Online Education Review

Online Education Review

My experience with this online course has been very enjoyable. This is my second online course. The first online class I had was a history class I took through a community college. I enjoyed the course, but it basically consisted of two tests and three papers. It was much less work than this course, but I still managed to learn a good amount. This Epics of India course has been an awesome experience for me. I have enjoyed the creativity needed to write the Storytelling posts as well as my storybook. The feedback I get back on my writing is so helpful and it was also beneficial to my writing to go through other peoples writing and critique it. I feel like I'm usually too nice, but it was good to read and see what styles works well. The feedback from the professor and the resources she had available to better our writing was incredible. I also learned a lot about creating and managing a website and blog which is such a useful skill. Overall my experience with online classes has been excellent and I would certainly be willing to take more if given the opportunity!

Blogging in the class was awesome!

Gen. Ed. Review

Gen. Ed. Review

I have really enjoyed the gen. ed. courses I've taken at OU. Originally I was in the honors college so a couple of my gen. ed. classes doubled as honors. I really enjoyed those classes because they had such small class sizes, and were very challenging! I think the humanities Gen. Ed. has been a very important part of my education because it forces me to broaden my education rather than taking a bunch of science and electrical engineering classes. I've really enjoyed digging into topics I wouldn't otherwise take the chance to learn about. The science and math gen. ed. requirements have also been beneficial, but were also extremely necessary for my degree. Overall I've had very good experiences with gen. ed. at OU, even my massive 100+ student chemistry class I took freshman year!

Large classroom

College Writing Review

College Writing Review

My college writing experience has been fairly technical as an electrical engineering major. My freshman year I took expository writing, which gave me some exposure to more creative writing. I really enjoyed the class because the topic was myth and hero, and I got to write about super heroes for my final paper. I did fairly well in the class, but writing is certainly one of my weaknesses when it comes to grammar and structure. Creativity was never a problem for me though, which made it really fun! Besides expository writing I have written several technical papers in my engineering courses, which I took very seriously because it's so important for my future career. I like technical writing because it's easy to write scientific papers that are very structured, and it's enjoyable to try and convey scientific ideas well! I was also a co-author of a journal article for some undergraduate research I did this past summer. The article was about pattern and polarization agile annular slot antennas. Writing that was a great time to put in the work and discover many interesting things and then collaborate with a graduate student and writing it up! I wish I had taken a class specifically about technical writing. There is a course that many engineers take for a professional elective, but I had already fulfilled that elective requirement so I didn't take it! This class was also a great writing experience for me. I hadn't had any classes that gave me the opportunity to comment on other peoples work, so it was great to be able to do that. I also really enjoyed being able to be so creative with my writing and I had so much fun with the elephant story book. Having the professors detailed feedback was also amazing and really helped refine my writing skills. Overall I'm very pleased with my experience with writing at OU.

Typical College Writing Experience

Week 14 Reading Diary: The End of the Mahabharata

My favorite part of this reading is Yudhishthira's dream. It was very touching to see him journey with his brothers, their wife and a dog. Everyone dies, but he continued on with the journey showing great compassion to the dog. Due to his compassion Yudhishthira is able to go to heaven and hell as a mortal, which is super crazy to think about! What a great experience that must have been for him to see heaven, and how terrifying it must have been to go through Hell!

Angel showing Yudhishthira around Hell!

I also found it extremely honorable how Arjuna ends his warrior life by bringing his weapons to the fire god Agni to be burned! The Mahabharata ultimately ended with the Pandavas leaving the world, leaving Parikshit as the last remaining heir of the Pandavas.

Week 14 Reading Diary A: The End of the War

This reading was much less intense then last weeks, but still had a fair amount of battle and death. It was such a relief to see Duryodhana defeated, but it was very frustrating to see Ashwatthaman become the leader of his army. To me it seemed like Ashwatthaman was operating solely out of rage and revenge, and that seems like a poor person to put in charge of an entire army! Ashwatthaman ends up wiping out basically the entire Pandava army (besides the brothers), and it led to the war being stirred back up once more! I really enjoyed reading about the war taking place in the previous reading, but at this point I wasn't really enjoying it anymore. Ashwatthaman was stoking a flame that could have easily died out, and the war ended. I'm glad my favorite character Arjuna came in with his incredible weapons to take on Ashwatthaman for the final fight. Arjuna is able to cancel out Ashwatthaman's weapon and Vyasa and Krishna recall the weapons and the war ends up finally coming to an end. There are funerals for all the powerful men that died in the war which really bummed me out because I felt like the war was so pointless in the first place!

Bhima defeating Duryodhana

Week 12 Reading Diary B: The Pandava's Exile

My favorite character thus far in Buck's Mahabharata is Arjuna. To me he seems to be one of the most manly characters, and is extremely honorable. He is already an extremely skilled warrior, but in this weeks reading he learns musical talents as well as dancing. On top of that Indra teaches him the use of divine weapons, which I think is crazy because Arjuna is already one of the most skilled warriors aside from Karna. He showed that he was honorable by refusing the advances of Urvashi, and she curses him which turned out to be something that would benefit him for his thirteenth year of exile. Arjuna just seems to have everything going for him and is certainly my favorite of the brothers!

Arjuna the Mighty Warrior!

The only other part that I really enjoyed in this reading was the tale of Savitri. It was such an incredible story of love and the bravery that can come from loving someone. She chose a husband that she knew didn't have much time to live, but loved him dearly. When he died Yama came for his soul and Savitri was so courageous that she wanted to follow him. Yama granted her a wish and instead of something selfish, Savitri thought to cure the blindness of her father in law! Then as a second wish she requested 100 sons for her father in law, and as a third she requested 100 sons with her husband. Yama said she would have to forfeit half her days and give them to her husband, which she gladly did. This story was so touching, because not only did Savitri show incredible love and courage, but she was incredibly selfless!

