Portfolio Guide

I See Fire

A nightmare that is a reality

The King's Shadow
A poem praising Lakshmana for the great warrior that he was

Just a Dream
Sita and Rama's first connection in Sita's POV

Brothers
The rivalry of the Pandavas vs Kauravas at its finest

Famous Last Words

Well, well. This week was... hectic. I had a make up test for one class, a skit worth a huge portion of my grade for another class, an essay for a third class, and elections for an organization I am part of on campus. I honestly did not think this week would end soon enough, but here I am, on a Sunday, done. Done with all that craze. The best part is that I aced both my skit and test... don't know how the essay went... but I got elected for the position I ran for as well. I'm currently feeling pretty good about myself. This feeling of accomplishment will probably die off soon because I have many more crazy weeks left till I can actually rest.

I'm taking things one step at a time, one day at a time. I've realized that if I continue to worry about all that my future holds and all that I have to do, I'm going to go nuts and tire myself out just thinking about and not want to do anything. Either that, or go cry in a corner. Most likely do the latter because of the former.

Taking it one day at a time lets me focus on specific things though and I get a lot more done this way. My next goal is to tackle finals and then go into isolation for a month to study for the MCAT. I want to emerge from this dark hole, victorious.

Heaven

Source: memefeed

Brothers (Week 14: Storytelling)

Nakula lifted his shield, catching a blow and pounding into Sahadeva’s shield with his own sword. The clashing of metal shook through the castle grounds, echoing off the stone walls surrounding the perimeter.

Standing a short distance away with his arms folded, Bhima nodded in approval at his brothers, a trace of a smile gracing his lips. “Excellent swing, Nakula. You’re improving.”

Nakula’s eyes crinkled from the praise but lost their shine as soon as they spotted a familiar figure approaching.

“Bhima—“ he began, but his brother raised his hand, cutting his speech short. Nakula turned to Sahadeva, exchanging a worried look before returning his gaze to the scene that was about to take place before them.

Taking a few steps ahead of his siblings, Bhima came face-to-face with the man.

“Hello, cousin.”

“Bhima,” Duryodhana spat out.

“Here to fight me again?” Bhima chuckled, a smug expression plastered on his face. And just to emphasize his superiority, he inched closer and poked Duryodhana square in the chest, causing some of the Kaurava brothers positioned behind Duryodhana to shift forward, hands folded into fists.

Duryodhana signaled them with his hand and they immediately backed up, though still tense.

“We’re only here to train fo—“ His words were left suspended in air as he whipped his head back to avoid the mace swinging in his direction.

“What the hell is your problem!” he heard his brother yell at Bhima, stomping towards him.

“Dushasana, stop,” Duryodhana called out, his order immediately taking effect. Dushasana turned to him with sad eyes, wanting to help his sibling against the one man that always wreaked havoc amongst the Kauravas. “But, brother…”

Duryodhana returned his attention to Bhima. “No, Dushasana. This is my fight.”

Bhima twisted his lips into a malicious grin.

“When will you learn, cousin? No matter how many times you try, this is just one battle you’ll never win.”

Boiling over, Duryodhana thrust his weapon at Bhima who countered the attack with his mace, the two rods clanging loudly against each other.

Bhima let out a haughty laugh, shoving his opponent to the ground.

“Your skills are lacking, cousin,” he taunted, knowing very well how calling Duryodhana ‘cousin’ aggravated him to no end and would make him lose focus.

“My skills are far superior to yours,” Duryodhana hissed, trying not to let his anger get the best him. But as always, it did, and he failed to notice Bhima’s mace swinging full force towards his face.

Unable to retaliate with his own weapon in time, he raised his hands to protect himself from the strike when an arrow chafed over Bhima’s right hand, making him loosen his grip and causing the mace to fly over Duryodhana, hitting the ground with a soft thud.

Everyone’s gaze shifted towards the cause of this interruption. Even Arjuna, a few yards away, stopped his practice and turned to look.

“Brother,” Duryodhana smiled.

Karna met his eyes and returned the smile. Duryodhana got up, pushing Bhima out of the way and went to embrace his closest companion. “You’ve returned.”

“Yes, and just in time to save you from a terrible fate,” Karna replied, patting his back.

“Have you done as I instructed you?” Duryodhana whispered.

Karna nodded in affirmation.

The reunion was soon enough disrupted when Arjuna strode up to them, making his presence known by jabbing the blunt end of his arrow into Karna’s shoulder.

“For what reason have you returned?” Arjuna prodded. “You are not permitted to compete with us.”

Duryodhana grabbed the end of the arrow and thrust it back at Arjuna.

“You’re speaking to the King of Anga,” Duryodhana proudly declared. “So back off.”

Arjuna cocked up his brow. “King of Anga?”

