Reading Notes: Narayan's The Ramayana Part A
Bibliography : The Ramayana Part A by: R.K. Narayan
Kamban / R. K. Narayan
Reading Notes:
Words to look up:
suzerainty
Avarice
I like how it explains the river in the beginning. How the river robs certain areas of the mountain where they meet, robbing it of its resources, such as minerals. It is compared to a woman, caressing a man, while removing his valuables, unbeknownst to him. The river, as any bodies of water are, are important to the nearby dwellers. And to have it explained as feminine, and then conniving, is interesting. However, in the end, it does mention how the River distributes it's gained gods evenly....where? I do not know, but interesting that it went from conniving to giving and fair.
Food- Early on in the story, the rice, produced from a year of sacrifice, was obtained. This rice was split among Dasaratha's wives, and allowed them to produce children. What I find interesting here is that, in a way, this was already "meant to be". But it seemed everyone still had to follow a certain path of choices to get there. I am curious as to why the King's mentor did not mention to him the plan of Vishnu to help defeat Ravana.
Question for self: Does Rama know he is Vishnu reincarnated, or avatar? Is Avatar another way to explain one's reincarnation? This question is answered in the story of Mahabali. Apparently Rama's human form made him unaware of his true identity. p.g.13
Thataka: Her story is scary. I imagine that Viswamithra, Rama, and Lakshmana are walking through a desert. To think that the ground is not flush with greenery, and no animals can survive there, and the scorch of the sun are all due to this demon Thataka, it would be scary to walk through a desert!
However, I like how her story is brought around to represent humans, and how a "meanness" inside a human can deprive that person of the riches(not money, but the human-aspect, if you will) of life.
Thoughts of the book/understanding: p.g. 21 Ahalya's Story. I can't, yet, seem to understand the value of women in these stories. In some stories they are praised, and valued, such as Ganga's story...if I am understanding it correctly. However, in Ahalya's story because she did not have a Devine insight, she did not know that Indra had took her husbands form in order to defile her. She was innocent in this, yet equally punished. Was this because when she did finally notice, she felt there was nothing she could do? Did she give up, with no fight, and therefore punished for that? Or just punished because she did not have the foresight? When she was finally freed from her stone form, she was ordered(or allowed?) to go back to her husband, to serve. Interesting.
I like how Narayan is telling the story f the original poet, and references the poet, and how the poet originally wrote the poem. It is almost as if you get two storytellers in one story.
The wedding- interesting how Rama see's jewelry flung around on the ground, unclaimed, because the city was so affluent. I pictured America where pennies or other coins can be found on the ground.
P.G. 23 Sita's response upon seeing Rama for the first time. Its good to see how young love was just as dramatic then, as it is now.
"The sun set beyond the sea, so says the poet-and when a poet mentions the sea, we have to accept it. No harm in letting a poet describe his vision, no need to question his geography." p.g. 24, A bit of humor, I see. hahaha. I liked this.
Interesting how Sita has this very physical response upon seeing Rama for the first time, and while Rama has a response as well, it is not as...theatrical. It mentions why he is more restrained. Just noticing the difference in behaviors.
Reading Notes:
Words to look up:
suzerainty
Avarice
I like how it explains the river in the beginning. How the river robs certain areas of the mountain where they meet, robbing it of its resources, such as minerals. It is compared to a woman, caressing a man, while removing his valuables, unbeknownst to him. The river, as any bodies of water are, are important to the nearby dwellers. And to have it explained as feminine, and then conniving, is interesting. However, in the end, it does mention how the River distributes it's gained gods evenly....where? I do not know, but interesting that it went from conniving to giving and fair.
Food- Early on in the story, the rice, produced from a year of sacrifice, was obtained. This rice was split among Dasaratha's wives, and allowed them to produce children. What I find interesting here is that, in a way, this was already "meant to be". But it seemed everyone still had to follow a certain path of choices to get there. I am curious as to why the King's mentor did not mention to him the plan of Vishnu to help defeat Ravana.
Question for self: Does Rama know he is Vishnu reincarnated, or avatar? Is Avatar another way to explain one's reincarnation? This question is answered in the story of Mahabali. Apparently Rama's human form made him unaware of his true identity. p.g.13
Thataka: Her story is scary. I imagine that Viswamithra, Rama, and Lakshmana are walking through a desert. To think that the ground is not flush with greenery, and no animals can survive there, and the scorch of the sun are all due to this demon Thataka, it would be scary to walk through a desert!
However, I like how her story is brought around to represent humans, and how a "meanness" inside a human can deprive that person of the riches(not money, but the human-aspect, if you will) of life.
Thoughts of the book/understanding: p.g. 21 Ahalya's Story. I can't, yet, seem to understand the value of women in these stories. In some stories they are praised, and valued, such as Ganga's story...if I am understanding it correctly. However, in Ahalya's story because she did not have a Devine insight, she did not know that Indra had took her husbands form in order to defile her. She was innocent in this, yet equally punished. Was this because when she did finally notice, she felt there was nothing she could do? Did she give up, with no fight, and therefore punished for that? Or just punished because she did not have the foresight? When she was finally freed from her stone form, she was ordered(or allowed?) to go back to her husband, to serve. Interesting.
I like how Narayan is telling the story f the original poet, and references the poet, and how the poet originally wrote the poem. It is almost as if you get two storytellers in one story.
The wedding- interesting how Rama see's jewelry flung around on the ground, unclaimed, because the city was so affluent. I pictured America where pennies or other coins can be found on the ground.
P.G. 23 Sita's response upon seeing Rama for the first time. Its good to see how young love was just as dramatic then, as it is now.
"The sun set beyond the sea, so says the poet-and when a poet mentions the sea, we have to accept it. No harm in letting a poet describe his vision, no need to question his geography." p.g. 24, A bit of humor, I see. hahaha. I liked this.
Interesting how Sita has this very physical response upon seeing Rama for the first time, and while Rama has a response as well, it is not as...theatrical. It mentions why he is more restrained. Just noticing the difference in behaviors.
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