Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part H

So, I finished today with my last reading post of the semester. I decided to go over the next section. I was really pleased with the overall reading of this version of the Ramayana. This has been one of my favorite class readings of all time. It was definitely my favorite for this class and this semester. I hope to finish reading these stories at some point in time.

• The details of the battle are awesome
• I love how it gives an insight into the battle plans that are being made
• The dialogue of Arjuna is actually the coolest part
• He spots out different enemies on the battlefield and provides a description of them
• I like how Karna was introduced as the one who always wants to fight
• The amount of detail for each enemies descriptions are the coolest part
• It talks about how Karna is blazing like fire
• It also gives details on their appearance like his rope for binding elephants
• Arjuna blacked out the sky with his arrows
• He sent thousands in a volley to bring about confusion
• Arjuna fights with such anger and passion
• He becomes enraged and chases down enemies in his way
• Arjuna kills Karna's brother and engages him in battle
• He is actually injured by Karna's rage
• Karna actually retreats as he loses his edge in the battle
• He becomes too injured to continue and flees
• There is constant fighting throughout the story
• More and more people are killed and injured
• Duryodhana and Arjuna's encounter end the story
  Arjuna is too powerful in battle and injures him
• He is struck with an arrow and attempts to flee from the battle
• Arjuna constantly mocks him while he is trying to escape

(A statue made in the image of Arjuna. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love, and Wisdom by Krishna Dharma. Source: Vedabase.

Tech Tip: Browser Bookmarks

I recently used the bookmarking tool available on the browser. This has been one of the best tools that I have used recently. I have been able to compile a list of frequently visited websites and have them at the ready. I find this really useful when I am working on a project or need to visit websites multiple times. I think everyone should be using bookmarks!

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part G

I went ahead and did another reading section. This time I did this as a bonus reading. I took notes over the story that I liked.

• The appearance of the sun god was really cool
• I like how this takes place in a dream state
• The conversation that takes place is of note
• He warns of the coming events and engages in a respectful dialogue
• The importance of the earrings and armor cannot be overstated
• These were the lifeblood that would keep him alive on the battlefield
• The focus on fame is important
• This is viewed as more important than life
• However, Surya emphasizes how this is a foolish way of thinking
• I would like to emphasize how important this exchange is
• I think the dialogue in these stories are truly incredible
• They highlight and foreshadow so many different events
• I would like to be able to apply this to my own wrting
• It is very powerful and engages the reader
• It also adds depth to the characters and the story
• It helps develop the characters very well
• It also highlights the true nature of each character

(A photo of a library. Source: Flickr)

Bibliography: Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love, and Wisdom by Krishna Dharma. Source: Vedabase.

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part F

I continued with the free reading this week. I am nearing the end of this version of the Ramayana. I took notes over the story I liked.

• The Pandavas eagerly awaited for Arjuna to return
• He comes in from the sky in glorious fashion
• He floats down on a chariot manned by thousands of horses
• He tells his comrades of his travels
• He talks of his new weapons and how he is now master of them
• I also liked how he talks of his training and what he had to endure
• I think the inclusion of his narration is really cool
• It adds another level to the story
• It is cool to see a recount of the events through Arjuna's persepective
• The details of the attack are awesome
• He describes his counter attack and how he fired volleys of arrows in return
• This is in reference to his battle with demons as he cut off their arms
• I also noticed the reaction of his comrades
• They think so highly of Arjuna 
• He has accomplished incredible feats on the field of battle
• He now rivals their most respected mentor
• The ending of the story added an interesting twist
• The weapons could not be summoned for mere entertainment
• They must only be used in battle
• The consequence is the destruction of the three worlds

(A photo of Rama and Sita. Source: Flickr)

Bibliography: Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love, and Wisdom by Krishna Dharma. Source: Vedabase.

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part E

I continued on with the reading of the modernized Ramayana this week. This has been one of the best reads that I have had in a long while. As always, I took notes over the story that I liked the most.

• The story of Arjuna leaving for the Himalayas is really cool
• Yudhi told him of the mantras that were needed for him to leave
• It is interesting to see Arjuna begin his quest to wield the weapons of the gods
• It was saddening to see the departure of the brothers
• The description used in this section is second to none
• The amount of detail that goes into describing the mood and what the characters are experiencing is amazing
• I have long wanted to capture this sort of writing style
• I was impressed with the descriptions of Arjuna and the armor he was wearing
• I found the practice of fasting to be interesting
• The progressive levels of fasting seemed to connect his mind, body and spirit even more
• He ate fruit every few weeks
• As a result his body began to glow and he was pure and connected with himself
• The battle scene that takes place between Arjuna and Siva is intense
• No matter what Arjuna did he could not harm the hunter
• He was confused by this and he unleashed every attack imaginable
• Nothing was working and did not phase the hunter
• The ending is cool as Siva reveals his true self to Arjuna
• His weapons are given to Arjuna to carry out his will

(An inside look at the Stockholm Public Library. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love, and Wisdom by Krishna Dharma. Source: Vedabase.

