Reading Diary A, Week 7

The battle rages on between the followers of Rama and Ravana's demons. Jambavan is a beast when it comes to fighting, no one can really stop him. Ravana's magicians try to stop him but they are killed by Sugriva and Hanuman. The hawk notices that the city of Lanka is in despair and is losing hope in winning the battle.

Ravana and Rama prepare to battle one another in the final battle. Ravana drives his own chariot because he has so many hands and heads. Rama is given a special chariot by Indra and it is driven by Matali. The two battle in the air for a while and then move to the ground. Finally Ravana is defeated by Rama. Buck adds an interesting letter into his version of the story. It is a letter written by Ravana for Rama at the occurrence of his death. The letter tells Rama to take Sita back. Rama makes Ravana's brother, Vibhishana, the king of Lanka.

Sita and Rama are reunited and the fire god agni testifies to her innocence. Rama takes her bake and trust that nothing occurred with Ravana. Rama must now return home because his exile is soon to end and Bharata vowed to kill himself if Rama didn't return. Everyone heads to the coronation of Rama.

Storytelling, Week 6: The Story of Mankanaka: Final

When almost always surrounded on all sides by the eruption of lush green grass, why is it then that we just let it lie and leave it to be consumed by animals? One would think that such a resource ought to be utilized by the likes of men. However, there once was a man who only indulged himself with heaping piles of grass, never straying from the consumption of the sweet savory stalks. This is the story of Mankanaka and his power over the world.

Mankanaka was a common man, choosing to live a spiritual life within the forest, always trying to find a path towards enlightenment. From a young age, Mankanaka believed that the best way to achieve his goal was to truly become one with nature, never taking the life of another and only eating what the Earth provided to him. This idea started off well for him, but after some time the man developed a taste for only one item in the world. He loved the taste of grass and the spirituality that he believed it brought to him. In the spring the grass was a vibrant green, tasting sweet and succulent. In the fall it began to brown, giving it more of an earthy quality in both taste and appearance. In the winter Mankanaka had to find ways to rejuvenate the grass that was now dried out and brittle, most often stewing it back to life. The changes in seasons continually kept Mankanaka on his feet, never growing tired of the taste of grass. One day while he was in a field of tall grass, harvesting his lunch, Mankanaka accidentally swung his sickle a little too far and gashed his left arm. Expecting to see a red gush begin to flow, he was quite surprised when instead of red, a green fluid began to drip out. Wondering what exactly was occurring, he dipped the tip of his finger into the substance and tasted what lay below. To his amazement, the substance tasted exactly like the grass he was surrounded by. He became enamored with this realization and began to dance around in pure bliss, believing that he had finally achieved true enlightenment. Other creatures and people began to notice Mankanaka's happiness and followed in the pursuit of his joy. All began to dance and all became enthralled with joy. As this occurred, the gods began to notice what was happening down on Earth. The world was beginning to spin violently out of control and the only hope of stopping it was to end the dancing of Mankanaka. Shiva was sent down by the gods to do so.

As Shiva approached Mankanaka, those around him began to stop dancing, enchanted by the beauty and power of the god. Mankanaka, however, didn't even notice the presence of Shiva and continued to rapidly spin round and round. As with a coin spinning on a table, Shiva quickly and abruptly placed a finger atop the head of Mankanaka and stopped him in his tracks. As he looked the god in the eyes, he knew that he had created trouble in this world. Shiva explained to him what it was that he was doing and that if he continued his dancing, the end of the world would come at the movement of his feet. Then, just as quickly as Shiva had appeared, the god was gone and all eyes were on Mankanaka. He told all to go away and he returned to his quest for enlightenment, only sometimes indulging in his favorite feast of springtime grass.

