Storytelling for Week 5 - Inheriting the Crown

Bharata receives the most dreadful kind of news that exists. News that everyone fears, and this case is not different. He was told that his father has died. On top of that, he learns of the news that his brother, Rama, has been sent into exile by his own mother. Her hopes were for Bharata, her son, to become the king of Ayodhya one day. Bharata does not take this news lightly, as he knows his father wanted his beloved Rama to be his successor. Out of envy, disappointment, and fear Bharata takes off into the forest in search of his brother, Rama, to convince him to come back to Ayodhya and serve as king. Bharata gets everyone in the town of Ayodhya together and sends everyone out in a search for Rama. Bharata tells the townspeople, "My dear and beloved father would have wanted Rama to serve as his successor, and we need to fulfill that wish of his in his honor", and everyone cheers and chants and then runs off into the dark forest. Days, weeks, months go by and there is no sign of Rama. The search team almost gives up until they have a lead. Bharata finds a footprint in the exact shape and size as Rama's, which gave them a hint of direction to where he could be. Once they went in the direction of the footprint, they started finding more and more. The entourage followed footprint after footprint until they were led into the town of Chitrakuta, where they eventually found Rama! They all jumped up and down with joy, as they were all so thrilled to see their beloved Rama again. However, the excitement didn't last long since Bharata had come to deliver the news of their father's death. Bharata had expressed this news to Rama by saying, "My brother, our beloved father has deceased and I know he would have wanted you, his most beloved son, to be his successor". Rama replied by saying, "My dear brother, I must finish out my exile and endere with my father's promise to his wife". Bharata's reaction was that of disappointment and sadness, but he ultimately understood. Rama was known for his loyalty and commitment, so the people of Ayodhya respected his decision to remain in exile. Bharata and his entourage made their way back to Ayodhya with sunken hearts. Bharata knows it is not his place to be king, but he has agreed to serve as his father's successor until Rama's exile has ended.

Image Information: Bharata Searches for Rama

Authors Notes: I choose to retell the story of Bharata finding out of his father's death and seeking out to find his brother, Rama. I retold this story in a somewhat more relatable and practical way, while relatively sticking to the same storyline. In William Buck's version of this story, Bharat finds out of his father's death and of Rama's exile. He gets together an entourage and sets out into the forest to search for Rama. The forest king, Guhu, directs them to the hermitage of Sage Bharadwaja, who later directs them to Chitrakuta, where Rama resides.

Buck, William. (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Week 5: Reading Diary B - Sita's Abduction

Reading Diary Pg. 162-218
The Ramayana by William Buck

The story of the Golden Deer, and Sita's abduction is one of my favorites throughout The Ramayana. I choose to retell this story for one of my posts in Narayan's version of the book, and I truly feel it can be interpreted in many different ways. William Buck's version is very similar to Narayan's. Maricha disguises as a beautiful golden deer, catching Sita's attention. At Sita's request, Rama chases after it, where it then turns into its true form. Maricha yells for help with Rama's voice, tricking Sita into thinking he is in need. She tells Lakshmana to go save him, and in the meantime Ravana comes up to Sita disguised as an old man, which she welcomes, and then he snatches her up and takes her away. Jatayu, the bird who has been their protector, comes to the scene to help save Sita, but Ravana takes his wing, causing him to die. This was a really emotional scene, as Jatayu was a heroic character. Sita runs to him, sobbing, and holds him as he dies, but Ravana snatches her back up. Jatayu is able to stay alive just long enough to inform Rama on what had happened.

• Ravana holds Sita captive in Lanka
• Indra informs Sita of why Ravana will not rape her
• Ravana decided he wanted to have many wives. He saw Rambha, who was in love with Nalakubara, son of Vaishravana, and raped her. When Nalakubara heard of this news, he cursed Ravana, saying if he had ever raped a woman again, his head would explode. Because of this curse, Ravana cannot rape Sita, rather he will persuade her to give it to him. Ravana is not used to be rejected, as he always convinced women to give it to him, except for Rambha. 
• Rama and Lakshmana are not able to get to Sita in time, so they head to the hermitage of Sage Matanga, where they find out he is dead. Savari is still living there though, and tells them that she saw Ravana take Sita away. She tells them of the monkey brothers, Vali and Sugriva, and about Sugriva's friend, Hanuman
• Hanuman brings Rama and Lakshmana to Sita's jewelry, giving them some sort of direction to where Sita might be
• Sugriva and Vali fight, and Rama is loyal to Sugriva, so he shoots Vali causing him to die. Sugriva becomes king and promises to begin a search for Sita once the rainy season is over, in return for helping him in his battle. 
• When the rainy season comes to an end, there is no sign of help from Sugriva, so Lakshmana personally goes to confront him. Sugriva sticks to his promise and send out masses of monkey in all directions in search of Sita. 

Week 5: Reading Diary A - The Exile Continues

Reading Diary Pg. 110-161
The Ramayana by William Buck

• Dasaratha is dead; Bharata searches to find Rama with the hopes that he will return to Ayodhya
• Rama hears the news of his fathers and still refuses to come back until his exile is over
• Rama, Lakshama, and Sita visit the hermitage of Atri; Atri tells them the story of Mandakarni and the 5 Apsarases who live in the lake
• 14th summer of Rama's exile. Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita enter into the home of Agastya
• Agastya is the brahmana who lowered the Vindhya Hills, destroyed two demons, and then settled - he is described as a small man, but can easily do what is impossible to even the gods
• Possibly want to use the Vindhya Hills in my storybook

The Story of Agastya - Vindhya Hills were jealous of the Himalaya, and in envy, began to grow higher and higher until his peaks blocked the skies; the stars and the moon were blocked. Agastya arrived, but was blocked by Vindhya - all of the trails had been blocked, so Agastya had to ask permission to go south and come back again, and he was allowed to pass. Vindhya bowed low to Agasta, and the hills immediately decreased to their present height, well below the skies. He told Vindhya to to remain that height until he returns, and he has yet to return, and he has obeyed since.  Agastya burned and killed Ilwala.

• Agastya invited Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana into his home up in the hills. He seems like he has been waiting for him. I sense a little bit of fear within Rama. Agastya granted Rama and Lakshmana each a new bow that had "fallen from heaven" and never needed sharpening, in exchange for Rama's old one. I feel like this may be a trick?
• The Valakhilaya's tell Rama of the demons in the forest and request his help in war against them. Sita is unhappy with this and tried to get Rama to deny. 
• with the aid of the Valakhilaya's, the wives of Sage Kashyapa were able to conceive children; Kadru gave birth to a thousand eggs and Vinata gave birth to two eggs
• They each put their eggs in a jar of warm butter and set them outside; 500 years later, all one thousand of Kadru's eggs hatched into Nagas, and Vinata's two sons remained in their shells.
• I can quickly tell that this poses some competition between the two wives
• One of Kadru's sons finally hatched, and is described as a giant eagle with golden feathers and brilliant red wings. He had a head and wings like an eagle, but the arms and hands of a man.
• As Rama is telling this story to Sita, the demon abducts her with a long arm, so at the time Rama does not know where the demon has come from
• Rama and Lakshmana take off to fight and kill the demon - and they are successful 
• Sita was abducted by Viradha, who later reveals himself to be the gandharva names Tumburu, who had been cursed as a demon and was only freed once Rama brought his demon life to an end. The then flies up to heaven to find the gandharva king, Chitaratha