Reading Notes: Week 3 Ramayana Parts A-B

                                                    

Author: Raja Ravi Press, Date: 1910s, Description: "Taraka Vadh" by Ravi, Link 

Reading Notes

PART A

King Dasharatha

    Dasharatha is the ruler of the Koshala kingdom, part of the solar dynasty. Ayodhya, the capital, was extravagant. His palace was well protected and he lived a good life. However, he was sad because none of his three queens birthed him a son. 

Dasharatha's Sons

    He wanted to sacrifice a horse so the gods would give him a son. Choitro, a brahmin, was the designated sacrifice. The ceremony was performed and the gods promised him that four sons would be born. 

Rama: Avatar of Vishnu

    Indra and the other gods went to Brahma and spoke to Ravana. Ravana was super powerful and was immune to the gods and demons. The gods asked for protection against everything excluding apes and mankind. The four sons that were born were; Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna. 

Vishvamitra

    Vishvamitra came to Dasharatha and asked for a treasure. Dasharatha is asked to allow Rama and Lakshamana to help him in the battle against the demons. 

Thataka

    Thataka was the target of the two sons. They eventually killed her. Vishwamitra gave them a reward of weapons for helping him.

Bhagiratha and Ganga

    A horse was supposed to be sacrificed but was missing. The men found the horse, but Kapila was angry and killed them all. Ganga was summoned in order to give the men a proper passage to the afterlife. 

Ahalya

    Indra fell in love with Ahalya and used a disguise to seduce her. The husband found out and cursed Ahalya to become invisible. 

Sita

    Rama meets a girl named Sita in a garden. They fell in love with each other. The princess went to the temple and prayed for an answer. Her prayers were answered and she was happy to get married to Rama.

King Janaka

    Janaka was Sita's father. He wanted the man who wanted to marry her, pass a challenge. He ordered the suitors to get Shiva's bow. He then ordered them to bend the bow.

Rama Wins Sita

    Rama lifted the bow, strung it, and bent the bow until it snapped in the middle. The father gave Sita to Rama. 

Parashurama

    A stranger walks into the palace. He worshipped Shiva and ask who broke the bow. He's angry that the bow was broken. He hands the bow of Vishnu to Rama and asks if he can draw the bow. He does.

Rama and Sita's Wedding

    There is an extravagant wedding ceremony. The rest of the brothers are able to get wives from Jakarta's family. Everybody gets married.

Rama the Heir Apparent

    Dashartha has to choose a successor. Out of all of his sons, he chooses Rama. 

Manthara and Kaikeyi

    Manthara hated Rama. Apparently, she was very ugly. She is asked why she hates him. She states that she has two boons that are owed to her. 

Kaikeyi and Dasharatha

    Kaikeyi is swayed by Manthara and asks the king to exile Rama. She also wants Bharata to be the new king. He actually ends up doing it and is saddened.

Rama is Banished

    Rama is summoned to the court. He goes to the palace and sees that his father is struck full of grief. He is told that he is now exiled. He did not have any emotion to the news.

Rama Goes into Exile

    Rama tells Sita the bad news. Sita wants to follow him, but Rama tells her about the dangers of the forest. She ends up not budging from her position and decides to go with him. The robe of bark is taken away from him.

Crossing the River

    Rama reaches the border of Koshala and says goodbye to his people. He made it the Ganga and began their exile. Lakshmana comforts his brother so Rama doesn't cry anymore. They go to sleep while Lakshmana watches.

Dasharatha's Karma

    A flashback where Dasharatha kills a hermit. Dasharatha gets the hermit's parents to come. The hermit curses him with the fact that he will lose his son as well.

Dasharatha's Death

    He is dying with two wives at his side, Laushalya and Sumitra. None of his sons are there because they are either exiled or busy. The wives mourn and stay with him until his spirits leave. 

PART B

Bharata Returns

    Bharata returns to the city without knowing anything about his brother or father. He vows to kill the woman who ordered Rama exiled and killed his father. However, he is told to spare her. 

Dasharatha's Funeral

    The saints said their words to start the funeral. Bharata continued the ceremony and begin questioning everything that happened. The ceremony continues and ends with everybody spending 10 days mourning by laying on the ground.

Rama and Bharata

    Bharata goes to the forest to try to get Rama to come back. However, Rama refuses because he feels like he has to serve the 14 years and that it wouldn't be right for him to skip out on it. Bharata offers to take Rama's place, but it doesn't work.

The Sandals

    After his failure, Bharata asks Rama to give him something as a symbol that he talked to Rama. Rama decides to give him a pair of sandals that Bharata tries to give him. 

Anasuya

    The two brothers and Sita visit the ashes of sages. In this one, they visit a sage named Atri and his wife. Sita decides to tell the ashes about her life story. 

Viradha

    Viradha is a demon that kidnaps Sita. The brothers right him to try to get Sita back. However, their arrows do not work against him. They basically beat him up, but he won't die. They decide to dig a pit and throw him in there. He eventually dies after cursing Rama

Agastya

    The brothers meet another sage in the forest, Agastya. He offers the two brothers weapons and wants them to stay with him at his base. However, the brothers refuse and are determined to go deeper into the forest.

Shurpanakha and Rama

    The demon king's sister, Shurpanakha takes a liking to Rama. He doesn't return the feelings but feels like he might be able to influence the demon king if he uses her. 

Lakshmana and Shurpanakha

    Shurpanakha is mad at Lakshmana for laughing at her. She attacks the brothers but is injured by them instead. She tells Khara that she wants to drink Sita's blood and summons fourteen demons to do their bidding.

Ravana and Maricha

    Ravana asks Maricha for help with the plan. He threatens Maricha with death if he does not help out. He disguises himself as deer in order to lure Sita in.

Golden Deer

    Sita actually falls for the plan and becomes entranced by the deer. There's a whole poem describing the deer's features and colors. Rama chases after the deer

The Chase

    Rama shoots the deer in the heart and forces Maricha to come out. However, Maricha is able to mimic Rama's voice and asks for help. Rama's brother isn't scared of this and doesn't fall for the plan. 

Ravana and Sita

    Sita is alone and Ravana comes in disguised as a sage. He fools her and she thinks that he is a brahmin. He reveals his identity and asks Sita to be his queen. She gets mad and he changes forms into this huge demon and carries her away. She cries for Rama but nothing happens.

Jatayu and Ravana

    Sita cries for Rama and his brother, but nothing happens. The Jatayu woke from his sleep and attacked Ravana. Ravana ends up doing a lot of damage to him and he lays down like he is dead. As she is carried away, she gives some jewels to the five great monkeys

Sita in Lanka

    Ravana wants to rape her but isn't able to because of a curse. She refuses to have sex with him and he gets mad. 

Rama and Jatayu

    Rama goes back to the hut and finds Sita missing. He begins to cry because of that. He runs around the forest asking anything for information about what happened to her. They eventually find Jatayu on the ground, dying. Jatayu tells them everything. He dies

Kabandha

    Kabandha is a huge demon. The brothers fight him and beat him. The demon asks if they can burn his body. In exchange, he will inform them of information regarding Sita.

Shabari

    On their journey south, they find Shabari. Apparently, she has been waiting for a long time for their arrival. She once saw a holy man who told her that Rama would be visiting her eventually. They are caught in a time warp and she asks Rama to perform her funeral rites.

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