Epics of India

"Written by God, Moses, or a Series of Patriarchal Males, depending on whom you ask" After watching  Sita Sings The Blues  and discovering the genius of Nina Paley's work, I began researching her background and how she has been influenced in her artistic pursuits. I was excited to discover that she has another animated film out called  Seder Masochism. " Seder?" I thought. "As in... Passover?"  I am Jewish and have grown up celebrating Passover, honoring the many unique traditions of the holiday (including the four glasses of wine, an element of the seder mentioned in the film. A tradition I  definitely  appreciate). Watching the trailer for  Seder Masochism  was another tempting taste of Paley's uniquely absurd and vibrant animation, and I knew I would have to watch the whole thing at some point. I decided to wait until now (the actual holiday of Passover) to watch the film, to make the viewing experience more personable and fun! I'v...

Yoga... -Hindu or Indian, secular or religious? -These are Euro-American terms, so who cares! -Indians are "expected to force fit Indian thoughts, like a twisted yogic asana" -Hindu: YES, because Hindu texts continually refer to this word -Krishna and Shiva are both referred to as yogeshwara, meaning lord of yoga -Indian: YES, because yoga originated in the Indian subcontinent -Thrived in various schools of thought, including Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism -Fun fact: "zen" in Japanese Buddhism can be traced to "dhyana" (profound meditation) -Religious: YES, because it refers to the idea of God -Speaks to the union of the individual soul with the cosmic soul -Secular: YES, because divine ideals are a very small component of Yoga Sutra -A tool to "uncrumple the mind" -The eight practices: social disengagement (yama), personal discipline (niyama), postures (asana), breath (pranayama), sensory isolation (pratyahara), awareness (dh...

-Rural cultures valued fertility     -Fertility rooted in women -Urban cultures valued obedience     -Obedience enforced by men Yang - dragon in the sky Yin - the phoenix, regenerating from its own ashes Patriarchal societies... -Link men with culture -Link women with nature The domination of women; men begin to "domesticate" women -A female monster being defeated by a male God in a Mesopotamian epic -Zeus raping nymphs -The first Japanese man and woman create the earth together and go around a pillar from opposite ends, intending to copulate when they meet     -The woman speaks first in their interaction and demon children are born     -One the second go around, the man speaks first and normal children are born In cities... Battle of power ---> desire to be king ---> competition between men ---> youth seeking to overthrow elders ---> elders constantly suspicious of youth -Women are the trophies of this rivalry P...

Important Figures Gaia: Earth mother in greek mythology Cronus: Kills his father in order to be born, then eats his children to prevent them from doing the same thing he did to his father Zeus: The only child of Cronus saved by Gaia, kills his father and "declares himself father of Gods of men" Theme in Mythologies Around the World A primal female deity is at first adored, and then "brutally sidelined" by a male deity Sedna -Inuit story -Sedna marries a seagull; unhappy, she asks her father to take her home in his boat -A flock of seagulls attacks -Sedna's father throws him overboard to save himself -As she tries to climb back, he cuts off her fingers -He then also cuts off her arms -As she sinks into the ocean, her dismembered limbs turn into the creatures of the sea: fish, seals, whales, ect. -Those who wish to hunt the children of Sedna must appease her through the "soothing words of Shamans" Aadya -From tantric Hindu tradition -...

"Jesus certainly broke bread with his hands" -An excuse I will now use at any point I wish to toss aside silverware and propriety and go at food with my hands -In one of her shows, Oprah made a comment about how Indians "still eat with [their] hands"      -For real, Oprah? That's pretty culturally insensitive  -Long before cutlery in Europe there were chopsticks in China      -The oldest ones were dated to 1000 BC and were made of bronze -In the Middle Ages in Europe, food was eaten on stale bread called "trenchers"      -Knives were used to impress rather than out of necessity  -The fork introduced in France by Catherine de Medici      -Also known as the "split spoon"      -Forks became snobby and aristocratic under her -Cutlery associated with imperialism, eating by hand associated with natives -Cold climate = hand coverings = cutlery necessary, warm climate = cutlery not ne...

