Friday, September 6, 2019

Reading Notes: Nine Ideal Women Part B

Promila's Story:
Source: Nine Ideal Women by Sunity Devee

- Promila is Indrajit's wife (Ravana's favorite son)
- they live on an island together blissfully in love
- All of Ravana's sons fail him so he must go to Indrajit during his war with Rama
- Indrajit hears of his brother's death and swears to avenge him
- Promila gets her husband ready for war
- Promila is worried about her husband
- Indrajit never returns and Promila goes to find him
- Promila gets dressed for battle
- Rama gives Promila and her maidens passage through the battle to find her husband
- Everyone in awe of Promila
- Promila wishes there was no war and the battle could end using words
- The Queen has a hard time blessing Indrajit
- Promila cries and prays for Indrajit's safety, but a gust of wind takes her words and they never reach heaven
- Lakshmana is admitted into the temple Indrajit is praying at through the back entrance, confusing Indrajit
- he discovers his disloyal uncle Bibhisan
- Lakshmana ends up killing Indrajit in this temple
- Promila decides to join her dead husband
- Promila gets all dressed up for her death march and rides the same horse she got into the city to it
- She steps onto the funeral pyre and dies

Shakuntala's Story
Source: Nine Ideal Women by Sunity Devee

- Menaka asked to seduce Bishwanutra because the fairies get scared
- Menaka unwillingly does it
- Menaka goes with Bishwanutra to his home
- They get married and Menaka bears a son
- Bishwanutra upset because he was sworn to celebacy
- Menaka returns to heaven, leaving the baby in the forest after Bishwanutra rejects her
- Baby found by Kanva who takes her to Goutami (his sister) to take care of her
- She grows up shielded from knowledge of the world
- Her name was Sakuntala
- She names and loves the animals
- Maharajah Dushmanta finds Sakuntala and her sisters-
- He asks Sakuntala to be his Queen
- They get married
- Sakuntala promises to come when she is called by the king
- Their goodbye is hard
- A mendicant comes and begs Sakuntala for food, but she doesn't here her. So she gets cursed
- Her sisters beg him to show mercy and he eventually agrees to work around the curse
- The King never calls for Sakuntala and she is pregnant
- She waits the Kings messenger but her father persuades her to go and see him instead
- She's sad to leave her home and her father joins her for a part of the journey but must eventually turn back so he blesses her and leaves
- Kanva goes on a pilgrimage instead of going home, missing his daughter
- The King has forgotten of Sakuntala when she arrives
- Sakuntala goes to show the King her ring but she is missing it
-She removes her sari from her head and cries to the King
- Sakuntala faints and there's an earthquake that shakes the crown off the King's head
-King considers taking her but doesn't because she's preganat
- Sakuntala very depressed and sends everyone back to the ashram but her
- She calls out to her mother
- The ring is returned to the King but two "fishermen"  and when he sees it he remembers Sakuntala
- He sends messengers to find her
- They search for four years
- He eventually finds her and meets his son
- He hears she's happy and decides not to disturb her
- He goes to her cottage and begs forgiveness and she accepts it
- He begs her to come with him and she agrees
- Their son was put on the throne and they go back to the ashram


Promila rides into battle from Source

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