Week 6 - Storytelling - Arjuna Goes up a Mountain

 Arjuna unpacked his bag at the top of the mountain and attempted to smooth out his deer-skin tunic. It had taken him three days to hike to this particular vantage point. The mountain sat in the very center of two deep green valleys, which ran east and west. This meant that Arjuna could face the sunrise in the mornings and then, just as easily, turn to the west and face the sun as it was setting. Many wise men before him had come to this place to fast and meditate, and for the same purpose Arjuna had arrived. With so much going on in the world below, the days of endless meditation seemed like an unnecessary distraction for the young prince, but he knew it would eventually be worth it

Arjuna took a deep breath and turned in a slow circle, taking in his surroundings. Tall trees surrounded most of the mountain top, excepting a wide, smooth rock ledge jutting out over the valleys below . A small stream trickled its way through the underbrush and the smell of over-ripened fruit and flowers lingered on the breeze. Hard blue stone sculpted the features of the Lord Shiva, who stared resolute and determined over the head of the prince, a start contrast to the dried flowers and candle wax remaining at his feet. Arjuna understood why this was a place of peace and solitude.

That night, Arjuna ate the remainder of the provisions he packed, wondering how it would be to not desire real food anymore. He was apprehensive about the spiritual journey ahead, but resolved to complete his task. He settled down on a bed of leaves and did not wake until he felt the warmth of the sun through the trees the following morning.

He ate a small breakfast, choosing a few pieces of fruit from the offering boughs, remembering to offer a few to the statue of Shiva before assuming his place on the rock ledge. Arjuna raised his arms to the sky, breathed deeply, and tried to clear his mind. Soon his arms grew tired, his stomach rumbled, and sweat formed on his brow. These things filled his mind and Arjuna knew he had reached a point where he could no longer continue for that day. He climbed down off the ledge, made another prayer to Shiva and retired to his bed of leaves.

Every day Arjuna rose and followed the same process: he would eat breakfast, pray to the god, meditate, pray, bathe, eat, and sleep. Every day raising his arms towards the sky took less effort, his stomach rumbled less, and his mind became clearer.

Eventually, Arjuna lost track of the days. His mind was prayer and meditation and his skin shone from cleanliness. Through the soles of his bare feet, Arjuna could feel the heat of the molten earth far below the surface of the mountain, and he prayed and beckoned the liquid fire forward. The mountain shook with such ferocity and spat fire and smoke into the sky, but Arjuna did not sway from his spot. The gods saw this and were pleased.

Months passed and Arjuna maintained his practice. He was standing on the ledge, facing the sun, when he heard a terrible crash through the branches behind him. Arjuna turned as a great boar came hurtling towards him. Despite months of standing in the same way, the prince had maintained his warrior reflexes, and lept deftly to the side, grabbing his old bow and shooting an arrow into the side of the boar all in one swift movement. Yet, at the exact moment his arrow pierced the boar, another arrow sunk itself into the flesh at precisely the same angle.

Arjuna remembered what was like to be hungry, and began firing off bolts towards the direction of the other hunter, who had stepped out from the forest. But the arrows merely sunk into the body and were absorbed. The air was still and no animals made noise, and Arjuna took no notice of this, because he was so filled with determination. Seeing how little affect his arrows had on the intruder, Arjuna threw his bow to the side and locked arms with the figure.

"How dare you!" Arjuna screamed, but it died in his throat. The figure before him stopped and stood still. Arjuna looked up and saw that he had been fighting the statue form of Shiva and he sank to his knees.

"Forgive me, Lord! I knew not!" he exclaimed, placing a garland of flowers around the stony neck. From the neck, a wave passed through the stone and living form of the god presented itself to Arjuna once more. Arjuna fell again at the feet of the god.

The god Shiva laughed and it sounded like thunder to the prince's ears.
"It was well done," he said, "and so I shall reward you."

Several weapons and a bow appeared glimmering where the prince knelt, and he seized them.

"Use these only when you have no other choice and only against the greatest of foes, for there might be dire consequences," Shiva warned.

Arjuna nodded, clutching the weapons to his chest. The god shone bright and disappeared from view. Arjuna knew his time of meditation was complete and gathered his belongings, setting off down the mountain to rejoin the rest of the world. 

