Week 7 Reading Diary Continued: Epified Mahabharata

This is a continuation of my viewing of the Epified Mahabharata by Karmic Revolution. Like last week, this version left me wanting more. Here is a couple of my favorite moments from this portion of the viewing:

I thought the episode: Bhima Kills Bakasura was a really great story idea. I can envision a back story of Bakasura and how he came to be such a terror for his village. What I like most about this story is that Bhima is just waiting on Bakasura to come and collect his food, but Bhima eats the entire cart full during his wait. I bet he did that just to enrage the terrible demon, but then again, Bhima seems like a never ending pit when it comes to food.

Bhima Slays Baka the Asura

(illustrated Mahabharata).

Another story that I enjoyed was the Creation of Indraprastha. I mostly like this story because it gave me some themes to possibly use in my storybook. This story has Vishvakarman, the god of engineering and architecture, who creates Indraprashta in the image of Indra's celestial city. I think I will make a story about how Vishvakarman is instructed to build Indra a palace after he defeats Vritra.

Week 7 Reading Diary: Epified Mahabharata

For this week's reading, I chose the Epified Mahabharata written by Vijayendra Mohanty. This was an amazing version of the Mahabharata that made it much easier for me to understand. I was captivated the whole time I was watching! My favorite moments from this portion of the video series are listed below:

I really enjoyed the episode: Drona Trains the Pandavas. This episode caught my attention because it showed the preparation for the war that was to take place later on. I liked how Drona quickly found out what each of the Pandava brothers were most likely to excel in and then crafted their training to make them experts. I especially liked that Drona chose Arjuna and Ashwatthama to wield the celestial weapons.

Another favorite moment was the episode: Ekalavya's Story. It was incredible to see that Ekalavya had gained such skill as an archer by just practicing in front of a figure of Drona. Ekalavya was so skilled that he was the superior of Arjuna, who is supposed to be the greatest archer that ever lived. I was mortified by the devotion that Ekalavya showed to Drona when he cut off his own thumb when Drona asked him to. If he did not cut his thumb off, there could have been a whole new hero in the Mahabharata. This story will most likely be my inspiration for this week's storytelling.

Image source: Ekalavya cuts off his thumb and presents it to Drona

Tech Tip: Reverse Image Search

I just used the reverse image search tech tip instructions to find a larger version of the sample images posted. It turns out that this technique brought me to the PDE Ramayana that I read earlier in the semester. This was a really cool tip and it could prove to be useful for me in the future. Here is my image results:

     Ravana tricking Sita and then abducting her.

Tech Tip: Sidebar Box

I just added an HTML/Javascript box to my blog. This is a very useful tool and I am choosing to use it to display a quotes that I find uplifting. Check it out!

Tech Tip: Embedded YouTube

I just uploaded an embedded YouTube video to my introduction post. For those of you who have not seen what field artillery looks like, this will be a great way to see what goes on during a fire mission. By the way, those rounds are about 100 pounds each.

Field Artillery Troopers: Fire Mission M777

Week 6 Storytelling: Breaking News

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Cliff Simon here, reporting to you live from the front-lines of the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas. As you all know this war has been raging on for many days now with no side being able to gain a clear advantage. 

Things are really ramping now, late in this day. Taking a look at the battlefield we see the noble Bhishma plowing through the Pandava lines like a brush fire. There he is on his chariot pulled by a mighty elephant. By the looks of it, it seems like he just cannot be stopped. Yes, this is a very bad sign for the Pandavas. They must get this valiant warrior under control or we could be witnessing the end of the war right here and now!

Oh what’s this now?! It looks like there is another chariot on a direct line to Bhishma. We are now getting word that this chariot is carrying the warriors Shikhandin and Arjuna. This could be a great battle indeed, folks!

They are just about to collide. Oh, I can’t think of a more incredible match up, save the match of Arjuna and Karna. But wait, what’s this? It looks like Bhishma has dropped his arms. What could possibly have brought on this lapse in judgment against such formidable opponents?

