but Ravana ignores his request. After multiple attempts to persuade Ravana to stop his tyranny, Ravana orders him to leave. Vibishana then heads to where Rama was residing.

10. Across the Ocean

Upon Vibishana’s arrival, everyone is hesitant on trusting him. Hanuman is the only one that believes that Vibishana is not evil.

Vibishana spoke to Rama and gave him insight on Ravana’s plans.

When Rama and his army tried to cross the ocean, they encountered the sea god. He refused to make a path for them but then Rama threatened to shoot his arrows at the sea which therefore led the sea god to surrender to him and help him build a bridge through the sea.

11. The Siege of Lanka
The battle started to take place between Ravana and Rama’s army. Ravana started to show signs of defeat. Rama then told him to go and come back with fresh weapons. Ravana then left to summon his brother, Kumbarkarna, from his deep sleep. Kumbarkarna almost defeated Rama’s army but in the end Rama was able to defeat him with his arrows. One of Ravana’s sons, Indrajit, disguised himself as Sita and tried to use her to his advantage as their weakness. He killed himself in front of them to cause them pain but in the end his plan did not succeed. Ravana was at his breaking point and was going to kill Sita to end it all but some of his people advised him not to.

12. Rama and Ravana in Battle

After suffering from so many losses, Ravana sought to fight the battle on his own. The gods believed that Rama would need all the help he could get so they sent him a chariot. Rama planned to beat Ravana by taking the battle slow and steady while Ravana, blinded by his anger, would become exhausted from moving too fast. Mahodara, one of Ravana’s assistants, tried to go full force on Rama but, in the end, failed. Ravana was now angrier than ever. Many things started to foreshadow Ravana’s defeat. The battle continued with what seemed like to no end. After so many of his weapons failing, Ravana decided to use the “Maya”, which was a weapon that created illusions and caused confusion. In the end, Rama was able to defeat Ravana by using the “Brahmasthra”. He pierced the heart of Ravana and finally ended the battle

Bibliography

Narayan's Ramayana. Link to reading Guide D.