Reading Notes: Part B Ramayana

Part 2 of The Ramayana really moved along the plot and brought forward the major conflict of the whole epic: Rama's journey to save his wife Sita. It is interesting to read how this conflict develops as it is really due to the personal desires of Shurpanakha. If she did not have a desire for Rama, then there never would have been any need for retaliation from Ravana to kidnap Sita. However, I do have to remember that this is really the plot of Brahman as he wants a human to kill Ravana. This kind of plays with the idea of faith and just trusting god to lead the way even in times of distress and agony. Something that also makes me wonder is why Brahma gave Ravana all these powers and abilities even while he is the king of the demons. From my lay person's perspective it does not make sense, but I also feel that if I understood more of the Hindu perspective on god, this help would me see why Brahman would be so giving to an evil character. The plot by Ravana to kidnap Sita reminded me of the plot in sleeping beauty by the witch and the evil apple. The more I read The Ramayana, the more I start to see parallels with other stories. I have always felt most religious stories and myths have some common ideas and morals, and this is another example of that sentiment. I do admire Jatayu's courage to try to save Sita and his loyalty to Rama. It was saddening to see his perish, but his death was not in vain as it helped point Rama in the right direction to save Sita. Overall, Part B was instrumental in getting to the meat of the epic, and I look forward to seeing how Rama saves Sita.

Bibliography: Rama and the Monkeys by Geraldine Hodgson (1903).

Jatayu in Kerala, safe as a rock! - brunch$feature - Hindustan Times

Statue of Jatayu in Kerala, India

Comments

Nice to meet you, my name is Neal

Wow. It is crazy to think that I am already back in Norman for my senior year. While my first threes years were full of unique experiences, I never would have imagined all of these recent events occurring. Although it has been a struggle to get through the pandemic, as I am sure everyone can agree with, I am looking forward to completing my senior year and pursuing my future. To start off, I am psychology major on the pre medicine track. Ever since I took psychology in high school I found studying the mind and the way people act so interesting. However, I always had the goal of becoming a physician which explains the pre-med track. Although I am an OU student, I still consider myself a proud Texan. I come from a relatively small town in East Texas where high school football is king and perhaps the most famous thing is that Matthew Mccounaughey graduated from my high school (he even came to our high school graduation this year to give a speech!). Wikimedia Commons : Longview ...

Comment Wall

Shiva and Parvati with their son, Ganesha Link to Storybook

Week 9 Story: Bhima and the Nagas

Duryodhana was a jealous warrior. He could not stand if anybody was better him, no matter the competition. From archery to running to strength training, he saw how his Pandavas cousins performed at the highest marks. However, no made Duryodhana more angry than Bhima. Now Bhima was the best of the spot. He could bench over 300 pounds, squat 450 pounds, and run a mile in less than 6 minutes. No one could match him physically and for this Duryodhana plotted to get rid of Bhima. He knew he could not do it face to face combat, so he decided to poison his food during dinner. He extracted poison from the venomous King Cobra and sprinkled onto Bhima's dinner for the night. As Bhima took his first bites, he passed out and laid asleep on the ground. Duryodhana seizing his opportunity, gagged Bhima and threw into the holy Ganges for him to forever lie. Yet, as Bhima fell into the river it was fated by the gods that he was not to die. His destiny lied far ahead in the future. Thus when Bhima...

Indian Epics

Search This Blog