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part D

So, today I went ahead and read part D as extra credit since I missed the reading assignment the other day. I took notes over what I liked from the stories.

• Rama and his humbleness are on full display here
• He does not use his status as a way to make him better than others
• He truly treats others with respect and as if they are equals with him
• This can be seen when he is talking to rsis
• He wants to make sure that he and his companions are acting in a way that is respectable to all
• The demon Khara is introduced here
• I really liked the descriptions given to the demons
• You can really get a sense for how vile and evil they are
• I found it interesting the antics the demons would engage in
• They pretty much did everything to provoke the humans
• It is amazing to see the way random people greet Rama
• They hold the upmost respect for him
• All they want to do it serve him and do what they can to help the kingdom
• Rama changes completely when he encounters demons
• When Sita was captured he became enraged and desired nothing more than to slay the demon
• The whole encounter here is awesome
• Rama frees the demon from his cursed state 
• I would like to write about this for a future story

(A photo inside a really cool library. Source: Flickr)

Bibliography: Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love, and Wisdom by Krishna Dharma. Source: Vedabase.

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part C

For this week, I continued with the reading of the Ramayana. I have really enjoyed these stories, and I wanted to continue with more reading for this week. I think Rama is by far the coolest hero I have read about in this class. I took notes over what I liked.

• It still amazes me how understanding Rama is of the situation
• He shows great wisdom and grace as he tells the people of his kingdom to not worry
• He also maintains strong support for his brother in his place
• It is hard to understand why he is so kind
• He was banished from his kingdom for no reason
• The mind of his step mother/aunt was posioned
• It seems he knew of this the whole time
• He does not falter even when his father is grief stricken
• Laksman is a brother that everyone wishes they had
• He is so loyal and caring for his brother Rama
• He ventures into exile with him
• He constantly stays awake to ensure his safety
• The people also did not falter and could not be convinced to leave Rama
• The people so no meaning to their life as their dear Rama had left them
• They did not understand why he had to live out his exile in the forest
• Many people suggested death as they saw no purpose without Rama
• That just shows how much the people adored him as their leader
• The author manages to capture the emotions of the moment very well
• The people and Laksman are angered by the situation
• I really appreciate how well the emotions of the story are portrayed
• This is something that I wish to do in my writing

(A library containing shelves of books. Source: Pixabay)

Bibliography: Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love, and Wisdom by Krishna Dharma. Source: Vedabase.

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part B

So, I continued with the second half of the reading today. I looked for different storytelling styles and things I could learn from. I did not really take many notes about the stories themselves because I have read them multiple times.

• Again, I noticed the amount of detail placed within each story
• The mood of the scene is always described very well to the reader
• You can feel when the situations are tense and dire for the hero Rama
• I really liked the foreshadowing that occurs throughout the chapters
• The second half of the reading prepared you for terrible events that will occur in the future
• I especially noted the dialogue to be very pronounced and intricate 
• This was evident with Kaikeyi and her servant
• They go back and forth for a greater part of the chapter
• I would somehow like to emulate this writing style
• I have found it difficult to recreate dialogue successfully
• I have also found it difficult to make it as intricate as the story does
• The way that Kaikeyi is swayed by her servant is very powerful
• You can feel the conflict within her mind as she hears what her servant has to say
• It is a slow poisoning that eventually drives her to betray Rama 
• This was sad to see because she had so much love for Rama
• The exile of Rama was also tense
• I found this event to be as heavy as it was in the original
• Everyone adored Rama and wanted to see him be crowned as the next ruler
• I think I will possibly write about this event for my storytelling

(Another photo of a library. Source: Pexels)

Bibliography: Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love, and Wisdom by Krishna Dharma. Source: Vedabase.

Reading Notes: Ramayana (Krishna Dharma), Part A

Since this week is free reading, I decided to revisit my favorite stories. The Ramayana contained my favorites, so I am reading a modern retelling this week. I look forward to creating more cool stories from the Ramayana as I take more notes. Since I have read the Ramayana before, I will focus my notes more on the writing style and things that I want to write about.

