Reading Notes: Ramayana Part A

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Formatting Observations
The narrator of the text does not remain silent, but rather exists as a presence in the story; there are several instances where the narrator breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the reader, commenting on elements of the story and injecting their own observations. This introduces a new dimension to the text, framing it as a story within a story. This is a stylistic element that I would like to consider incorporating in my retellings.

Important Figures of Ayodhya
-King Dasartha
-Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumithra: wives of the King
-Rama, Lakshmana, and Bharatha: sons of the King
     -Rama is actually Vishnu in human form!
-Sita: Rama's wife
-Sage Vasistha: guru of the kingdom

Thataka
-Born a demigod
-Married chieftan Sunda
-Two sons: Mareecha and Subahu
-Sons and husband were destroyers; they killed animals and laid waste to the land
-Agasthya cursed Sunda to his death
-She and her sons cursed by Agasthya to live as demons
-Created the arid desert by scorching the earth and leaving nothing but heat and sand in her wake
-Slain by Rama



Thataka the demigod-turned-demoness. Source: Wikimedia Commons


Rama and Sita's Love
If ever I have believed in a power couple, it is Rama and Sita. Our introduction to their love is one of tender descriptions full of passion; they are sick with desire, longing for the embrace of the other. This is their "honeymoon" phase; it is all emerald shoulders and lotus flower eyes. Their love matures over the course of the story, and this is equally beautiful to witness. Sita sacrifices the comfort of her home and her regal life to accompany Rama into the forest during his exile. To me, this is an example of ultimate love, much more so than the initial physicality that grips lovers. She does not need fine clothes or jewels to be happy; she simply needs to be with the one she loves, no matter where that love takes her.

Sita's Origin (Page 25)
-A gift from Mother Earth to King Janaka
-Found in a furrow in a ploughed field
     -How did she end up in this field? What is her origin story?
-Story idea: The tale of how Mother Earth created this child
     -Combined the beautiful elements of the earth to create this beautiful creature 
     -Eyes from the sea - when Rama exchanged gazes with her, he fell in the vast ocean of her love
     -Hair from the wild grasses that blow in the breeze - grounded, yet flows freely with the whim of          the wind
     -Skin from the moon - perhaps had to enter into bargain for this element, since it was out of her            domain?

Manmatha
-Briefly described as the one who "wields only a bow of sugarcane and uses flowers for arrows"
-How does the god of love approach his mischief? What is his story?

Quote about Rama (Page 57)
"But if Rama committed a seemingly wrong act, it would still be something to benefit humanity, like a mother forcibly administering a medicine to her child."
-This statement stood out to me as a testament of the reverence afforded Rama; he is admired as a pure and divine soul. Those who know him believe he can do no wrong. When our actions stem from good rather than evil intentions, even those undertakings that seem questionable will be understood in time.

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Bibliography

 Narayan, R.K. The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. 

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