Karna stepped forward. “That’s right.”

After contemplating for a moment, Arjuna turned around and started walking away.

“Well then! King of Anga!” he yelled over his shoulder. “What say you and I have a duel?”

All the Kauravas and the three other Pandavas present on the field now crowded around the two rivals, anticipating what was to come.

“You see those straw birds placed on the tree?” Arjuna said.

Karna craned his neck to look.

“The target,” Arjuna announced, “is their eye.”

He strung the arrow along the bow and fired at his goal. It darted straight into its eye, the bird falling off the tree.

“Your turn,“ he said with a smirk on his face, which was soon wiped clean as he watched Karna’s arrow whip past him and pierce through his arrow on the same target before it hit the ground.

Duryodhana’s smug countenance showed he was more than elated at seeing the Pandavas get a taste of their own medicine. Behind him, all his brothers were cheering while the Pandavas stood silent, Bhima surveying the scene with stern eyes.

The competition continued for a while until Arjuna realized that this could go on forever.

“There is one last target,” he announced forebodingly, his head lowered.

Karna drew his bow, ready to fire.

"The target is you," Arjuna whispered, releasing his arrow.

Duryodhana screamed, his eyes shutting tightly. Karna is dead.

He opened his eyes. Bhima was standing in front of him. The war around them. And all his family sprawled across the battleground, lifeless.

"This is your end," Bhima said as he slashed through him, making his world dark once more.

Family Rivalry

Source: imgkid

Author's Note: Okay, so this is was not how I imagined writing this out and I don't like the way I wrote it too much either. In my mind, the scene played out beautifully and I was really attempting to describe the visual in my head in words but I had a serious case of writer's block. I also didn't expect my story to reach so close to the 1000 limit mark so I had to cut down a whole lot.

My focus for this story was Duryodhana and Karna. There bond is one I've grown to love even though they are the antagonists in the story. I started to see them as the underdog, despite all the things they did to the Pandavas. I was sort of trying to be a lawyer and present their case from a different perspective because I really felt bad for them and the situation they were stuck in.

I wanted to at least for one of my stories show the Pandavas-Kauravas rivalry so I decided to have kind of a "flashback scene" where it was a typical day in which they were training. I altered a few things from the story where Karna comes in, now the King of Anga. I can't quite remember but I'm pretty sure Duryodhana was with him while he was attempting to acquire that position. Also, I doubt Karna would come straight to where they'd be training after becoming King of Anga but for the sake of the story, it had to be done! The flashback ended with Duryodhana coming back to reality—reality being the war to remember that Karna is not only dead in his flashback but for real. I wanted to show how consumed he was by the thought of Karna's death that that was all he could think about after hearing about it—hence the flashback scene.

Bibliography: Buck, William (1973). Mahabharata.  

Week 14: Reading Diary A (End of War)

Buck's Mahabharata

• After the battle is over, Arjuna dismounts from his chariot, and it disintegrates into ashes. This is because Drona had destroyed Arjuna's chariot two days before the end of the battle, but Krishna had managed to hold it together by the power of illusion. 
• Ashwatthaman finds the camp guarded by a pale giant dressed in a tiger skin, with three eyes, a manifestation of Shiva. As Ashwatthaman launches his weapons at the giant Shiva, Shiva swallows them up. 
• As the lone survivor of the raid, he goes to tell the Pandavas and Krishna the next day about what happened in the camp. Bhima is outraged and follows Ashwatthaman's trail from the camp. Krishna urges Arjuna to hurry in pursuit in order to stop Bhima from attacking Ashwatthaman, who is in possession of the Brahma-astra, or the deadly Brahma mantra.

Source: Google

Famous Last Words

I may have said several times before that the current week I'm writing about is the busiest, but no. THIS WEEK will be my busiest week. I have an exam, a huge skit in my Arabic class that is worth a large percent of my grade—both on the same day, if I may add. On top of that I have to commute from Oklahoma City to Norman and back to pick up and drop off my little sister to school. Then on Friday, I have an extra credit assignment for which I have to attend an event to obtain the credit. Finally, on Saturday, I'll be attending "India Nite"for a few friends who have dances they will be doing. SO, its going to be a fun, fun week.

Oh! Some fun news that is not school-related at all—and I'm sure all you Game of Thrones fans know this already—but the first four episodes of Game of Thrones were leaked! And... I watched them all. I know, I'm horrible. I couldn't help myself, though. It was too hard to resist. On the bright side, I won't need to watch it for a month and can focus on school and MCAT.

For class this week, I have to turn in my final story for my portfolio and I want to make it absolutely amazing. I'm having a bit of writer's block... or have been having it for the past few days, BUT hopefully, I will know what I want to write soon...

Game of Thrones

Source: imgur

The Show Must Go On (Week 13: Storytelling Post)

I will kill them. I will kill them all.

