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.

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.