Week 2: Brainstorming (project)

1. Possible topic: Amba (women of the ramayana and the mahabharata)  

I like this story because it talks about revenge and what consequences revenge could have.  I think that revenge is a valuable lesson that everyone can learn from. There is always a specific reason that people try to seek revenge on someone who did them wrong. I don’t believe in revenge because I think that karma will get that person back eventually. 

Research: I found this article on Academia.edu titled: The Oppression of Women-Taught Through the Epics of India. In the article it discusses that women are objects to men and that they are considered property. I think that the article was interesting because it is playing devil's advocate and is trying to speak from a woman's point of view.  

Google.com

2. Possible topic: Shiva (God)

I learn a little bit about Shiva when I took the non-western elective class my sophomore year. So It sparked my attention because, Shiva was known as the destroyer of the world. The quote that they used on the website "the power of destruction associated with Lord Shiva has great purifying power, both on a more personal level when problems make us see reality more clearly, as on a more universal level". I like that quote because I think that it can pertain to everyday life, but the one thing that sticks out to me is the power of the tongue. What you say can have consequences.  

Research: I found some information of Sanatan Society about Shiva. On the website it explained how Shiva was responsible for change in the form of death and destruction and also in the sense of destroying the ego, identification and the shedding of old habits and attachments.   

SanatanSociety.org 

3. Possible topic: Yama (God of Death) 

I think that it would be interesting to read about the god of death. I have not heard anything about the god of death. I find it interesting that for the epics they have a god for life and a god for death. I think it would interesting to find out how the god of death determines what happens to someone upon their death and also after their death.  

Research: I found some information of Wikipedia. I found it interesting that Yama that is assisted by Chitragupta who is in charge of keeping records of the actions of human beings on earth. Therefore their actions decide whether or not they would get reincarnated as superior or inferior upon their death.  
Wikipedia.com

4. Possible topic: Ganga (The River Goddess) 

I remember reading about Ganga and thinking about how serene a river is. I think that there is healing powers in rivers because of the calmness that your body goes through when you come around a river.  

Research: I found something on the website: Exotic India about Ganga the River Goddess. Jagannatha fell in love with a Muslim girl and went to the river Ganga, so that she could validate his purity and righteousness. It also talks about the significance of water. Another important aspect of water is that it has a purifying quality, for example a bath is one's way to get rid of impurities.  

Exoticindiaart.com

Ganga the River Goddess

Week 2: Storytelling "Lets Go Rescue the Princess"

Rama and Sita

(Sage Viswamithra awaited the day that he would bestow the greatest honor to Rama, in conquering the five fold evils. On Rama's first quest his brother Lakshmana and himself would have to slay the  

the ferocious creature Thataka. On their journey, they make a pit stop to rescue a lovely princess whom catches Rama's eye from a distance).

*Rama and his brother Lakshmana are their journey* 

  Rama and Lakshmana were coming across a kingdom named Far Far Away when they heard the scorching cry of a woman trapped in a tower. As they ran to the side of the treacherous rocks of the biggest mountain, and observed the rather large structure of the mountain, Lakshmana hesitated because of his fear of heights. Rama knew that he could not do this task alone and convinced his brother that the Princess had a twin sister waiting for him to rescue here also. Lakshmana was a hopeless romantic and fell into his brothers lie. They started their journey to the top of the mountain. 

  The princess was locked away in the tallest room of the tallest tower. Her parents, the king and queen of Far Far Away, locked her away because of a curse that the evil fairy godmother bestowed among her as a child. As Rama and Lakshmana were walking up the side of the mountain, the temperature rapidly increased causing them to get dehydrated. As they reached the top of the mountain, they heard a swoosh of water which gave them hope that it was a stream of water for them to drip from. Instead it was a bridge, and the bridge was located just above a boiling river of lava. Lakshmana was very hesitant to cross the bridge. He started envisioning pictures of himself falling into the boiling river of lava and becoming a delicious roasted meal for the birds that were circling around the tower. But Rama knew that his brothers hesitation was because he was afraid of heights.  

  To ease his brothers fear across the bridge, they took one little baby step at a time to get across the bridge. To keep Lakshmana's mind off of the fact that he was walking on the bridge, his coping mechanism was to continuously talk his brothers ear off. As they were approaching the half way mark, a piece of the bridge started to slowly break from underneath their feet. Rama knew that it wouldn't be much longer before the bridge gave out. His brother was in no rush to get off the bridge because he didn't want to fall into the boiling river of lava, so to encourage his brother to hurry, he told him that there was a beautiful, smoking hot princess who is awaiting a "true love's first kiss" from him on the other side of the bridge.  

