Reading Notes: Ramayana Part B
In this portion of the story, we pick up after the death of Dasharatha. Word is sent to Bharata, who comes back home and finds out that his father has died and Rama has been exiled. Bharata gets angry at his mother for doing this, and she flees in terror. Baharata also proclaims that he will destroy Manthara, because she is the source of all their woes.
After grieving and performing the funeral rites for his father, Baharata decides to go to the woods and find Rama. He attempts to convince Rama to come back, but Rama refuses. Rama says that even though his father is dead, he must obey his command and stay in the woods for the fourteen years. Since he could not pursuade his brother to return, Baharata asked Rama to put on a pair of sandals, Rama did so and then returned them. Baharata stated that he would live as a devotee and guard the throne in Rama's place until the 14 years were over. The sandals became a symbol of Rama's power, and one interesting thing I read was that any gifts would actually be presented to the sandals first!
We get an new interesting insight into Sita's life at this stage, she tells about how her father discovered her while plowing one day!
Next Rama encounters Viradha, who attempts to take Sita for his own wife. Angered, Rama and his brother attempt to slay Viradha, but cannot because Viadha has a boon that enables him to not be slain in battle. Evetnually Rama and his brother Lakshmana are taken by Viradha, and the brothers break Viradha's arms and cast him into a pit. Once this is done, Viradha states that he now recognizes Rama, and tells that he was once Tumburu. He was cursed into this form, but now that Rama has cast him into the pit, Tumburu is free to join the heavens again.
As I stated before I think for my story this week I want to focus more on the love story of Rama and Sita. Rama meets an unexpected test. Shurpanakha, a rakshasha woman, sees Rama and falls in love with him. She takes on a more beautiful form and attempts to seduce Rama and get him to leave Sita. Rama turns her down, saying that Sita is his wife and he won't leave her. He then suggests Shurpanakha go to his brother Lakshmana, saying that he has no consort or bride.
Lakshmana made fun of Shurpanakha, and the rakshasha turned on Sita. Rama defended his bride with his brother's help. Shurpanakha ran, injured, back to her brother, who sent an army after Rama. Rama defeated them, sending them all scattering, and Sita emerged from her hiding place in a cave and kissed her husband.
Determined to get revenge, Ravana seeks out the help of Maricha, who takes on the form of a beautiful golden deer to help lure Sita away. Sita spies the deer and asks Rama to get it for her, if not alive then to take the skin so that she can sit upon it. Rama goes out to to fulfill his brides request.
Rama chases the deer and, having shot him through the heart, discovers that it was in fact Maricha. Maricha calls out to Sita and Lakshmana in an imitation of Rama's voice, begging them for help. Sita hears the cries and thinks that Rama is in trouble. She begs Lakshmana to go find Rama. Lakshmana tells her that he thinks this is a trick (he's right). After some harsh words are spoken, Lakshmana finally relents and goes to find Rama, Sita saying that if Rama dies she will kill herself, because she cannot live without him.
From here, Ravana, the king of Lanka, disguises himself and goes to Sita. Sita allows him in and tends to him, fooled by his appearance. Ravana attempts to woo her, offering her a place as his chief queen. Sita grows angry, and compares him attempting to woo her to a jackal attempting to woo a lioness away from her lion. Angry, Ravaan boasts of his own power, and then kidnaps her!
Once Sita is taken, Jatayu attempts to help her, but is slain. However, all is not lost, for Sita leaves jewels behind as a way for Rama to find his way back to her.
Ravana, under a curse, cannot force Sita to sleep with him, so he continues to attempt to woo and seduce her. Sita refuses his advances, not falling for his seduction. She states that she would rather die than be with him.
We go back to Rama, who has discovered that Sita is gone. Believing her lost to him, he grieves, saying that he cannot live without her. It's a heart-wrenching point in this story. He continues to look for Sita, and the next morning he discovers Jatayu who is dying. Jatayu tells Rama what happened, and the direction where Ravana went with Sita. Rama and his brother search for Sita, and discover Kabandha, who gives them information about Sita. They set on their quest to get Sita back.