Karna sharpened the edge of his blade against the wheel, his wrath increasing every second.

Yes, mother. I will end the life of the man you called your son. And after him, I’ll slowly end the lives of the rest of your pathetic family.

Karna’s lips twisted into a ruthless smile, one directed towards his family members.

Brothers they call themselves? Not to me. Never to me. Especially Arjuna.

Yes. Arjuna.

The man who is the bane of my existence.

 He will go first.

Karna stared into the blade, an image of Arjuna reflecting from the glossy surface back at him.

— — —

Brother.

Arjuna blinked away the reflection of Karna from his mind.

How can I kill you? How can I kill any of my family?

Arjuna hid his face in his hands, saddened by the thought.

Bhisma. Karna. Even Duryodhana, as wicked as you are. I can’t do this, I can’t.

But then he thought of the latter two and how shamelessly they tossed aside his family again and again and how they would do so without any hesitation if they get the chance.

No. I can’t let that happen.

This is war.

— — —

What is war?

Yudhishthira sighed, watching the sun set over his small army from afar.

What is war if not just a game men play that ends with no victors. What is the point? Why does no one understand that this won’t lead to any good? No one will come out happy.

Pinching the gap between his eyebrows, he contemplated for the thousandth time whether this was the right approach, reforming his thoughts to find another solution besides combat.

Oh brother, why can’t you see what I see?

Why can’t you see beyond the now and the grief that will overtake us all in our future?

Duryodhana, brother, don’t do this.

— — —

I have to do this.

There won’t come another day.

I have come so far… should I do this?

Of course. Of course I should. Since the first day, those Pandavas have done nothing but bring me down in my own home.

What’s so great about them anyway?

Duryodhana smashed his fist against the wall.

Those stupid “brothers.”

He spat into the ground.

The very thought of you makes me want to kill something.

Yes.

This war was going to happen.

There was no stopping him now.

Author's Note: I will say, I don't think this is some of my best work nor is it exactly how I pictured writing this post, but I just wanted to show the thoughts of these four prior to battle. I was aiming to illustrate the contrast between the protagonists and the antagonists, those being the Pandavas and Duryodhana/Karna, respectively. One side is just full of anger, and the other side, despite going through so many trials and hardships, is still sympathetic.

Bibliography: Buck, William (1973). Mahabharata. 

The Final Battle

Source: IndiaVine

Reading Diary A (End of exile and beginning of War)

Buck's Mahabharata 

Pages: 191 – 246

• Yudhishthira sends his brothers to fetch water from the lake and one by one each one of them go get water but none return. When he himself goes there, he figures out that he needs to answer the divine power's questions before getting the water. The divine power is Yama and eventually after answering the questions, Yudhishthira's four brothers are revived.
• Indra and Karna have an exchange: Karna's armor and earrings for Indra's infallible throwing dart—which can only be used once.
• Kichaka tries to get Draupadi who during their midnight rendezvous sends Bhima instead. Bhima then crushes Kichaka and kills him.
• Now that Kichaka is dead, Duryodhana is planning the "cattle raid." 
• Arjuna helps Prince Uttara fight against Duryodhana though he attempted to run away at first.
• After the batter, Arjuna and the princess Uttarra get married.
• Bhima and Krishna have a little bit of an argument about the battle that is to come with the Pandavas versus the Kauravas.
• Arjuna chooses Krishna to fight for their side and Duryodhana chooses the thousand men.
• Krishna asks Karna one last time to join the Pandavas, his brothers, but Karna refuses.

Karna

Source: pixshark

Famous Last Words

This past week was very productive. I had a lot of things to do but I sat down and wrote out a schedule and got a lot of my work done on time. Instead of fooling around (lol), I finished all my homework in about two or three hours directly after class. Then, I took an hour break to eat and watch some tv or take a break. After this break, I basically sat down for six hours straight and studied for the MCAT and then once I was done with that, I hung out with my friends for about an hour and then went to sleep. This schedule was a very busy one but I was able to eat, sleep, study, and be social every day—which i learned is possible to do. The only problem was that I don't think I've ever studied this much consistently for a week straight so I got slightly sick and nauseous.

I know that it is going to get even more busy for me especially now because my mother is traveling to Pakistan to see her mother who isn't feeling very well these days. Being the oldest of three, I have to take responsibility of my little sister and drive back to the city to pick her up from school and take care of her since my dad has work and comes home in the evening. This is going to make me very tired, I know, but hopefully it won't be too bad and I'll live through. I'm still counting down the days till my mom returns, though. :D

When your mom is gone...

