Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana, Section B

Bharata Returns
By: Donald A. Mackenzie
Earlier this week, I had wondered about how Rama's three brothers would handle the fact that Rama was continually praised and rewarded. While previous stories have shown Lakshmana's dedication to Rama, this is the first time we really see Bharata and Shatrughna displaying their loyalty to him as well. Bharata is murderously angry with his mother, and Shatrughna is ready to slay Manthara (the woman who deceived Kaikeyi) for causing the exile of their brother, but both stop so as to not lose Rama's respect. The three brothers obviously hold Rama in high regard and as of yet, have not displayed any disloyalty or jealousy towards him, with Bharata going so far as to refuse the throne to make sure Rama is king.

(Bharata heading out to find Rama and give him the throne; Image Source)

Shurpanakha and Rama
By: Donald A. Mackenzie
This is the first time we're seeing some humor from Rama. Up to this point, he's been super noble and straight faced in every story, but here he pokes some fun at Shurpanakha and Lakshmana. After she willingly tells him that she's a rakshasa, Ravana's sister, and is ready to devour Sita and Lakshmana, Rama has to hide his laughing face to suggest that she pursue his brother, which I think gives a more playful side to Rama that we hadn't yet seen.

(Rama refusing Shurpanakha; Image Source)

Shurpanakha and Ravana
By: Frederika Richardson
This is the first time we get a glimpse of Ravana and it certainly didn't disappoint. He is quite terrifying and you can tell in the way he talks that he is blood thirsty and ready to avenge his sister and his brothers. I could see him being portrayed by someone like Christopher Walken playing an angry mob boss. He's initially oblivious to what's going on in the world, just simply enjoying his power, but once he hears of his sister's shame, he is ready to unleash hell on those who caused it. This story is definitely the turning point, as now we have met our main antagonist.

(Ravana with his ten heads and 20 arms; Image Source)

Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana, Section A

In beginning the reading of the Ramayana, I want to start by simply laying out some of these important notes since this is a story, culture, and language I'm entirely unfamiliar with.

King Dasharatha
By: Donald A. Mackenzie
Here I focused mostly on the geography and characters so I can begin getting a feel for the story.

• Valmiki - The author of the Ramayana, revered as "the first poet."
• Two major kingdoms:
• Koshala, ruled by Dasharatha (Rama's father)
• Capital=Ayodhya
• Dasharatha has three queens: Kaushalya (the chief queen), Kaikeyi, and Sumitra
• At this point, none of them have given him a son
• Mithila, ruled by Janaka (Sita's father)

(Dasharatha and his wives; Image Source)

Dasharatha's Sons

By: Donald A. Mackenzie

Again, I just wanted to start by laying out some characters so I can come back to this if I get confused.

• Dasharatha has not been given a son, so he resolves to perform the Ashvamedha which is a sacrifice involving the king's warriors protecting a horse in the wilderness for one year
• If nobody is able to take the horse, then it is returned to the king to sacrifice, proving that he is sovereign
• Four gods attended the ceremony and they promised Dasharatha four sons
• Brahma - god of creation, one part of the trinity
• Vishnu - god of protection, preservation of good, dharma restoration, one part of the trinity
• Shiva - destroyer of evil, one part of the trinity
• Indra - king of the gods and heaven

(The birth of Dasharatha's four sons; Image Source)

Rama: Avatar of Vishnu

By: Donald A. Mackenzie

Ravana, the king of the demons basically, cannot be hurt by gods or other demons, so he's just running rampant enslaving and oppressing other gods. Vishnu decides that he's had enough, so he tells the gods to go to the earth as apes and he himself splits into four parts to become the four sons promised to Dasharatha. 

1. Rama - mothered by Kaushalya 
2. Bharata - mothered by Kaikeyi
3. Lakshmana - mothered by Sumitra
4. Shatrughna - mothered by Sumitra

I feel like for Vishnu to split himself and become human shows that he is noble and just, ready to give up parts of himself to fulfill his role as the god of protection. It'd be interesting to look into whether there are other instances of Vishnu fulfilling his role outside of this epic. 

(Painting of Rama and Lakshmana; British Museum)

Thataka

By: Donald A. Mackenzie

The celestial weapons Rama was rewarded with for slaying Thataka are pretty intriguing in that they appear whenever Rama most needs them. It reminded me of Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, or the sword of Godric Gryffindor, from Harry Potter. These are all celestial/enchanted weapons that are specific to their wielder and come in times of need which I think is a pretty cool theme seen throughout different stories. The idea that a hero's weapon knows his desires and needs speaks to the power of the weapon's creator, which may be interesting to explore. It'd be cool to know more about Rama's weapons - who forged them, were there special circumstances in their creation, can others wield them, etc. 