Week 10 Reading Diary B: An Epic Battle

This reading was extremely interesting to read for me. I always enjoy the action packed moments in books, so this great scene of war was awesome. It was certainly my favorite part of the Mahabharata. Although the preparations for war were basically complete, Yudhishthira wisely desired one last plea for peace. I truly grew to respect Yudhishthira as a leader, and admire that his heart wasn't for violence unless it was a last resort. The plea for peace fails and a war begins between the Pandavas and Duryodhana. The battle is intense and my favorite warrior is Arjuna. Initially Arjuna was worried about fighting his old Guru Drona, but Krishna inspires him with a divine prayer and Arjuna is ready for battle. Arjuna fought valiantly and ended up killing Bhishma, the commander of Duryodhana's army! Bhishma's death leads to Karna joining the fight. Arjuna's son is then captured and killed which leads to Arjuna going on a rampage and killing Jayadratha in an act of revenge! Arjuna's strength is incredible and was amazing to read about. I was certain he would continue to excel in this war, and perhaps even bring an end to it all. Ultimately Arjuna defeats Karna in an intense one on one duel, which cripples Duryodhana's army and essentially ends the war!

Karna and Arjuna fighting

 After the great battle Yudhishthira becomes king and eventually all the Pandava's died off leaving only the child of Abhimayu, Arjuna's son, to continue the Pandava line.

Week 10 Reading Diary A: The Brink of War

This reading was very interesting as the Pandavas approach the final moments of their exile. Dhritarashtra hoped to cause trouble in the Pandava's exile and potentially even defeat them! To start this off Duryodhana attempts to humiliate the Pandavas in a plan that completely backfires. I think this was a silly decision considering the fact that the Pandavas obviously have Karma on their side considering all the events that have taken place thus far. After the attempt at humiliation fails the Pandavas came upon an interesting trial. Tired, hungry and thirsty they came upon a lake. As each brother approached a voice began asking questions warning them not to drink until they answered. One by one the brothers ignored the voice and died when they drank the water! I found this a little odd considering each brother probably saw the bodies of those who had already drank the water. I feel like they should have been a bit more cautious after the first brother!

Yudhistra answering the questions the voice from the lake asks

Finally Yudhistra comes along and doesn't ignore the voice. He answers the questions and all the brothers come back to life! As a reward for solving this task the brothers receive the gift of disguise for their thirteenth year of exile. I was wondering how the well known Pandava brothers were going to survive in the city without being recognized for an entire year, so now it's all starting to come together! They thirteenth year approaches and the brothers enter the city disguised as average citizens. After an unfortunate chain of events, Bhima kills one of Virata's generals. Duryodhana hears of the generals death and one of his allies proposes a raid. The raid ends and the Pandavas and Duryodhana begin preparing for war! Krishna gives each side the option of one million soldiers or Krishna himself. The Pandava's wisely choose Krishna who is an avatar of Vishnu. I have a feeling I know exactly who will win this war!

Week 9 Reading Diary B: Yudhishthira's Gambling Problem and the Pandavas' Exile

Week 9 Reading Diary B: Yudhishthira's Gambling Problem and the Pandavas' Exile

I have really enjoyed reading the Mahabharata thus far. This reading really gave me a view into what a few of the different Pandava brothers are really like. Firstly Yudhishthira was crowned as king after the Pandavas recieve the great city of Indraprastha, which showed me that he was the most respected of the brothers. This made me see him as a man of great honor which really caused the next part of the story to surprise me. After Duryodhana was embarrassed at Indraprastha he began plotting his revenge on the Pandavas. His uncle Sakuni, a cunning gambler, invited Yudhishthira to play dice. The part that surprised me the most was that Yudhishthira was sucked in and staked everything the Pandavas owned including servants, women and even their shared wife Draupadi! I don't understand how a man could so clearly lose his mind and stake everything like that, but what confuses me even more his how his brothers stood by and watched! They very easily could have intervened after they lost all their treasures, or all their servants, or all their livestock. Yet they simply stood by and watched all their wealth, and even themselves, get staked!

Yudhishthira gambling

It seemed odd to me that the brothers stood by and watched, but it also made me a little frustrated with Sakuni and Duryodhana. They clearly knew Yudhishthira had lost his way and they continued to take advantage of him. They were very deceptive and were obviously seeking an end for the Pandavas. I was relieved when Dhiritarashtra returned everything Yudhishthira lost, it made me truly see him as a man of honor (even though he returned everything based out of fear!). Sakuni was annoyed that Dhiritarashtra restored everything to the Pandavas and once more held a gambling tournament. Yudhishthira agreed once more, and ended up causing the Pandavas to be exiled for twelve years! I truly don't understand how one man can essentially stake the lives of his brothers and they just stand by and agree. It seems so foolish, and immoral! After losing that stake the Pandavas are forced into exile, and I grew to admire the brothers Bhima and Arjuna because they are mighty warriors and possess great skill with weapons. My favorite part of this reading was actually when Arjuna went to receive weapons from the gods because it is such an incredible thing to imagine! I really enjoyed this reading and can't wait to read more into the Mahabharata!

Writing Review Week

Writing Review Week

I have never been a strong writer, so initially I was dreading how much writing I would have to do in this class. I took it on with the mindset of "I can't get better unless I write more," which helped me keep trying. Initially I felt like the content of my stories was pretty good, but my writing style wasn't. I also knew that I had trouble with grammar, and big issues with punctuation and quotes. The biggest eye opener for me was the proofreading assignment as well as my introduction for my storybook! I sent in the email with my intro and got a response that showed me a mistake in almost every other sentence! My biggest accomplishment thus far would be the huge improvement between my introduction and my first story in my storybook. I had far fewer mistakes, and the content was still very rich. I have really grown to enjoy writing and storytelling from this course.

I have always had a fairly active imagination so coming up with ideas isn't usually a great struggle. For story telling posts I would just choose a topic that interests me and then place myself in the characters shoes. If I was in their mind how would I think, what actions would I take, etc. That helped me write several interesting stories from the view of a certain character through their mind, or a diary entry. If I chose to write a story in third person it was a bit different, and perhaps took a little more creativity. I would simply take the story and mold it into my own by changing details I thought would benefit by being altered from the original story! This was simply my opinion though, and may not have reflected what others would have written. 

