The first story I enjoyed reading the most was the monkey bridge. There was a tree by the river. It was a beautiful tree that bore fruit unknown to the men down the river. Monkeys feasted on this fruit, and they made sure that the fruit never fell into the water or it would be found by the men in the villiage downstream. The cheif warned that if that were to happen the fruit tree would be discovered and destroyed by the men who often destroyed things that were beautiful. The fruit was divine, so this risk was something the monkeys avoided at all costs. Well sometimes mistakes happen, a fruit, by accident, slipped off the tree and floated down the river to some fishmen who in turn brought it to the king. The king, being a greedy individual, demanded the friit tree be found after discovering the friit was insanely delightful. When they areived they found the fruit surrounded by monkeys, who overnight panicked as they heard the king would kill them and eat them too. So the chief, being ...
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A hypocritical cat, though not so hypocritical, was too weak to hunt for mice so instead he decided that he would wait outside of their hole and stand in a weird pose. After a long enough time, the rats were curious and approached him. He stood on one foot and looked at the sun. He told the rats he worshipped the sun, and at no food. In a way, the cat posed as a deity to the rats. And so the rats worshipped him. They passed by him every day with offerings and bows, and sometimes the cat would offer life advice or words of wisdom. He managed to pick off rats one by one when the others weren’t looking till one day he was caught red handed. The king of the rats was suspicious of the cat, as his “troops” were going missing...hmmm. They caught him in the act, the rat victim jumping out of the way in time to survive. The rats were vicious and overthrew him, killing him, and eating him. What a vicious way to die... There was a crocsdile couple that lived in the river, and a money tha...
Krishna was a troublesome child. Though it seemed that everyone was out to get him he was able to survive so many instances that could have and almost should have caused his death. -when Putana tried to kill him by having him suckle on her poisonous breast he ended up sucking the life out of her instead, immune to the poison (she was sent by king Kansa btw) - He was so strong he broke the crib after being hungry for a short while, pots and pans falling with him to which he was not crushed by or damaged by the fall. -He was taken by a giant demon in the for of a whirlwind/tornado, only to be found and seen throwing the giant around by the neck like a toy. -He started stealing milk and butter at a very young age, too young to be believable, even knocking over a pot of churned milk by himself. - He cannot have things tied around his waist by mortals, and he could still drag the mortal he was tied to around, breaking trees with it (these trees ended up being cursed sons of Kubera) - ...
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...
Arjuna was told that if he traveled to up the Himalayas and obtained the vision of the great god, no one would be able to defeat him. So Arjuna, wanting this power, went into the mountains to find this power. He promised himself he would conquer the mountain. Ever yday he would meditate and pray, to the point where he became strong. He comes across a boar that planned to attack him and killed it. The forest grew silent, and a hunter not so far was angry that Arjuna killed his prey. So they fought, but this huntsman appeared to not be a mere mortal. This huntsman was the Great God, and he was pleased with Arjuna, giving him divine weapons and blessing him, but forbidding him from using the weapons unnecessarily. Many other gods visited Arjuna up in the mountains, bringing gifts of other weapons and blessings. The gods sent Arjuna to live in the city of Swarga where music and dancing were plenty. Indra told Arjuna that he is to live there as a dancer and musician, and that he did. He...
Upichara was a king that didn’t want children but was given a crystal car that could fly. While out flying his semen fell into a river and was eaten by a fish. When caugt by a fisherman two childeren suddenly appeared. - maybe do a story over the crystal car or from the fisherman’s perspective as he discovers the children (maybe his wife and him could not concieve). Ganga was the goddess of the ganges river. She had promised the god Vasus, who had been cursed to be among men in 8 forms, that he may be born of her children and she would kill them all (to retirn Vasus to his god form) in exchange for 1/8 of his power onto her final son. Ganga marries king Shantanu with a promise that he will never disagree or say a mean thing to her, she proceeds to drown every child they have till on the eigth child the king bursts into anger and breaks his vow. - story from Shantanu watching his children be born and drown and his conflicted feelings in the mattwr, wife or kids? Gang...
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 summon...