Meditation - From Sundance Studio

Author's Note:
This story comes from the Public Domain Edition Ramayana. I chose to keep most of the story the same, but added more details and chose to write the story in my own style. I really liked this story since the main character is set off from so many others. At first, I thought about having his image of the god be just his imagination, but I liked it better that he actually saw Shiva.

Week 6 - Reading Diary - PDE Mahabharata

 I am reading in the public domain edition Mahabharata.

Part A: It was interesting to see how the two main epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata) are coming together and interweaving some. There are similar patterns to both stories with exiled princes, mistaken identities, battles with demons, kidnappings, etc. It is easy to see how the Mahabharata was influenced by the Ramayana. It was also nice to see the familiar character of Hanuman. I had heard of the Bhagavad-Gita before, but didn't realize its connection to the Mahabharata.

So far the battle scene is really exciting and I can't wait to see how it ends.


Draupadi The Fire Born Princess by tararojing on DeviantArt

Part B: As expected, the battle scene was fairly exciting. I thought it was interesting how it was described. Some of the details were very gruesome, while others were really elaborate.  For example, when Abhimanyu is killed, the act which actually kills him is that someone "dashed out his brains," but the moments after he dies are painted with really complex and flowery imagery.

Also, keeping with the comparison of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, I noticed how both stories end with a horse sacrifice and the main wife character being honored.


Shiva by GENZOMAN on DeviantArt

Week 5 Reading Diary B - Public Domain Mahabhatra

I am reading in the Public Domain Mahabharata.

For this reading, I'm still having a little bit of trouble keeping up with all the different characters, but I'm really enjoying the content of the stories. I like how the story is more complex and operates on a grander scheme than the Ramayana.

Some of the stories are a bit funny, even though they are probably meant to be a bit more serious. For example, whenever Bhima defeats his enemies, I keep reading it as if it was some sort of WWE match.

I really liked the image of  Anjura using the bow.

Image Source

Week 5 - Reading Diary A - Public Domain Mahabharata

I am reading in the Public Domain Mahabhatara. 

So far, I like this epic. I feel like it is a bit more to take in than the Ramayana, as there are a lot more characters and it seems like the story is less linear. I've noticed that the style of story telling in the Mahabhatara is fairly similar to that of the Ramayana, but is a bit more ridiculous in some ways. For example, the story of the mating deer that were actually people, and of the children pulled from the mouth of fish, etc, were different from what I was expecting.

It's a bit more difficult for me to keep track of the characters right now, but I'm looking forward to how the rest of the story unfolds.

Bhima fights the nagas

Week 4 - Reading Feedback

Since this week I just watched "Sita Sings the Blues," I will be giving feedback specifically on the Public Domain Edition Ramayana.

I chose this edition primarily because of the ease of access and navigation. It was much more simple for me to be able to link back to the PDE Ramayana, rather than citing specific pages or editions in the print form.

The part of the reading that left the biggest impression on me was the fact that the writing styles varied so much within the text. I thought this was really interesting, because it reflected a certain amount of history and culture with these changes. For example, certain parts were told more like fables, some were strictly prose, while others felt like songs.

The only thing that I didn't necessarily understand were references to different gods or creatures. This was immediately rectified because of the links to each figure embedded in the text itself.

I did not find the reading guide particularly helpful. The stories were generally straightforward and the commentary wasn't really necessary for me, although I could see where it could be useful for other students. Additionally, I read quickly, so I was usually able to read parts A and B in about an hour to an hour and half, depending on the day.

I think eventually I would like to own a copy of the Ramayana for my own collection of classics. It would fit nicely on the ancient texts shelf! 
Rama by jeinu on DeviantArt

Week 4 Storytelling - A Sacrifice

White Horse by scutaru_cristian

Rama sat alone. The back of his intricately carved throne traced patterns into his skin as he leaned into it. He folded his legs underneath him, feeling the hardness of the frame beneath him. Years ago, when he had watched his father seated here, the throne had seemed immeasurably beautiful. Its strong gilded frame was the representation of power, duty, and honor. Now, Rama understood that a throne was never comfortable. It was a reminder of constant speculation and the weight of the necessary. Power was subjective; duty was the never ending crushing ocean of the expectations of the people; honor was for men like he used to be - for men who weren't destined to sit on a throne.

