Week 2: Reading Diary B (Rama's Life in Exile)

Narayan's Ramayana
Pages 53-89

• Despite everyone wanting him to stay, Rama still agrees to go away into exile as originally ordered from the promise. Bharatha, son of Keikayi, went to his brother Rama and told him that he did not want to be king and for him to come back.
• They had a long philosophical and interesting debate as to who should rule, but in the end Rama still agreed to the exile.*
• Bharatha agreed to rule (from the outskirts) till Rama returned after 14 years and not a day passed that.
• Rama meets Kamavalli, Ravana's sister, in the forest who is extremely beautiful. She tries to persuade him to marry her though he calmly states why he can't each time she tries until Sita comes out of the cottage and is seen by Kamavalli. The pair eventually went back inside the cottage after useless argument and Kamavalli went back to the forest, all love-sick, similar to how Sita was when she first saw Rama.
• She came back again, about to attack Sita when Lakshmana came in and cut off her ears, and nose, and breasts.
• Her brother is enraged when he sees how she has become mutilated. 
• However, he falls for Sita when he sees her similar to how his sister fell in love with Rama.
• Maricha, son of Thataka and uncle of Ravana, is asked by Ravana to help him get Sita. Maricha finally agrees since Ravana was not backing down and helps to distract Lakshmana and Rama, leaving Sita by herself. Ripe for the picking! 

Rama hunting the Golden Deer

Source: WikiCommons