Picture from my storytelling about Maricha (Written in diary form)

The feedback I have received has been incredibly helpful to my writing. I have learned a lot about integrating quotes into my text, and writing in a style that flows much better. All of the experience I've gotten from writing for this course has really helped my creativity as well because I have to continue coming up with new stories each week! I am very exciting for the storytelling posts based off of the Mahabharata, as well as the next 3 stories for my story book.

Reading Review Week

Reading Review Week

Overall I have really enjoyed the readings each week! The Ramayana has been an extremely interesting book to read from both Narayan's point of view as well as Bucks. I preferred Buck's version of the Ramayana overall. I felt like he did a great job making the story more interesting and bringing in a great amount of details. I also enjoyed the background stories he gave to many characters, which helped me relate to them better. In both versions I really admired two characters in particular: Rama and Hanuman. Rama was extremely honorable, possessed great strength and character and overall just seemed like an amazing person. His devotion to his wife and family made me respect him even more! Hanuman on the other hand seemed like an extremely humble creature and the the perfect friend. He devoted himself to Rama and would do anything for him. He stuck by his side through every circumstance and fought valiantly to keep him safe. My favorite passage in the readings was the one about Hanuman's origin in Buck's Ramayana. I found it funny imagining a monkey trying to eat the sun! I also had a good time reading about the battle between the Rakshasa and Rama's army. It was such an intense section of the book, and it was certainly hard to put down!

Baby Hanuman attempting to eat the sun! (From Reading Diary B Week 6)

Doing the reading diaries really helped me to get more engaged in the reading. I focused on what characters I enjoyed, as well as which stories really stuck out to me. They were a huge help to make sure I actually read the assigned pages, as well as something that made it more enjoyable than simply reading quickly to get the assignment done! Looking at my reading diaries helps me recall the readings from earlier in the semester and helps bring back my sentiments about certain characters and events! I ended up using my reading diaries to help with most of my storytelling assignments because I would end up choosing to write my storytelling over something I enjoyed in that weeks reading. My reading diaries helped me recall my favorite events and made it far easier to write my storytelling posts.

While I did enjoy the readings I did find them to be fairly long many times! Perhaps having 3 reading diaries to split the reading up further would be helpful although that would make more work for students so I'm not sure how good of a tradeoff that is! Overall I think the reading assignments are well organized, and the reviews that are posted on the course website for the readings are extremely helpful. I'm enjoying the readings so far, and can't wait to start the Mahabharata! I haven't read for fun in my spare time in many years, but this course is certainly making me begin reading other books for pleasure which is awesome! 

Week 7 Storytelling: The Treasures of Lanka

Week 7 Storytelling: The Treasures of Lanka

It's over at last. I am finally King of Lanka. What a great battle Rama fought against Ravana! Rama's entire army fought more valiantly than I have ever witnessed, but no warrior fought with the passion and strength of Hanuman. Seeing his great strength as well as his deep love for Rama has given me a profound respect for him. He is truly the most loyal creature on this earth, perhaps the most loyal creature in all of creation. Surely Hanuman can be trusted above all others! Yet here I stand questioning with whom I should share in the delights of the treasures of Lanka. 

For thousands of years the treasures of Lanka have only been shared with the most powerful Rakshasa. Never has any creature but a Rakshasa laid eyes upon them., not even the Treasure Lord himself. Is Hanuman so worthy as to disrupt this? I cannot know... I once viewed all creatures as inferior other than Rakshasa. Not even the gods compared to our greatness in my mind. Yet after witnessing the corruption that ran deep through many Rakshasa's veins I have begun to see differently. Rama, Lakshman, the animals; they are friends. Hanuman the most honorable among them. Perhaps creatures other than the Rakshasa are worthy.

Then there is the matter of the overwhelming greed that consumes many who have seen the treasures of Lanka. Within one room there is more wealth then anywhere else in the world. Perhaps more wealth than the heavens themselves! Many Rakshasa have seen this room and gone mad with greed. They become obsessed over the thought of possessing even a portion of such vast wealth. Does Hanuman possess a heart pure enough to resist this greed? Surely a monkey that has devoted his life to serving his friends is not concerned with material possessions. 

I have not only seen Hanuman's great loyalty towards Rama and Sita, but all those whom he calls friend. After recent events I am certain that Hanuman sees me as a friend. With this friendship he will be loyal to me until death. Seeing such great wealth could turn anyone against their closest friends; even family. Yet Hanuman is different. He has fought through the greatest trials simply to honor those he calls friend. I know it is safe. I am certain he is worthy, but I also know that no other being could possibly enter the room and see of the treasures. Surely Hanuman will be the only non-Rakshasa to ever enter the room that holds the great treasures of Lanka. And I trust that he will tell no one of what he sees. It is decided! I will take him to see because I care deeply for my friend Hanuman. I wish for him to witness the greatest treasure that exists on this earth!

Hanuman the loyal friend

Author's Note:

I chose to write about Vibhishana's decision to show the treasures of Lanka to Hanuman. I wrote this story as if it was in Vibhishana's mind and he was making considerations about why to allow Hanuman to see the great treasures. I thought about several reasons that would make one weary to let a friend see their closest treasure. I thought Vibhishana would consider several things: Letting an outsider (a non-Rakshasa) see the treasure, the greed that comes with seeing such vast wealth, and Hanuman's loyalty (perhaps due to fear that he would betray Vibhishana). I touched on each of these subjects, and gave reasons why Vibhishana thought they wouldn't be a problem with Hanuman. Overall, I think Vibhishana admires Hanuman and sees him as a dear friend, and that is what ultimately led him to reveal the treasures of Lanka.

Bibliography:

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

Week 6 Storytelling: The Sentry of Lanka

Week 6 Storytelling: The Sentry of Lanka

We have been standing guard at the gates of Lanka for an entire day without sleep. This war has put an intense strain on the Rakshasa, but it is finally over. Today for two hours Indrajit bombarded Rama’s forces and wiped out countless warriors. Moments ago it was discovered that Rama himself was among the fallen, which means an end to this dreaded war. Among the fallen a few animals remains, but there is no hope for their army. The Rakshasa are finally safe.