Shiva, The Savior of Mankanaka 

Source: Wikipedia

Author's Note: This is based off of The Story of Mankanaka, a tale in the Mahabharata written by Buck. In this tale, Mankanaka only eats grass, which causes him to bleed a green substance. This causes his happiness and continual dancing that disrupts the Earth. His dancing threatens to destroy the world so the gods send Shiva to attempt to stop his actions. Unlike the original story I have Shiva come to Mankanaka in his true form because I believe it better conveys the seriousness of the issue and his power to those dancing. Also, in the original story it is ash that flows from Shiva's veins when he is cut to show his power to Mankanaka. I thought that having the grass ooze out from Mankanaka better exemplified the connection he had to nature and the amount of grass he had consumed. I chose this story because it revolves around food, a very common topic within the Indian epics. I plan to continue finding stories with aspects of food lying within them and further elaborating on this topic. I will also begin to add various recipes for Indian dishes that I have found along the way well researching this topic. Food, as in most cultures, plays an important role in not only to the history of India but also because of the impact it plays religiously. As I continue on with this story theme I would begin to add various culture tips and/or fun facts regarding their food culture. The Story of Mankanaka was a very basic start of the stories that I hope are to come continually improving on the content and knowledge that will be passed unto the readers.

Buck, W. (1973). Mahabharata. University of California Press.

Reading Diary B, Week 6

Rama uses the abilities of the monkey Nala to build a bridge across the sea to Lanka. Vibhishana, the brother of Ravana urges him to give Sita back to Rama to avoid a war. Ravana doesn't appreciate the advice of his brother and kicks him out of Lanka. Once he is kicked out of the city, Vibhishana and his 4 loyal guards fly over to the camp of Rama and meet up with Hanuman. Most of the camp wishes to turn away Vibhishana but both Rama and Hanuman trust his intentions and allow him to join them.

They cross the bridge to Lanka and make camp on the hill. The group is watched by Ravana's spies, first by Shuka who Angada captures but is let go to return a message to Ravana. Second by two of Ravana's best spies who take the form of monkeys in order to mingle within the camp. Both are spotted by Vibhishana who is able to look through their disguises and then captured.

Ravana attempts to trick Sita with the use of illusions in order to gain her love before the war even begins. He has his magicians create a bow identical to Rama's and his head parted from his body. Ravana brings these items before Sita, claiming that his general raided them during the night and killed them all. Sita begins to breakdown but is consoled by Trijata and told the truth.

First battle: During the day which weakens the strength of the demons. Rama and his men defeat the first wave and cause Prahasta's retreat. The demons then attack at night and are once again defeated. During this second battle Prahasta is killed.

Kumbhakarna, Ravana's brother is awoken from his sleep and consults with Ravana about the war. He suggests that Ravana return Sita to Rama just as Vibhishana did. However, in the end he aggress to join the battle and face Rama. Rama is able to destroy the giant with well placed arrows.

 Indrajit basically kills everyone but they are all revived after medicine hill is brought over. Rama tries to get everyone to leave him because he realizes that he is placing them in a lot of danger. However, none of his followers will leave and stay by his side. More illusions that don't work. Indrajit and Lakshmana go into single combat and in the end Lakshmana is the victor. Ravana now must go to battle for himself.

Reading Diary A, Week 6

I enjoyed hearing another version involving Jatayu's brother Sampati. In this story he has not eaten since he had burned his feathers saving his brother and as he is given food his feathers begin to grow back rather than at the spoken words of Rama as in the previous story. 

In Buck's version of the Ramayana the crossing of the sea by Hanuman is much different than the previous reading. In this version Hanuman is able to jump the sea and his journey and description reminded me of a space shuttle launch. There is a great build up of power before he is able to spring off the ground then he continually builds his speed causing the water and air to ripple around him. Once again I really enjoyed the elaborate detail contained within Buck's stories especially with his description of the city. I also enjoyed the being that represents the essence of Lanka herself that Hanuman must get past in order to gain access to the city. I thought this was a nice little twist and added an extra element to this portion of the tale.   