-The female form is celebrated in Hindu temples -Carvings on the wall explore many aspects of the female body -Female figures are depicted in a wide variety of ways      -This includes both erotic and non-erotic positions and behaviors      -Dancing, stretching, mediating, bearing swords, exposing themselves, fondling their breasts, ect. "Who amongst these women could be a lesbian – a woman who desires another woman erotically and emotionally?" -This quote fascinated me, because I have never really considered homosexual relations might appear in ancient texts -Because many ancient societies were patriarchal, women often get left out of narratives about the past; what other dimensions of female sexuality might there have been?       -And how can  relics from the past reveal this to us, if we look closely enough? 4 Reasons why the question of lesbianism in these depictions of female figures might scare people: -Homophobia -Pur...

The Lion in Bad Company -A wolf tricks a young lion into letting him come back and live in the lion's den -The lion is flattered by the wolf and earns his trust -The wolf convinces the lion to kill ponies for horse meat -The lion's father is wise and warns his son that the ponies belong to the King, and that the thefts will not go unnoticed -The lion has developed an ego, and, encouraged by the wolf, disregards his father and continues to seek horse meat -The horses are moved by the King to try and protect them, but the lion is persistent -Ultimately, the King sends an archer, who slays the lion -The wolf is unharmed and returns quietly to his old life Wolves -The wolf characters in the Jataka tales are almost always painted as tricksters -While the wolf is clever and often gets others into trouble, he himself typically remains unharmed Beauty and Brownie -Mother and Father deer send their children, Beauty and Brownie, out of the forest during the corn ripening s...

The Girl Monkey and the String of Pearls I found this story very endearing; I love how the monkeys are personified. Humans and animals often interact in the Jataka tales as if all living creatures are equals sharing the earth, which is an intriguing dynamic. And who knew monkeys could love pearls as much as a human? - The palace royalty go down to the lake for a swim -The Queen leaves her jewels with a servant in the garden -A girl monkey waits until the servant has fallen asleep and steals the pearls -The chief guard plays a trick to find out which monkey stole the pearls -Hangs strings of glass beads in the garden -All the girl monkeys rush to get to the beads except for the monkey with the pearls -In the end, her ego gets the best of her -As she brags to the other girl monkeys about her pearls being more beautiful than their glass beads, she reveals herself as the thief The Otters and the Wolf -The animals in the title initially led me to believe that the wolf would be...

Gods Playing Tricks I found it amusing that the Gods, almost like children, enjoy putting one another to the test and playing tricks on one another. Brahma could have directly confronted Krishna or presented him with a challenge, but instead chose a more subtle and mischievous way to test him. -Brahma steals a group of cows and cow herders -He plays this trick in order to test Krishna's divinity -Krishna then also plays a trick -He creates exact copies of the cows and cow herders through his love -The villagers never suspect that anything has changed -Brahma is forced to acknowledge Krishna's divinity "Kindness is the Ultimate Strength" -Krishna declares her will ride the bull Hastin -Rather than being cruel and attempting to "tame" the beast, he uses kindness to gain the bull's trust -Krishna feeds Hastin sweet foods and plays the flute -Hastin becomes docile -Krishna rides Hastin into the village -The villagers are amazed -Krishna has s...

I really enjoyed the Epified video series on the Mahabharata, and so for this week's reading assignment I have chosen to watch the Epified video series that tells the story of Krishna. Durga -When Durga made her fiery appearance, I was immediately struck by the power and prestige of her character -Although there are many intriguing female characters in the Indian Epics, they are most often portrayed as wives, mothers, or sisters; very few women appear as individual entities as Durga does -A strong female character among a pantheon of women described as weak, helpless, and at the mercy of the male characters Demoness -I love words with traditional male connotations that have the "ess" added to them in order to feminize the subject -Here again the demoness proves the strength of female characters in the epics -Strong villains are not only male Story Idea: Wicked Women/Dangerous Dames/Beastly Belles of the Epics -Putana, Soorpanaka, and Thataka get...