It has now been several hours since Indrajit's attack. Ravana is asleep, but I will surely be rewarded for my service when he awakes. Perhaps I will be promoted from the simple position of sentry! Wait... What is that? There is a faint glow, and steam is flowing through the air. Is that a shooting star? No, that is medicine hill flying through the air! How is this possible!? Hanuman survived Indrajit's attack. Now Trijata is approaching with Sita and several Rakshasa. I must stop them from seeing this sight. Ravana cannot hear of the fallen rising through gossip. I must tell him directly.

Hanuman carrying Medicine Hill

"Let me pass to the edge of the wall," Trijata yelled as she and Sita walked towards me.

My efforts to block them were in vain. Sita slipped past as Trijata grabbed my shoulders, holding me in place.

"I see him! I see Rama! He is standing up as if from a deep slumber," Sita said. You could hear the joy in her voice. It is clear how deep this woman's love is for Rama.

Trijata, who also managed to get past me, now sees the scene unfolding. She was shocked by the great deeds that Hanuman did saying "how can Hanuman perform such incredible feats?"

Sita replied simply, "His love for Rama is great. With such great love nothing is impossible."

Word of the army being brought back would spread quickly through the city. I had to tell Ravana myself, no matter if it costs me my life.

As I rush towards Ravana's palace I begin to grow fearful. He finally slept peacefully knowing Rama was defeated. How can I be the one to end that peace? How will he react? The guards to Ravana's chambers look at me knowing I bear bad news.

"Ravana woke up moments ago, he will be out soon. We will leave to give you privacy with him Sentry," the guard said.

Both walked off. I can't help but think they are escaping a fate worse than death; disappointing the king of the Rakshasas. Ravana emerged from his chamber and saw me. I must have looked as if I came bearing bad news because his expression immediately became grim.

"What do you report sentry?" Ravana said. His voice boomed like a roll of thunder, even when speaking normally.

"King Ravana, it's Rama. He.. He lives," I managed to get the words out.

Ravana's expression did not change. He was silent for a moment and he simply turned around and returned to his room. Soon he emerged wearing armor as if he was ready to go to war. I couldn't let him act irrationally. I have brought him bad news, but I refuse to be the cause of his death.

"Ravana, I urge you to command a force against Rama once more, but please do not fight." I pleaded.

"Sentry, do you not understand?" He replied. "Sita will never love me as long as Rama lives."

Then an idea struck me. Perhaps I can use his love for Sita to dissuade him from going to battle. I replied, "Yes sir, but Sita may never forgive you if you kill Rama. Surely Indrajit can repeat his incredible feat and slay Rama once more."

"Perhaps you are right," Ravana said as he walked off.

His silence is worse than any reaction I could have expected. I fear for him. What thoughts race through his mind? How will he react? If Indrajit cannot defeat the army, surely Ravana will lead an attack. I will return to my post, but I fear the worst for this war and our king.

Author's Note:

I felt that the best way to show this chain of events was to tell the story using one of the sentries. By doing this I was able to use the sentry's thoughts, as well as dialogue from other characters such as Sita, Trijata and Ravana. In the original story Trijata and Sita simply see Hanuman carrying Medicine Hill, and when Ravana wakes up one of the sentries tells him that Rama is alive. There is no dialogue between Ravana and the sentry, and no reaction from Ravana. I used this opportunity to fill it in with my own idea of what could have happened. Ravana seems like one who doesn't become visibly angry, but instead internalizes and simply acts irrationally, but in a seemingly calm manner. His silence when the sentry reports the news is very important because it shows that Ravana is simply taking it in, and is so angry inside that he cannot say a word. He resorts to action, and immediately dons his armor to go kill Rama himself. Obviously in Buck's Ramayana, first Indrajit attacks again, so I had to use the sentry to speak some sense into Ravana. Surely the Rakshasas wouldn't want their king to go into a fight in which they had lost so many great warriors, so I used the sentry as a voice of the Rakshasas. He then convinces Ravana to go to Indrajit once more rather than attack Rama himself.

Bibliography:

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

Week 6 Reading Diary B: Ravana's Army

Week 6 Reading Diary B: Ravana's Army

The first part of the reading was about the animals building a giant bridge over the sea (page 270). This part wasn't exceptionally exciting to me, but it was great to see all the animals working hard to accomplish the impossible! I found it rather odd that Nala's special skill is to make rocks float on water! That seemed pretty random, but it turned out to be useful! After Rama and the animals reached Lanka is when I truly began enjoying the story (page 283). 

The battles between the animals and several powerful Rakshasa were intense and dragged me right into the story. My personal favorite were the encounters with Indrajit. I was impressed by Indrajit's skill as a warrior and illusionist. He summoned all the boons that Brahma promised him, which I thought were awesome: a dazzling chariot pulled by four tigers, an intricate war car, and a bow an quiver with special arrows. Indrajit had quite the arsenal at his disposal, and I was wondering how he could possibly lose! It turns out he didn't. He managed to kill nearly all the heroes of the story: Rama, Lakshmana, Nala, Angada, Sugriva, and Vibhishana (pages 310-311). This certainly didn't happen in Narayan's retelling of the story! I was really curious how things would turn out considering most of the main characters were killed, but Hanuman remained. Hanuman ended up using medicine from a hill and reviving all of the fallen soldiers, which led to a second battle with Indrajit since Rama was once again alive.

Indrajit using the boons from Brahma

The second battle with Indrajit is much less intense and I was actually a little sad to see him slain after the conversation he had with Ravana before. Indrajit knew it was a poor idea and that the odds were against him. Since Rama was brought back from the dead he knew that Dharma was on Rama's side and there could be no victory over him. After realizing he couldn't speak any sense into Ravana he ended up going off to his death. His honorable devotion to his evil brother caused his end, and the Rakshasa lost their most powerful warrior. Vibhishana revealed Indrajit in the midst of his illusions and Lakshmana battled him eventually killing him. Ravana wept at the loss of his son, and decided that he would go to war himself. I can't wait to hear Buck's retelling of the battle between Rama and Ravana! Narayan was detailed in his retelling of that battle, but so far I have enjoyed Buck's retelling overall and have high expectations for this battle!

