Week 2 Reading Diary A: The Tales of Viswamithra, and the Character of Rama
One of the most interesting parts in this first reading is Rama’s journey with Viswamithra as well as the betrayal of Rama by Kaikeyi. The tales Viswamithra tells Rama and Lakshmana as they are travelling were very interesting. The tale of Thataka was one of my favorites seeing how she was turned into an asura, and the imagery of her demon form. The battle between Thataka and Rama was quick, but really is what began to draw me to Rama as a character.
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| Rama defeating Thataka |
The story of Ahalya was also one of my favorites as it showed a classic story of lust getting the better of a man. Indra’s obsession with Ahalya ended with every inch of his body being covered with the female organ! What an embarrassing punishment to a god that must have been. Thankfully Guatama allowed these embarrassing features to become eyes, which took away Indras shame.
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| Indra the thousand eyed god |
Another section I enjoyed reading was Kaikeyi’s betrayal. Kaikeyi’s greed got the best of her as she found herself in a position where she may lose her position as queen and she betrayed Rama forcing him to the forest so her son Bharatha could be king. This betrayal added an intense dramatic element to the story as the king dies of grief and Bharatha grows enraged with his mother Kaikeyi for her deceitfulness.
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| Kaikeyi deceiving Dasharatha |
Throughout this reading I really began to enjoy reading about Rama and his many deeds. He possessed man admiral traits: strength, handsomeness, intelligence, and was very moral. Not only did he possess these traits but he was a man of action. First he captured Sita’s heart with his handsomeness and caused her to become sick with passion for him. Then he won her hand in marriage with his great strength as he strung Shiva's bow (and broke it), which was a feat no man had been able to accomplish. He even willingly allowed himself to be exiled so that his father would not go back on a promise he made to Kaikeyi.
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| Rama breaking Shiva's bow |
Hi Brandon! The character of Rama is what drew me in at the start of this weeks readings also. We can tell pretty quick that he is going to grow into an important character. What an interesting story about lust versus love and Indra being covered with female organs! (Which then were made eyes). I really enjoyed your pictures on here. My favorite of your pictures is actually that of Indra. It depicts a great image of traditional Indian epic poetry, especially with the elephant!
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