Pandu -Mistook a hermit couple for deer and shot arrows at them -Dying in the throws of passion, the man placed a curse on Pandu -Pandu would die in the embrace of his wives; he was therefore forced to become celibate Kunti -Was blessed with a mantra to invoke the Gods and bear their children -Yama's son: Yudhistira      -Blessed with virtue and patience -Vayu: Bhima     -As strong and as fast as the wind -Indra: Arjuna     -"Archer's eyes" Kunti is an essential character and a prime example of a strong woman in the Mahabharata. She bears three of the legendary Pandavas, and is the only parental figure left to raise them after Pandu and Madri perish. Madri -Does not wish to remain childless, and utilizes Kunti's mantra to invoke the Ashwinis -Had two sons: Nakula and Sahadeva Ghandari -Has a difficult initial pregnancy -Is haunted by nightmares of hellish creatures -Gives birth to a lump of "putrid flesh" -Lump of flesh cast awa...

This video series was an exciting visual re-telling of the Mahabharata! I loved that the images were drawn in real time as the story was being told, which made it a much more dynamic viewing experience. Introduction -Provides an excellent description of the overarching themes in the Mahabharata and makes it an easier text to approach -Breaks down the characters and dichotomies involved        -Kings and queens        -Heroes and villains -Alludes to the climactic finale: "A great all consuming war that swallowed the subcontinent" -I appreciate that there is an acknowledgement of the many storytellers who have penned their versions Narration -Hearing the story told with an accent from the region was a very different experience from how I read it in my head -I felt more integrated within the setting of the story through the voice of the narrator and its connection with the culture Karma -I love the idea that everything that happens i...

Four Goals of Human Life  -Dharma (ethics) -Artha (wealth) -Kama (pleasure) -Moksha (liberation) *As declared by Hindu texts Sexual Classifications -References to sexual activity in Hindu texts can be divided in the categories of as dharma sex, artha sex, kama sex, and moksha sex Dharma Sex -The purpose is procreation -Performed when a woman is ovulating to maximize chances of conceiving -A man cannot refuse a woman who approaches during the ovulatory period -No love, desire, or attachment; seen as a duty Dharma Sex in Action -Diti the rishi is approached by his wife during evening prayers -He cannot refuse her, but warns that the children resulting from this union will be asuras -The asuras Hiranayaksha and Hiranakashipu are born Kama Sex -The purpose is pleasure -The senses are indulged and the mind excited in order to achieve orgasm -Homosexuality falls under this classification because it does not have a procreative purpose -Kama is the God of desi...

Dhritarashtra -The blind king -A strange man; extremely changeable in terms of temperament and alliances        -Watches the Pandavas lose everything as Yudhistira gambles with Sakuni, and then in one                    command grants it all back to them        -Refuses to intervene regarding the 13 year exile of the Pandava brothers, but becomes extremely         anxious regarding their fate and fervently hopes they are not suffering         -Dismisses Vidura from his position in the kingdom in a flurry of emotion; sends a messenger to           beg him to return the next day -Loves both his sons and nephews, but is unable to bring himself to reconcile the two -Recognizes his son Duryodhana as evil, but cannot bring himself to displease him  The Brave ...

Who's Who? The Mahabharata is filled to the brim with characters. As brothers and sons accumulated I struggled to keep track of who everyone was - it certainly didn't help that Dhritarashtra alone had more than a hundred sons!  The Pandavas Pandu --- Kunthi Sons: Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna  Pandu --- Madri Sons: Nakula, Sahadeva Kunthi Sons: Karna The Kauravas Dhritarashtra --- Gandhari  Sons: Duryodhana, Dussala, Dushasan, 98 others Pleasure and Pain -Pandu kills a deer engaging with its mate while out on a hunt -The deer is actually a celestial being  -He places a curse on Pandu saying that he will die if he attempts to unite with any of his wives -Pandu is forced to become celibate -Pandu's wives income mantras to unite with the Gods and bear sons, thus carrying on the legacy of the family -Pandu is walking in the woods with Madri one day, and unable to resist her, seizes her and dies in the act of lovemaking -Madr...