It looks like Arjuna is going to take full advantage of this mistake. Yes, there he goes unleashing arrow after arrow at Bhishma. Down goes Bhishma! Down goes Bhishma! Oh, what will happen to the Kaurava troops now without this great warrior?

Bhishma looks to be just barely clinging to life. I don’t think we can expect him to last much longer.

We are now getting word that a truce has been called for the day. Each side is now sending in parties to clear their dead and wounded off the field and we see Karna going out to Bhishma now.

We are going to go in to get a closer look at what will surely be an incredible conversation.

Bhishma

“We must end this senseless slaughter of kinsmen by kinsmen. We should return the lands that the Pandavas seek in order to achieve peace. The Pandavas and Kauravas were once friends and we should strive to return to those days of prosperity.”

Karna

“Please save your breath my friend.”

Bhishma

“Listen to me Karna. Arjuna is your brother. Avenging my death would mean the slaughter of your own blood. I cannot ask you to commit such an act on my behalf and I would urge you to pursue peace instead.”

Karna

“I do not care that Arjuna is of my own blood! He will meet his end at my hand before this war is done! Now rest and know that Arjuna will pay for what he has done.”

You heard it here ladies and gentlemen! Karna is out for Arjuna’s head. Make sure to join us tomorrow for more coverage of the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas. This is Cliff Simon, thank you for joining us and we will bring you updates as we get them. 

Bhishma being struck down by Arjuna. 

(illustrated Mahabharata)

Bibliography:
Bhishma Falls from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).

Authors Note:

I chose to write this story in the style of a breaking news report. I wanted to show what the battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas may have looked like from the eyes of an enthusiastic onlooker. I kept the plot the same from the story with the only change being the language in the conversation between Bhishma and Karna. 

Week 6 Reading Diary Continued: PDE Mahabharata

This last section of the PDE Mahabharata was all about the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas. Here is a brief summary of my favorite moments:

I liked the story of Ashwatthaman's Jewel from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913). This jewel was really special, in that it could revive people from the dead, and it made an appearance when Arjuna just up and dies out of nowhere. It was really strange that Arjuna is suddenly killed off, but it makes sense for the author to use the jewel seeing as it had been introduced earlier. I would like to know why Indra even let his son, Arjuna, die in the first place.

Ashwatthaman deprived of the jewel.

I also really liked the last two stories The Pandavas Depart and Afterlife both from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913). I like this story mostly because it involves my storybook topic, Indra. In these two stories Indra acts almost like a gate keeper and takes Yudhishthira into heaven to show him around. It was interesting that Indra still decided to deceive Yudhishthira even after the entire Mahabharata continually praised the virtuous life that he led. Yudhishthira proved his worth once again, choosing to rather go to hell with his kin than stay in heaven without them and his hound. 

Yudhishthira with Indra in hell

I would have really liked to know what Arjuna did in heaven with Indra. Maybe Indra gave him a place as a god.

Week 6 Reading Diary: PDE Mahabharata

This weeks reading portion of the PDE Mahabharata started to get really interesting. Here are some of my favorite moments:

I thought the story of Riddles at the Lake from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913) was a very interesting story. It was interesting that all of the Pandava brothers besides Yudhishthira just ignored the voice, which turned out to be Dharma, that told them to stop before they drank. This story seemed more closely related to the fable genre because it had a moral to be drawn from it.

The god Dharma

I really like the drama that is unfolding between the rivalry between Arjuna and Karna. Karna seems to really hate Arjuna, but it seems like they are both just wanting to fight the other for selfish reasons (the glory and recognition of defeating a powerful warrior).

I also really liked that Indra came to try and get Karna's armor so that his son, Arjuna, would have its protection and to weaken Karna so that he could be destroyed. Karna says the armor is part of his body, but he proceeds to cut it off of his own flesh in exchange for a celestial weapon. The weapon Indra gave to Karna was an invincible dart that could be used only once, which I bet plays a pivotal role later on in the Mahabharata. This is the story was Indra and Karna from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914).