I also noticed that Rama is the one who was recognized as Vishnu, and here he is praised for slaying the demon, he gets the weapons, so on and so forth. I'm curious to see how his other brothers (who are also parts of Vishnu) react to the praise Rama so freely receives - will they take on human characteristics like sibling jealousy/comparison, or do they all recognize that they are a piece of Vishnu and don't care what happens as long as Ravana gets defeated? This is something to watch for.

(Rama with his mighty bow; Image Source)

Sita

By: F.J. Gould

Like Rama is Vishnu personified, Sita is Lakshmi personified. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity, and she is Vishnu's wife. Upon the avatar's first glance at one another, they fell into a deep and unbreakable love. A classic love at first sight tale surrounded by the beauty of King Janaka's gardens. 

(Sita, the avatar of Lakshmi; Image Source)

Manthara and Kaikeyi

By: Donald A. Mackenzie

This story is one of deception. First, Manthara convinces Kaikeyi that she is being wronged by the crowning of Rama as king, even though Kaikeyi admits that Rama treats her well and she is not unhappy with him being the crown prince. Through manipulation and lies, Manthara weaves a tale of Rama enslaving his brothers and doing wrong to Kaikeyi and her son. This then turns into Kaikeyi being deceptive towards Dasharatha and forcing him to exile Rama, making Bharata king. Honestly, this seems like it's something straight out of a soap opera - I can just see Kaiyeki throwing her hand to her forehead and dropping onto a couch as she decides that Rama is out to get her and Bharata. It all just seems so melodramatic. 

(Manthara misleading Kaikeyi; Image Source)

Feedback Thoughts

Feedback is one of those things that people are terrified both to give and receive. They think if they give honest feedback that they are being mean or harsh, but in reality, they are helping someone to achieve their full potential. Receiving feedback is no walk in the park either, as it can be painful to receive criticism on something you've poured yourself into. The key thing is to find a balance - quality feedback often comes in the form of criticism, but that does not mean it needs to be degrading. In giving negative feedback, it is important to give it with the hopes to help the creator, rather than to tear them down. In receiving criticism, you must not take it personally and realize that this is necessary to grow.

I have always been a perfectionist, which is not the positive trait it is often made out to be. Being attentive to detail and doing your best is important, but perfectionism often takes it too far and puts undue pressure on yourself to attain the impossible. As "Recalibrating the Perfectionist Mind" points out, perfectionism emphasizes avoiding mistakes rather than growing - it's based out of fear rather than a forward outlook.  Once I started college, my perfectionism took a hard blow as I soon realized that I would make mistakes constantly throughout my years. I compared myself to everyone around me and realized I was lacking. At first, this really wrecked my personal identity - I was no longer the student receiving perfect grades in everything who was able to broadcast an aura of ease in everything I did. I was sinking and realized I needed to make some changes.

First of all, I had to stop comparing myself to my peers. They all had led different lives than me and of course they were going to do better in some things than me, and vice versa. I had to learn to take on the "racehorse mentality" mentioned in this article, focusing on moving ahead rather than what everyone around me is doing and achieving. This helped me be able to appreciate my peers, rather than envy them. There was no need for competition because the only person I was competing with was myself. This has really helped in my feelings of loneliness and isolation - I am no longer a single competitor in a crowd of people, but rather I am an individual with her own goals surrounded by other individuals with their own goals.

I also had to learn to control my perfectionism rather than letting it control me. I'm not saying I've completely cast out my perfectionism, because it often tries to peak in and poke my anxiety with a big stick, but I have begun handling it in a much healthier way. I really like the quote by Erin Hanson that says "But what if I fall? Oh, but my darling what if you fly?" because it's important to turn our what ifs from the negative to the positive. In tying this all back to feedback, it's important to turn my "what if someone hates this?" into "what if someone gives you a piece of advice that takes your work to a whole new level?" Rather than dreading feedback because someone may criticize me, I try and look forward to learning from others who have different experiences than I do.

