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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Week 5: Reading Diary A (Rama's exile)

Buck's Ramayana
Pages 110-161

• Messengers were sent out to tell Bharata to come back to Ayodhya immediately. They travelled past Panchala and the Elephant city, never stopping, for four days, finally reaching Kekaya City. 
• Bharata was asleep but he was having a nightmare where he saw the ocean dry, the moon fall on to the Earth, the tusks of his father's elephants shatter, the fire in Ayodhya burn out, and smoke coming from the hills of Kosala. **story**
• Finally the messengers came and told him that he needs to immediately return to Ayodhya without specifying the reason, and his grandfather, King Aswapati, gave him horses to ride back on.
• Bharata asks Kaikeyi why Rama is banished when she tells him that the King banished him into exile for fourteen years. Finding out that it was Kaikeyi, he runs off to Kausalya.
• Bharata forgives his mother and goes with the four queens to Rama to take his place in the forest.
• Rama explains to Bharata that a man's word is very important and it cannot be broken and Bharata eventually agrees to let Rama go. Rama asks Bharata to wait for him, for his return after fourteen years. 
• Rama tells Sita the story of the Valakhilyas and about how Indra wasn't very nice to them. 
• The demon Viradha abducts Sita while Rama is telling a story to Sita, but later he finds out that the only way to free him is to end his demon life (by Rama).
• Lakshmana, Rama, and Sita live in Panchavati where Ravana's sister proposes to him.

Bharata and Kaikeyi

Source: Boloji

Week 4: Reading Diary B (Events Occurring During Rama's Exile)

Buck's Ramayana

Pages 60-109

• King Aswapati calls for Bharata for which Dasaratha gives permission. And not soon after, he begins to think of Rama's coronation. 
• Dasaratha tells Rama about his taking over as King and Rama's mother and the other three as well come up to congratulate him happily. 
• Manthara is a hunchback... Rama had once shot a play-arrow at her hump. Story?
• She was a cruel, sin-seeking hag.
• She told Keikeyi that Rama's mother would soon be walking around on a high-horse once Rama became king and not care for any of the other wives. 
• She was the one who put the idea in innocent Keikeyi's head about sending Rama away for fourteen years so the people would not love him anymore and he wouldn't kill Bharata either.
• Keikeyi went in a rage soon after this, like the youngest sibling would throw a fit, she was acting similarly as the youngest wife.
• Rama humbly accepted her two requests.
• Lakshmana insists that he will kill the King if this is what he is going to do, but Rama tells him to stop and sit still.
• Sita explains to Rama how husband and wife are one and that she will go with him.
• Rama's path is blocked by the people as he tries to depart for his exile so he has to spend one night there still.
• At the Kingdom of the Far Forest, Guha, the Hunter King, welcomed Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana.
• Guha explains how he was angry at Shiva, believed in "one God" which was a tree and he kicked Shiva's statue whenever he got the chance—which was often. Yama's messengers came to get Guha and tore his soul from his body. Then a dwarf came and told them by Shiva's command to let him go, it was not time for him to go and that they were just thieves. It was not time for Guha to die just yet. However, Shiva (Nandin) carried Guha away and then when Yama showed up, he told him that Guha may have sinned but he took care of him when he came into his forest. He made those men who pretended to love him leave the forest, so his soul was for Shiva to take. 

Kaikeyi and Manthara

Source: Google

Week 4: Reading Diary A (The beginning of Ramayana + the Hindu Deities)

Buck's Ramayana
Pages 1 – 59

• Sauti is explaining to Saunaka how Valmiki wrote the Ramayana in beautiful poetry.
• Valmiki searched the Earth for happiness and friendship, but finding none, he secluded himself within a forest and sat still for years without moving.
• "Away with the worlds. where a little pleasure costs a lot of pain." -Valmiki
• Narada calls Valmiki out from under the anthill in order to help Sita, Rama's wife. 
• Sita has lived as Rama's Queen for nearly ten thousand years.
• She was exiled by Rama because his people were talking against her... what could have happened? *Story*
• Bird hunter shot a bird and killed it and then died from being cursed by Valmiki.
• Valmiki over the years taught the tale of Rama, almost till the present, to Rama's two boys, Kusa and Lava who memorized it and sung the verses.
• Kusa and Lava sang bits of Rama's story at the festival for a year as Rama listened, wondering who these boys were.
• The story of Rama from before he was even born was then told:
• On the banks of Sarayu River is Ayodhya—royal capital of Kosala. 
• "Heaven is fair, Ayodhya is fairer."
• Dasaratha ruled this fair kingdom but had no sons and was getting old—sixty thousand years.
• Enter Indra (in heaven above) - he heard Vasistha's call (who was singing spellbinding mantra and pouring offering in sacrificial fire in order to call Indra).
• Indra was not happy about this.
• Indra had just fought the Battle of Heaven against Demon King Ravana. He had been captured though, because he lost the battle.
• Indrajit freed him (after capturing him)... Brahma had arranged that.
• The Gods, in order to defeat Ravana, allowed the birth through a man (that being the son of Dasaratha).
• Vishwamitra  comes to court.
• Ravana was undefeatable, but unfortunately he didn't ask to be protected from humans (as we will find out later).
• Kartavirya, king of Haihayas—he brought down Ravana when Ravana tried to attack him. 
• God of death = Yama (also was challenged by Ravana)
• Meanwhile, Rama has reached court of Janaka and marries his daughter Sita (also an incarnation).