Week 6 Reading Diary A: Hanuman Invades Lanka

Week 6 Reading Diary A: Hanuman Invades Lanka

The first major event that happens in this reading is Hanuman's group finally discovers the location of Sita (page 219). This happened because Sampati overheard them talking about Jatayu and wanted to know what happened. Sampati was angry that Ravana had killed his brother, and disclosed that Sita was being held captive in Lanka. The group fed Sampati and his wings grew back, but for some reason he didn't fly off to attack Ravana! I really wish he did because Jatayu came very close to killing him, and Sampati would likely have been able to.

My favorite event leading up to Sita's discovery in Lanka is Hanuman leaping across the 100 leagues of ocean. The description of Hanuman's initial leap is incredible. He uproots plants with the force of the jump. As he soars through the air he was like a comet, and the air around Hanuman became electric! Many interesting things happened in the process of the leap, including a mountain rising up from the sea half way across the ocean for Hanuman to rest upon. It was certainly odd to think about mountains having wings! Then as Hanuman neared Lanka the Rakshasa Sinhika came out of the water and attempted to stop him. Sinhika opened her mouth wide, but Hanuman shrank down and flew inside of Sinhika. He crushed her heart, killing her and continued into Lanka.

Hanuman's Leap

Once Hanuman is in Lanka he causes quite a bit of mischief. He found Sita, and had to go tell Rama but couldn't leave with out destroying some of Lanka. While this may have been immature on his part, Ravana certainly deserved it! Hanuman ended up getting captured by Indrajit, and Ravana has his tail set on fire. Hanuman then escapes from his captors and uses the fire on his tail to set fire to Lanka as he runs away. What a clever plan that was!

Hanuman burning Lanka with his tail

My favorite character in this reading was certainly Hanuman. Not only was he the focus of this section of the Ramayana, but he exhibits a great power that he didn't even know he possessed. He leapt over 100 leagues of sea, destroyed a powerful Rakshasi and took down most of Lanka! Although he showed signs of immaturity, and overconfidence in his abilities I think overall he possesses the characteristics of a great leader and warrior. It's a shame that he isn't the leader of the monkeys!

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Week 5 Storytelling: Hanuman’s Birth

Week 5 Storytelling: Hanuman’s Birth

“Ravi, come home it’s time for bed!” Nihal yelled from the window of his home in the rainforest canopy.

A meek voice replied, “Dad, let me play with my friends a bit longer!”

“Don’t you want to grow big and strong like Hanuman? To that you must sleep.” Nihal shouted back. 

No sooner had those words come out of Nihal’s mouth than Ravi came swinging through the trees headed straight for their home. His face was visibly excited at the mention of Hanuman, and he quickly readied himself for bed.

“Will you come tuck me in and tell me a story about Hanuman dad?” Ravi asked.

“Of course son,” Nihal said as he began tucking Ravi tightly under the covers, “I want to tell you about Hanuman’s youth. He used to be a little monkey just like you Ravi.”

Hanuman as a child

Ravi’s eyes lit up at the thought of Hanuman being the same as him. He sat in anticipation as Nihal began to tell the story of Hanuman’s origin.

“Ravi, do you know the wind you feel that cools you off on a hot day? That wind is the god Vayu. Vayu is Hanuman’s father, and his mother is the most beautiful monkey woman on all of earth Anjana. Anjana was already married, so she had to keep Hanuman a secret so she left him alone in a cave. All alone in the cave Hanuman began to grow hungry and started looking for something to eat. He gazed into the sky and saw a beautiful orange shape. ‘It must be a mango’ Hanuman thought, so he jumped towards it.”

“Daddy no, it’s the sun not a mango! Hanuman can’t get hurt!” Ravi exclaimed

“Don’t worry son he’ll be safe,” Nihal continued, “Vayu his father cooled Hanuman to keep him from getting burned up as he approached the sun! The Asura Rahu was approaching the sun to eat it causing a solar eclipse, and Hanuman accidently kicked him in the eye. Rahu fled to Indra, complaining that another Rahu was attempting to swallow the sun, so Indra got aboard his elephant Airavata and came to investigate. As Rahu approached Hanuman saw his large round form and once more attacked Rahu this time thinking he was a mango! Rahu yelled in pain and Indra shouted ‘Stop this at once!’ The noise of Indra’s shout diverted Hanuman’s attention and he caught sight of Airivata. ‘The biggest mango of all!’ thought Hanuman as he lept towards Airivata.

Ravi was laughing hysterically at the thought of Hanuman trying to eat so many things because he thought they were mangos. “Daddy, Hanuman is so silly,” Ravi said holding back his laughter. “What happens next? Indra doesn’t hurt Hanuman does he?”

Nihal chuckled at his sons amusement and continued the story, “Indra cast Hanuman down to earth with great force. Hanuman was hurt badly in the fall, and his father Vayu saw it all take place. The wind left the earth as Vayu went to the aid of his son Hanuman. The entire earth was without wind. Men grew restless, and climates changed in unnatural ways. The earth was out of balance with out Vayu flowing through the lands. Brahma came pleading for him to return to earth, and as a sign of goodwill he granted Hanuman invincibility. Still Vayu was not pleased. Something was still wrong with Hanuman, but now one could figure it out.”

“He still hasn’t eaten! He is hungry daddy, they need to feed him,” Ravi interrupted.

“Exactly! Too bad you weren’t there to help the gods figure that out Ravi,” Nihal said as he patted Ravi on the head. “Soon though Surya, the sun, realized the problem and brought three mangos to Hanuman. This pleased Vayu greatly and he returned to the earth. Wind flowed once more through the earth, rushing around bringing balance at last to the wilderness and peace to men. The next morning Hanuman awoke and are his mangos and Vayu carried him away.”

Nihal paused briefly noticing silence from Ravi he said “I will tell you more of this incredible story tomorrow son. Sleep tight, and have wonderful dreams of Hanuman. I love you.” He kissed his son and went of to his room to sleep.