Source: Coacho

Reading Diary B (Pandavas 13th Year of Exile + Side Stories)

Buck's Mahabharata

Pages #139-189

• Arjuna doesn't really encourage any of Urvashi's attempts to get him making her mad. She then curses him to live a year as a eunuch. 
• Indra tells him that this is how he can disguise himself for the thirteenth year of exile.
• He also reached Arjuna how to use divine weapons.
• Mankana's story told to Yudhishthira is about him eating grass to where he the juices flowed in his veins. He danced for this reason and eventually got the whole world to dance with him until Shiva came to put a stop to it.
• Rishyashringa was born by a deer and the hermit Vibhadaka. He married Shanti in her city after she brought him there and he caused it to rain when it didn't ever before because of his pure heart
• Bhima retrieves lotus flowers for Draupadi.
• Arjuna finally returns in Indra's charioteer with lots of weapons.
• Yudhishthira's great heart of a leader is seen once again when he releases Jayadratha, sparing his life, despite how he kidnapped Draupadi.
• Savitri's story gets told by Vyasa (and Krishna) when they go see the Pandavas. Savitri Satyavan and helped him get a lot of things including more life.

Duryodhana: How I imagine him!

Source: indiaopines

Reading Diary A (Story of Nala and Damayanti)

Buck's Mahabharata 

Pages: 93-138

• Yudhishthira of the Pandavas had accepted the gambling match.
• The first time they lose everything, the king gives them everything back.
• The second time they lose, they are all exiled to the forest for about thirteen years.
• Indra, up in the heavens with Arjuna, asks for Urvashi to be summoned. She is madly in love with Arjuna.
• Meanwhile, Vyasa comes to see Yudhishthira and tells him the story of King Nala (who was very unfortunate).
• Nala was the king of the Nishada people and in love with Damayanti, the daughter of King Vidarbha. On his way there, he came across the gods Indra, Agni, Varuna, and Yama who all wanted to marry Damayanti. *STORY!!!*
• They sent Nala to explain to her what would that she must choose one as a husband and they all disguised themselves as Nala. She was able to figure out who Nala was and choose him as her husband.
• Kali, the evil spirit, decided he would take possession of Nala because he too wanted to marry Damayanti.
• And then yet another dice game occurred where Nala went against his brother Pushkara (who was told to do so by Kali) and Nala who was then possessed by Kali made him lose everything. Nala and Damayanti had to leave the palace. 
• Later he tried to abandon her while she slept, hoping she would go back to her father. She of course looked for Nala when she woke up.
• She eventually through some events came back to her father and he promised to help her look for Nala.
• After many events, the two were united again! Yay!
• Vyasa told Yudhishthira the science of gambling after telling this story of Nala. *Humorous story?*

Swan tells Damayanti about Nala

Source: Wikimedia

Famous Last Words

This past week was not that memorable I would say, probably because I can't remember anything. Wait, it's coming back to me... slowly. I have the absolute worst memory, or perhaps this past week wasn't the best so I forgot it.

From what I can remember, I had a test in my psychology class. I think I did alright in that though I've been acing all the other tests and assignments so even if I didn't do well on this test, I could afford to do so and still maintain a good grade. I also had a quiz in my physiology class, aced that, which was great. I feel bad when my friends don't do as well but I get a better grade on an assignment though I still sort of enjoy it... I know I shouldn't but school is a competition and I will gladly enjoy all my winnings.

As for this class, its been rough. I could do a lot better and manage my time better but lately I study for the MCAT first and once I'm done with that, then I go to my studying and homework for all my classes in the time I have left. I'll try to do a better job with that though and prioritize better to where I can get everything done. The only problem is that time is running short, but I've been getting pep talks from friends and those are really uplifting and motivating.

The worst.

Source: memegenerator

Reading Diary A (Beginning of Mahabharata)

Buck's Mahabharata 

Pages  #1-47

• The sage Sauti recited the Mahabharata to another sage, Shaunaka.
• Ganesha has an elephant head because Shiva tore his head off and replaced the empty head with that of an elephant.
• Before it turned to salt, the ocean was milk. Vishnu proposed to the gods and asuras that they should churn the ocean in order to get "amrita" or the nectar of immortality. Poison also came from the churning and it turned Shiva's throat blue.
• Vyasa asks his young companion, Vaishampayana, to recite the Mahabharata. This is the snake sacrifice of Janamejaya where Sauti heard the Mahabharata recited. 
• Mahabharata begins: 
• There is a king in heaven who looks down at Ganga and falls in love with her. He reincarnates himself as a human being named Shantanu.
• Ganga tells Shantanu's father that she is in love with him.
• Ganga lets all but one child die, his name is Bhishma.

