Reading Notes 5.1 Ramayana, Part A

Hey all!

This week I am reading a short version of the Ramayana called the The Divine Archer, by F.J. Gould.

Bibliography: The Divine Archer by F.J. Gould. Online pdf.

The Birth:

• story begins with the celebrations taking place because the birth of four princes in Ayodhya
• King D has three wives..Kaykeyi, Sumitra, Kaushalya
• 4 sons Ram, Laksh, Bharat, Shatrughna 
• Ram completely different, soles of his feet = magic signs = thunderbolt, flag, and goad
• Kaushalya sees Ram transform in to a comic being and become a baby again 
• Sons grown, go thru the rituals of Janoi, instruction under guru
• Ram learns vedas quickly

Vishvamithra:

• wise hermit seeks Ram from King D to help in war to defeat the demons
• King is reluctant...finally agrees, says Laksh won't be able to stay w/o Ram 
• Demons are fought, they arrive the river Ganges
• In this the city of King Janaka is Videha
• FIRST SPOTTING OF SITA!!!

Ram & Sita:

• Love at first site
• Sita prays to Ma Bhavani about Ram, while Ram is also restless about Sita
• Indian version of Bachelorette... Bend Shiva's bow for the hand of Sita
• Vishvam gives the OK to Ram, it snaps under his strength

Parashurama:

• demands to know who broke Shiv's bow, when rival suitors start to gang up on Rama
• Laksh tells theat Ram snappe
• Parashu gives ram the bow of god Vishnu and Ram easily strings the bow, earning the respect of Parashu

Wedding:

• King D and fam are in King J's palace 
• other 3 brothers also get married, all on the same day
• back to Ayodhya

Crown Jewel:

• King D wants to make Ram King
• Guru (Vashishtha) says get it done soon/quickly
• Manthara, evil servant of Kaykeyi stirs the pot and adds poison to Kaykeyi's head. 
• manipulates Kaykeyi into thinking Bharat should be crowned not Ram
• Kaykeyi uses her 2 promises to have Ram exiled and Bharat become king
• King D is devastated by the departure of Ram 
• Sita and Laksh are adamant that they will join Ram

Exile:

• people, plants, and animals all seemed to feel the loss of the prince 
• the three slept under a tree , mounted a chariot in the night and traveled to the river Ganges 
• Crowd of people with gifts, fruits, etc
• an old ferryman helps the three cross the river
• Hermit Valmiki guides them to live on a hill called Chitrakuta
• Charioteer back in Ayodhya give King D and update

Death:

• King D says this current situation is because of a curse he had received long ago when he had gone hunting and accidentally killed a boy by mistake who was filling water for his blind parents...thought the boy was an elephant...
• tells Kaushalya the story and King D dies

Bharat is back:

• Bharat is very mad at Kaykeyi for what she has done
• after funeral, Bharat goes out in search of Ram to try to bring him back
• Ram tells Bharat that he cannot refuse father's command, Bharat goes back home with Ram's shoes, tells not going to take throne though

Agastya:

• gives Ram rare gifts
• urges Ram to move his living to Panchavati forest, where the Godaveri stream runs

Visitors:

• Panchavati forest belongs to Rakshas, Khara, Dushan & Shurpanakha 
• She likes Ram, but he says he's already got a wife but Laksh is single, Laksh tells her NO
• Shurpan is enraged
• Rakshas army comes to take Sita
• Army annihilated by Ram, remaining Rakshas inform Ravan of what happened

Ravan:

• Ravan requests help of Maricha to become a golden deer to kidnap Sita
• Sita sees the deer, wants the fleece of the golden deer
• Ram goes after deer, Laksh stays
• Sita hears the Ram's cry (actually Maricha) and sends Laksh
• Laksh bound by duty says he can't
• Sita forces him to go
• Ravan in form of an old hermit comes and introduces himself as the king of Rakshas
• Ravan takes her, Jatayu fights to get Sita back, but his wings are slashed by Ravan
• Ram asks Laksh why he came
• Brothers find Jatayu (informs bros that Ravan has taken Sita) and perform funeral rites

The search:

• In their search they come across Hanuman and Surgiva, driven away from his kingdom by brother Bali
• Hanu says lets offer the bros help..Sugriva agrees
• Sugriva presents Ram with a red scarf, that Ram recognizes as Sita's
• Ram says let's go get your kingdom back from Bali
• Bali vs Sugriva, Ram kills Bali with his divine arrow

Parashurama