(Erin Hanson quote; Image Source)

Topic Brainstorm

There are so many topics to choose from for this semester long project, as the epics feature so many interesting stories and characters that could each take on a life of their own. Since I haven't started really reading the epics yet, I can't be certain about what my favorite tales or characters will be, but in browsing some of the different topics, I was able to find a few subjects that I may really enjoy doing my project on.

As I've mentioned in a previous blog post, I find Ganesha really intriguing. Since he is the one who actually wrote down the Mahabharata, I think it would be best to keep him as the storyteller, but for him to also interject with his own thoughts rather than simply serving as a narrator. He is the god of beginnings, intellect, and wisdom, after all - so I think that he would have some important insight on some of the tales transcribes, and could interject with many of his own experiences. Ganesha also has a heck of a family tree that I'm sure he could discuss at length. A lot of drama revolves around Ganesha's birth and his experiences as he grows older, so that may also be interesting to take a look at!

(A depiction of Ganesha; Image Source)

Another project that would be interesting and could likely incorporate a lot of pop culture would be looking at the swayamvara. This is a practice in which a girl of age broadcasts that she is ready to be married, so suitors come from all around to either be chosen on site or by completing a task. I like that the girl picks her husband of choice, because that's not super typical in history. The epics have a lot of examples of famous swayamvaras, such as the marriage of Sita and Rama. It'd be funny to do a storybook as though it were like "The Bachelorette" or even just as a series of different rom-com type stories. 

(Rama displaying his prowess to win Sita as his wife; Image Source)

Speaking of Sita, I think she is a super intriguing character with so many adventures of her own. Her story is heartbreaking, having been exiled twice, once while being kidnapped and another being sent away from her husband's kingdom because she was kidnapped. I think it would be interesting to have a story in which Sita is writing to her sons, Kusha and Lava. She could be writing them a journal or a letter recounting her life stories and speaking about what she learned from each of them. I think this would be a sweet way for Sita to pass on some of herself to her sons before Bhūmi takes her back. 

(Sita in exile; Image Source)

I enjoyed the Jataka anthology from earlier this week, so I think I would also enjoy exploring the Jatakas in further detail. It would be interesting to look at the different lives of the Buddha and the different virtues he takes on. I think it's neat how he tells his stories in "layman's terms" so that they can easily be understood by his followers. I'm not sure yet how I would retell these stories, but maybe I could follow suit from my first story and try to tell the Jatakas in modern ways so that they are more relatable to people reading them today.

(Buddha with snapshots of many of the Jataka stories; Image Source)

Week 2 Story: The Nervous Student

Once upon a time, on a warm and sunny day, a student was taking a cat nap under a tree on the South Oval.

(My personal favorite tree to pass an afternoon away under, across from George Lynn Cross Hall. Image Source)

Her graduation date was just a few weeks away, but her dreams were plagued by exams and due dates standing between her and her diploma. There was so much to get done before she could walk across that stage, and this bit of stray sleep was the little she had gotten in the past week.

Suddenly, she awoke with a start and scrambled for her planner, exclaiming "Oh no! My biochemistry exam is first thing tomorrow morning and I've forgotten all about it!" She jumped up, stuffed her things clumsily into her backpack, and ran for Bizzell Library.

On the way, one of her classmates saw her running and asked her why she was in such a hurry. The student did not stop to respond to her friend, but shouted that their test was looming and she was absolutely unprepared. At once, her friend's face dropped and she too turned and ran toward the library, declaring that she had no idea the test was the next morning.

Before the girls knew it, a crowd of 15 other students were busting through the doors of Bizzell and frantically searching for a table to spread their notes out on for comparison. They all hurriedly began sharing their mnemonic devices and study tips, trying to cram in as much information as they could in the little time they had left.

Not long after, Dr. Najar stopped by their table and asked, "Why do you all look so panicked, what is wrong?"

"Professor, we are scrambling to prepare for your exam in the morning, none of us realized the big day was already here!" they all answered in unison.

Dr. Najar chuckled with a twinkle in his eye and replied, "I'm thrilled to see you all studying so diligently, but the exam is next Friday, not tomorrow!"

Then all the students pulled out their syllabus to find out that the nervous student had simply written the wrong day into her own planner. They all laughed at their silliness and went back to their business, resolving to study for the test in the time they had left, rather than waiting until the last minute.

