bdennisoublog: Reading Notes: Ramayana Part B

Part B continues on from part A with Rama in his exile with Sita and his brother. Their love is not quite as prevalent in some of these chapters but is still a big part of the stories. In chapter 28 Rama is tempted by a beautiful and powerful woman named. Shurpankha. She disguised herself to be beautiful and steal away Rama. Despite her beauty and offer and refuses because "Sita is my beloved bride, nor would I leave her." Shurpanakha and Rama. He then offers his brother. I think that this an interesting story, that would be easy to rewrite for my own story. This also shows a lot about the characters especially Rama. The poem version has a lot more powerful language and portrays a much more emotionally charged and violent telling of this event. Another interesting sub story in the reading is chapter 33-35. Rama is tricked by Ravana to go after a deer and leave Sita alone. Ravana is then able to offer himself to Sita and then kidnaps her. I especially liked the analogy she uses to describe them. She says Ravana is a Jackal compared to the Lion of Rama, and that a Jackal could never hope to obtain a lioness. Him getting her would be the same as him tearing up a mountain by the roots. This is another event that could easily be turned into another story. This story also reminds me of a lot of fairytales and European stories. Once again this story tells a large part of the love between the couple, but shows more of overconfident and prideful side of Rama and his brother. This also shows the foolishness of Sita and her being blinded to reason by her deep love of Rama. She will kill herself if Rama dies.