Reading Mahabharata Video Part B

Reading Mahabharata Video Part B

100 demon sons were born and Pandava had his 5 sons.

Bhima was given a potion by his serpent grandfather.

the pandavas were trained in their chosen war specialty by drone.

dyrods assassination attempt is unsuccessful.

arjuna completes the bow challenge to win Draupadi

all five pandavas marry draupadi

Mahabharata

Reading Mahabharata Video Part A

Reading Mahabharata Video Part A

devavrat is the kings only son left alive. he is taken away by wife. devavrat returns and helps bring the fishermans daughter to the kingdom. vows to never marry or have children. devavrat becomes bhishma and can choose the moment of his death.
one half-brother dies.
bhishma kidnaps three princesses for the other half-brother.
king dies before he has sons.
mom reveals that there is another half-brother sage.
three different half-brothers are born: blind, albino, and well-rounded.
blind dhasharta became king and married blindfolded wife.

Mahabharata

Mahabharata PDE Part D

Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition Part D

Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore.

Bhishma in battle

Bhishma is killed in battle. Abhimanyu is killed while trapped alone behind the enemy lines, and Arjuna seeks revenge. Many loved ones are lost and the pandavas use trickery to their advantage.

Karna takes command of the bad army, and Bhima seeks revenge for the treatment of draupadi. Arjuna kills karna after a long battle.

Many warriors seek revenge and attack throughout the night. Bhishma gets to choose the moment of his death, so he waits so that he can instruct the survivors on how to rule the kingdom before he goes. Yudhistra seeks kingship by a horse sacrifice. After Krishna's death, the Pandavas and Draupadi decide to leave earth and leave the kingdom in the hands of Parikshit, Arjuna's grandson. Yudistra must pass a final test. He goes to hell to be united with his brothers and this is followed by then all going ot heaven and Dyrod going to hell.

Mahabharata Online: PDE Part C

Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition Part C

Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore.

Draupadi and the Pandavas in the forest

The Pandavas must now enter a long period of exile. pandavas run in Hanuman on one of their adventurous journeys while exiled. Hanuman was also from the Ramayana. 

Draupadi struggles with the dangers of being a woman during the time of exile. They rescue her after the kidnapping.

The Pandavas enter their final year of exile in which they must spend in hiding, not to be recognized. More trouble for draupadi as there is another rape attempt and her husbands can do nothing bc they are in hiding.

The exile is over and the pandavas want a vengeful war. Many diplomatic attempts are made but the conflict is escalating to an approaching war. Both sides are reluctant to fight their family, but the battle begins anyway.

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part B

Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition Part B

Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore.

Battle of Kurukshetra

Duryodhana's attempt to kill the pandavas appears successful but really isnt. Vidura is the brother of Pandu and dhritarasha. he is loyal to the pandavas.

the pandavas escaped with a hidden passage into the wilderness. Wife of the 5 pandavas!!

Y brother becomes king of another ally kingdom and somehow Duryod learns that the pandavas are still alive and is enraged.

Mayasura builds an amazing palace for the Pandavas. Duryod challenges Y bro to a gambling match that he isnt allowed to refuse, and he gambles away his wife and kingdom.

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part A

Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition Part A

Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore.

Battle of Kurukshetra

Even though Bhishma obtained wives for Vichitravirya, this did not result in sons who could carry on the Bharata dynasty. Unfortunately, Vichitravirya died before Ambika or Ambalika had any children.

Dhritarashtra (blind) and his brother (half-brother) Pandu (pale) (throne)

king pandu kills a sage accidently and is cursed. Duryodhana is the son of Dhritarashtra (leader of 100 demons) and sparks the hatred between the pandavas and the Kauravas.

after pandu's death, the two sets of sons (cousins) are raised together. Bhima is dhritarashtra's strongest son, but Yudhishthira is the eldest son and gets the throne.

Reading: Sita Sings the Blues

This reading was a refreshing and unique perspective of the Ramayana. I enjoyed the side story of Dave and Nina as well as how the narrators would argue about the plot of the story. The animations cracked me up. I really enjoyed the visual version of the story. I found a lot of differences between my envisionment of the characters and the movie's.

I also liked actually seeing the wise elder teach Rama and Sita's kids in the forest. I felt like the written version did not go into much depth. I liked seeing the parallel between the Ramayana and the story between Nina and Dave. It still makes me sad that after all the trouble, they still did not live happily ever after together.

Author: Nina Paley

Title: Sita Sings the Blues

Year: 2008

Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana, Part D

rama's forces begin to construct a bridge to cross the ocean to lanka.

spies try to convince ravana to surrender sita bc of rama's great power, but ravana is enraged. ravana uses illusion to convince sita that rama had died, but she resists.

Indrajit, ravana's son, wrecks rama, lakshmana, and the monkey army and returns home to lanka victorious, but Garuda flies through the sky and heals everyone.

Kumbhakarna, ravana's brother, a giant, is awoken, kills thousands of apes, but rama severs his head with arrows.

Indrajit wrecks the army again, but hanuman retrieves a life herb from himalaya that revives everyone.

more illusions as indrajit tries to make rama think sita is dead and ravana tries to make sita think rama is dead. vibhishana tells rama a place where they can ambush indrajit.

Lakshmana killed indrajit and ravana is distraught. he almost kills sita but the rakshasas guarding her convince him not to kill a woman.

ravana slays lakshmana but is revived by hanuman. they night attack lanka and intercept sacrifices that wouldve boosted ravanas forces.

indra sends down his chariot for rama to use. rama kept slicing off ravanas heads but to no victory. rama finally strikes him with the brahma weapon and kills him. Vibhishana is made king of Lanka.

Rama and sita are reunited but Rama rejects her since he doesnt believe she has been faithful.

