Monday, August 26, 2019

Reading Notes: Ramayana Part C

Ramayana Part C Reading Notes

Sugriva and Hanuman
Bibliography: Rama and the Monkeys by Geraldine Hodgson

- Sugriva invited Hanuman to disguise himself and see what strangers were up to
- He passes the brothers
- Sugriva sympathizes because he lost his wife to his elder brother
- Hanuman takes the brothers to Sugriva (monkey chief)

Sugriva's Story
Bibliography: Rama and the Monkeys by Geraldine Hodgson

- Sugriva tells the brothers his story
- Vali tricked Sugriva into staying in a whole for a whole year
- Sugriva saw blood and believed his brother dead so he went to go rule his brother's subjects
- Vali went to look for his brother but found a mountain instead so he struggled to get out
- Vali thought Sugriva did it on purpose to trap him
- Sugriva couldn't soothe his brother and he took his wife and banished his brother
- Rama wants to help Sugriva and begs him to battle his brother

Sugriva and Vali
Bibliography: Ramayana, the Epic of Rama, Prince of India condensed by Romesh Dutt

- poem with an AA, BB, CC rhyming scheme
- Vali still upset so accepts the battle
- Tara, Vali's wife, supports him and tells him to wait
- She knows about the brothers
- She asks him to just make peace with his brother
- Vali refuses
- The fighting begins

Vali's Death
Bibliography: Ramayana, the Epic of Rama, Prince of India condensed by Romesh Dutt

- the brothers fight with trees
- Sugriva ends up fainting
- Rama takes over and kills Vali

King Sugriva
Bibliography: Ramayana, the Epic of Rama, Prince of India condensed by Romesh Dutt

- Tara weeps for Vali
- Sugriva weeps too
- Rama is praised
- Hanuman praises Rama

The Rainy Season
Bibliography: Ramayana, the Epic of Rama, Prince of India condensed by Romesh Dutt and Relatives by Arthur William Ryder

- Two different poems of the same event
- Rama laments about not having Sita
- Poetry from Relatives come is ABAB pattern
- Sugriva is King again

The Armies
Bibliography: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie and Ramayana, the Epic of Rama, Prince of India condensed by Romesh Dutt

- Rama worried because after the rainy season, Sugriva isn't getting his forces together
- Lakshmana threatens Sugriva and he agrees to help search for Sita

Sampati
Bibliography: Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita

- The armies came back a month later with no reports of Sita
- Sampati the vulture hears the monkeys lamenting and tells them where he saw Sita
- He tells Rama to avenge his brother

Sampati and Jatayu
Bibliography: The Illiad of the East: The Ramayana by Frederika Richardson Macdonald

- Sampati and Jatayu were brothers
- they started flying together but Jatayu fainted
- Sampati tried to save him but was in great pain
- Nishakara saved the two brothers
- Sampati asks to die
- Sampati was given the funeral honors and awaited Rama to avenge his brother

Hanuman's Leap
Bibliography: Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita 

- The monkeys got more hopeful and were able to jump higher than ever
- Hanuman used to be able to jump high to reach the fruit that was the sun
- Jambavan asks his to jump over the ocean
- He starts the jump but gets caught but a rakshasi
- He defeats the rakshasi
- He ends up on the shore of Lanka tired

Hanuman in Lanka
Bibliography: Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita 

- Hanuman waits for night and then shrinks to the size of a cat before entering the city
- Hanuman goes to Ravana's palace
- Hanuman looks everywhere for Sita
- He finds Ravana and his Queens all asleep
- Hanuman confuses Mandodari, Ravana's Queen, for Sita

The Ashoka Grove
Bibliography: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie and Ramayana, the Epic of Rama, Prince of India condensed by Romesh Dutt

- Sita is found in the Ashoka grove
- Fierce demons surround her

Sita and Ravana
Bibliography: Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita 

- Hanuman excited to have found Sita
- Ravana was awake and came to the wood with his wives
- Sita is terrified of Ravana
- Ravana tries to tempt her
- Ravana, angry, says Sita has two months to agree to be his wife
- Sita is miserable and goes towards where Hanuman is hiding

Hanuman and Sita
Bibliography:  Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie and Ramayana, the Epic of Rama, Prince of India condensed by Romesh Dutt

- Sita is fearful that Hanuman is Ravana
- Hanuman shows her the ring of Rama
- Hanuman offers to take Sita away but Sita is too modest and doesn't want to touch a male body that isn't Rama


Hanuman Captured
Bibliography: Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita 

- Hanuman isn't satisfied from just finding Sita
- The Rakshasis find him and tell Ravana about him
- Hanuman fights the Rakshasis and wins
- Hanuman gets caught anyway
- He doesn't struggle, realizing it's best for him to talk to Ravana
- He loosens his bonds but doesn't tell anyone

Hanuman and Ravana
Bibliography: Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita 

- Hanuman admits he's there from Rama
- Hanuman tells Ravana to save his life and surrender Sita
- Ravana is very upset and wants to kill Hanuman but can't cause he's an envoy
- Instead Ravana sets Hanuman's tail on fire

The Burning of Lanka
Bibliography: Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita 

- Hanuman asks to be taken through Lanka
- Sita is told what happened
- Hanuman's burning tail is cooled because of Sita's pray and he escapes his chains
- He burns Lanka but regrets it because he thinks he killed Sita
- He goes back to the Ashoka tree and finds her there
- He goes back and tells everyone he found Sita

The March of Lanka
Bibliography: Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita 

- Sugrive gives orders to march on Lanka because Hanuman says he knows the strengths and weaknesses of the cities
- Friendly bears, ruled by Jambavan, join the army
- They have to figure out how to cross the ocean so they make came

Ravana's Court
Bibliography: Ramayana, the Epic of Rama, Prince of India condensed by Romesh Dutt

- Ravana hosts a council
- Vajradanshtra says he's ready to fight and suggests tricking Rama by dressing as his brother's army
- Nikumbha suggests he meets the armies and he will defeat them

Vibhishana
Bibliography:  Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie and Ramayana, the Epic of Rama, Prince of India condensed by Romesh Dutt

- Ravana was scared of Hanuman
- Everyone says wage war except Vibhishana
- Vibhishana suggests he give Sita back
- Ravana was upset and didn't listen
- Vibhishana gets banished and joins the force of Rama

Sampati with the Monkeys from Source

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