Bibliography. "The Ramayana".Donald A. Makenzie, Manmatha Nath Dutt, Sister Nivedita. Web Source.
After grieving and performing the funeral rites for his father, Baharata decides to go to the woods and find Rama. He attempts to convince Rama to come back, but Rama refuses. Rama says that even though his father is dead, he must obey his command and stay in the woods for the fourteen years. Since he could not pursuade his brother to return, Baharata asked Rama to put on a pair of sandals, Rama did so and then returned them. Baharata stated that he would live as a devotee and guard the throne in Rama's place until the 14 years were over. The sandals became a symbol of Rama's power, and one interesting thing I read was that any gifts would actually be presented to the sandals first!
We get an new interesting insight into Sita's life at this stage, she tells about how her father discovered her while plowing one day!
Next Rama encounters Viradha, who attempts to take Sita for his own wife. Angered, Rama and his brother attempt to slay Viradha, but cannot because Viadha has a boon that enables him to not be slain in battle. Evetnually Rama and his brother Lakshmana are taken by Viradha, and the brothers break Viradha's arms and cast him into a pit. Once this is done, Viradha states that he now recognizes Rama, and tells that he was once Tumburu. He was cursed into this form, but now that Rama has cast him into the pit, Tumburu is free to join the heavens again.
As I stated before I think for my story this week I want to focus more on the love story of Rama and Sita. Rama meets an unexpected test. Shurpanakha, a rakshasha woman, sees Rama and falls in love with him. She takes on a more beautiful form and attempts to seduce Rama and get him to leave Sita. Rama turns her down, saying that Sita is his wife and he won't leave her. He then suggests Shurpanakha go to his brother Lakshmana, saying that he has no consort or bride.
Lakshmana made fun of Shurpanakha, and the rakshasha turned on Sita. Rama defended his bride with his brother's help. Shurpanakha ran, injured, back to her brother, who sent an army after Rama. Rama defeated them, sending them all scattering, and Sita emerged from her hiding place in a cave and kissed her husband.
Determined to get revenge, Ravana seeks out the help of Maricha, who takes on the form of a beautiful golden deer to help lure Sita away. Sita spies the deer and asks Rama to get it for her, if not alive then to take the skin so that she can sit upon it. Rama goes out to to fulfill his brides request.
Rama chases the deer and, having shot him through the heart, discovers that it was in fact Maricha. Maricha calls out to Sita and Lakshmana in an imitation of Rama's voice, begging them for help. Sita hears the cries and thinks that Rama is in trouble. She begs Lakshmana to go find Rama. Lakshmana tells her that he thinks this is a trick (he's right). After some harsh words are spoken, Lakshmana finally relents and goes to find Rama, Sita saying that if Rama dies she will kill herself, because she cannot live without him.
From here, Ravana, the king of Lanka, disguises himself and goes to Sita. Sita allows him in and tends to him, fooled by his appearance. Ravana attempts to woo her, offering her a place as his chief queen. Sita grows angry, and compares him attempting to woo her to a jackal attempting to woo a lioness away from her lion. Angry, Ravaan boasts of his own power, and then kidnaps her!
Once Sita is taken, Jatayu attempts to help her, but is slain. However, all is not lost, for Sita leaves jewels behind as a way for Rama to find his way back to her.
Ravana, under a curse, cannot force Sita to sleep with him, so he continues to attempt to woo and seduce her. Sita refuses his advances, not falling for his seduction. She states that she would rather die than be with him.
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| Ravana and Sita |
We go back to Rama, who has discovered that Sita is gone. Believing her lost to him, he grieves, saying that he cannot live without her. It's a heart-wrenching point in this story. He continues to look for Sita, and the next morning he discovers Jatayu who is dying. Jatayu tells Rama what happened, and the direction where Ravana went with Sita. Rama and his brother search for Sita, and discover Kabandha, who gives them information about Sita. They set on their quest to get Sita back.
Bibliography. "The Ramayana".Donald A. Makenzie, Manmatha Nath Dutt, Sister Nivedita. Web Source.
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