Karna and Indra.

Thoughts About Comments

I think the hardest thing about giving a good comment is the fact that you have to be critical of someone else's work. I do not see myself as a very good writer, so telling someone else to change certain aspects or pointing out flaws feels like it is borderline rude. I am a usually good at finding mistakes in grammar or spelling, but I make mistakes just like everyone else.

Some of the most helpful comments I have received so far are about formatting changes. My week 3 story was originally in a large block and I had my picture at the end of the story. A few people pointed out that I should break the story up into smaller paragraphs and change the location of the picture. After making these small changes I could see that the story looked much better and I even got a comment that said the changes were good.

Another helpful comment that can be given is about what the readers feel should be expanded upon in your story. I think it is nice to get a range of imaginative ideas coming in so that I can create a plot that I may not have thought of otherwise.

I try to give mostly positive feedback followed by a critique so that the sting is less severe. Like I said before, it is hard for me to be critical because I do not see myself as a good writer. That being said, I believe criticism is crucial to the writing process.

Week 5 Reading Diary Continued: PDE Mahabharata

This is a continuation of my reading of the PDE Mahabharata.

So far I have noticed this epic is far more difficult to read than the Ramayana because there are so many characters and places that are being described.

One of the moments that stuck out to me was the battle between Arjuna, Krishna and Indra. This battle was for Agni to be able to consume the forest with fire. Arjuna and Krishna promised to help Agni only if he gave them celestial weapons. There was no description of the battle that took place, but the fact that Arjuna fought against his father for the sake of another intrigued me. I wonder what was going through Indra's mind as he lost to his own son in battle.

Burning of Khandava forest.

I also liked the story where Arjuna won Draupadi's hand in a contest. This story made me think of the animated Robin Hood, where he disguises himself to win a kiss from the princess. The story was interesting in that they Pandava brothers all agreed to take Draupadi as their wife. 

There was a great similarity between Rama and Arjuna because of their exile. I thought it was very strange that Arjuna went into exile over just looking at Draupadi when she was with one of his brothers, but then again the whole Mahabharata is extremely far fetched.  

Week 5 Reading Diary: PDE Mahabharata

For this week's reading, I chose to read the PDE Mahabharata. Some of my favorite moments are listed below.

Since my story book is centered around Indra it was nice to see a reference to him in the story of Vyasa and Ganesha. Here Indra is sent to bribe Uparichara, king of Chedi, with a celestial car because the other gods thought he was trying to challenge them for power. A story of the conversation between the other gods and Indra about trying to get him to give up his car could be fun. 

Another reference to Indra is made in King Shantanu and Ganga, about his eight attendants (Vasus).  These attendants angered Vashishtha, who condemned them to be born as mortals. I think it would be fun to have Indra be angry about losing his Vasus and having to pick up the slack while they are gone. 

One of the craziest stories that I came across was Pandu and His Wives. This story had a brahmin who was killed by Pandu while having intercourse with his wife in the form of a couple of deer. The brahmin cursed Pandu, much like Dashartha, to never be able to have children because he would die as soon as he was sexually aroused.  Really strange story.

I really liked the story of Bhima and the Nagas. After being poisoned by his evil cousin Duryodhana, Bhima is saved by the counteraction of the nagas poison and gains the strength of a giant from the king of the nagas, Vasuki. 

Bhima defeating the nagas.

I absolutely loved the story of how Indra stepped up to defend his son, Arjuna, in the Arrival of Karna. There was great imagery in this story when it said the clouds thickened and thunder and lightning were crashing down behind Arjuna and meanwhile Surya, the sun god, was backing his son, Karna by shining a beam of light off of his golden armor. It must have been a magnificent stand off between these two sides and it would have been filled with tension. I really wish there was a picture for this scene.