As in the previous version Hanuman explores the city in search of Sita however, in this tale he takes the form of a cat in order to disguise himself. Once again he struggles to find her and at one point thinks that Mandodari may be Sita. Hanuman finds Sita and tells her of the plan to let Rama know she is safe and true to him. Hanuman once again starts trouble and allows himself to be caught. When he gets his tail set on fire he runs through the city setting the whole place ablaze and then returns to the other side of the sea to inform the party of what he has learned. 

Storytelling: Jatayu (Final Revision)

Frantically they searched the forest, looking for any sign that may lead them to Sita's captor. They began to find pieces of armor, larger than any man could wear yet sliced clean through like warm butter. Next came an axle shooting straight out of the ground and erupting through the canopy, greatly taller than any tree. Then there it was - through the trees Rama could make out the shape of what he thought to be a bird but like none he had ever seen before. Unaware of whether this beast would be friend or foe, Rama and Lakshamana slowly crept through the tree line in an effort to conceal their movement. As they broke through the final branches, towering above them laid Jatayu, the bird king. He was the most magnificent thing either of the men had ever seen, pure white with a feathering that looked like silk. He had a sort of sheen about him that illuminated the leaves all around almost like a beacon in the middle of a churning sea. However, as they moved closer, they began to realize that Jatayu was badly injured. They began to piece together the clues, assuming that this great beast must have been the one responsible for the shredded armor and wagon pieces scattered throughout the forest. Jatayu turned to Rama with an unbreakable gaze and said, "I am Jatayu, king of the heavens and all those who fly within it. I tried to save your wife from the demon king but my old age has weakened me. We fought one another across the heavens but just as victory was in sight, I was fooled by my own doing; it looked as though I had removed Rama's arms but they grew back as I was focused on his ten heads. This is when he struck his final blow, parting my wings from my body, watching me plummet to this very spot. Will you help me to pass onto the next world and if granted, return to you one day in your debt?"

Rama was saddened to see this great hero pass, but knew that it was his duty to fulfill the wishes of Jatayu and give him a proper funeral. Rama and Lakshamana began to cut down nearby trees and build a pyre around the dying king. Rama took off his meager robes and draped them over the king to represent their newly created bond and Jatayu's sacrifice. The pyre was so great in size that it took the two men the remainder of the day to finish it, completing it just as the golden sun began to sink beneath the western shore.

Just as Rama was to light the pyre, Jatayu once again caught his gaze and forced out his final words, "You will find her; never lose hope."

Rama dropped the torch after hearing this and the pyre caught ablaze. It glowed with a beauty that only further reminded him of Sita and her golden brown skin. As he looked away, holding back tears, something strange began to happen. The fire began to engulf Jatayu and beat almost as that of a bird’s wing. It then began to change colors, first a subtle orange, then a vibrant yellow, and finally a blistering red. Out of the flames rose the spirit of Jatayu, reborn once again. As he took flight out of the flames, Rama knew that this would not be his last encounter with Jatayu; when needed, he would appear to fulfill his promise.

     Ravana and Jatayu in Battle 

(Source: Wikipedia )

Author's note: This is my take on the funeral of Jatayu and a more in-depth look at the events that may have occurred during this time. The stories of Jatayu and his brother Sampati are some of my favorites within the epics but I feel that they are often skimmed through and not given the amount of detail that they deserve. The battle that occurs between Ravana and Jatayu is another example of a lacking portion and I especially felt the shortage during the funeral of Jatayu. This character represents everything that is good in the world and lives only to benefit the lives of those around him. He is then murdered by the ruthless demon king, Ravana, trying to prevent the capture of Sita and return her to her lover, Rama. Such acts of selfless bravery deserve to be spoken of and the funeral of such a being ought to be adequately represented. This is why I chose to rewrite this story and embellish it in the ways in which I felt appropriate. I focused primarily on the use of colors in order to add visual detail and hopefully help the readers to better picture the scene for themselves. I also wanted to show the magnificence that comes to mind when I read about the bird king, Jatayu, by better describing his features and the general presence that he has.   

