Skip to main content

Reading Notes: Ramayana Week 5

Vishvamitra, a brahmarishi, comes to Dashartha from Siddhashrama and ask for his help. Two devils have been terrorizing his dwelling, polluting his sacred fire and ruining sacrifices.
Dashartha promised Vish anything, and Vish asked for the help of his son, the only one able to defeat the devils. Dash was not happy about this, but had to keep his promise so sent Rama and his brother Lakshmana to help.

They came across Thataka, a rakshasa. She ravaged the country continuously. Rama challenges her with his bow, but did not want to kill her because she was female. After removing both her arms, nose, and ears, she became invisible and was still able to rain stones down upon the party. The sage urged them to finish her and Rama did with a single shot. The sage summoned spiritual weapons for Rama who in turn asked for them to wait to when they were most needed, and he thought about them, to appear.  Maricha and other rashasas appeared for a surprise attack on the offering and Rama summoned his weapons and killed them.

Vish tells Rama of the story of Ganga, a goddess who appeared on Sagar Island.




Shiva Catches Ganga Falling to Earth.
India, circa 1740
(LACMA)


Rama then asks about an abandoned hermitage. Vish decides to tell Rama of the story of the sage Gautama and his wife Ahalya. Ahalya was a beautiful woman who the god Indra fell in love with. He was so infatuated that he disguised himself as her husband and seduced her. Gautama finds out and curses them both, causing Ahalya to become invisible.

As Rama and Lakshmana are wandering the city, showing off their handsomeness to the citizens, all girls couldn't look away from them. Through the rest of the day the wandered and rested, eventually leading to a garden, the garden of the king, a paradise. Princess Sita was wandering the garden as well and happen to come across Rama. They instantly fell in love. Sita then prays to understand her feelings, and they are clarified as love. Rama returns with flowers that night.


Source: https://archive.org/details/divinearcherfoun00gouliala

Title: The Divine Archer
Author: F. J. Gould
Year: 1911

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Topic Brainstorm: Storybooks!

1) Doing a storybook of 3 kings from Indian tales ( Ramayana : Vali , Ravana , an Vishvamitra ) I've yet to read about these kings but going through their tales seems like a fun idea. Learning about the character of them but also their feats or arrogance in these stories seems like a fun idea. I think all three of them are connected in a way and I could probably do something really cool to show that link. Vali The Monkey Kings from Wikimedia  2) Creation stories ! I'm not yet familiar with some of the creation stories in Indian Epics, but I think it would be cool learn about them. I grew up reading mythology book and it would be interesting to see the how Indian Epics tell their side of things. 3) God and Goddesses/ Deva and Devi : I am unfamiliar with all the gods and goddesses from Indian Epics so I'm excited to learn their origins and maybe so epic tales involving them. Specifically their origins and possibly their most epic feats, whether creation or a certain...

Week 5 Story: Brothers Quarrel

Title : The Divine Archer Author : F. J. Gould Year : 1911  Link Rama and Lank had just completed a task given by them to kill a demon terrorizing the local villiage, they were tired, and wanted a place to rest, so they traveled to the nearest city. In the coty they were recognized as heroes, the citizens were estatic that they had been blessed to host such heroines. Rama and Lank were invited to a great feast held by the king. They were given plate after plate of some of the best food they had ever tasted. After the feast, Rama decided to take a nap while Lank walked the palace, intrigued by it’s uniqueness in comparison to theirs at home. As Lank walked the gardens he saw the most beautiful maiden, the princess Sita and her helpers wisped by him as he was awestruck. Lank thought to himself “I’m gonna marry that girl”. How could she refuse him, being such a hero in the eyes of the king. I’m sure the king would even give her to him. Rama awoke from his s...

Mahabarta Reading Notes D (EC)

                                                          Ashwatthaman and Shiva . -Gem of Ashwatthaman gives him the power over living beings lower than humans, and protects him from hunger, fatigue, and thirst. -He grew up in a poor family, a son of Dronacharya who prayed to lord Shiva for a son of the same valiance. -Ashw became a bloodthirsty individual, slaughtering many in his raid of the Pandava camp. -His father Drona was killed because of his rumored death, in his grief becoming weak. -He commanded Kiravas in the the Kurukshetra War. -He is eventually embodied by Shiva/becomes a rudra (?) in his rage to get revenge, his sacrifice being himself. -He got revenge on his fathers death by killing Duryodhana, his father’s killer, in his raid on Pandavas. -his two allies  Kripa and  Kritavarman helped him in this sla...