"Bring to me my horse." Rama's voice, at least, was still firm and commanding. It did not betray the tumultuous nature of his thoughts. Servants alerted themselves, rushing forward to fulfill this demand.

Rama walked out into the garden, the heat of the day causing a line of sweat to appear on his brow as he waited for the groom to arrive with his mount. The horse stepped forward, the sun gleaming off his brilliant white coat. The animal had been selected for Rama from a prestigious line, still somewhat wild, known for their prowess in war. This particular stallion was heralded for more, said to be descended from Uchaishravas himself and Rama did not doubt this. The stallion was adorned in jewels and ribbons, just as Rama had instructed. The proud beast had served the king well, but his time had come to carry out his final purpose.

With a heavy hand, Rama waved forward his own personal regiment of warriors.
"Go," he urged, "let this horse atone for my sins. They are great and I am weary of them. Go, and let me have peace once more. I pray the gods will grant me this  last boon and accept my sacrifice."

The groom let go of the stallion, which gave a loud whinny and reared on it's hind legs, kicking its forefeet into the sky. His nostrils flared, as if he could smell the freedom awaiting him. Then, he bolted.

The guard column proceeded orderly behind, their clinking armor and weaponry a stark contract to the multicolored streamers and glittering gems adorning the king's stallion.

Rama closed his eyes, letting the sounds of the procession washed over him. He hoped he had appeased the gods in this last effort. The actions of a king were never for himself. It was the people, foremost, always. In Rama's life, this often meant the ultimate in sacrifice.

Rama signed and remembered. It was almost as if he could hold her once more. He remembered how she smelled - just like a lotus from heaven.



Author's Note:
The inspiration for this story comes from the Public Domain Edition Ramayana, at the particular point where Sita's sons are grown and have learned to sing of Rama's past deeds, and Rama is still separated from them. Weighed down by his past sins, Rama decides to perform a horse sacrifice.The horse is what eventually connects him back to Sita, which is why I chose it for the image.

I thought I would reflect a bit on Rama's side of the story, wondering what his thoughts might have been. I like to think that Rama might have had some remorse for sending Sita away, and this was meant to reflect this. For this story, I did a little bit of research in the horse sacrifice, Ashvamedha.

In this practice, a horse is sent to wander the earth for a period of time before being killed. Ashvamedha can only be performed by a king and the horse is guarded while he wanders. Attacking or harming this animal is considered a direct attack against the king, which is why it is so monumental when Kusha and Lava seize Rama's sacrificial horse.

Week 4 - Reading Diary A and B (Playing catchup) - Sita Sings the Blues

For this week, I am watching "Sita Sings the Blues" 


Part A
So far I really like this method of presenting the Ramayana. It's interesting how there are a bunch of different stories combined into one, but it all flows quite well. There is the overall story of the Ramayana; then, that is overlapped by the three narrators; following this is Sita's singing of the blues; finally, all of this is the foreground for the story of Nina and her boyfriend, which somewhat parallels the Ramayana.

I like how the animation style changes with each of these differing methods of storytelling.

Ravana and Sita (from Sita Sings the Blues, but hosted on Wikipedia)

  

Part B

My suspicions about Nina's story paralleling the Ramayana definitely played out, but I especially liked how the story made a circle. In the beginning, I remember the narrators debating about when the Ramayana occurred and whether or not is was actually real, or at least whether or not it was based in factual events. In the end of the film, when Nina is reading the Ramayana and drawing, the question is raised as to whether or not the film itself was inspired by her events. In the same way, it is like how the Ramayana is supposed to written by Valmiki and that the entire story leads up to the realization of this.

The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told

Overall, I felt like this was such a unique approach to the Ramayana and enjoyed how multiple styles of art, music, and storytelling combined to make one larger compelling piece.

Week 3 Storytelling - The Brothers Who Touched the Sky

Long ago, way up high on a cliff, two brothers were born. They were hatched from eggs which always felt their mother's warmth and being that their nest was so small, the brothers grew right next to each other and were as close to each other in heart as they were in feather. One was named Jatayu and the other was named Sampati.

As the brothers grew larger, they also grew bolder. Their mother warned them often of flying too high. She told them that to touch the sky meant losing your head - you could never know which was was up and which way was down; you would either be kissed by the sun, or crushed by the ground.