Interesting depiction of the Hindu Gods

Source: marvunapp

Week 3: Reading Diary B (Attack on Lanka)

Narayan's Ramayana

Pages 131 - 171

• Hanuman's adventure after he crosses the water and finds Sita. 
• Sita is at the pleasure garden and is extremely sad, close enough to commit suicide. Hanuman appears and tells her who he is and then presents her Rama's momento. He then destroys Asoka Vana. 
• Sita's time at the Asoka Vana, how might her time there have passed?
• Ravana is in council where he is being told how he shouldn't have just taken the women, but dealt with the men first. Ravana is being very stubborn despite all the good advice being given to him.
• Vibhishana being thrown out by Ravana goes to Rama. Before meeting him, he spies on him for a bit. What is he thinking at this time?
• Planning out the attack on Lanka with Vibishana
• Bringing together everyone to build the bridge
• Ravana tries to trick Sita again. How is Sita feeling at this time? 
• They proceed into battle and Rama at the end of Day 1 hurts Ravana. What is going on in between the two days, when they take a break?
• Kumbarkana is awoken and vows to defeat Rama but is defeated himself. What are the thoughts of Ravana at this time, and prior to him being defeated? 
• After the war, Sita is returned to Rama but first goes through a test of purity by jumping into a fire. Rama's father is later sent down and Rama requests him to forgive his two wives. What is Dasharatha thinking at this time?
• Rama returns to Ayodha. His entry back into the kingdom, how do you think that proceeded?

Rama returns from exile

Source: Google

Week 3: Reading Diary A

Narayan's Ramayana

Pages 89-131

• Sita falls for Ravana's plan, hearing Rama call for help and so she tells Lakshmana to go to Rama, leaving her alone.
• Ravana is then able to kidnap her.
• Jatayu, the demi-god in eagle form, tries to save Sita but his wings get cut off.
• Story about this battle?
• Rama and Lakshmana come back to find him dying.
• On their way, they come to the kingdom of Kishkinda, where they meet the monkey, Hanuman. Sugriva, the younger brother of the Vali, king of this kingdom, lost his wife and is also in exile.
• Another possible battle story.
• With Rama's help, Sugriva is able to defeat Vali and becomes king. Tara, the wife, during this time told them not to fight... what might her thoughts have been during this time?
• Sugriva gives Rama Sita's jewelry, that she had dropped while being kidnapped by Ravana.
• Huge search parties are then sent out to find Sita, amongst them is Hanuman.
• Story about this particular huge search to find Sita.
• Sampathi, after reviving from seeing Rama, relays the news that Sita is at Lanka, across the ocean. 

Ravana versus Jatayu

Source: Google

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

Week 2: Reading Diary A (Starting the Ramayana)

Narayan's Ramayana
Reading notes: Pages 1-53

• King Dasaratha was childless, but with the help from his mentor, Sage Vasistha, he was able to find a way to get children. He had a total of four sons from his wives. Remember: Rama!
• Dasaratha had to give his son, Rama, to the sage Viswamithra who would take his son Rama to many places for specific purposes. Rama's brother Lakshmana came along too; the two are inseparable.
• How would Rama feel about this whole event?
• Rama ended Thataka, who was degraded to demonhood from a past event. Rama brought her to her end by piercing her throat.
• Ahalya, created by Brahma, was very beautiful. She was gifted to Sage Gautama who had pure intentions and was good. The God Indra, however, was very envious and wanted Ahalya all for himself. 
• He watched over Ahalya in different guises just to get glimpses of her, while also watching the habits of the sage. From this he plotted his scheme to get Ahalya, which he did and the sage caught the two in the act.
• Rama, once in Mithila, saw Sita (incarnation of Shiva's consort), and fell in love. Sita, after seeing a glimpse of him and having their eyes meet for a mere second, could not stop thinking about him and was going insane from all the thoughts of love.
• In the end, they got married.
• Kaikeyi, one of Dasaratha's wives came to him and told him that he had two promises he had to keep in which she can ask for anything. She asked for her son Bharatha to be king instead of Rama being crowned king and to exile Rama for 14 years so he would not get in the way (as she assumed). 

Rama and Sita

Source: Google