• My initial impression of this retelling was how easy it was to read
• The modern language makes it so much more relatable and easier to follow
• I also noticed the amount of detail that went into describing the mood of the scene
• Descriptive details were used constantly to paint a picture of how individual characters were feeling
• I also noticed the amount of meaningful dialogue that was used
• It really helped create a more realistic situation
• This is something that I definitely want to emulate with my writing
• I really enjoyed reading over the creation of Rama
• It was awesome to see the dialogue of Vishnu as he insists that he must be born as a human to defeat the demon Ravana. 
• This is something that I do not remember from the previous versions
• I would like to create a more dialogue/detailed story in the future
• This kind of writing style was present throughout this retelling
• The events that take place are mostly the same
• However, the writing style is what stuck out to me

(A photo of books in a library. Source: Pixabay)

Bibliography: Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love, and Wisdom by Krishna Dharma. Source: Vedabase.

Reading Notes: Krishna- Sister Nivedita, Part B

I went ahead and finished the second part of the reading today. I looked for differences between the two versions of Krishna's adventures. I took notes over what I noticed and liked the most.

• The second portion of the reading contains different stories 
• I recognized a lot of what the stories were about from previous reading
• It talks of the Pandavas and other adventures
• It goes into depth about Duryodhana
• Krishna and the Pandava heroes and Krishna team together
• They end up being victorious in the struggle
• The battle for the kingdom was hard fought
• There was not an heir to rule the kingdom
• The throne was now under their control
• However, their homes were no longer occupied
• I think these events were definitely worth reading about
• I found it interesting that the two versions contained different stories
• I thought they would mirror each other in summary
• The first part of the reading remained fairly similair
• It was a bit different as I expected to see the same stories
• I did find that this version contains more detail and visual description
• It does a better job describing the emotions of the characters
• Overall, I have some good options for storytelling this week

(A photo of a stack of old books. Source: Flickr)

Bibliography: Cradle Tales of Hinduism, Krishna, by Sister Nivedita. Source: Blogspot.

Reading Notes: Krishna- Sister Nivedita, Part A

I decided to do more reading over Krishna and his adventures this week. I am taking notes over the second reading option for Krishna told by Sister Nivedita. I wanted to see if there were any major differences between the two versions. I also really liked the reading from last week, and I wanted to revisit these stories. I took notes over the Origin and Childhood.

(A picture of books in a library. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

• The origin of Krishna starts the same way
• He was the eight child born that was told of in the prophecy
• I noticed there was not as much background information provided in the reading
• This version of the stories are much more detailed
• There were a lot more visual details and emotions presented through this version of the writing
• This version seems to be less of a summary as small details are added to the events
• The small jackal guided Vasudeva out of the jail
• The events that unfold between Kansa and the baby girl are the same
• She slips from his grasp and ascends into the air as a goddess
• She proceeds to mock him for his wickedness
• She tells of Krishna's birth and how he will bring about Kansa's eventual downfall
• The evil demon Putana was sent to kill all babies by Kansa
• She is presented as a vampire in the version and is not mentioned as a demon
• Kansa proceeds to send more demons to kill the baby Krishna
• This produces no results as baby Krishna easily defeats and kills the demons that come his way
• Krishna was also a mischievous child that constantly gave his mother headaches
• His curiosity was truly insurmountable
• His family moves away as he turns seven and he us united with his brother and companion Bolarama

Bibliography: Cradle Tales of Hinduism, Krishna, by Sister Nivedita. Source: Blogspot.

Week 10 Storytelling: Krishna's Wrath

Edit: The revised version can be found here

The legend of the demon lord Bana was known far and wide. He was a monstrous being with cruel intentions. Bana thrived off of terrorizing others and making the lives of humans unbearable. The humans from the surrounding areas had been driven off to the point where only the demon race was thriving under Bana's rule. He enjoyed many awful things. One of his favorite things was to fight in battle with those that considered themselves worthy opponents. Bana had grown to the point where he was overflowing with confidence. He had a very strong sense of entitlement and arrogance. He did not think there was one person that could even rival him in a battle. So, he did something that many would not. He begged the god Shiva to send a worthy opponent his way. 

Shiva was very reluctant to do this because Bana had no idea what was about to come his way. He granted Bana's wish, but he gave him fair warning of what was about to come. Bana ignored this warning and went about his life. He was eagerly waiting for the challenger to approach his kingdom.