Buck, William. "The Golden Deer." Ramayana. Los Angeles: U of California, 1976. 173-175. Print.

Reading Diary B, Week 5

Once again we see the story of the golden deer and Buck's take on the story. I really liked his in depth description of the form that Maricha took and the beauty he portrayed. For being so wise and powerful Rama really needs to learn to listen to Lakshamana and not be driven constantly by his heart. If he had Sita would not have been taken by Ravana.

In Buck's version I really enjoyed the story of Hanuman and how it was that he came about all of his powers. As with the last story, Vali is portrayed to be quite the pompous monkey and doesn't take kindly to the thoughts of others. However, unlike the previous version read, in Buck's story Rama and Vali don't have the drawn out conversation about Vali's death. In Buck's story Vali realizes from the beginning that Rama has given him true salvation and that by living his life in anger he has brought about his own death. Sugriva and Hanuman will help Rama after the rainy season comes.

The rainy season sequence way way too in depth for my liking. I usually appreciate the details used in Buck's version but 5 pages describing rain and its passing was too much. I did however like the description provided of the various monkey clans that arrived to help in Rama's quest; this just better helped to layout the foundation of the story. This version also goes very in depth as Sugriva tells the generals where to search in the 4 cardinal directions. The most important however is South which is the direction of Lanka and where Sita most likely is.

Reading Diary A, Week 5

Bharata is informed that Dasharatha is dead as he returns from his time away. His mother informs him of what has become of Rama and lakshamana. He isn't happy with what she has done and he believes that Rama is still the rightful king. He goes into the forest to try and find Rama and return him to the city. Bharata finds Rama and tells him of his fathers death, Rama still refuses to take the throne until his 14 year exile has been completed.

Story skips to the 14th summer in Rama's exile as he prepares to head into the Dandaka forest. He is given an even better bow than his original which he earned from Sita's father to gain her hand in marriage. This area is controlled by Ravana which we know will soon have an issue with Rama do to Sita. Sita is abducted by a demon and is then rescued by Rama and Lakshmana. Here begins Ravana's quest for Sita do the the attack on his sister and her descriptions of Sita to him in Lanka.

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Reading Diary B: Week 4

Dasaratha desires to make his son Rama the king of Ayodhya in his place. He converses with his council who are all in favor for this idea. He then questions his council as to why they would have Rama as their king and has a proud father moment. He tells Rama that he is to be made king the following day and to be careful because much can happen to a future king the night before his coronation. This is indeed the fact; Manthara convinces Kaikeyi to use her two wishes she earned and make her own son Bharata king and banish Rama to the forest for the next 14 years. Once again this version is much more detailed than the previous and really provides a clear story and description of the events at hand.

Rama fully accepts losing the throne and is the most obedient son ever. He never questions his fathers commands but only the reasons for Kaikeyi's decision. Rama meets with his father one last time before he leaves and request that he doesn't punish Kaikeyi for her choices. He then puts on his armor and over that bark clothes. The whole city is prepared to follow Rama into exile but he doesn't want to see his city die. According to Vasishtha they will grow tired of this life after 7 days and will return to Ayodhya. The elders summon the Tamasa river to block the chariots path in turn stopping Rama's travel for the day. He begs them to return but the people don't listen. He awakes while they still sleep and Sumantra devises a plan to fool the followers.

Guha seems to be an amusing character to say the least. I really enjoy his attitude and the descriptions given about his adornments. He also seems to be very well liked by Rama and they have an interesting history with one another.

Week 4 Reading Diary A: Buck's Version

I found this version to be very interesting compared to the original version that we read. Although much longer, I think Buck's version goes into a much greater depth which only helps the reader to better understand the stories. I think his version provides a stronger background for those of us who have no previous knowledge of the tales told.