Author's Note:
This story is based off "The Foolish, Timid, Rabbit," a classic "The sky is falling!" story. Basically, a rabbit is hit in the head with a coconut while sleeping and decides that the only explanation is that the world is falling apart, so he begins running with no particular destination in mind. Other animals along the way see his terror and decide that they too must run, because the earth is supposedly breaking up. It isn't until they confront the wise lion who recognizes the rabbit's mistake that the animals stop their running and move on with their days. I thought it'd be funny to tell a similar story from a student's worst nightmare - forgetting an exam. I know mine and other student's eyes have widened in horror at the realization that an exam or due date is closer than we realize, so I took this experience and exaggerated it to the likes of "The Foolish, Timid, Rabbit."

Bibliography:
"The Foolish, Timid, Rabbit" from Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt.

Reading Notes on Jatakas

The Foolish, Timid Rabbit
By: Ellen C. Babbitt
This story is such a classic one of "the sky is falling," but I thought it was really neat how it was presented in that an entire stampede of animals is running and running, yet none of them know the source of their fear. Fear spreads so easily between people, and it isn't until a wise and powerful voice calls the source into question that the stampede can be stopped. I think the reason this tale has made its way across cultures and for so long is because people grasp onto fear unlike anything else, and they are determined to spread it so that others are afraid with them and they aren't alone in their fear.

(The animals following the foolish rabbit; Illustration by Ellsworth Young)

The Cunning Crane and the Crab
By: W.H.D. Rouse
The crane in this story gets a taste of his own medicine when the crab outsmarts him and gets free transportation to the lake. At first, I thought the crab was just simply going to manipulate the crane into letting him go into the lake, but then got a surprise when the crab still killed the crane. The crane was desperate once he realized his mistake and that he was at the mercy of the crab, but he never gave a second thought to deceiving the fish for his own good. People are often willing to take part in something wrong, but as soon as they become the victim, the tables turn.

The Monkey who Gathered Lotuses
By: Robert Chalmers
I've noticed that crocodiles are kind of like the "big bad wolf" of these stories, they keep popping up as the bad guy who wants to eat the Buddha's heart. This story again touches on karma, which seems to be a recurring theme throughout these tales. The Buddha is a monkey in this story and his rival is his monkey father who tries to trick the Buddha into his own death. Using his wits, the Buddha not only survives his task to gather the lotuses, but also gains the respect of the water ogre. When his father sees this, he dies on the spot and the Buddha is chosen to be the new monkey king.

Reading Options

I never would've imagined how many different options there are for reading about the tales of the characters of the Indian Epics and their companions. While I'm not familiar with these stories and characters, upon first glance at the numerous options, it becomes obvious that they are timeless and lasting. They have inspired a countless amount of art in the form of the books, folktales, comic books, music, paintings, and more which shows their pervasiveness throughout the Indian culture.

Since this is all new to me, at first I was a little overwhelmed in looking at all there was to choose from. For the Ramayana, I am most drawn to the novel adaptation by R. K. Narayan. I think I would prefer this to the online collection because it is all going to be in the same author's style which may make this completely new topic a little more understandable than pulling from a lot of different sources. Of course, I'll be able to see how this goes before choosing my option in reading the Mahabharata. When looking through the different stories contained in the epics as well as other reading options available for the semester, I was able to find a few stories that caught my eye!

First, I was intrigued by the story of Sita in the Ramayana. This story talks about when Rama meets Sita, and they experience love at first sight, or love at first bangle jingle. I thought it was interesting how Rama instantly knew that he would love Sita forever and she returned the sentiment. The story ends with a bit of a mysterious air, begging you to continue discovering more of the story, as Rama and Sita end the day thinking of each other.

(A representation of Sita, from an Indian puppet theater; Image Source)

When looking through some of the comic book options, I was actually lured away to a Wikipedia page about Sugriva, the ruler of the monkey kingdom. When looking through the page, I thought his pact with Rama was interesting, in which Rama swears to kill Sugriva's brother (so Sugriva will become ruler), and Sugriva in turns promises to help find Sita, who had been captured by Ravana. I would like to read more about Rama and Sugriva's adventures together, as well as Sugriva's personal story as ruler of the monkey kingdom and what all that entails. 

(A depiction of Rama and Sugriva meeting; Image Source)

Another of the books that caught my eye was 99 Thoughts on Ganesha. While I didn't get to read the stories contained within this book, as I have not yet purchased it, I think it would be really neat to learn more about Ganesha. Ganesha is one of the few Indian deities I recognize by image due to his unique elephant head, and I think it would be interesting to learn more about him and his attributes. 

(Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity; Image Source)