The young hero Krishna would be the one to challenge the demon Bana. Krishna's sole purpose on earth was to ride the world of demons. He had been prolific at this even at a very young age. Krishna did not care for the legend of the demon Bana. Krishna knew what he was capable of and did not falter when he heard of Bana's strength. The demon had 1,000 arms that he used to wield weapons of terror. This did not phase Krishna. He was the hero of the people. He had the life-blood of Lord Vishnu running through his veins. When the time came to battle Bana, Krishna was ready. He took his discus in his hand and slashed each arm from the body of Bana. The demon could do nothing as Krishna dismantled him limb by limb. The young hero Krishna then proceeded to free the slaves of the kingdom and restore peace to those living in the realm.

(A photo of a statue of Krishna at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note: The story that I told was a direct retelling from its source. Krishna was created from the body of Lord Vishnu. He contained the might and power of Lord Vishnu. Krishna's purpose on earth was to rid the world of the demon lord Kansa and his allies. Krishna comes across many demons during his travels and he easily defeats them. Krishna was even able to do this when he was just a toddler. This exemplifies his extraordinary strength and abilities. This specific story details Krishna and his battle with the demon lord Bana who had 1,000 arms. Bana was a very confident and boastful demon. He prayed to the god Shiva for a worthy challenger. Bana would get this wish and Krishna would come to face him. In the end, Krishna easily defeats Bana. The demon begs for forgiveness and he is spared from his foolish judgement and actions.

Bibliography: Shri Krishna of Dwarka and Other Stories, by C. A. Kincaid. Source: Blogger.

Reading Notes: Krishna, Part B

I went ahead and finished the second half of the reading for today. I really enjoyed the stories associated with Krishna. I found that the stories of his origins and adventures were the most entertaining. I plan on writing about Krishna in my storytelling this week. I took notes over what I liked the most from the chapters. 

• The battles with the demons are the most interesting to read
• The descriptions of the demon Naraka is very powerful
• It sets the tone for the chapter and highlights his strength
• I would like to emulate that form of writing
• I think it would help setup my stories a lot better if I used that much descriptive detail
• Krishna easily dismantles the fortifications of the demons
• I like how the story emphasizes how skilled and powerful Krishna is
• He then easily defeats the five headed demon hiding in the moat
• Krishna then proceeds to easily defeat the almighty Naraka
• He is very generous and frees the thousands of people being held captive
• He also gives away the wealth acquired from his victory
• The thousand arms of Bana were a cool feature
• I like how he was so devoted to what he believed
• This made him come across as a very fierce and tough demon
• His arrogance and overconfidence would prove to be his undoing
• This seems to be a common theme in a lot of these stories
• It was interesting to see Krishna show mercy on the demon king
• Bana repented for his wrong doings as soon as he realized how foolish he was
• This was definitely something that I did not expect to happen

(A kid reading a book. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: Shri Krishna of Dwarka and Other Stories, by C. A. Kincaid. Source: Blogger.

Reading Notes: Krishna, Part A

I decided to do the one week reading over Krishna. I was really drawn into the reading because I wanted to check out his origins and the heroic feats that he accomplished. I took notes over the couple chapters that I liked the best. 

• The origin on Krishna comes from Vishnu
• He was the black strand of hair that was born into the world as a baby boy
• I think the whole idea of sending a son to earth to rid the demon lord Kansa
• I really like the way that Kansa is somewhat taunted throughout all of this
• He rids the land of baby boys after he learns that Krishna has escaped his grasp
• It is terrifying to know that he would go to such extreme lengths to destroy the one that was promised to the people
• I found the whole eighth child thing to be a very interesting detail
• I like how Krishna was able to swap out his place in the cell
• The baby girl contained Vishnu's divine vigor and was able to slip through Kansa's grasp
• She continued to taunt him as she ascended into the heavens next to Vishnu
• The upbringing of Krishna was also really cool to read
• Even as a child Krishna managed to do incredible things
• He was able to suck the life from the demon Putana
• She had gone across the country poisoning all baby boys under the guise of a beautiful woman
• I found it interesting that she too was saved as she had nursed baby Krishna even with bad intentions
• Trinavarta was also sent to kill Krishna but would not succeeed
• I was amazed at how such a child could defeat two very powerful demons with ease
• The mischievous side of Krishna was also fun to read about
• I would possibly like to highlight that in my storytelling

I really liked the first part of the reading for this week. I will continue to think about my storytelling options moving forward. I think I have a good foundation of where to start.

(Reading a book from Pixabay)

Bibliography: Shri Krishna of Dwarka and Other Stories, by C. A. Kincaid. Source: Blogger.

Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part B

I continued with the reading for the second half of the week. I think it has been great so far. I really enjoy re-reading some of these stories. I think there are a lot of things that are missed when you read something the first time.