Week 4 Storytelling: Ravana's Plea

Dear Indrajit,

I have been under siege in Lanka for weeks now. Rama has come to Lanka in order to destroy me. There has been talk that the gods have sent this mortal, Rama, to destroy me because they do not possess the power to do so themselves. I am beginning to fear for my life my dear son. Rama has brought many forces and the tide of this great war is surely turning in his favor. I am not sure how much longer we can hold out, so I implore you to come to Lanka as quickly as you can to stave off this attack. Your prowess as a warrior and leader is much need in these dire times.

Sincerely, Ravana



Dear Father,

I have heard rumors that you stole Rama's wife, Sita, and are holding her captive in Lanka. Rama is just in his quest for retribution. A prince-warrior such as myself should not become entangled in matters such as these. This is a situation you have brought on yourself.

Sincerely, Indrajit



Dear Indrajit,

The rumors are true that I took Sita from Rama. I only did this because she is the fairest woman I have ever laid eyes on and she deserves to be with a king as great as I. If you do not come to Lanka and assist in this war, there will no longer be a Lanka to recognize your divine claim as a prince. I have seen you challenge gods on much weaker grounds. Why will you not help your own flesh and blood in his time of need?

Sincerely, Ravana



Dear Father,

My answer remains the same. I cannot be entangled in the matters of another's tarnished honor. You must find a way to make do with your forces at hand.

Sincerely, Indrajit



Dear Indrajit,

If you promise to come to my aid, I will step down as king of Lanka and relinquish my throne to you. There is no hope now left for Lanka besides the power that you posses. I hope you see this is truly how dire the war has become.

Sincerely, Ravana



Dear Father,

If your words are true then your plea for aid will be recognized and I will leave at once for Lanka. I only ask that it be me to challenge this legendary Rama in combat. It has been so long since I have had a challenge!

Sincerely, Indrajit

Image Source: Indrajit talking with Ravana (Left)

Sita in Lanka's gardens (Right)

Author's Note:

I chose to write in a series of letters this week. I have never used this style before so I thought I would give it a try. This story comes from the story of Ravana's Court in the PDE Ramayana. In this story Ravana's court tries to persuade him to give back Sita in order to stop the war with Rama and Sugriva. I thought it would be fun to have Ravana have a secret correspondence with his son, Indrajit. I found Indrajit to be a fascinating character because he was said to have beaten a few gods in his battles. I wanted to make Indrajit a sort of noble warrior that would not stop Rama in his just cause of retrieving Sita. I then showed Indrajit's rakshasa side by having him change his mind once he was offered power over Lanka.  

Bibliography:

Ravana's Court from Ramayana, The Epic of Rama, Prince of India, condensed into English verse by Romesh Dutt (1899)

PDE Ramayana

Week 4 Reading Diary: Nine Ideal Indian Women

For this week's reading assignment I chose to read Nine Ideal Indian Women by Maharanee Sunity Devee. I read Sita's story and it seemed like it was exactly the same as the PDE Ramayana. The only difference in Devee's version was that the battles were rushed through and not explained very well at all.

Since I have chosen to make my storybook about Indra it was hard to find many interesting parts in this story because there was no reference to Indra in this portion.

I still cannot get over how bad Sita is treated in the end. She had to prove her honor was intact twice and the final time was just too much for her to bear. I was interested in the part where Sita was taken into the a cavern by Mother Earth, never to return. I think it could make a good story to have Sita be saved by Rama and then live together raising their sons.

I was also interested in the life that Sita lives when she is exiled. Maybe a story could be made to expand on what Sita, her sons and Valmiki did for the many years they were living in the forest. They could even have their own adventures.