Author’s Note:
I really enjoy the idea of writing a tale as a bedtime story. Putting a child to bed is the ideal situation to tell a wonderful imaginative story! It gives them entertainment, helps put them to sleep and maybe even gives them some really neat dreams! I thought that Hanuman would be the perfect story to tell to a child monkey. Just like a young boy wishes he could be superman, a young monkey must wish he could be Hanuman! With such incredible strength and the inability to be killed the young monkey’s look at him with adoration. The father Nihal used this opportunity to draw Ravi home. I know I’ve done similar things to get little boys to go to sleep! Simply asking them if they want to grow to be big and strong and telling them they need lots of rest will work! I used that in my story to show how much Ravi admired Hanuman. It was fun writing like a father telling the story to his child, and I barely changed any of the original story. I simplified some details and left out some more “violent” wording since it was a story being told to a child, but overall the story remained unchanged.

Bibliography:

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

Week 5 Reading Diary B: Rama and the Monkeys

Week 5 Reading Diary B: Rama and the Monkeys

This reading began with the kidnapping of Sita, and Rama's desperate search for her. Ravana was madly in love with Sita and made some very poor decisions. He was nearly killed by Jatayu while taking Sita back to Lanka, and his carelessness allowed Sita to leave a trail of evidence to aid Rama's search. He quickly found himself in the company of Savari who told him of the monkeys Sugriva and Hanuman.
Hanuman is by far one of my favorite characters in the Ramayana, and I was very glad that Buck included an in depth story about Hanuman and his origin (as well as the origin of all monkeys for that matter!). I was curious why Hanuman stuck with Sugriva in exile and how he has such great power considering he was a seemingly normal monkey, but that is not the case at all! Savari tells how Hanuman is actually the son of Vayu, the wind, and a beautiful monkey woman. He was born to be a friend that stuck by Sugriva no matter what, and has a pretty humorous story from when he was born. He actually tried to eat the sun because he thought it was fruit! As a result of the events that unfolded he was granted immortality by Brahma. It was wonderful to be given such a deep background behind Hanuman.

Baby Hanuman attempting to eat the sun!

I also enjoyed reading about the kingdom of Kishkindhya, and how the king of the monkeys also ruled over the bears! Vali caused a strained relationship with the bear due to his arrogance, and Sugriva was outcast due to Vali's quick temper. When Vali was killed by Rama and Sugriva became king he restored the relationship between the monkeys and bears and promised Rama help after the rainy season. At the end of the rainy season Sugriva was slow to respond to Rama due to drunkenness, but eventually the leaders of the animals got together and began planning to search for Sita. It was fun imagining the massive leaders of the bears, the elegant Sugriva and powerful Hanuman all seated around a table along with Rama and Lakshmana as they strategized about how to find Sita. Overall I enjoyed the many details that were added in this section of Buck's Ramayana as compared to Narayan's. There was much more imagery, and even added characters that I enjoyed reading about.

The leaders of monkey's and bears planning the search

Week 5 Reading Diary A: Bharata’s Plea and Surpanakha’s Mutilation

Week 5 Reading Diary A: Bharata’s Plea and Surpanakha’s Mutilation



One episode that grabbed my attention was Bharata finding forgiveness for Kaikeyi. When Bharata was called back to Ayodhya he knew something was wrong, and rode swiftly back. He learned that his father had died and was absolutely devastated. When he learned that Kaikeyi was the cause he grew furious and wished the worst upon his mother. His reaction was certainly justified considering her wishes caused Dasaratha’s death and Rama’s exile, but turning against his own mother was difficult I’m sure. He struggled with forgiving her due to the pain she had caused, yet he still loved her and didn’t wish ill will upon her. I think he asked Vasishtha what her punishment would be to push him over the edge with sorrow so that he could seek forgiveness. Vasishatha knew that Manthara deceived Kaikeyi and that she was to blame, thus he probably told Bharata all the misfortune Kaikeyi would face to urge him to forgive her. It was very touching to see Bharata find a deep love for his mother after his anger at her actions.

The character I enjoyed most in this reading was Rama because of his honorable character. Bharata and the Kosalas traveled great distances and overcame many things to reach Rama. Bharata and all the people of Ayodhya pleaded Rama to return as their king, yet Rama declined simply because he wished to uphold his fathers word! He didn’t want to disrespect the promise his father gave and therefore turned down the people he loved greatly and chose to accept fourteen years of exile. That takes such incredible character to willingly turn down the easy option to respect your father and uphold his word. No wonder the people of Ayodhya respected Rama so much!

Baharta pleading Rama to return

The final episode that really grabbed my attention was the mutilation of Surpanakha. In Naryana’s Ramayana the episode played out a lot more. Surpanakha took a beautiful human form and tried to deceive Rama. In Buck’s retelling she did not change forms, but rather demanded Rama as her husband! Rama refused because he was already married. Surpanakha then rushed at Sita, but Lakshmana intercepted her and cut off her ears! Lakshmana’s reaction seems more justified because Surpanakha obviously meant to harm Sita and he was simply protecting her. Naryana’s retelling the mutilation of Surpanakha seemed more unwarranted and brutal, so I certainly like Buck’s version better!

Lakshmana defending agains Surpanakha

Week 4 Storytelling: Ravana's Prayer

Week 4 Storytelling: Ravana's Prayer

I am Ravana, the son of the great sage Vishrava and the rakshasa Kaikasi. Because of my father I should be of great power on earth, yet I have nothing. I am hideous. People look at me in fear, and cower away when I draw near. I desire wealth and a kingdom. I wish to be respected and loved. I have been on this earth a short time, but I have seen what it means to be respected and loved. I have seen the happiness that comes from such wealth and respect. I saw my brother Vaishravana, the The Treasure Lord, and was envious of his brilliance. His wealth was incredible. He possesses vast amounts of treasure, the beautiful kingdom of Lanka, and the respect of all those that inhabit it. Even a hideous demon such as myself would find happiness with such great wealth. My ten heads would finally smile in unison. My brother Vibhishana witnessed Vaishravana as well, and desires the same as myself. We will find a way to achieve such great wealth.