• I really enjoyed reading about the battle scenes again
• The Great Battle is going to be a lot of fun to retell
• The Kaurava vs. Pandava clash contains a lot of opportunities for me to write about
• I think the most interesting part of this chapter is Prince Arjuna's decision
• I was surprised to see such a cheap trick used in honorable battle
• Shikhandi played a very interesting and impactful role here
• I did not expect there to exist such a person in the army
• I also did not expect a hero to deceive his enemy like so
• Prince Bhishma was done in by his desire to not kill a woman
• I thought that was the end of the prince in that moment
• The bed of arrows also added a really cool effect to the story
• It emphasized just how dire and extreme the situation was
• I would like to explore what Bhishma was going through during this whole experience
• This is not detailed in the story at all
• I think it would be cool to make up my own story for what Bhishma is experiencing
• I could also explore the rest of the battle
• I will continue to ponder about my writing options for tomorrow

(A photo of books in the library. Source: Flickr)

Bibliography: The Indian Heroes: Mahabharata by C. A. Kincaid. Source: Blogspot.

Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part A

So, I began the one week reading of the Mahabharata. I think going through this adventure a second time will really help me understand what is going on within every story. I found that a bit difficult to do on the first read through. Again, I took notes over the story that I liked from the first part of the reading. I should be able to come up with a good story idea from this.

• I think exploring the family dynamic of the Pandavas would be really cool
• I remember taking notes over part of this reading the first time
• However, I want to create a story from this
• I would like to possibly make up stories about Pandu and his time as a prince
• I really like the events that unfold between Duryodhana and the Pandavas
• It is evident that his jealousy drives him to do and think terrible things
• I feel like there is always a deep hatred that drives people to do these things
• I think if I explored Duryodhana and told stories from his perspective it would be cool
• I believe that the escape from the palace fire has a lot of potential for a retelling
• I explored this a bit with the last time reading the story
• However, I would like to flip the script and change some events that happen here
• I know that the Pandavas escape through the secret tunnel
• It would be cool to possibly change their means of escape
• I could also change if they actually survived these events
• I think if I told the story from Duryodhana's perspective it would be really cool
• I could create an internal conflict in his mind on why he is doing these terrible things

(An assortment of books. Source: Pexels)

Bibliography: The Indian Heroes: Mahabharata by C. A. Kincaid. Source: Blogspot.

Week 8 Progress

Overall, I have been fairly happy with my progress so far. I have missed a couple of assignments that I need to do some extra credit for. I do not normally miss assignments, but sometimes that is the case. I do have a good weekly routine. I sometimes wait until late at night to do my assignments though. I enjoy the assignments for the most part. I think my favorite are probably the reading assignments. I like to read new stories, so that is why they are my favorite. I have not been utilizing the extra credit like I should be. I think that this is the main change that I want to make for the second half of the class. I want to avoid using the grace period as much as I have. I might want to try different storytelling methods for the coming weeks.

(A photo saying to get your stuff done today and not tomorrow. Source: Flickr)

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

Overall, I think I have been receiving great feedback from my classmates. I think it is always helpful to get another opinion about things. I think I find the ones with suggestions the most useful. I do not always actually change my work, but I appreciate the different ideas that are given to me. I usually try to apply them to my future work if I can. I feel like I have been leaving fairly good feedback to my peers. I try to focus on one thing every time I read a story and offer feedback. The best strategies I have found are just reading the stories multiple times through. This ensures that I have a good grasp of what the writer is trying to accomplish. I feel like I get good ideas from reading other stories. I try to remember things that I like as I move along.

I feel like I have been getting to know people fairly well from their introductions. Of course, this is only a brief intro into who they actually are. I think my intro provides a fairly good glimpse into my life. I am happy with it so far.

I think that I should take other people's suggestions more seriously for the future. This would probably help me get more out of the feedback that I receive. I should also focus on giving more reasonable feedback that people can use readily. I do not want to make any drastic changes to my blog. I think I am going to update my portfolio a bit though. I could use a better title and intro page.

(Feedback graphic. Source: Cheezburger)

I chose this image because it emphasizes that there is always more on the horizon. It is easy to get caught up in the now. We should remember that something great is always right in front of us. 