Image Source: Sita and her sons saying farewell to Valmiki

Week 3: Brainstorming Storytelling Styles

I have decided to make my story book all about the god Indra. Through my research I have found that Indra was once the supreme god, but somewhere along the course of history he was almost entirely replaced by gods such as Vishnu and Shiva. I think it would be interesting to make a story explaining Indra's fall into obscurity. I also found that Indra was a very unpredictable god that would indulge in his favorite drink, soma, and would go on a rage or do something do wreak havoc. A completely fabricated tale could be made where Indra becomes intoxicated off of soma and causes a natural disaster or does some other mischievous act that causes him to be disliked by his fellow gods and the humans. The most important story that Indra was a part of was his slaying of the demon Vritra, who caused a drought by hording all of the Earth's water for himself. Indra defeated Vritra with the help of his beloved soma and restored the Earth's waters, thus making him a great hero and savior of the Earth. I will most likely make a story that highlights this battle and Indra's rise to fame. There were not very many references to Indra in the Ramayana, but from what I can tell he plays a pivotal role in the Mahabharata. I already created a story about Hanuman's encounter with Indra titled Indra's Sun that I based off of Hanuman's Leap from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914) in the PDE Ramayana. I will most likely use this story with a few changes since it was one of the only references in the Ramayana.

Image source: Indra on his elephant Airavata.

Image Source: Wikipedia. Kali with Indra, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Walters Art Museum page.

Bibliography:
PDE Ramayana, Various Authors
Hanuman's Leap from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914)
Mark Cartwright. “Indra,” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified August 08, 2013. http://www.ancient.eu /Indra/.

Possible Styles:

Indra As The Storyteller. I think this style will be interesting because it would give Indra the chance to show that he's not such a bad guy after all. It seems like everyone says he is unpredictable and kind of crazy, but he hasn't gotten the chance to defend himself yet. I could make Indra very narcissistic or I could make him a genuinely nice guy. I like that this style would provide for a completely new way of looking at Indra. 

Therapy Session. This style would sort of go hand in hand with the Indra as the storyteller style. I was thinking that I could use this style for Vishnu or Shiva as the therapist. I could then make Vishnu or Shiva leak the information about Indra's confessions to the public, which would be a reason for Indra falling out of favor in history. 

Characters Grown Old. By using this style I could show what happens to Indra after he is replaced by Vishnu and Shiva. There could be a lot of resentment that Indra holds for Shiva and Vishnu and he could be planning his revenge against them. 

Twist the Ending. I really like making up my own endings to stories. This style would go very well with my writing style because it lets me use a little more creativity. I usually like to make endings that go against what people think would happen. I could use this style as the last story of my storybook and have Indra be killed off, or maybe have Indra kill Vishnu and Shiva but use his godly powers to divide and disguise himself as Vishnu and Shiva. Now that would be interesting!

Week 3 Storytelling: Indra's Sun

It was just another day for Indra, as he mounted his great white elephant and headed to the sky with the sun in tote. Indra has carried the sun into the sky each and every day since the creation of the Earth in order to give light to all of the Earth’s creatures. He took great pride in his responsibility and inevitably developed a strong connection with the sun, which he considered to be one of his most prized possessions. He would polish it every night so that it would never lose its radiant glow.

This day, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary as he meticulously placed his magnificent orb in its proper location except he couldn’t help but feel that he was being watched. After a careful scan of the Earth below, Indra caught the gaze of a spry young monkey.

This young monkey was Hanuman, who would grow into the king of all monkeys, but that was to be many years in the future. Hanuman marveled at the splendor of this massive golden sphere. He looked longingly at the sun, for he had come to the conclusion that this was a gigantic mango. Hanuman’s mouth began to water with anticipation of the sweet juiciness that a mango of this size would provide. Indra realized that the young monkey had been deceived into thinking that his sun was a fruit and laughed at his foolishness for thinking he could ever jump that high.

Just as his hearty laugh was subsiding, Indra’s amusement turned to shock. Hanuman had taken a great leap several thousand leagues into the sky! Indra could not believe the power this young monkey had, but was even more amazed at the audacity of Hanuman’s attempt to steal HIS sun!

Image source: Hanuman trying to steal the sun

The furious god conjured up an ominous cloud formation and let loose a jagged lightning bolt straight at the impious monkey. Hanuman never saw the bolt since his eyes were transfixed on the glowing mango-like globe. With a thunderous crash, Indra sent Hanuman screaming back to Earth.