Churning of Sea

Source: DrewLawrence

Famous Last Words

This past week went by pretty smoothly and I didn't have that many things to do so it was good. However, because it was one of the better weeks I had (since I didn't have as many things to do), I was a bit lazy with other assignments. On top of it being a nice week with homework and assignments, it was also a beautiful week with weather so just relaxing outside on a bench was pushed to the top of my list of priorities. The other big thing that happened this past week was the Medieval Fair! For all of you who go to OU, you should definitely know what this is since they have it every year at the end of March and it is pretty much right in your face. They start set up about a week prior to the event and the event itself lasts three days. Even if you don't like these kind of things, you should go just to see all that they are selling because everything is so cool. It's even more cool how they all dress up and talk as if you were in the medieval times. The absolutely BEST part though, is the jousting! That is one of the main reasons I go. I always had a love for "medieval-ish" kind of things, being a Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit fan, I immerse myself into these things completely.

That was all in terms of my life outside school. For this class in specific though, I enjoyed this past week's reading assignments. They were definitely some of the more fascinating reads and also, because I love the Pandavas, I enjoyed it even more. I was a bit sad at the ending though. I didn't really like how everyone just one by one died. It made things appear a bit depressing, but still, I did love the whole story!

Mine is definitely the latter... or is it?

Source: Becuo

Storytelling

Reading Diary B (Kurukshetra War)

Narayan's Mahabharata
Pages: 133-179

• Yudhishthira tries for peace one last time and is sending Krisha to do so at Hastinpura. Over there, Dhritarashtra is eager to see Krishna. Duryodhana, though, is ready to capture Krishna. Always making trouble, that kid. Tsk, tsk.
• Before leaving, Krishna spoke to Karna and tried to convince him to leave Duryodhana but Karna didn't budge. 
• He promises his mother, Kunti, that the only one he will hurt in the battle is Arjuna (her son from Pandu).
• At Krishna's urging, Yudhishthira makes Dhrishtadyumna, Draupadi's brother, the supreme commander of his troops. 
• The old warrior Bhishma is the supreme commander of Duryodhana's troops. 
• The battle is to take place on the field of Kurukshetra.
• Arjuna is having a hard time with this war, not wanting to fight his family. Krishna helps him here and gives him a bit of a pep-talk and afterwards Arjuna is ready to fight.
• Arjuna shoots Bhishma from behind and he falls.
• Drona is now made the commanding general of Duryodhana's armies. At Duryodhana's urging, Drona attempts to capture Yudhishthira alive and sets up a diversion to lead Arjuna away from the main battle.
• Karna uses the invincible weapon that he was to use on Arjuna to kill Ghatokacha. 
• Drona gets killed by Dhristadyumna.
• Karna, in the fight against Arjuna, gets killed by Arjuna.
• Duryodhana is finally the last one left and is still defiant up until the end where he calls out Krishna for being deceitful.
• The Pandavas return to Hastinpura but no one is happy with the deaths. 
• Yushishthira becomes king.
• The Pandavas die slowly one by one, until Yudhishthira is left who goes to heaven in his bodily form. The son of Arjuna's son becomes king and continues the Pandava line. 
• Kind of a sad ending...

Kurukshetra War

Source: Elatrip

Reading Diary A (Pandavas exile continued)

Narayan's Mahabharata
Pages: 85 - 131

• Dhritarashtra has people here and there watching the Pandavas to keep check on where they are and what they are doing. Meanwhile, Duryodhana is still plotting against the Pandavas. He really doesn't know how to let go...
• He comes up with a plan to humiliate the Pandavas though that completely backfires when he gets captures. 
• In the end, the Pandavas are the one freeing Duryodhana from captivity.
• *Storytelling* Pandavas vs Kauravas? 
•  The Pandavas are currently living in the forest.
• Nakula goes to a stream while in search of the deer the brahmin sent the princes out to capture. Being so thirsty, he drank the water and ignored the message of the voice saying not to because the water is poisonous. The rest of his brothers do the same except for Yudhishthira who answered the questions and the brothers were brought back to life.
• Thus began their thirteenth year of exile in disguise at the court of King Virata.
• **Possible Story**
• Yudhishthira is the King's companion.
• Sahadeva is a cow herder.
• Nakula is a stable boy.
• Arjuna lives as "Brihannala" and lives as a eunuch with the women.
• Draupadi is Sairandhri, the hairdresser of Virata's queen (Sudeshna).
• She is raped though by the general and the queen's brother Kichaka.
• Bhima avenges her by squeezing the man to death.
• Susharman proposes to steal Kichaka's cattle... along with Duryodhana. They go on a cattle raid and end up capturing the King Virata and stealing his cattle. Bhima rescues him though and captures Susharman. 
• Now Krishna proposes that half the kingdom be given to the Pandavas, though war is urged for amongst both sides. One side (Duryodhana) gets Krishna's million soldiers while the Pandavas get Krishna himself (since Anjuma chose him).

