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.