Week 8 Reading and Writing

I think that the reading assignments have been going very well for me over the course of this semester. I had a lot of practice with this last semester, so I already had a system in place that I knew worked for me. The same goes for the writing. My favorite reading so far has definitely been the Ramayana. There were so many cool stories to read and write about. I really enjoy reading about battle scenes, and I try to focus my writing on things like this. My reading notes have helped me  quite a bit. I am able to write down some key things that I like about the story. When I revisit the notes I just put them into writing. I have not done any new strategies this year. I think the system I have now works great. I am also very happy with my project. I think the portfolio option is really great for me. It allows me to add my favorite stories. My biggest accomplishment so far is probably my portfolio stories. They are refined versions of what I write about during the week.

(This is a photo of Rama fighting the demon Ravana. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

This is one of my favorite photos because it accompanies my story where Rama fights Ravana's forces. I was a huge fan of the reading, and I was able to create my own story out of it. This was definitely my favorite part of the Ramayana.

I think for the future I should just keep doing what I have been doing. It has been working very well for me so far. I might try to get more creative with my writing options. I usually prefer to stick close to the source. I sometimes create new characters, but this is few and far between. I might try to put modern elements into my future writings.

Week 7 Story Planning: The Midnight Ambush

I decided to try something different this week and write a planning post. I have not done this before, and I thought it would be cool to research a story topic more in depth. I have a lot of cool ideas for story writing next week. However, I decided to just stick with one idea and run with it for now. It could change next week.

The attack of the Pandavan camp came as a real surprise to me the first time that I read the story. I was not expecting something of this nature to occur because I was certain that the Pandavan's would not experience an act as egregious as this. It was a cowardly attack that took place in the dead of the night while the Pandavan camp was asleep. This definitely took me back to the time Rama ambushed a foe to reclaim the monkey kingdom. The circumstances, of course, were definitely different. However, I think the act was done so in a very shady and cowardly manner. It did not come as a shock to me later when Ashwatthama was later forced to give up his gem. I knew that he would get what was coming to him in due time. I noticed that the actual combat is not described in the story at all. There might not be much combat to begin with. However, I would like to expand upon what is already there. I also noticed that this attack has a lot of impact on the future. I think I should touch on just how impactful the acts Ashwatthama committed were. I decided to expand my knowledge on Ashwatthama, so I did some research.

I used Wikipedia as my main source. Ashwatthama is actually considered to be an avatar of one of the Rudras. He is also an avatar of the Chiranjivi. It is interesting to note just how powerful the gem in his head was. It gave Ashwatthama the power over many different kinds of beings except humans. This gem protected him from a lot of earthly desires and necessities like thirst. What I found most interesting is that Ashwatthama is considered to be like Shiva himself. He has the ability to hone his strengths and become a Shiva like being while in battle. So, it is almost impossible to  defeat him while he is enraged and in battle. I also did some research on the Narayanastra. This is the weapon this Ashwatthama uses to defeat the Pandavan forces. It is actually the weapon belonging to Vishnu while he is in another form. It is such a powerful weapon that it brings about total destruction or the target surrenders. I think it would be cool to incorporate its ability into my story. I got my information from Wikipedia.

Overall, there is a lot of detail that I came across while doing my research. I think this is an important step in the story writing process. I may not use all of the information that I came across in my story. However, it gives me a far better understanding of what I am writing about.

(A photo of Ashwatthama losing his gem. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: Public Domain Edition Mahabharata, from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie. Source: PDE

The Narayanastra information came from Wikipedia.

The Ashwatthama information came from Wikipedia.

Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part D

I finished up the reading for the fourth part today. I continued to enjoy these stories and the uniqueness that they have to offer. I took notes over the sections that I liked the most. I tend to gravitate towards stories that involve battle, so that is what I did.

• The attack on the Pandavans was very surprising to see
• Ashwatthaman bravely marched forward to the camp
• He was unfazed and determined to reach his goal
• This made me think of Rama's ambush
• The circumstances are obviously different
• This attack in the night was vicious and driven by hate
• I did not expect to see such an act take place
• I think the fact that he attacked the camp at night says a lot about his state of mind
• I think it is very cowardly to go after someone while they sleep
• There are a lot of other ways Ashwatthaman could have attacked
• Attacking someone while they sleep is definitely the most cowardly way
• The interaction with Shiva was also interesting
• I think there are a lot of cool things I could write about from this ambush
• The actual violent scenes are not included in the writing
• It would be fun to go into a scene like that
• I could possibly change the events that take place

I think it would be really fun to write about the night raid ambush. I am thinking about changing how the events take place. It might be interesting to change the outcome of the night raid.

(A photo of a book and glasses. Source: Pixabay)

Bibliography: Public Domain Edition Mahabharata, from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie. Source: PDE

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Online, Part C

I continued with the reading of the third part of the online domain edition. I have continued to enjoy these stories and the creativeness they have to offer. I again took notes over the one or two stories that I liked the best.

