Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part A
Week 3: Reading Ramayana
As I discussed in a previous blog post, I selected to read "Tiny Tales from the Ramayana". So for this assignment I read the first 50 of the 200 in the book. I have selected three that I am most interested in to write more about. The first of which is number eight, titled "Shurpanakha Argues with Mandodari". To summarize, Ravana's wife (Mandodari) was vegetarian, his sister was a carnivore. His sister commanded that meat be served for dinner, and Mandodari refuses to do so. Shurpanakha was enraged and told her husband to eat her brother, Ravana. He obeys her command. Ravana cries for help and Shurpanakha decides to help him, killing her husband in the process. Ravana was blamed for the death of her husband. The second one that I chose was number 28, "Dasharatha Goes Hunting", was also very interesting. It was about a time that King Dasharatha went hunting and believed that he had heard a dear. He had shot a boy. Dasharatha went and picked up the boy and took him to his parents. They cried over the body and the father cursed Dasharatha. The last story that I found very intriguing is titled "They Go to See Janaka's Bow", number 37. Vishvamitra says that Janaka has a mighty bow that once belonged to Shiva. Whoever lifts and strings that bow marries Sita. Tons of kings and princes have tried unsuccessfully. Rama and Lakshmana want to go see the bow, so they did. Janaka was delighted by their arrival. He says that he will happily marry Sita to Rama if he succeeds.
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| Rama & Sita - Wikipedia |
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