Draupadi and the Pandavas <3

Source: Photobucket

Famous Last Words

This week is starting out hectic, especially because its the week right after Spring Break and I have so much on my plate. It's absolutely ridiculous. It's even more stressful that I have to prepare for the MCAT that I'm taking in about two months while I have to keep up with all my classes. At the start of this semester, taking only fourteen hours I didn't think I would have too much of a load but that turned out to be completely wrong. I have been sleeping very late and for very few hours. This makes me end up sleeping long hours and waking up late on the weekends to where I have even less time to study for the MCAT—weekends being the time I keep to study for that huge test. That test is eating my soul—no joke. The stress it is causing is becoming too much, but hopefully it will be over soon!

Aside from that part of my life, I can say that this class has its good and bad moments. Sometimes it seems like a lot to do but other times its really nice because it is a lot of writing, and writing is something that is a passion of mine. When I realized that this class was mostly writing stories, I was thrilled. If I could have another chance at college, I would have writing as a profession though write now it's just a hobby and I'm totally okay with that. My favorite story I would have to say is "I See Fire." That was a story that came to my mind like a lightbulb and I wrote it so fast and I absolutely loved it too. I've found that stories that come to me in a flash like that tend to actually end up really good. And judging from all the comments, I can see others love it too for which I'm glad!

Comment Wall

Reading Diary A (Shantanu, his wives, and their children)

Narayan's Mahabharata
Pages: 1 - 39

• The woman that Shantanu, king of Hastinapura, married was the human incarnation of the Ganges river. *Possible story: his thoughts when she drowned the babies without telling him the reason why.
• The babies, who are incarnations of the eight gods, are being drowned because they stole the divine cow of the sage Vashistha. *Possible story
• Bhishma is the eighth child that she took into the river with her and brought back later, back to the king.
• Shantanu falls in love again. *Possible story: him falling for these women (comedic)
• He falls in love with a woman named Satyavati. She is a fisherman's daughter.
• She has two sons with him: Chitrangada and Vichitravirya
• The first son dies soon after his reign but the second son is still alive. 
• Bhishma then rules for a while and seizes the three daughters of the neighboring kingdom when they were having their ceremony for obtaining a husband. 
• One of them, Amba, is let go because she told Bhishma that she promised herself to another king. 
• He however rejects her because she was in another man's home and now Bhishma is basically on her hit-list. *Possible story
• Vichitravirya dies too, though. 
• Satyavati's son that she had with Parashara, named Vyasa, is then asked to bear children with the widows of Vichitravirya since Bhishma won't due to his circumstances. 
• Three children are born, two with flaws (blind Dhritarashatra and pale Pandu) and one without (the one that came from the maid, Vidura).
• Pandu dies while making love with Madri because he was cursed. Madri climbs on to the funeral pyre with him too. *Possible story
• Pandu has five sons: Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva (the Pandavas) and his brother Dhritarashtra has one hundred (the Kauravas).
• Dhritashatra makes Yudhisthira his heir. 
• The Pandavas are much more popular with the people.

Interesting depiction of the Pandavas

Source: DeviantArt

Commenting Review Week

I think the commenting is a really good way of connecting with other students. Commenting on the "Introduction" posts, especially, I feel are great way to learn more about others in this class and commenting on the storytelling posts keep us connected with those people.

In shorter comments, I generally give a broad opinion of the post with a few things about specifics. With longer comments its the opposite: a few general sentences about the whole post and then more things that cover the minor details of the post.

I myself like the comments that point out specifics of my stories that people either liked or think I should fix as opposed to a comment that just gives their general idea of the post. Those are really helpful in that it shows me what I should work on or what about my story people think is good and I can then use that sort of writing technique in my stories in the future.

 Source: Pinterest

Source: PixShark

Source: imgur

Reading Review Week

The readings I've enjoyed in this class the most are the ones that show the love of Rama and Lakshmana and also the fights/conversations between the Gods. One of my favorite stories was the one about Indra and how mischievous he was when he tried to take away the wife of Gautama. Another one of my favorite scenes was the scene where Lakshmana so Rama die through the hands of Ravana's son. I felt that was a very emotional scene, one I would have written about though didn't get the chance to.

The reading diary posts are very helpful to me when it comes to the storytelling post. I tend to write down (in the reading diary posts) my favorite scenes as well as the ones I want to write a story about. Usually these scenes are specific, small moments that give me a chance to use my imagination and expand on how I like while still sticking to the original story. In my reading diary posts, I mark the scenes that I want to write a story about by putting an asterisk by it to remember it later on.

Rama and Lakshmana

Source: Krishnasmercy

The King's Shadow (Week 7: Storytelling)

There were two brothers—

Together they flowed,

Together they travelled,

On the same road.

One was the king,

The other his shadow,

Behind his radiant half,

Forever aglow.

