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.
Hey Jake! I read your newest story and your right about not making too many changes haha! I did like the incorporation of a new voice in the story though! I felt that you simplified the story and made it quicker but I like how you didn't change the outcome. Did you think about adding a new twist or were you pretty stuck on this ending? Overall great story!
ReplyDeleteHi Jake, I like how clearly you are able to retell this story. You established the setting as during Rama's life, and that he is on one of his many adventures. Then you set up the other characters clearly and the situation Rama finds himself in. You also more explicitly drew the divine link between Rama and Sita than I remember in the source. I think you effectively retold the story in your own words.
ReplyDeleteHi Jake!
ReplyDeleteWhile many others have edited a lot of parts of their stories or changed a lot, it was nice to read a story that stayed similar to the original. These Indian epics can often be hard to understand, so it's nice to read someone re-write the stories in their own voice. Thanks for elaborating on this epic! Great job.