After Sita’s capture and rescue from Ravana, the people questioned her purity. In turn, Rama banned her to Valmiki’s hermitahe where she gave birth to two sons. These two sons ended up foghting Rama, their father, in the future, Rama saw himself in them, knowing they were children of Sita’s. Sita was called to the kingdom to fight for her purity, and in turn, was taken by the gods. Source . Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914). [800 words] I mage source : Sita goes into the earth, by Raja Ravi Varma
Sita had been stolen by Ravana and lay in his prision quarters, still covered in the jewels from her kingdom. Ravana wanted her so he tried to convince her to be his wife, but she refused saying she was only to be with Rama, When Hanuman offered go save her after she was sentenced to months in captivity, she refused on the idea that she would touch no man besites Rama. Hanuman devised another plan to save Sita, and started destroying things in Ravanas kingdom. When they captured him they forgot how Brahma weapons work, and the bond were not complete. But Hanuman decieved Ravana’s men into thinking he was captured so he could speak to Ravana. Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie Image source : Hanuman, Rama, and Lakshmana attack Ravana
Bharata comes home to find that his father has passed away. His is in mourning. His mother still thinks that it'll all be ok because Bharata can become the maj. Bharata refuses and mourns that his brother Rama was exiled to the forest. He vows that he will bring Rama back to be raj. He cursed the old hag that brainwashed his mother. Rama still refused to take the raj in honor of his fathers vow so Bharata ruled in his place, a pair of golden-laid sandals to represent Rama's rule when he returns from his forest exile. Bharata decided to rule from outside the palace in the same conditions that Rama was in his honor. Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita are together then they are attacked by a demon. The demon take Sita whilst Rama and Lakshamana attempt to get her back. The arrows bounce off it's body, but whn the demon takes Rama and Lak into its arms, they break them, dig a hole, and throw the demon into the pit. Another rakshana, the sister of Ravana, decides that Rama is to be...
Dasharatha is a king in the kingdom of Koshala, it's capital Ayodhya, a beautiful luscious place. It's people are happy and prosperous. Dasharatha lives in a palace protected by a thousand warriors. Dashartha has 8 sage counselors and 2 family priests Vashishtha and Vamadeva. Dasharatha has been unable to have a son with his three wives, Kaushala, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra. Dashartha and his wives complete a ceremony of horses sacrifice so that they may have sons. 21 other posts were set up with other animal for the sacrafice mantras were chanted by the brahmins (who were paid in gifts) and for the entire night the wives Kaushala and Kaikeyi stayed beside the dead horse. After the ceremony the gods promised four sons. Ravana, the king of the Rakshasas, needs to be defeated. He is able to enslave gods, and obstructs sacrifices. To do so, Vishnu, a god, promises to come to earth in the bodies of the four sons of Dasharatha, and specifically, Rama, as Ravana can be defeated by m...
Notes: Ceylon, a city of she-goblins with no men. They have magic powers and can create minor illusions to entice men in which after they get bored they eat. 500 sailors wrecked on the island and they were fooled too, until one captain saw his wife returning from a nightly killing with man meat in her mouth, giving a small chant that revealed her true nature Only some men believed the captain, and with the aide of a fairy who hated the goblins some men were allowed to escape on the back of a magic pegasus, while the rest stayed behind, only to be eaten the next night. This story was a cute little tale that one could argue enforces the ideal of putting the man first, I almost wanna know more about these she-goblins. Story source : The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse . Image credit. The demon city of Lanka . The flying horse by W. Robinson .
I've chosen to read the public domain Ramayana because I'l like to experience each part of the story as a new experience. I would also like to be able to listen to the story with the audio recordings that come with it! Parashurama: Sixth Incarnation of Vishnu seems like a book to read...especially if he ends up killing his own "family" in retaliation... Garuda: Vishnu's Divine Mount is also appealing because of the cover art but also the story of this bet gone wrong... Hindu Creation Stories - This video seems extremely interesting as I've always loved hearing about different creation stories and origins of man. Weapons of the Gods - This video also seems fun, seeing mythical weapons and such and what they were used for. Hanuman salutes...