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. 

Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana, Section C.

(Vali Dying in the arms of Tara after his battle and encounter with Rama and Sugreeva. Image source:Wikipedia) 

6. Vali

Hanuman is the servant of Sugreeva who is the son of the sun god

Sugreeva’s Story

Vali is the older brother of Sugreeva. Vali became as strong as he is now from completing what seemed to be an impossible task. He turned a churner to obtain the nectar that gave the gods immortality. For this deed they rewarded him with the strength he has today. He also has the ability to obtain half of the strength of whomever he fought. I really like this aspect of his powers. It sounds like a good concept that I might include into my story for this week. There was this demon named Mayavi who was trapped in a cave with Vali. In order to trap the demon, Sugreeva blocked off the cave and that therefore caused Vali to feel vengeful against his brother. The difference in Rama and Lakshmana’s relationship and Sugreeva and Vali’s relationship is quite interesting.

Dundubi’s Story
He was a demon who took on the form of a buffalo. He wanted to fight forever so the gods Vishnu and Sheeva told him to go to Vali, for he was the only one that could meet his requests. They fought for one year until Vali killed Dundubi with his own horn. I like this concept of being killed by something that you have. It could also be translated into being killed due to the thing you hold most dearly whether it be an item or a person. Sugreeva informed Rama that he had seen Ravana with Sita. She had dropped her jewelry so that they could know which way Ravana had gone.

They decide to battle Vali to get rid of his evil. Lakshmana is hesitant to trust Sugreeva since he seemed to have no hesitation for killing his brother. Rama is empathetic to Sugreeva. Sugreeva and Vali started their battle. Sugreeva was about to be killed when Rama put an arrow through Vali. Vali was actually impressed by the fact that someone had managed to defeat him and looked at Rama in a bright light instead of the person who had just shot him. Vali is then confused as to why Rama had sought to kill him. In the end, Vali accepts that Rama had killed him for the right reasons. In the end, Vali wishes his brother a good and safe life. Although it is unfortunate that Vali had to die for this to happen, it is nice to see that he did not die while still having a hatred towards his brother

7. When the Rains Cease

Hanuman wants to serve Rama but Rama tells him to wait four months until the rainy season stops.

Sugreeva vows to never drink again after Lakshmana comes to ask of why he hasn’t sent an army to Rama yet in anger. Sugreeva failed to get the message because he was drunk which is why he vows to stop drinking.

Angada and Hanuman set out with search parties for Sita. Rama tells him that they will know it is Sita when they see her because she has ruby red toenails.

Bibliography

Narayan's Ramayana, Link to reading Guide C.

Google Timer Tech Tip

(A hand holding a timer stopwatch. Image source: Pexels.)

I decided to choose the google timer as my tech tip because I am the worst when it comes to time management. The realization that I need to finish an assignment will not kick in for me until it is too late. This is why I would like to incorporate this timer into my daily regimen of doing homework.

One of the ways I want to use this timer is for my period of focus. I will set the timer to a certain amount of hours or minutes and during that time I will work hard to solely focus on the task at hand. Then afterwards, I will give myself a break also using the timer. This technique will hopefully help me separate my study time and my play time.

I will try to use this as intended and see if it will work for me.

Wikipedia Trail: From Jatayu to the Great Pyramid of Giza.

(Jatayu and Ravana battling each other. Image source:Wikipedia.)

First I started out with Jatayu. I knew Jatayu was a bird but from the article I found out that he was, more specifically, a vulture. From there I found that the vultures found in Africa belonged a the family Accipitridae. Lastly from there I found that the tallest structure in the world was the Great Pyramid of Giza for 4,000 years.

Story: The Demon Within the Forest.

(Rama and Lakshmana stand before Jatayu. Image source: Wikimedia.)

Rama wasn’t going to ignore the will of his mother. He would go into exile for fourteen years. His brother, Bharatha, took the throne as per the request of Rama. Although Bhraratha did not want to seem as if he was going against his brother, he knew the kingdom needed someone to rule it in the meantime.

As Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana ventured deeper into the forest, they began to feel exhausted even though it had only been two days since they started their journey.

“I feel so weak, my lord,” said Sita.


“Please don’t give up, Sita. I won’t be able to go on without you by my side,” said Rama.

“I will go and find us a place to rest so that we may regain our energy,” said Lakshmana.


Lakshmana left in search of a place to rest. He came across an old abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. He was cautious as he approached the brown, rickety building. He felt sort of uneasy about the place but decided to ignore the feeling. As he ran back to tell his brother of the news, he heard a faint cry.


“Who dares hide in the shadows? Come out where I can see you.”


Then, a shadowy figure came racing towards him and rushed through him. Lakshmana collapsed onto the ground. After a while, he regained consciousness.


“What just happened?”


Confused, Lakshmana got up and continued over to Rama and Sita to tell them of what he had found.


“Come, I have found us a place to reside.”


They entered the old house. The floors and walls were made of cracked oak wood that seemed to be molding by the odor that filled the air. As they explored deeper into the rooms, they discovered something strange. There were scratch marks that ran along the floorboards. They all felt uneasy about the place but decided to stay and rest to regain their energy.


As night came, they prepared to rest. Halfway into the night, noises began to fill the house. A sound that mimicked that of nails scratching along a surface filled the rooms. Then, out from the floor came a shadow of a lady different from the one that attacked Lakshmana before. The shadow crept along the walls. For some reason, it was drawn to Lakshmana, who was in another room. He had become weak after the other soul had passed through him. It entered his room.


Early next morning, they continued their journey. They reached an area of the forest where no trees grew.


“I wonder why there aren’t any trees around here,” said Sita.


Then, as they turned back around to face the once bare field, they now found themselves looking at a field filled with trees. However, they were not the color of normal trees. They had a ghostly appearance to them. Upon closer inspection, the trees seemed to bear faces. They discovered that every tree enclosed the body of an individual. Rama noticed that one of the trees closely resembled his brother. Suddenly, the ground started to shake. A crack started to form and out emerged a large being. The being had dark skin and eyes. It definitely wasn’t human.


“I am Soorpanaka, demon of the souls. I see you have encountered the forest where I keep the souls that I have captured, one of those being your brother.”


“Give me back Lakshmana, you monster!” said Rama.


Suddenly, soulless Lakshmana attacked Rama. Rama then signaled Sita to go hide in the bushes. She did not want to leave her love but she knew that she would only become an obstacle for him if she stayed.


“Before you can get to me, you must defeat your brother,” said Soorpanaka as she slid back into the crack from where she came.


Rama did not know what to do. Even though that wasn’t his brother, it was still his body and he didn’t want to hurt him. Suddenly a bright light in the shape of a bird appeared before them.


“I am Jatayu, guardian eagle and old friends of your father. I was too a victim of Soorpanaka but I managed to escape after a man chopped down my tree and released my soul.”


“Jatayu, what can I do? I want to save my brother from this wretched deed that Soorpanaka did to him.”


“We won't be able to cut down all these trees one by one, since there are far too many. However, there is another solution. The only other way we can save your brother and everyone who has been a victim of Soorpanaka is if you and I merge. I cannot help you unless I have a vessel. With the combined purity of our souls, we can defeat Soorpanaka and therefore release the souls.”


Jatayu then entered Rama and their souls merged; now there stood a mighty winged beast that bore the face of Rama. Lakshmana attacked Rama but was blinded by the light Rama and Jatayu emitted. That light then surged throughout the forest. Suddenly, all of the trees started to disappear. The souls began to find their way back to their original owners. Lakshmana regained his senses.


“Oh, my brother, I apologize greatly for the trouble I have caused!”


“No need to apologize, my brother. Now that you are you again, I need you to go and protect Sita while Jatayu and I defeat this demon.”


Lakshmana ran to Sita. Soorpanaka once again emerged from her crevice. Her appearance had changed; she was old and frail-looking. The souls that had once kept her youthful were now gone.


