Storytelling for Week 7 - Should I Tell Him, or Should I Not?

To bide by my brother's side or to do what is right? This is the question that I am dealing with at the moment, and it is weighing heavy on my heart. I know that one should never turn their back on their family, but I also know that my brother is in the wrong here. My brother, Ravana, has taken Lord Rama's wife, Sita, and has held her hostage with the hopes that she will fall for him and give in to be his wife. Poor Rama has been searching for his loved one for what seems like eternity, and Ravana is trying every way to lure those around him into killing him. I must now stand my ground. I need to demand Ravana to return Sita to her husband, Lord Rama. If he does not do so, I will have to take matters into my own hands.

"Ravana, I must have a word with you."

"Yes, my brother, what is it that you want?"

"Ravana, you must return Sita. Her poor husband has been searching for her ruthlessly. It is not right of a man to take another man's wife."

"I will not. She will learn to love me and Rama no longer!"

Well, I guess there is no reasoning with my stubborn brother. I must go make things right on my own. I will seek out Lord Rama and go from there. As I make my way through the forest, I start pondering on whether or not I am doing to right thing. What information should I give to Rama, should I tell him all of our secrets and treasure or should I turn back around and head back to Lanka. This is a true test to my character, and I do not not if I should stay loyal to my own brother or stay loyal to what I know to be the right thing to do. Stealing another man's wife has always been the ultimate crime, so I must do something about it. I finally find Rama and his entourage and could tell they were skeptical of me at first. I want to assure them that I mean to harm, and am only here to help.

"Lord Rama, I am here to help you. I know what my brother, Ravana, has done is wrong, and I want to make it right."

"Come, I believe your sincerity. If you help us, I will assure you will become king."

"I am willing to tell you of the secret treasures of Lanka, but I will not assist in attacking my own brother. With that being said, I am rooting for your success."

Image Information: Vibhishana as King. Wikipedia

Author's Note: I choose to tell a story of the inner thoughts and struggles that Vibhishana may have had when he decided to tell Rama of the secret treasures of Lanka. I wanted to retell this story in a way that would be the thoughts that someone today might have with the struggle between not wanting to betray a loved one but knowing what the right thing to do is.

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

Week 7: Reading Diary B - The Exile Comes to an End

Reading Diary Pg. 374-432
The Ramayana by William Buck

• Vibhishana offers Rama to use a Pushpaka for his journey to return back home. A pushpaka is a flying chariot. Vibhishana offered this to Rama in order to help him return home in time for Bharata to see that he has come back, and does not kill himself as he had vowed to if Rama had not come back at the end of his exile. 
• On their way back home on the pushpaka, Rama stops to show where they buried Jatayu. Rama sends Hanuman home to Ayodhya ahead of them to tell his brother, Bharata, the news that they are on their way to returning from exile. Bharata cries tears of joy!!
• The time has come where Rama finally returns home to Ayodhya. Presents and gifts are being thrown at Rama, as the town is so excited to have him and to have him serve as their king.
• As time goes by, thousands and thousands of years actually. Sita becomes pregnant. 
• This creates gossip among the people that Rama serves. They are appalled that he has allowed Sita back into his home after being with another man, Ravana, even though she has proven her innocence.
• Thinking of this, I feel like it represents the thoughts and actions of a much earlier time period than today's modern views. Even though she had proven her innocence, just the fact that she was in the presence of another man is enough to send her into exile. 
• Rama demands that his brother, Lakshmana, take Sita down the Ganges river and abandon her, leaving her in alone and in exile. She is still pregnant.
• Vibhishana is aware that Sita is in danger and is in need of help, so he ensures that Valmiki will rescue her in her time of need.
• This goes back to the beginning of the book, where it first started telling the story of Sita being dropped off along the river and wandering herself. Valmiki comes to her rescue (causing him to finally come out from under his anthill) and invites her into his hermitage with welcome arms. 
• Not too long after, she gives birth to two sons, Kusha and Lava.
• Kush and Lava grow up being told of the story of Rama, their dad, from Valmiki, without knowing that Rama is in fact their dad. They learn the story backwards and forwards, and grow up really looking up to Rama as a role model figure. 
• I find this ironic because they almost look up to Rama in place of a father figure, when he is in fact their father.
• Kush and Lava eventually are told that Rama is their dad. Sita feared that they would resent him, but they actually took it really well and continue to look up to him.
• Rama held a big festival in the forest that lasts for a year. Kusha and Lava sing each day, and Rama eventually realizes they are his sons.
• Kala, Time, comes to Ayodhya in disguise as a hermit and demands a meeting with Rama. He announces that anyone who disturbs their meeting will have to die. In the midst of the meeting, Lakshmana walks in, and therefore must die. 
• The book ends with Lakshmana going to the Saraya River to die.

Week 7: Reading Diary A - Sita's Return

Reading Diary pg. 325-373
The Ramayana by William Buck

• The fight to get Sita back still continues at this point in the book
• Hanuman and Sugriva kill Ravana's magicians, Lightning Tongue and Thunder Tooth. They were fighting with Jambavan in order to keep him from killing other demons, but they ended up being killed by Hanuman and Sugriva. 
• There is a feeling of despair among Lanka. I feel like this may be so because of the many losses this town has recently experienced. Shuka makes the feelings throughout the town known to Ravana.
• In the midst of all of this drama, Mandori exclaims her love to Ravana. 
• Ravana gets into a bit of a scuffle with the time god, Kala, but brushes it off his shoulder, because he feels as if he is invincible
• This stands out to me because it seems as if Ravana is quickly losing more and more of his troops and that he should be feelings pretty insecure and worried at this point. 
• Rama and Ravana finally go into battle. I feel like there was a lot of suspense coming up to this point, and now they are finally able to meet face to face and determine who is the better god
• The battle is a tough one. Rama repeatedly cuts off Ravana's heads, but they grow back every time. Ravana disguises as Indra, which catches Rama off god, but Matali is able to see right through it and keep Rama on the right track 
• Ravana may be in a state of weakness at this point because he is thinking Rama will fall for this trick, and might not be quite as on guard.
• Rama is finally able to kill Ravana for good
• Once Ravana is dead, Shuka delivers a note from Ravana to Rama. This does not happen in the other version of the Ramayana, so I like reading something that was unique to Buck's version.  
• Vibhishana becomes the new king of Lanka. 
• Hanuman is sent to tell Sita of the news of the victory
• Rama and Sita are able to reunite for the first time. The fire god, Agni, is able to prove Sita's loyalty to Rama.
• The time has come where Rama's exile is nearing its end. He is rushed for time to make it back to Ayodhya in time, so that his brother, Bharata, doesn't kill himself as he previously vowed he would do if Rama had not returned by the time his exile had ended.