Week 6: Reading Diary B (The Battle)

Buck's Ramayana
Pages 270-324

• Sumadra and Rama talk it out about crossing the ocean where Rama uses tactics like threatening him to get him to part the seas. Sumadra tells him that he is unable to do so and he is only his friend, not his enemy so he need not provoke him in such ways. Sumadra lets Rama know of the monkey Nala who can help build a bridge to cross instead.
• Ravana calls for a council. Vibhishana tells him to return Sita back to Rama because Rama will pardon them. 
• "Are you trying to anger me?"
• "Well, to tell the truth I don't have to; it's an angry mind that won't understand all this."
• Vibhishana calls out Ravana for his evil deeds and loving to do evil things but Ravana is self-absorbed.** This is how people bring about their own destruction.
• Ravana tries to confuse Sita and say that Rama has died trying to save her. This is when Prahasta comes in and announces Rama's arrival in the city. Sita still does not realize that Rama is not dead till Rakshasi Trijata tells her. 
• Ravana is all for war and says "may this war increase your pain an during joy to the demons!" 
• This story of this war shows how good eventually conquers evil.
• Even the giant Ravana awakens tells Ravana to give Sita back to Rama.
• Ravana keeps going from one person to the next for help. 
• Next he asks his son Indrajit for help. 
• Indrajit pierced many arrows into Rama and killed him. Lakshmana died next with tears in his eyes because he couldn't believe what he saw.
• Rama and everyone else is revived through medicine by Vibhishana. 
• Sita meanwhile finds out that Rama has died, once again, but Trijata tells her this is most likely not the case.
• This time Indrajit creates an illusion of Sita dying. This does not do anything though.
• It is only after Indrajit's death that Ravana finally goes to war himself. 

Vibhishana accusing Ravana

Source: Kidsgen

Week 6: Reading Diary A (The Rescue of Sita Continues)

Buck's Ramayana
Pages 219-270

• News of Jatayu's death by Ravana is told to his brother Sampati. How does he feel at this time? What could be going on in his mind?
• Hanuman's thought process about being the one chosen to make the leap.
• Hanuman's journey inside the rakshasha and at the same time, what about the rakshasha?
• Hanuman's journey as a cat.
• This curse that Lanka speaks of, explain it. What Lanka is doing prior to Hanuman's entrance in the city?
• What does Ravana's wife think of all this that is going on?
• Vayu leads Hanuman towards where Ashoka is but prior to that how is Hanuman doing? What is going on with him?
• Sita's dream with Rama in it - possible story.
• Sita and Ravana's interaction when Ravana comes to seduce her but she doesn't encourage anything and Ravana gets annoyed and leaves. When the guards start scaring Sita, she is starting to despair. What is this time like?
• Hanuman bringing chaos in Lanka, how does this look to everyone else? How did he feel when he was captured? - Possible story
• What about his escape and when he returns with good news that he has found Sita?

Hanuman jumping across the ocean

Source: Wordpress