Dazed by the strike and with singed fur and a broken jaw, Hanuman finally came to his senses. He looked back into the sky to see a seething Indra, ready to send a second bolt if Hanuman made any further attempt at a theft of his precious sun. Hanuman acknowledged his error and begged for forgiveness from the rightfully furious Indra.

Hanuman’s tear filled words were candid and, although known for his temper and rash judgment, Indra went against his normal ways and forgave the young Hanuman. Indra realized that this was just a youthful mistake and believed the lone lightning strike to be a sufficient punishment.

 Hanuman never forgot his encounter with Indra and never dreamed of crossing him again.

 

Authors Note:

I chose this story as an expansion of a brief reference made about how Hanuman was able to jump a great distance and should be the one to make the jump to Lanka in order to gather information. This reference was from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914) in the PDE Ramayana. I wanted to show why Indra intervened at Hanuman's attempt to take the sun, which he thought was a fruit. In this story Indra believes the sun is his and furious that Hanuman tries to steal it. I also, wanted to paint Indra in a more positive light because I have noticed that most sources say that Indra couldn't control his temper. I made Indra a more rational god that was capable of forgiveness without being forced. 

Bibliography:

Hanuman's Leap from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914)

PDE Ramayana

Week 3 Reading Diary, continued: PDE Ramayana

From this weeks continuation of the reading of the PDE Ramayana I have to say that I was shocked by what happened.

The whole Ramayana seemed to have been revving up to the final battle between Rama and Ravana in Lanka. There was a great battle and then the gods sided with Rama to help him destroy Ravana. After Rama claimed victory, he was able to take back Sita. This is where I was completely blown away. Rama denies Sita because she had been living in Lanka with Ravana for a long time! He completely rejects her and doesn't listen to her pleas of innocence. This forces Sita to go through drastic measures to prove her innocence (she decides to have a funeral in fire for herself). Sita is unharmed by the flames, thus proving her innocence. It was later said that Rama knew Sita had done nothing wrong while in Lanka, and that the flames would do nothing to her. He only allowed his love to do this because it was the social norm to do this to your wife if she was suspected of being unfaithful. I was on the edge of my seat just wondering what in the hell was happening and why Rama would act this way if he knew Sita was innocent.

Image Source: Sita being protected from the flames.

I was also really intrigued by the giant battle between all the forces of Rama and Ravana. The part with Rama severing all of Ravana's heads, just to have them grow back, seemed like a great story topic. I could just imagine the shock of Rama as he saw his best shots not being able to vanquish his foe. There was also mention of various weapons being used by both Rama and Ravana, but many of them were not specified.

Week 3 Reading Diary: PDE Ramayana

Here is a list of some of my favorite moments from this week's reading of the PDE Ramayana:

I really liked the story where all the monkeys in Sugriva started talking about how far they could jump. Then there was a short background of Hanuman where he once jumped 3,000 leagues when he was a child in order to get to the sun, which he thought was a fruit. Indra (one of my possible storybook topics) was said to have cast Hanuman down and then proceed to through a major fit. Indra is eventually calmed down and gives Hanuman the ability to choose his own death. I would like to expand on why Indra got so angry at Hanuman for trying to steal the sun and what his tantrum caused on the Earth. 

Image source: Hanuman atempting to take the sun 

I also really liked the part where Hanuman goes on a rampage in Lanka. It would have been quite a sight to see a mountain sized monkey with its tail on fire just trampling and burning everything in sight. This reminded me of the cartoon Dragon Ball Z (I was obsessed with this show as a kid) where there is an alien race that would transform into giant apes at the sight of a full moon. I think it would be interesting to tell the story of the giant Hanuman through the eyes of Ravana as he watches his kingdom being burned and trampled to the ground. 

Both of these stories were taken from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914)

Tech Tip: Weather Widget

Hey everyone, I know it's convenient to always know the weather so I just added a Weather Widget to my blog.