But, the brothers grew arrogant and did not heed the words of their mother. One summer day, Jatayu challenged his brother, Sampati, to a race. Up and up and up they flew, each trying to outpace the other. Sampati began to grow nervous, but Jatayu did not slow. His shape grew to be a speck against the brightness of the sun and he turned and began plummeting down to the earth far below.

Sampati urged his own wings to carry him forward, and his talons secured around his brother, and his wings grew wide and their fall slowed. But Sampati was still young and not quite strong. His wings ached from the weight and burned from the heat of the sun. He felt them snap and it was as if flames had erupted across his whole body. Sampati fell and lay unconscious on a mountain.

It was three days and three nights that Sampati and Jatayu lay on the mountain side, each too weak to move on. Sampati cried to the skies, begging that he might die. But Jatayu prayed for strength, so that he might save his brother as his brother had saved him. And this prayer was granted.

Soon, Jatayu began to venture out and bring back food and water for Sampati. Sampati regained some of himself, though his wings remained forever mangled. He did not begrudge his brother, however. For he learned more of life on the ground and of humility, which he would have never found if he had lived his whole life in the sky.

 To this day Sampati and Jatayu live alone on the mountain top. Often they remind each other of their own strength and their own weaknesses, realizing that not everyone is meant to kiss the sun, and not all are crushed by the ground.

Sampati - The King of the Birds by el-grimlock.

Author's Note: 
This is based of Sampati and Jatayu found in the Public Domain Edition Ramayana.  In this story, Sampati is recalling the story of his brother's death and his own mutilation to the monkeys. When I first read this story, it really reminded me of the story of Icarus who flew too close to the sun and fell to his death. In my story, obviously, neither of the brothers die and I chose to remove the involvement of the monkeys and Rama's company, because I wanted it to have the feeling of being an independent fable, rather than a portion of the over-arcing Ramayana. I would like to incorporate this story into my final project eventually, because, somehow it is my favorite portion of the Ramayana. I think it sticks out to me because it is so different from the rest of the story.

Overall, I felt like this story had the potential to morph into being a stand-alone piece that could tell its own story, rather than just contributing to the progression of the plot of the Ramayana. I really enjoyed reading fables when I was younger and wanted to see if I could write something that had the same feeling to it. 

As a side note, I chose the particular image above because I felt like it captured the overall intensity and emotional trauma that I wanted to touch on in my story.

Week 3 - Reading Diary B - Public Domain Ramayana

I am reading in the Public Domain Ramayana. 

It was interesting to see how the story culminated and how Rama finally became victorious. I really liked reading the Ramayana, since it exposed me to a different type of mythology than the ones I have studied more.

I was most shocked at how Rama treated Sita once they were reunited and later when he banishes her. It seemed very contrary to the heroic ending I was expecting. Overall, the ending was really different from other epics I have read.

I chose this image below because I found the pose between the two brothers to be very intimate and deep, which is something that isn't necessarily common in artistic depictions of heroes. 

Bharata and Rama (with others)  Image Source - Wikipedia

Week 3 - Reading Diary A - Public Edition Ramayana

I am still reading along in the Public Edition Ramayana.

My favorite story in this section was about Sampati and Jatayu, the birds. I really liked this story because it was a change in style from the rest of this section of the Ramayana and was an interesting story to read and imagine. I also liked how the Vultures were not considered to be negative images, like they often are represented as in Western myths.

Hanuman is also an interesting character to me, because he changes often and has lots of adventures.

Ravana cutting the wings of Jatayu - Image Source Wikipedia

Week 2 Topics Research and Brainstorming

So far, I am most interested in the Animal Characters and I think I will end up doing a storybook project over this topic.

1. Avatars of Vishnu: I think this would make an interesting topic because I could focus on each of the different forms of Vishnu as animals, not necessarily as human. So far the research I've done for this topic involves reading the various myths associated with his different animal forms. I have also been looking at the imagery associated with each of these forms. For example, in his avatar of Matsya, the fish, Vishnu is often portrayed as almost a mermaid-type figure.

2. Monkeys: I have been looking at the different monkeys through the Indian epics. The topic of monkeys is interesting because animals usually represent a few specific traits and are aligned either positively or negatively, but in these stories, the monkeys are more varying and are often depicted as being very human, rather than animalistic. I've been reading the stories associated with these; reading a bit ahead in the Ramayana and also exploring Wikipedia and Google Images.