Sita tests her loyalty with fire and passes. the gods convince rama to take her back. they fly back home in ravana's chariot. Rama us crowned king.

Rama banished sita for potential disloyalty w/ ravana, and she births two sons. rama wants to perform horse sacrifice to cleanse himself of the sin of killing ravana. his sons (~16 years old) capture the horse and defeat the royal army. Rama confronts his sons, and greatly longs sita.

Lakshmana and Rama ascend to heaven to return as Vinshu.


PDE Ramayana, Part D
Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Lanka Bridge

Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana, Part C

Rama and Lakshmana meet Hanuman and Sugriva. They agree to help fight Vali. Vali is killed by Rama ambushing him.

Sugriva is now monkey king. he agrees to help find sita, but must wait out the rainy season first. Rama struggles with waiting.

4 monkey armies are sent in all directions to search for Sita. the southern group locates Lanka. they find sampati, jatayu's brother, and he confirms that south is the right way.

Hanuman scouts lanka alone. he finds ravana, but no Sita. He finds sita in a grove guarded by rakshasis. Ravana asks sita to reject rama and be his wife but she refuses.

hanuman meets sita. she gives him a jewel. ravana gives her 2 months to live. hanuman kills many demons but is captured by ravana's son, indrajit.

hanuman was brought before ravana. he decided to set his tail on fire. hanuman used the burning tail to kill rakshasas and burn half of lanka. he returns to the monkey kingdom.

the army marched on lanka. ravana and the council discuss giving up sita, but decide to fight instead.

Vibhishana, ravana's younger brother, warned him about the fight, but is banished and flees lanka to join rama.


PDE Ramayana, Part C
Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Ravana and Sita

Reading Notes: Ramayana Part B

Bharata returns home to his father dead and 2 of his brothers gone. he vows to never take the throne. to wait for rama to return.

the conduct the king's funeral. bharata finds rama in the woods to plead with him to return, but rama insists that he must obey his father's dying wish.

bharata gave rama golden sandals to put on. he would return to the throne with them and place them on the throne.

Sita is kidnapped by a demon in the forest. they fight the demon, break his arms, and throw him in a pit. by killing the demon, the curse is lifted and the demon can ascend to heaven.

Shurpanakha confronts them and rama rejects her. lakshmana also rejects her so the demoness attacks Sita. lakshmana cuts off her nose and ears and she runs to her brother Khara.

rama defeats Khara army but assembles a larger one with his brother. rama slays the army along with Dushana and Khara. shurpanaka retreats to Lanka to tell Ravana of rama.

Maricha assumed the form of a golden deer and attracted Sita's attention. Sita asks rama to hunt the deer and he does. maricha is killed by rama, but before death he cries out for help in rama's voice.

Lakshmana answers the call for help and ravana kidnaps Sita. jataya battles with ravana but dies. Sita leaves a trail of jewelry for rama to follow.

rama finds out that sita has been kidnapped. they fight another demon and learn that Sita is on Lanka.

Kabandha from Wikipedia

Bibliography: Ramayana Online, Public Domain

Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Reading Notes: Ramayana Part A

King Dasharatha was almighty but without a male heir to the throne

He could perform a horse sacrifice to the gods to receive 4 sons!

Brahma blessed Ravana with invulnerability against the gods

Can only be defeated by apes and man

minor gods want free of Ravana's earthly rule

Vishnu divides himself into 4 parts and is born as Dasharatha's 4 sons, Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shakrughna.

Vashishtha is the wise brahmin

Vishvamitra, a sage, needs help stopping demons, Dasharatha allows Rama and Lakshmana to go.

They defeat demon mom and rama obtains celestial weapons. after six days, sacrifices are performed and demons attack. rama beat them with his celestial weapons

Stories are told to Rama. then the brothers visit a city and they run into Sita

they approach the king and must bend Shiva's bow to wed Sita. Rama breaks the bow, meets Parashurama, passes his test, and marries Sita.

the king wishes for Rama to take the throne. Manthara tells Kaikeyi to remind the king of the favors she is owed, to make Bharata king. the king obeys after much heartbreak and banishes Rama.

Rama obeys without question. Lakshmana and Sita accompany Rama. Dasharatha dies of grief shortly after they depart.

Bibliography:

Ramayana Online: Public Domain Edition

Attacking Ravana

Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Reading Notes: Week 2 Anthology

My favorite read was The Cunning Crane and the Crab, by W. H. D. Rouse. I enjoyed the story because I love strategy and wit. Even though it was deceitful, I liked how the Crane had an elaborate plan to convince the fish to be so eager to get into his beak. He even had the patience to take the scout and deliver him back to the pool safely before eating him on the second trip. After that it was easy pickins with eating the rest of the fish. Pretty soon greed consumed the crane, and even though the crab was not the ideal prey for his ploy, he tried it anyway. The wit of the crab cannot be ignored however, because his plot secured his own safety and that of potential crane victims in the future.

Crane and Crab by Illustration by W. Robinson

Week 2 Reading Overview

I have chosen to read  Narayana's Ramayana because of the modern language adaptation, and because it was written by a single author. Fortunately for me, a friend of mine has already taken this class and has offered to let me borrow her physical copy of the novel!

I am interested in reading Rama. I am interested in what takes place leading up to the great war with the demon king, Ravana.

I am also interested in reading Indra and Shachi. The summary discusses penance and righting wrongs, so I am curious to learn about the Indian perspective on justice.

I have chosen Rama's route to Lanka because I am most interested in the Ramayana at this moment.

I have also chosen Ancient Technology - Atlantis and India because Atlantis has always fascinated me, and I would like to learn about it from a different perspective.

Indra from the Indian Epics Images page