Ravana and Vibhishana

Who could grant such a wish, but Brahma himself? The same god who brought wealth up Vaishravana, and whom my father Vishrava worships will certainly bless me if I devote my life to him. I wish to no longer be of this hideous form, and I desire a means of acquiring great wealth and respect. If I cannot have these things my life is not worth living. I will devote my days to meditation and prayer over Brahma and every thousand years I will offer one of my heads as sacrifice. If I must endure ten thousand years without what I wish my life is not worth living. I will certainly remove my final head thus ending my life. One thousand years has passed. My prayers to Brahma have been unceasing, yet I have not yet seen the lord of creation. Does he not care for my desires? Does he not see Vibhishana and I suffering? His creations live a meaningless existence, yet he does not intercede. I will continue to pray, with great hopes that an answer will come. Even if I wait nine thousand years it will not be in vain, for I will finally die in peace knowing I would never have achieved such great wealth. It has now been five thousand years with no answer. The pain of removing my head for sacrifice is nothing compared to the pain I feel living my worthless life. Brahma, please I beg you to come and bring an end to this suffering! Give me the wealth I desire, or a means to acquire it! My brothers and I are suffering, and I have sacrificed so much! Why will you not answer Brahma? Nine thousand years have passed. I have but one head remaining, and am weak from such great sacrifice. Brahma has surely noticed my devotion, yet he does nothing. I vow that if I am given the chance to receive a blessing from Brahma I will choose something that will cause pain to all his creation and give me the wealth I desire. The lack of response from Brahma has driven my heart to great bitterness against him an all his creation. His lack of attention to the Rakshasa will be paid for if he ever answers my prayers. Neither gods nor demons will harm me, and I will take all I desire by force. I will ravage all the land, killing any of Brahmas creation that seeks to stop me. My life will end in one thousand years, but I will continue praying in hopes that I can seek revenge against Brahma and his disregard of my brothers and I.

Ravana sacrificing a head

It is time. Ten thousand years have passed and I must end my life. My hope is gone, but the bitterness remains. As I hold this knife to my neck I do not regret devoting these ten thousand years to Brahma. My life was not worth living in its current state, and without the hope of something more I would surely have ended my own life. Now that hope is gone and it is time to end my life… Now he has arrived! Brahma is here at last! As a started to remove my final head he arrived yelling “STOP”. As I contemplate the boon I should request the bitterness in my heart remains. How can I achieve what I desire, and still destroy the creation that Brahma finds so dear with out fear of death?

Author’s Note:

I chose to write the story from Ravana’s point of view in order to convey his thoughts and emotions. Although Ravana is obviously evil, it is clear that he has some humanity to him, and experiences emotions similar to a human. Narayan’s Ramayana didn’t go into the character of Ravana much, but he did fall in love with Sita, and showed obvious signs of love and desire. There were also subtle hints that he cared for his family, and the Rakshasas. Reading Buck’s Ramayana made me see that not all Rakshasa are inherently evil, and therefore I found it hard to believe that Ravana started out evil. Although his appearance was fearful he very well could have had a kind heart. It’s likely that he was driven to evil through greed and desire for wealth and glory. Brahma was the lord of creation, yet he made Ravana born as a hideous creature with nothing to his name. It also seemed like the gods had it out to get the Rakshasa considering that Indra killed a great deal of them and cast them out of Lanka. It seemed like Brahma had neglected Ravana and the Rakshasa altogether. This seemed like this could be a cause for he grew bitter and desired to cause pain to Brahma and still obtain the great wealth he desired.


Bibliography:

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

Week 4 Reading Diary B: Rama's Exile

Week 4 Reading Diary B: Rama's Exile

I found myself frustrated much more with Kaikeyi's actions in Bucks retelling of the Ramayana. Kaikeyi was initially excited at the decision to crown Rama king even when Manthara was trying to convince her otherwise. With so much love and excitement for Rama it was incredibly selfish of Kaikeyi to decide it was better for herself that Rama was exiled and Bharata be king. Her actions in the anger room seemed even more dramatic and deceptive, and only Rama saw that it wasn't her true nature to act as she did (pages 68-70).
Once Rama was exiled he made his way into the forest and was met by Guha. I don't recall Guha being in Narayan's retelling of the Ramayana, but he is a character that I grew to like a lot. He seems extremely manly, as the lord of the wild trees who can't be conquered by anyone. Yet he is calm, kind and full of joy even as a rugged man of the forest! He comforted Lakshmana, drank wine with him,  and told him stories of how he came to be king of the forest. I enjoyed reading of Guha and his conflict with the brahamans, his encounter with death and rescue by Shiva (pages 89-94).

Guha washing Rama's feet

The end of the reading was heart breaking as Dasaratha told the story of how he killed an old couples son and was now reaping the consequences of that moment. He was dying from the loss of his dearest son, and finally the god of death, Yama, came and took him away. I have enjoyed the added details and stories in Buck's Ramayana, and am excited to continue reading on!

Week 4 Reading Diary A: The story of the Rakshasa and Rama's Youth

Week 4 Reading Diary A: The story of the Rakshasa and Rama's Youth

This writing style of Buck is much different than that of Narayan. I enjoyed reading about Valmiki and how he came to write the Ramayana. I was amazed how he meditated for so many years that ants built a hill around him. Valmiki wrote a poem about the tale of Rama, and it inspired everyone that heard it. Buck then moves from Valmiki going straight into the tale of the gods and Rakshasa.

Valmiki in an anthill

The history behind the Rakshasa is very interesting, and more details about Ravana, and the conflict with the gods was great to read. I enjoyed learning how the Rakshasa came to be, and was surprised seeing that they started out as good natured creatures. After they were given the glorious city of Lanka they began devouring innocent humans, which led to great conflict. Vishnu attacked and wiped out many Rakshasa, and the survivors fled to the underworld. Finally Ravana was born. Hearing how he came to be, and came to obtain his powers was cool to read, and it quickly brought him to power as the ruler of Lanka. I was confused by Brahmas decision to grant Ravana invincibility from gods, rakshasa and yakshas! Why would he give a creature that was so violently inclined such great powers? After receiving these powers Ravana went on to terrorize all of mankind and the gods! It makes perfect sense why Brahma decided to help Indra devise a plan to destroy Ravana and the Rakshasa.