• I found the Pandavan exile to be much more saddening that Rama's exile
• I think Rama maintained a sense of appreciation and hope
• However, the Pandavan's came across as angry and bitter for what had happened
• This is understandable
• The loss of their kingdom and fortune is devastating
• I think it would be cool to explore the stories not mentioned in the online edition
• I could write about their travels and stories with the different sages in the forest
• The promise of the return of their kingdom in due time is somewhat redeeming
• It ensures that not all hope and drive was lost
• The arrival of Krishna brings about a new fold in the story
• His dialogue is lengthy and contains a lot of detail
• He explains that his next actions to restore the kingdom are not easy
• Draupadi does not have the patience to see her kingdom restored
• She has anger and sadness in her voice as she longs for material possessions once more
• Yudhishthira offers great advice and explains to her that she must forgive
• Anger is never the answer
• Draupadi begins the question the gods and how they could allow such travesty to occur

I think the internal conflict that the exiled group is experiencing is really important. I could write about a section of this and explore this conflict. Yudhishthira is very patient and does not jump aboard the train of sadness and hate.

(A photo of a book. Source: Flickr)

Bibliography: Public Domain Edition Mahabharata, from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie. Source: PDE

Week 6 Story: Rama Bends The Bow

Update: You can find the final edition of this story here!


Long ago, during the time of Rama and his many adventures, King Janaka set forth a challenge to any man that would accept. The challenge set forth by the king was of vast importance for many people. King Janaka was known to have a daughter, Sita, that was far more beautiful than any man could possibly imagine. She was known far and wide for her wondrous looks that would leave any man with a desire to be with her. At the time, Prince Rama was unaware of Sita's existence. It just so happened that he would cross her path as he was visiting the allied kingdom of King Janaka.

Rama had recently been on an expedition to ride the surrounding areas of evil demons that had been terrorizing the lands. His brother, Lakshmana, was accompanying Rama on their recent journey to the allied kingdom. As Rama and his brother were walking about the royal garden of the allied kingdom, Rama was able to catch a glimpse of the beautiful princess Sita. An instant connection was born when the two locked eyes.

The crazy thing about Sita and Rama is that they were both connected by the heavens. Rama and Sita were avatars of two gods that were heavenly lovers. It was not a coincidence that they would find each other in such a moment.

The next day, Rama went straight to the King and his monarch to take on the challenge of stringing Shiva's bow. Many men from far and wide had attempted this challenge without the slightest bit of success. However, none of these men were Rama. Rama, the avatar of Vishnu, had strength and power that no ordinary man could ever possess. He took the bow in his hand and strung it with ease. The ground began to tremble and a loud bang rang across the city. Everyone looked on in disbelief at what Rama had so effortlessly done.

With Rama's incredible feat of strength, he was permitted to wed Sita. Their many adventures together were just coming to fruition.

(A photo of Rama stringing and breaking the bow. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note: The story I told was a retelling of Rama's incredible feat of winning over his wife Sita. I kept the details mostly the same to the source. I just added my own personal voice to the story. The outcome is the same in the source story. Rama is able to win the hand of Sita in marriage and the rest is history.

Bibliography: The Divine Archer by F. J. Gould. Source: archives.

Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part B

So I continued with the second part of the reading today. There are a lot of different stories and loads of information. I decided to take notes over the one that I liked the best.

• Vidura is one of my favorite characters from all of the stories
• He is not considered to be eligible for the royal positions
• However, he is still a prince and cares greatly for his family
• I appreciate his loyalty and dedication to his family
• He could be bitter about having a mother that was not a royal
• However, he warns his family of the imminent danger that they were in
• I think the escape from the palace is really cool
• It was an interesting plan to have a miner dig a passage out of the palace
• I was expecting something to possibly go wrong, but it did not
• It was not until the evil captain was burned
• The lac palace went down in flames with the guard house
• I thought the celebration of King Dhritarashtra was premature
• I was really excited to see the big reveal when he finds out that they did not actually die
• It was unfortunate to see the woman and her family died
• However, it is a vital bit of information that sets up for later on in the story

So, I think the House of Fire would be a really awesome story to retell. I think I will alter a few things in my retelling though. I would like to add in more chaos and conflict. There is a really cool opportunity with this story to expand it and make it more detailed. I would possibly like to explore the events that unfold afterwards. 