After diving into the story of Vishnu's incarnation as Rama, I was curious about the other forms that Vishnu has taken on earth and what the stories were behind each of these incarnations. This comic provided a sort of "cliff notes" version of each one, introducing the major plot points and the most important characters and their interactions. Favorite Incarnation In his incarnation as Varaha, Vishnu takes on the form of a boar. He dives into the ocean and begins digging Bhoomdevi, the Earth Mother, out of the ocean bed where she is trapped. Despite a menacing foe that appears to slay the boar as he is performing his task, the boar succeeds in bringing Bhoomdevi to the surface. She may then provide the land where the first man and woman will begin the human race. I found it very amusing that the boar was able to vanquish the mighty asura with nothing more than a "[playful] hit" behind the ears. Biblical References There were elements of several of these ta...

This film was the ultimate cinematic experience: it was vibrant, colorful, and captivating. I loved how Paley incorporated different styles of animation to highlight different dimensions of the story. The Ramayana is a wild tale, and this essence was beautifully captured by the highly engaging animated characters, who sing and dance their way through the story.  I particularly enjoyed the interludes that were narrated by the Gods, whose cynicism and sarcasm were hilarious and relatable. The hand drawn animation was stunning; the proportion of the figures were skewed in such a way as to make them appear otherworldly.  The choice to include a parallel storyline involving an ordinary human couple was interesting. It served as a sort of modern equivalent to this ancient tale, perhaps providing viewers a more personal experience with a version that contained aspects they could compare their own lives to.  Overall, I was blown away by this film and the magical world it d...

Small But Mighty Characters: -Garuda: Mighty eagle who helps vanquish the attacks of the serpent soldiers -Matali: Driver of the chariot Rama fights Ravana in -Trijata: One of Ravana's women, reassures Sita that Rama only appears dead, and is actually in a faint Hanuman's Powers Hanuman is able to cross the sea with a single step after tapping into the Godly powers that he possesses. The Ramayana describes how his father has cursed him so that his powers remain hidden until he finds the inner strength to uncover them in times of need. What other amazing powers does Hanuman possess? It would fun to write a story about him discovering all that he is capable of, and testing out his newfound abilities. Perhaps he could discover them in the form of quests, each one forcing him to unveil a new aspect of his identity so that he may complete the task at hand. Powerful Women  "Lakshmana... discovered an army of women approaching him with determination." -Strong women...

Some of the Important Characters -Sugreeva: King of Kiskinda, restored to the throne by Rama -Vali: Brother to Sugreeva, defeated by Rama -Tara: Sugreeva's wife, stolen by Vali but ultimately restored to him -Angada: Sugreeva's son -Hanuman: Monkey God, bestowed with the task of serving Rama -Ravana: Demon lord, kidnaps Sita, engages in a war against Rama -Vibishana: Asura who defects to help Rama in the fight against Ravana and his armies Story Idea: The Villains Fight Back There is a common theme among all the battles in the Ramayana: Rama ultimately defeats the enemy he is facing, restores justices, and prevails as the hero. Despite the fact that the evildoers he faces have committed wrongdoing in the world, they all have unique backgrounds and are exciting characters in the story. I believe their stories deserve to be told! And a fun way to do this would be to have all of them team up to take on Rama, with an epic battle ensuing. Perhaps in the end they will all l...

Jatayu -Divine origin, has taken the form of a great eagle -Wise and spirited -Friend of Dasartha on the battlefield      -“You are the soul, I am the body. We are one.” (page 62) -Watches over Rama and his companions in the forest; a guardian figure -Fights Ravana when he kidnaps Sita and is ultimately slain by the demon -Keeps himself alive until Rama and Lakshmana arrive in order to tell them what has happened An underappreciated character in my opinion! I would love to know more about this wise elder and the roads he has traveled to get to the forest. Jatayu bravely engages Ravana in a fight to the death. Source: Wikimedia Commons Soorpanaka  -Sister of Ravana -An asura disguised as a beautiful woman -Falls in love with Rama in the forest -Disfigured by Lakshmana; he chops off her nose, ears, and breasts When Soorpanaka glimpses Sita, her heart plummets; the overwhelming beauty of Rama’s wife seems to render the possibil...