Interesting Points

• In depth descriptions of Rama's physical characteristics 
• Various time periods: when the stories actual came to be and now the time that they were being told during.
• The background of Ravana
• The background of Rama in detail and his reincarnation as Vishnu 
• Descriptions of Lakshmana, almost another version of Rama 
• Overall much better physical descriptions of all characters involved in every scene 

Reading Diary B, Week 2: Lanka

Hanuman is told of his divine abilities that have been hidden from him his whole life. He is able to grow larger than a mountain and step across the ocean to Lanka. He then reduces his size and moves secretly through the city trying to find Sita. He first finds Ravana's wife, Mandodari, believing her to be Sita but begins to see that her features do not match those told to him by Rama. He continues his search and finds Sita surrounded by female guards who terrorize her. As they walk away Sita plans to hang herself but Hanuman reaches her in time and explains his presence. He presents her with the ring from Rama and she in turn gives him her jewelry to take back with him.

Hanuman runs from the guards and could easily have eluded all but allows himself to be captured by Indrajit, son of Ravana. Hanuman meets with Ravana and explains the situation and request the surrender of Sita. However, Ravana doesn't take this lightly and plans to kill Hanuman who is only spared by the words of Vibhishana, the youngest brother of Ravana. Hanuman's tail is set ablaze and he escapes, running through the city and lighting everything in sight on fire. Maya rebuilds the whole city.

Vibhishana and Ravana argue about his actions and Vibishana retreats across the water in order to join the camp of Rama. Rama's councils believes him to be a spy but Hanuman and Rama allow his entrance and take benefit in his knowledge of Ravana's forces.

The monkey forces move across the ocean into Lanka and the fighting begins. Ravana continually tries to make Sita believe that he has killed Rama. First by creating a decapitated head looking like his and showing it to her, secondly by poisoning him with snake darts that put him to sleep on the battlefield. Ravana is bested by Rama but the fighting ends and Rama allows him to rest and return the next day with fresh weapons.

Kumbakarna is a heavy sleeper, wakes up, and eats a lot of people and monkeys. Rama and Ravana battle one another in chariots, racing through the sky. Rama defeats Ravana with an arrow through his heart.

Rama test Sita in fire to make sure she is still pure. She passes and they are reunited. He gets a wish and all is forgiven. Rama returns to Adoy

Reading Diary A, Week 2: Vali & Sugreeva

Rama continues to look for Sita but his lose is beginning to tug at his heart strings. He meets Sugreeva who was once the right hand to Vali, the monkey king. When Vali left to chase after an opponent the throne was left unoccupied and the elders placed Sugreeva there in Vali's absence. They didn't know if he was dead or alive after he went into a tunnel chasing his prey. Sugreeva attempted to look for his brother but the elders would not allow it and blocked off the entrance. Vali however was still alive and broke free only to find Sugreeva on his throne. He wouldn't listen to his brothers explanations and attempted to kill him. Sugreeva managed to get free and ends up meeting up with Rama who he gets to help him. Sugreeva calls out his brother and they begin to fight. Rama kills Vali and explains to him his reasoning behind doing so in which Vali becomes enlightened and regrets the choices he had made.

The rainy season comes and Rama becomes very depressed and kind of pitiful. After the rainy season ends they wait for Sugreeva to send troops so they can cover the Earth in search of Sita. The troops do not arrive on time so Lakshmana goes to Kiskinda to find out what the issue is. Angry at first his nerves are calmed and the troops arrive later on. They are sent in every direction but the most important group heads south and gets caught underground. They meet a bird and restore his feathers to him. He tells them that Ravana had passed through there with Sita and that she was being held in Lanka.

They sit at the edge of the ocean deciding how they can go about getting across. Rama bargains with the sea god and he helps them to create a path to the other side and into Lanka. This is were the story gets interesting and the battle begins.