Ravana in his throne in Lanka

When the story about Rama finally begins I was disappointed to find much of the stories I enjoyed in Narayans retelling were either absent or lacking details. The story of Thataka being killed wasn't even mentioned, and the battle that took place while Viswamitra performed a sacrifice was very brief and not very detailed. Even the scene in which Rama and Sita first see each other seemed watered down to me, as well as the wedding. I still enjoyed reading this, especially the deeper stories about the gods and demons, and I hope that as the book goes on it gives more detailed accounts of Rama and his endeavors as well!

Elephants of Indian Epics: Styles Brainstorm

Elephants of Indian Epics: Styles Brainstorm

Topic: My Storybook will be about Elephants in Indian Epics. My goal is to look into four different elephants in Indian Epics and write stories about each. I know that I want to write about Ganesha, Airavata, and perhaps about some elephants from the Buddhist stories known as the jataka tales. One story from the jataka tales I would like to use is The Patient Elephant, and perhaps The Kings White Elephant. It should be easy to find stories about different elephants considering how important they are in Indian culture. I believe the Mahabharata is another source I can use to find such stories. The stories I choose will be the ones that I find to be most interesting.

Bibliography: 

1. Narayan, R. K. (1978). The Mahabharata.
2. Buck, William (1973). Mahabharata.
3. Stories about elephants from Bhuddist Jataka tales

Possible Styles:

1. Animals as storytellers - I think this would be a great style to write the storybook in because it gives access to the elephants thoughts (especially if they cannot speak). It would be very interesting to peer into the minds of the various elephants.

2. Bedtime stories told to children - I think there is something powerful about a bedtime story heard by a child with an open mind. Perhaps I could even have some commentary from the child interrupting the story as it's being told! The stories could have morals to them that help the child, or could just simply be for entertainment.

3. Written by Ganesha - For someone else to tell the stories about elephants, it seems appropriate that an elephant headed God do the telling. If I end up choosing this style I could give Ganesha's point of view on the specific elephants and their actions, but I wouldn't necessarily be able to choose a story about Ganesha.

4. Adventure/Journey - A neat storytelling style would be to devise a journey that takes place involving several different elephants. The elephants I choose could all end up crossing paths and partaking in an epic journey. The central character of the journey would most likely be Ganesha, who would encounter other elephants along the way!

Ganesha, the elephant headed god  

Week 3 Storytelling: Hanuman’s Plan

Week 3 Storytelling: Hanuman’s Plan

There she is. I have finally found Sita, but she is unkempt, undecorated and obviously in a state of despair. As I looked on I watched the vile rakshasa women torment her and attempt to weaken her spirit, but to no avail. Ravana approached Sita hoping she would finally choose him, but she rejected him. I know now that this woman is worthy of Rama, and does not deserve the treatment she has received from Ravana and the rakshasa. They will pay for this. I slipped down to let her know that Rama continues to fight for her, and I believe I saved her life as she attempted to take it herself. I cannot believe the mental torment Ravana has brought upon this precious woman! He must pay!

            In my rage I find myself desiring to destroy the kingdom of Ravana. Perhaps I can devise a plan to stir up strife within his kingdom. As I grow to a massive stature I am tearing through the Asoka Vana and destroying parts of Lanka. Ravana has sent an army of rakshasa against me, but they are nothing for my enormous strength. I feel as if I could take on Ravana himself! One by one the rakshasa attack, and one by one they fall before me. As they attempt to take me down I find myself wishing I could come face to face with Ravana himself, and then it dawned on me, “I need to allow them to capture me!” I had already destroyed the entire army, but knowing Ravana he would send more. I continued my destruction of Lanka, but began decreasing in size and strength to allow for my capture.

Hanuman destroying Lanka

            At last, more rakshasa have come for me. None other than Indrajit, Ravana’s son, bound and captured me (only because I allowed him to do so). I cannot wait to come face to face with Ravana and cause him to fear Rama. “I hope you know that Ravana will bring your life to a very painful end you foolish monkey,” Indrajit said as we marched towards Ravana’s palace. “I do not fear what he will do to me, rather I fear what Rama will do to all of your kind!” I shouted back at him as we climbed the last steps towards the palace.

Hanuman being held captive

            There he sat atop the throne. Ravana. The vile demon that had cause so much pain to my dear friend Rama. It took all my focus not to allow myself to lash out at Ravana on the spot. Rama deserved to put an end to him, and I would not allow myself to rob him of that. Visibly angry Ravana looked towards me and attempted to calmly speak “Who is it that sent you to torment this land? I replied, “the almighty Rama. The one who has slain hundreds of asura, the husband of Sita whom you wrongly kidnapped, and the man who will put an end to your life!” As I saw Ravana twitch I felt a slight sense of guilt. “Perhaps you should change your ways in order to preserve your life and the lives of all the rakshasa! Surely Rama will wipe you all out if you do not return Sita and seek forgiveness for your actions.” Ravana could no longer contain himself. He erupted with a violent anger, “NO MORTAL CAN DEFEAT ME!” he shouted, and then ordered my death.

            As Indrajit and the other rakshasa drew their weapons to execute me I decided to remove myself from their capture and report back to Rama. There was obviously no reasoning with Ravana, and Sita would only be saved if he were slain. With all my might I shredded the ropes that bound me and grew once more to a size that would strike fear in the heart of any who saw me. In my anger towards Ravana I decided to reduce his capital to rubble as I returned to Rama. No building shall be left standing in that vile creatures land. He will be the ruler of nothing before long, and the rakshasa will have nothing to return to. I must report to Rama all that has happened.

Authors note:

I decided to write this storytelling post from the point of view of Hanuman since he was the main character in this section of the story. He alone goes to Ravana’s lands in search of Sita. Only Hanuman and the rakshasa witnessed all the events that happened in Ravana’s kingdom. I thought it interesting to delve into the mind of Hanuman. I was able to show his devotion towards Rama, his thought process as he allowed himself to be captured, and his anger towards Ravana when he couldn’t be reasoned with!

Bibliography:

Narayan, R.K. (1972) The Ramayana.