Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part A

I really enjoyed reading the Part A of Mahabharata. It is different from the Ramayana which we read for about two weeks, however I'm intrigued by Mahabharata and I can't wait to see what happens in the next parts of the story. While reading part A of Mahabharata I really enjoyed the story "The Contest." I liked the idea of a tournament that this story had and that is something that I would want to incorporate into my own story. I plan to set my story in the future, here there is space travel between all the plants and all of the plants have inhabitants. Just like in the story "The contest" I plan to have a type of tournament where the best athlete from each planet will compete.  In my story, Arjuna will actual be a women and she will be somewhat of an underdog in my story. The verse format of this story was sometimes hard to follow so when I write my story it will be told through first person. 

The plants of the solar system. 

Bibliography: Mahabharata, Epic of the Bharatas, by Romesh C. Dutt. Link to Reading.

Reading Notes: Sita Sings the Blues, Film Part A

For this week I decided to explore the Ramayana through a film. The film was called “Sita Sings the Blues” by Nina Paley’s. When I first started watching the film was inspired to perhaps write a story that is in a script format. For instance, I would start the story with setting the scene, which would, entail where we are and introduce my main characters. Then I would have my characters names followed by there lines, as well as descriptions of there facial expressions and movement. I think this type of format would be somewhat challenging since I have never created a story like this but it would also be fun because it allows me to create something new and interesting. For these reading notes I just watched Part A of the film. I thought it was really interesting and comical. I liked how the narrators would argue when talking about the Ramayana characters and date of the Ramayana. I think this film incorporated some modern themes that I found really neat. In my own story I plan on incorporating some of these themes into my own story. Further, I want to include a comical aspect into my story as well. I will do this either by having a sarcastic tone from the narrator or I might have a specific character that brings all the comical relief.

Through film you can be exposed to many different versions of a story. 

Bibliography: Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley. Link to Film.

Comment Wall

Link to Portfolio: Inside the Jungle

The Wild Jungle. 

Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana, Section D

This week I read section D, the last section of the PDE Ramayana. I really enjoyed reading the last story in the section, “Rama Departs.” I don’t normally like cliffhangers so reading the end of the story is something that I always look forward too. I thought this was a nice ending to the Ramayana saga. I again like the use of dialogue that was portrayed in this original story and that is something I too wish to portray in my own story. Further, I think the image that was used in this story was very interesting and insightful. I hope for my own story I will be able to find an image that depicts the essence that my story is trying to represent.

Bibliography: Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914). Link to Reading.

Epic of Rama. 

Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana, Section C

This week I continued reading stories from the Ramayana, specifically section C stories. Most of the stories were really easy to read, however there were some that were written in prose that was a little bit more difficult to grasp. Though overall it was a really interesting read! One story I like in particular was “The Armies.” I enjoyed how this story was written in the prose style format and the rhyming at the end of the phrases was done really well. I would want to incorporate this type of style into my own story, but I don’t want the whole story to be told this way. Instead, perhaps I will have an old wise character that talks only in rhymes and he will give my main character the tools to save the day. For instance, my wise character will give words of wisdom and also give foreshowing for what is to come for the other characters in the story. Another aspect I really liked from this story is the use of animals in human type roles. For example the apes and bears in this story represent soldiers making up the great armies. In my own story I plan on having animals that will represent human roles such as a bird that will act as a messenger between two kingdoms.

The General and his right hand of the 2nd Bear army

Bibliography:The prose portion is from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913), and the verse portion is from Ramayana, The Epic fo Rama, Prince of India condensed into English verse by Romesh Dutt. Link to Reading.

Week 3 Story: Jungle Love

This story can be found at my Portfolio. Here is a link to the story: Jungle Love.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful kingdom in the remote jungle of India. This kingdom was surrounded by all types of vegetation from huge canopies composed of the different trees of the jungle to waterfalls that emptied into enchanted pools of water. These watering holes were visited by so much life, such as the elephants who would come to cool off during the hot summer days and the macaque monkeys who indulged in a refreshing drink after a full morning of swinging around the jungle. The watering hole was not just loved by the animals of the jungle, but also by the princess of the kingdom, Princess Sita.