With the king he remained true,

With the king he stuck fierce,

Like a silent shadow,

The king’s enemies he did pierce.

And in all their time together,

He never faltered nor did he fade,

For his loyalty was unrivaled,

Till his last moment came.

My brother, the king thought,

It may not often appear,

How much you mean to me,

How much I hold you dear.

Like when I was exiled,

You need not have done so,

But without any hesitation,

You, too, said you’d go.

And leaving the comforts

Of our family, our home,

For fourteen long years,

With me, you would roam.

You think I’d not noticed?

I may not have shown.

But on that dark day,

My love for you had grown.

My brother, we’ve been through

Many hurdles and tests,

And sometimes what feels

Like never-ending quests.

That one time, for example,

Where Ravana came,

And took my sweet wife,

With no care and no shame.

It was then I felt lost,

But wasn’t consumed by fear,

For through those restless nights,

You were always near.

And with me you were,

As we stormed through the lands,

Till the very moment,

She returned safe into my hands.

My brother, your loyalty

Always leaves me inspired.

No matter what I ask,

You never grow tired.

Even the hardest of tasks,

Like Sita’s exile to the river,

Had you conflicted,

But you did deliver.

All that way you took her,

And with her, I’m sure you wanted to stay,

For you have a good heart,

One that does not sway.

I’m sorry for the pain

I may have caused you,

But my faith and my trust

Have multiplied by two.

My brother, the king smiled,

Your spirit I admire.

In you there burns

A passionate fire.

Your strength held steady,

Even on your last day,

When Time came to visit,

And made you his prey.

I wish you looked back,

After I dealt you the news,

That you’d entered our meeting,

So through death pay your dues.

But silently you left,

Without a single protest.

I’ll never forget you;

You were the best.

Lakshmana, the shadow,

Knew all this in heart.

He felt all that his brother thought,

When they both did forever part.

And with his last breath,

Lakshmana lay beside the water,

And peacefully rested,

And let his mind wander.

And slowly death's arms took him,

Leaving only memories of his face,

The king’s brother, his shadow,

Now gone without a trace.

Author's Note: I just wanted to write a poem to commemorate Lakshmana's death at the end of Buck's Narayana. Time had come to see Rama and requested to have a meeting with him. He had told Rama not to let anyone interrupt their meeting otherwise that person would die, so Rama told Lakshmana to guard the door. In that time, a sage came and threatened Lakshmana to let him see Rama or else he would destroy the city. Lakshmana then had to interrupt the meeting and as a result, die.  

I always had an appreciation for the love Lakshmana had for Rama and how much he cared for his brother. It was something I admired and so felt it fitting to have my final story for the Ramayana be one to show how much Lakshmana meant to me. The first and last paragraph of this poem is just a beginning and a closing not from anyone's perspective, but all the paragraphs in between I wrote from Rama's perspective. This poem was one I wanted to write from Rama to Lakshmana to show that Rama, too, appreciated all that his brother did for him. This is what I felt Rama wanted to say as Lakshmana was walking away towards his death after entering Rama's conference with Time. When Rama told Lakshmana, he didn't say a word and left but I wanted to convey his feelings and this is what I thought might have been running through his head at the time. His ending is one I was the most sad about; his loyalty and love for his brother really touched me.

I didn't change anything about the story; I basically just wrote out all the main scenes Lakshmana played a part in a poem format. 

Bibliography: Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Lakshmana: the great warrior

Source: Blogspot

Week 7: Reading Diary B (The End)

Buck's Ramayana
Pages 374-432:

• Flying back towards Ayodhya, Rama shows Sita all the locations and events that occurred on their way to her rescue. 
• Rama then sends Hanuman ahead to tell Bharata of their return, who was extremely glad to find out about their return.
• The coronation begins soon after Bharata ties the sandals back on to Rama's feet. Then all these gifts come for Rama and Sita.
• Gossip about Sita spreads throughout the Sita after about 10,000 years when she is pregnant with a child. They gossip about how Rama let her back after her living with Ravana, questioning her chastity. 
• Rama tells Lakshmana to take her to the Ganges and leaves her there. Lakshmana is conflicted but due to his loyalty to Rama, he takes her there. 
• Sita's banishment is seen as the continual of the curse where Vishnu was parted from his wife.
• The Ganges tries to get Sita to jump into the waters.
• Sita gives birth to her two sons Kusha and Lava in Valmiki's home in the forest.
• Rama plans a huge festival where he invites a lot of people including Sita's father. Shatrughna invites Valmiki—he doesn't know that Sita is with Valmiki. 
• Rama finally realizes that the two boys are his sons at the festival. They have been telling his story bit by bit each day, the festival lasting for a year.
• Sita, while proving her innocence, disappears for a thousand years.
• Time has a meeting with Rama. Lakshmana disturbs them during this meeting because of the hermit who wants to speak to Rama. Lakshmana has to die because of this and goes to Sarayu river where he dies. :(

