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