Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Part A

Bibliography: PDE Mahabharata

Vyasa and Ganesha

            Why was no one else worthy?

            Why did Ganesha want that condition?

King Shantanu and Ganga

            1/8^th for each Vasus? Doesn’t that make him 100%?

            Mother fighting to make a son holy… sounds like Achilles

King Shantanu and Satyavati

            Almost an Immaculate Conception?

            Virginity and odors? Interesting.

            Story telling- all the men have odors based on who they sleep with

Devavrata's Vow

            How is that terrible?

Bhishma at the Swayamvara

            Story telling- the women fight for the man

Amba

            Story telling- the women actually marry each other and leave the kind without wives

Dhritarashtra and Pandu

Kunti and Her Son

            Lots of parallels to Greek mythology… nymphs anyone?

Pandu and His Wives

            Why celibacy?

            LOL so for all of the talk of austerities, sex is actually something that is a universal good?

The Sons of Pandu

            Wait what?

Gandhari and Dhritarashtra

            Wait, so a physical deformity led the boy to be evil?

Pandavas and Kauravas

            Sounds kind of like the plot to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Bhima and the Nagas

            This is a very sudden twist of events

            Story telling- the Naga just ate him

Drona

            Immaculate concept anyone?

Drona Trains the Princes

            The fact that obedience is characterized as an important value is interesting… generally the most         talented and exceptional are those that have their own ways of doing things

Ekalavya

            Wow. Anti-aboriginal sentiments aren’t too well-hidden here.

            Story telling- Ekalavya is actually a more accomplished warrior

The Contest

            What even is the point here? Like, “prove your worth against yourselves”?

The Arrival of Karna
            Again, random divine intervention as a plot device?

Drona's Revenge

            This story is full of random plot additions

Arjuna Statue in Bali
Source: Wikipedia

Review: Rest

Announcements: Saturday, September 17th

Sleeping, Inspiration Cat
Cat image from cheezburger, Graphic Design from Islam Abudaoud, and Inscription from Laura Gibbs

Learning Challenge: Unexpected Plans

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While scheduling and planning out your day is something that I find to be incredibly helpful, its important to remember that sometimes, things are not going to go according to plan. There are going to be some events that come out of nowhere, requiring you to create a new plan on the fly. When that happens, don't worry! It happens to everyone, so hopefully everyone else will understand.

Growth Mindset: Failure as Opportunity

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Tech Tip: Automotivator

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Text: Quote from Audrey Hepburn (Source: GoodReads)

Feedback Focus- Speaking, Writing, and Timing

*These strategies are numbered in terms of how useful I found them... that is, the first strategy in the list is the one I found most effective and the last is the strategy I found least effective*

1. Reading Out Loud- As someone who prides themselves on their public speaking ability, I wasn't surprised to find that reading out loud helped me to notice some flaws and potential changes that I might not have made otherwise. Speaking really enables you to understand the flow of a piece of writing, in addition to pointing out obvious errors. I've been told that I write papers as if I'm giving a speech, so I often find it helpful to read them out loud to pinpoint errors.

   

   Personal Photo of Me Speaking in the Chambers of the City Council of Kansas City, MO
   Summer 2014

2. Copy-and-Delete- I really liked this method because it allowed you to keep a rough outline of notes to build on when you were done. You quite literally "progressed" through the reading. That being said, I think that necessitating a comment after every paragraph is a bit unnecessary... I prefer just to read until I reach a point where i have a comment to make, make that comment, and then delete the reading prior to that.
3. Using a Timer- I understand why this could be a potentially beneficial method of focusing, but in the end, I found that I was distracted by trying to keep all the comments that I wanted at the forefront of my mind. By focusing solely on reading for 10 minutes, I ended up devoting the majority of that time to remembering the things that I wanted to say instead of engaging with the reading and interacting with it as I had the thoughts that I did.

Story: In Which Ravana Marries Rama

In Which Ravana Marries Rama

After Shurpanakha told her brother, Ravana, of Sita's beauty, he was intrigued. However, he was even more enthralled with his sister's description of Sita's husband, the incomparable Rama.

"I must have him," Ravana declared.

So, Ravana launched a devious plan. He ordered Shurpanakha to disguise herself as Sita and take an enchanted mango with her. This mango, awarded to Ravana for his austerities by Brahma himself, made the person that ate it fall madly in love with the Demon King. Back in the woods, Shurpanakha lured Rama away with whispered promises of yet another celestial weapon, and when he was in a grove deep in the forest, she materialized as Sita.

"Why have you come so deep in the forest, my love? I was merely enjoying a stroll when I came upon the most beautiful mango tree... look at this mango, my dearest. Is it not the fullest and most appetizing fruit that you have ever seen?" asked Shurpanakha-as-Sita.

"My love! You have ventured into the forest without protection! Why have you abandoned the safety of our home?" asked Rama.

"All in the pursuit of sustenance for my husband. Please, Rama, won't you eat this mango?" pleaded Shurpanakha-as-Sita.

*Rama takes mango and eats it*

*Rama is instantly transported to Lanka, where he falls at the feet of his now-beloved Ravana*

*Sita awakes from a long nap back in the forest as the figure of Shurpanakha looms over her*

"Hello Sita," crooned Shurpanakha. "Ravana has taken your husband for himself... if I can't have him, then no woman, especially you, can either!"

Shurpanakha then vanished into the night air, leaving Sita to languish in sorrow.

In Lanka, Rama and Ravana were enjoying their new life together. Bound by the power of Brahma's magic, Rama was smitten with his many-faced King, and Ravana delighted in the beauty of his new lover.

"My dear Ravana, how have I gone all of these years without your gentle embrace and sweet kisses?" Rama mused. "Your abduction of me from the temptress Sita was truly the happiest day of my life."

"Rama, you shall never need to see her wretched face again. We will live together and rule over all of Brahma's creation together. You were created to destroy me, but perhaps, in failing to do so, you will only help to build my vast power," Ravana theorized.

Unfortunately for Sita and the gods themselves, the magic of Brahma's mango could not be undone. Ravana spent his life expanding his kingdom to all the reaches of India, while Rama used the celestial weapons the gods had given him in pursuit of his beloved's plan for world domination. The gods, powerless to stop Ravana as he grew more powerful, left to find another land over which they could rule. Rama had broken the rules of fate on which the power of the gods rested, and with their omniscience shaken, they had little reason to remain in the land of their creation. Ravana was happy, and because of this, so was Rama.

Rama and Laksmana Attack the Demon Ravana Ramayana – Malwa, 1640 A.D.
Source: Wikipedia

Author's Note- The original source for this story is the scene in Saraswati Nagpal's Sita wherein Sita is abducted by Ravana. I wondered what it would be like for Rama to be abducted instead; I mean, if roughly 1/10 people are somehow queer, then statistically one of Ravana's heads has to be as well. I wrote this story because I didn't like the utter lack of queer representation in the Ramayana... there are so many wonderful opportunities for characters to experience same-sex attraction, but yet, there wasn't a single queer character. Instead, the story was largely heteronormative and based on gender roles. In addition, I found a certain irony in allowing Ravana to control Rama with one of the celestial objects that Rama was so impartial to throughout the story. If you've read the rest of my blog, you know that I despise the fact that Rama is basically given whatever he wants/needs in the form of magic weapons. I chose the image that I did because I almost re-imagined it as Rama and Ravana going out for a hunting party or something similar... Ravana is brandishing his weapons and asking Rama to choose which he likes best before they go continue their conquest of India.