3. Birds: In the same way as monkeys, I have been looking into various birds in Indian Mythology. From what I've been reading, birds seem to portray roles of mysticism or grandiose, being either terrible, half-humanoid, romantic, or sacred. For this, I have mainly been reading articles on Wikipedia for basic understanding. If I choose this topic, I will find some more in depth sources.

4. Atypical/supernatural animals: These are the monsters or unusual type animals in Indian Mythology. I have noticed how many animals seem to be combinations of other animals, and I am wondering if there might be a correlation between what parts of animals compose the entire creature and different qualities of the whole. I've been looking for images of multi-faceted animals and reading some stories about these types of animals.

Yali a multi-faceted animal figure, comprised of elephant, horse, lion, and eagle.    Image Source: Wikipedia

Week 2 Storytelling - Of Mice and Mean Old Cats

There once was a kingdom of mice. The Mouse King was a kind man and was very blessed. He had three wives and his three wives had four sons, each strong and great in his own way, but it was known that Rama, the eldest, was the most loved of all the sons.

One day, Rama and his brother Lakshmana were out walking in the fields talking boasting about all the great things they would accomplish. An old shrew heard the conversation and stepped out in front of their path, hoping that they might be able to help him from a growing terror.  

“Oh, great Princes, sons of the King! My whole family has been devoured by a terrible evil! But, your powers are well-known throughout this land. Thus, only you can defeat the foul Thataka! Please help!” The shrew wailed, throwing himself at the feet of the young mice.

Rama and Lakshmana were caught off guard. Of course, they had never actually been in a battle, but they were afraid of disappointing the old shrew, so they insisted that he direct them to the lair of the great Thataka.

The great beast stepped out of the hollow of an old tree. Its eyes were a fearsome yellow, its legs bore great claws, its teeth were sharp and yellowed and its ears were large and capable of hearing the tiny mouse steps as they approached. 

                                                                

“Who dares disturb Thataka!” she yowled, stretching herself on front legs and flexing her claws.

“It is us! The great Princes of the Mouse Kingdom!” Rama roared back to the cat.

The three combatants sprung forward at the same time, meeting in the middle. Laksmana flew upward, scratching Thataka’s nose and clipping off the tips of her ears. From below, Rama drew his slingshot and tossed stones into her sensitive paws, making her hop in pain. She leapt into a nearby apple tree, concealing herself completely and the tree began to shake. The two brothers darted back and forth, attempting to dodge the apples threatening to smash them.

Rama was struck by an idea. He lashed his slingshot to two low branches of a srub, placed one of the apples in it’s pouch, and together with Lakshmana, he pulled it back as far as it would go. The apple launched into the middle of the tree. Thataka gave a great scream and fell from the tree, unconscious.

Rama and Lakshmana and the old shrew hugged each other and cheered. The cat would never bother the Kingdom again! 

Image Source: "Matt's Cat by Aidan - Flikr.

Author’s Note:

I chose the story of Thataka from the Public Domain Edition Ramayana. I decided to retell the story as a type of fable or fairy tale. I decided not to have the mice kill the cat, but just hurt her ego. I also left out the weapons, as I felt they weren’t necessary. However, I did change Rama’s bow to a slingshot in this story.

Week 2 - Reading Diary B: Public Domain Edition Ramayana

I am reading in the Public Domain Edition Ramayana. 

I have started noticing different elements of imagery in various stories. For example, in the story where Rama and his brother fight the demon, which has abducted Sita, Sita's fear is described as "trembling...like a plantain tree shaken by the wind." Also, when the demon is defeated, he falls to the ground "in a swoon like a hill riven by the thunderbolt," (Viradha, Public Domain Ramayana). 

I've also been wondering about the style in which the enemies are defeated. It seems like often the arms are either broken or cut off, and facial features are cut off as well. It doesn't seem like these things would cause much harm to a supernatural being (the cutting of ears and noses in particular), so I'm not really sure what the effect of this type of mutilation is in a cultural and historic context.

My favorite part to read from this section was of Shurpanakha and Ravana. I found it to be the most vivid and interesting. My favorite image was of Rama, Sita, and the deer.

Image Source: Sita Sings the Blues