“How dare you release all of my souls!”


“They were never yours to begin with.”


With those words Rama released the eagle of light in him. The eagle entered the demon and obliterated it from within.


After that encounter, all was well in the forest again and the group of three continued into the forest with Jatayu watching them from afar as he always did.

Auhor's Note:

For my story I wanted to focus on the obstacles that Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana encounter during the exile of Rama. In the original story, Rama and Lakshmana are brothers by blood but best friends by choice. Their close relationship allowed me to use Lakshmana as a weapon which was why I chose him to have his soul taken. I knew that Rama wouldn't suspect much since it was his brother. Why would his brother ever want to hurt him? In the Ramayana, Soorpanaka is a demon who is very fond of Rama when she meets him. She falls deeply in love with him which is why she then tries to get Rama to leave Sita and follow her. She even tries to harm Sita. I didn't incorporate much of the romance quarrel that happened between the three into my story due to the fact that I tried to make the feel of this story a bit more ominous instead of a love-oriented one. I kept Soorpanaka as a demon in order to make her the antagonist of my scary story. As per the suggestion of my classmate, Candace Johnston, I made it to where the reason that Soorpanaka kept the souls was because she wanted to stay beautiful and youthful. If she didn’t consume them, then she wouldn’t have the power or strength to revert back and forth between her beautiful appearance and her demon one.



Bibliography:

Narayan's Ramayana, link to reading Guide B.

Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana, Section B

(The Indian God, Ravana. Image Source)

Two Promises Revived

Due to the promise that Rama’s father made to one of his wives, Kaikeyi, long ago, Rama must go into exile for exactly 14 years in the forest. Sita and Lakshmana demonstrate their devotion and love for him by joining him. Bharatha strongly opposes the actions of his mother and wants nothing to do with them. He tries to follow Rama into exile but is told to rule until his return.

Encounters in Exile
Rama’s main goal for the time that he is in exile will be to wipe out the asura class. The sister of Thakata, Soorpanaka, has appeared and has unsuccessfully tried to court Rama. Angered, she gets Kara, her stepbrother, to lead a fourteen man squad of asuras to attack Rama. They failed.

The Grand Tormentor
Ravana, Soorpanaka’s brother, falls in love with Sita while hearing about her through Soorpanaka’s recount of what had happened. He tries to banish all the seasons because he was annoyed of the fact that he wasn’t able to see his love Sita. He also began to mix night and day. Ravana then seeks his uncle, Mareecha, in hopes that he will help him find his love. Mareecha would rather be killed by Rama than by his own nephew. They make a plan to capture her. Mareecha would become a golden deer that would be used as a distraction to lure out Sita and then Ravana would do the rest. Lakshmana guards Sita but a call from what seemed to be Rama but was actually Mareecha causes him to leave Sita’s side. Ravana captures Sita but is stopped by Jatayu, who gets his wings cut off and his throat slit by the “Chandrahasa” (the special sword).

Bibliography

Narayan's Ramayana, link to Reading Guide B. 

Feedback Thoughts

(A wall with the words "Consume Criticism" spray painted on it. Image source )

The article that stuck out the most for me was the article focusing on why rejection hurts us so much because it not only talks about the ways to face rejection, but it also talks of why it hurts us so much. I enjoyed reading this article because I felt like it was the one that hit on most of the points that I struggle with the most. I want to specifically focus on reviving my self worth. I want to build myself at a level that prevents me from being swayed, to an extent, from people's critiques.

I will openly admit that I am quite the scaredy cat. I will even sometimes not even attempt something because I fear of the rejection I will receive. I know I'm not the only one that faces this problem but still it's not exactly a confidence booster.

In my life the person who has helped me the most with their feedback is my friend Kaitlyn. Since she is younger than me, her feedback allows me to receive the standpoint from another point-of-view. This causes me to therefore take the feedback into consideration on another standpoint.

In the future, I would like to not only learn take feedback but to also give it well too.