*Entering the tower* 

  As they enter into the tower, they observe all of the armor that was displayed around the tower. Rama was confused as to what happened to all of the knights. Lakshmana started to yell to see where the princess was located, and also he couldn't wait to kiss her "sister". But instead of finding where the princess was, Lakshmana awoken the fire breathing dragon that guarded the tower, Rama and Lakshmana felt the intense vibrations of the ground and thought that it was a mini earthquake and was soon greeted by the dragon. Rama told Lakshmana to distract the dragon while he went to go and rescue the princess. Of course Lakshmana did not agree with that plan, but before he could oblige, Rama took off running the other direction. Lakshmana was left to distract the dragon and decided to tell "yo mama" jokes to the dragon from eating him. 

 Rama reaches the tallest room of the tallest tower and breaks through the door. And there she was, a beautiful, tall, breath-taking woman waiting for him to rescue her. Rama goes up to the princess speechless and stunned by her beauty. She reaches out her hand to shake his and introduces herself as Sita. 

*To Be Continued* 

Author's Note: For this story, I decided to draw my story from when Rama and Sita first met. My inspiration for the story came from the movie Sherk. I thought that I could add little twist to it and plus my favorite scence from that movie was when Sherk and Donkey were on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona. I added the "To be Continued' at the end so that it could keep my audience guessing and tuning in to my story for next week. 

Bibliography: 

Title: The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic

Author: Kamban/ R.K. Narayan

Year: 1972

Link: Click Here

Week 2: Reading Diary B

Thataka's Story: 

A yaksha is a demigod of valor and might and purity. Her 'powers' consisted of being beautiful and full of adventurous energy. Once she got married she had two sons: Mareecha and Subahu who were gifted with the power of physical strength. Because of their great strength, they would have contests to see who could do the best pranks. Because of this, Agasthya (whom had a hermitage in the forest) put a curse upon the perpetrator of the pranks. Soon after Sunda fell sick and died. His wife became enraged with anger and seek out the man who cursed her husband Sunda. Since they were cursed to become asuras (degraded to demonhood), they transformed. This transformation created Thataka, a fearsome creature whose presence will turn a region fertile less. That is where Rama ties into the story. 

  Mahabali's Story: 

Mahabali seized the heavens and the Earth under his subjection. In his celebration he invited all of the people whom had suffered in their encounter with Mahabali, with help of Vishnu, Mahabali soon learned a lesson. Vishnu took the form of a person of small proportions, but with great power to get the attention of Mahabali. Of course, Mahabali sensed greatness in him and greeted him at the front gate. Vishnu tricked Mahabali into granted him three strides of land. Mahabali granted him the three strides of land and was warned by his guru that it was a disguise. While Mahabali poured some water from a vessel on the palm of the little man assumed a majestic stature spanning the earth and the sky and condemning Mahabali to the netherworld.  

  

Ganga's Story:  

Ganga is the essence of rare herbs and elements found on the earth. Ganga cleanses and transforms every inch of earth that it touches. Just a sip of water can help a dying person. However, to be tamed and controlled her ancestors had to get involved. Sakara ruled the earth with distinction. He planned to perform a sacrifice known as the 'Horse Sacrifice'. In preparation for the ceremony, a horse is set free and trots along the kingdoms of the world. If anyone tries to tame the horse they take a challenge and which causes a war. The owner continuously attacks each city that their horse is tamed to set it free until they make their way back home. All the countries through which the horse passed through became vassals of the King, soon became known as the Horse Sacrifice.  When Sakara's horse out Indra abducted it and kept it out of view. When Sakara found out that her horse was lost, she sent her sons to go and rescue the horse. Once they found the horse they tormented the Saint that kidnapped the horse.  

Ramayana Conceptual Characters.

Week 2: Reading Diary A

I love that there was a background description in the introduction, to layout the foundation of what to expect at least in the book. Plus, I grasp on to what I'm reading when there is a little background history to the story. I found it interesting to read that many people across North India went on strike, so that the government would sponsor the Indian epic Ramayana. What was so important about this television show? My first impression was this the Indian epic Ramayana, was the modern day reality television shows that we consume our lives with today,  (pages 7-11)

  

Rama's Initiation: 

Sage Viswamithra, whom was once a king and conqueror, ask of the help of a son named Rama to help conqueror the five-fold evils (lust, anger, miserliness, egoism and envy). His father objected against him going alone and wanted to go with him, but the Sage Viswamithra denied his request. Instead he was sent with his brother Lakshmana. The initiation that Rama and his brother went through was a true test of man. It seemed that the path that they were to embark on was one that had never been conquered by anyone else. As the approach the scene they are greeted with bones of animals that had perished and a waking ground. Rama and his brother Lakshmana soon realize that their journey that they have embarked on has several stories behind them. What will the stories for show about the long journey?   

Rama, his wife Sita, the devotee Hanuman and Rama's three brothers