Kusha and Lava: sons of Rama

Source: SaveTemples

Week 7: Reading Diary A (the end of Ravana's reign)

Buck's Ramayana
Pages 325-373:

• Mandodari tried to persuade Ravana to give Sita back to Rama, but Ravana is deaf to this advice. His lust for women is too great. Mandodari tells Ravana that she loves him.
• The final battle against Ravana finally begins after all the people he kept sending kept on dying. It begins with Rama cutting off Ravana's hands.
• Eventually Rama kills Ravana and Vibhishana now takes over his brothers place. Ravana's wife mourns him, loving him despite his horrible actions. 
• Rama tests Sita's innocence through a trial: she has to sit within a circle of fire.
• The time has almost come for Rama to return. All the monkeys and bears and everyone, including Vibishana escort Rama back. Basically, a huge army is taking them back home.

Ravana and Sita

Source: Wordpress

I See Fire (Week 5: Storytelling)

You could hear hooves stomping across the desert trail, leaving a huge cloud of dust behind. The sight of fire made the horses neigh in fear but the messengers relentlessly continued. There was not a moment to lose.

Behind the misty mountains, the sun descended, leaving the sky an eerie red with a sense of foreboding. A grim quietness overshadowed the city of Ayodhya, not a soul in the streets, not even a mouse lingering in the open. There was no dancing, no singing, not even the buzzing of people in the street market. Just a sinister silence haunted the city all the way from the gates to inside the castle walls.

Without any notice, the quiet slowly faded away and a mesh of noises brought to life the scene within the chamber room, the blurred form of a man and woman arguing.

“He has to go… my two wishes…. promisedasgldgrlsgafs…”

What was going on?

And then the noise once again dulled as the scene shifted from the chamber room but soon enough sprang forth from a new direction outside the castle walls. Racing towards the entrance and forcing open the castle doors, a herd of elephants charged inside, thrashing against the walls and shattering their tusks.

That’s when the world seemed to crack; the moon had dropped from the sky, demolishing everything in a ripple effect. A high-pitched hum overwhelmed his ears.

Smoke rose from behind the mountains until the fire could be seen poking out from the rim. He could see it crawling down, growing ever near, till the crackling of the flames reached his hearing.

The waters of the ocean could not even consume this fire; the fire instead dried up the ocean, drinking in every last drop till the Earth was left dry and arid.

There, at the edge of this inferno, he saw standing the obscure image of Rama.

“Brother!” he called out.

He wanted to run, run away from the flames, away from the city, away from everything, but his feet were glued to the ground. Panic welled in his heart as he tried with all his might to move, the heat inching closer.

“Brother! Brother, save me!” he cried.

But Rama turned his head away and flung himself into the blaze.

“NOOOO!” he screamed in despair, tears streaming down his face and blurring his vision.

That is when a shadow emerged from the smoke. Rubbing his eyes, he blinked several times till the features of his father, the King, came to view. A sense of relief washed over him.

“Father! Father, Rama—“ he spoke, but the ash and smoke he breathed in cut him off.

“Yes… Rama…” he heard his father whisper. “Rama's bright soul has left our city... left me... and I no longer have a purpose to continue.”

“Father,” he coughed out, fighting for breath. “Father, what are you saying?”

Dasaratha’s legs gave out and his body hit the ground with a loud thud, leaving Bharata screaming awake to his brother Shatrughna shaking him. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead, his hands trembling.

“What is wrong?” Bharata forced himself to ask.

Shatrughna squeezed Bharata’s hands, looking him directly in the eyes. “Messengers have come. From Ayodhya.”

--- --- --- --- ---

Eerie skies of Ayodhya

Source: BBC

Author's Note: This whole scene was drawn out from the passage in the book that spoke of Bharata's nightmare and how anxious he felt. There were only a few short lines that mentioned this moment, specifically saying how in his dreams he saw the shattering of the tusks of his father’s elephants, the moon dropping on the Earth, and the oceans drying up. I just wanted to incorporate those three things and mesh together both reality and his dream in attempt to bring this moment to life and make you feel what Bharata could have felt. He sort of had a feeling of what was happening when he woke up, so I assumed that his dream gave him a sense of what was to come.

 It is really hard to put detail into a scene out of Buck's Ramayana, especially because he himself puts so much detail into everything he writes. However, he didn't really expand too much on this particular moment so I used that as an opportunity to play with it. I didn’t really change anything in the story; everything happened exactly how it did prior to the dream and after the dream. I simply added much more detail to what was going on within the mind of Bharata while he slept.

Bibliography: Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.