Princess Sita was unmistakably beautiful, kind and strong willed. She was always so curious about the world and what all was in it. She dreamed of embarking out on her own to explore all the wonders of the world. This worried her father, King Dasharatha, for he knew of the dangers and evil that lurks in the darkness of the world. King Dasharatha thought that if Sita would become married she would calm down and put all of her childish wants to bed and stay within the kingdom. Princess Sita on the other hand had no interest in settling down to start a family; she was just getting started exploring the far ends of the kingdom.

One day Princess Sita went to her favorite watering hole in the jungle where she swam and played with the baby elephant and various other little critters of the jungle. When suddenly she saw a boy at the other end of the pool. He was just staring at her as if he was in shock and had never seen another person before.

Sita playful said, “Its not polite to just stare without introducing yourself first.”

The boy quickly became aware of his surroundings and said, “My name is Rama and I live here in the jungle, which is no place for a princess.”

Princess Sita became angry and shouted, “Well since I am the princess of the kingdom you know that I own this jungle and I can go anywhere I please!”

Rama smiled and said, “I did not mean to offend you, princess Sita, I was just surprised to see someone royal outside of the palace walls let alone swimming in a waterhole in the jungle. How about we start this again. Hi my name is Rama, whats yours?”

“My name is Sita,” the princess said while trying not to smile.

Rama responded “Well its great to meet you Sita. Do you wanna see something really cool?”

Sita nodded her head and watched as Rama climbed up a tree that was right on the edge of the water. He stood up on one of the branches and reached for a vine. Once he tugged at the vine a little he gave Sita a big smile and then jumped off the branch with both hands hanging on to the vine. Then at the right moment when he was out over the water he let go and splashed into the water. Sita was ecstatic by this new innovation and before Rama could come up to the surface Sita was eagerly climbing up to the branch that Rama had only a few moments earlier jumped off of. For the rest of the day Rama and Sita played by the watering hole just laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

The next few weeks Rama and Sita were inseperatable and know doubt falling in love with each other. Sita was so happy that she found someone who shared her adventurous nature and also loved her for it. Which Rama did love every aspect of her with his whole heart. At the end of the summer Rama and Sita got married which her father was pleased with, however It did not do the job of calming his adventuress daughter down which he hoped for. But, King Dasharatha was at ease for he knew Rama would protect his daughter at all costs. After their wedding, Rama and Sita left the kingdom to explore the world. Sita’s dream was finally coming true she was about to set off on an adventure to explore the world but her reality was much better then her dream she thought, for now she had someone to share all of her experiences with.

The End.


                                 

The watering hole in the jungle of India. 

Authors Note:
The story Sita from The Divine Archer by F. J. Gould is a love story. The two main characters are Rama, and Princess Sita. Rama and Sita know they are meant to be together when they make eye contact in the Kings garden. From that point on Rama and Sita are madly in love. In my own story I kept the same main plot of Rama and Sita falling in love with just a few changes. First, I wanted Rama and Sita’s falling in love to seem more real than it did in the original story. Because of this I had their first interaction be somewhat of a negative one and then turned it around with them getting to know each other and then falling in love as time went bye. I also had most of my story take place in a jungle by a watering hole because I felt like it made for a more interesting back drop for my story. 

Bibliography: "Sita" from The Divine Archer by F. J. Gould. Link to Reading.

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Section B

I really enjoyed reading through the stories from section B of Ramayana. The stories where filled with adventure and many different interesting settings. In the story Rama and Bharata I liked how they met up in a jungle. I would want to incorporate this same setting into my own story only instead of a meeting place; the jungle will be an enchanted place full of magic and unexplainable events. Further, I really like how this original story had a lot of dialogue between the characters. I think when stories allow the character to talk and interact the reader can get a better handle on each characters personality as well as really become engulfed by the story. I plan to have a decent amount of dialogue between my characters as well as showing my readers the thoughts of the characters. I liked how the theme of good and evil or right and wrong was used in the Rama and Bharata story. I would want to continue this theme in my own story but present it in a different way. Perhaps, I could have my main character be a very evil man but according to his own beliefs he always does the right thing and then contrast him with a good hearted man who seems to always fall short and society see’s his actions of being wrong. Then at the end of the story the reader will have to decide what truly matters when it comes to good vs. evil.

Where is the line between Good Vs. Evil? 

Bibliography: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie, Link to Reading.