(A picture of a book on a beach. Source: Flickr)

Bibliography: The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie. Source: PDE

Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part A

The start of the new reading began today. I really enjoyed some of these stories. I think the reading style is easy to follow and entertaining. I took some notes over the stories that I liked the best.

• Each character is introduced with an elaborate backstory
• I usually do not write much about character's before their introduction
• I might try this kind of writing style
• I liked the first few sections that gave the read a lot of information
• I found that it can be a bit too much at times
• There are lots of names to learn quickly and apply to the reading
• I think I could maintain my own writing style while also adapting to these stories
• I would like to possibly write a whole story as an "intro"
• The idea of taking women in battle was one that I had not seen 
• I was expecting a more heroic adventure or tale
• Taking the women as victors for a battle was a bit different
• The stories are definitely more on the erotic side as no details are held back
• I found this to be a contrast from the Ramayana
• I think I could retell Pandu's life and some of his brief adventures
• It was a but unfortunate the way he passed
• He had been cursed and would end up dying in the arm's of one of his wives
• I think there could be some cool stories to tell from this
• I could also just create my own stories
• What if he did not sell his possessions and go live in the forest?
• Would he have survived the curse?
• I would like to explore this idea a bit more

I found that some of the stories contain lots of small bits of information. I noticed everything builds upon itself as new characters are constantly introduced along with new kingdoms.

(A reading squirrel. Source: Pixaby)

Bibliography: The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie. Source: PDE

Reading Notes: The Divine Archer, Part B

So, I finished up part B of the reading today. I have really been enjoying this version of the Ramayana. I think reading all of the stories a second time has allowed me to appreciate and better understand what is taking place. I took notes on my favorite sections/scenes.

• The relationship between Rama and Sugriva is one of my favorites in the epic
• I really like how they become the best of allies and vow to help each other reclaim their kingdoms
• I think the fighting scene between Rama, Sugriva, and Vali is the highlight
• There is a lot of potential for a cool story to be told there
• I was initially surprised at Rama's decision to ambush Vali
• However, I think he was just trying to stay loyal to a new friend
• I know there is a lot of argument over Rama's action
• I would like to possibly give my interpretation on what his intentions were
• I also think the quest to find Sita would be fun to explore
• I would not cover Rama as much if this were the case
• I might explore how Rama feels during all of this
• However, I think Hanuman deserves his own story here
• Hanuman played a vital role that I do not think is emphasized enough
• I am also curious to explore Sita's exile
• I found her exile to be a bit unfair and extreme
• It would be cool to write about that or possibly make up a new storyline

Again, I really enjoyed reading this version of the Ramayana. I found it really fun to go back through these stories one more time. 

(Someone reading a book. Source: Flickr)

Bibliography: The Divine Archer, by F. J. Gould. Source: archives

Reading Notes: The Divine Archer, Part A

I really enjoyed reading F. J. Gould's version of the Ramayana. I found it to be much easier to follow as the English and writing style was a bit more modern. I did not have to constantly read something over to understand what was going on in the story. I jotted down some points about things that I liked from the first few sections of this reading. 

• The description of Rama and his birth was very detailed 
• It included the descriptions of his heaven like markings and the intuition of his mother
• The foresight of his mother to see him turn into a divine being was a nice addition
• The people and the city adorned and loved Rama
• Rama and his brother's accounts with slaying the demons was awesome
• The dialogue between the hermit and the king was easy to understand
• I found that in the past I would get lost in the dialogue
• This clarity is something that I definitely want to mimic
• The scene where Rama sees Sita is great descriptively
• It displays the internal dialogue of Rama as he takes his first glance at his future wife
• I think it does a great job foreshadowing of what is about to come
• The challenge of winning over Sita was written very well and stays true to the source
• I liked reading about Rama breaking the axe and stringing Vishnu's bow
• I think this is a story that I would like to recreate
• I could do a really cool retelling similar to that of King Arthur
• The succession is an emotional turn of events
• Rama's father was eager to make Rama the successor the the throne
• The conflict that Rama faces is tough to read
• It is unfortunate that Kaikeyi has such a strong impact on Rama's future
• I wrote about this last week, but I still think there are more thing I could add to the story

(A photo of a statue of Rama, taken by adityamadhav83. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Overall, I really enjoyed this week's reading option. I think it helped immensely that this was my second time reading about Rama and his adventures. I found this week's reading to be much easier to follow. I am glad that I was able to revisit these stories. I feel like I am able to fully appreciate them this time around.

Bibliography: The Divine Archer by F. J. Gould. Source: archives.

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(The image used here is a photo from the Ramayana. It was released by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and can be found here.)