Indian Epics

I decided to continue reading the graphic novel about Bhagavat for my reading this week. This second part is titled Krishna: The Subduer of Kaliya. It begins with the people of Gokul settling in Vrindavana. Balarama and Krishna take the cattle to the forest but while they are there they encounter two demons. One is a black calf and one looks like a crane. They defeat them both. Another demon in the form of a serpent tries to attack them but Krishna also defeats it. Krishna fights a water snake with 100 heads, named Kaliya. He allows him to live as long as he doesn't poison the water. Pralamba, an asura, tries to fly away with Balarama but he kills him. Krishna saves the cattle from a fire by sucking the flames in with his mouth. Bhagawat Comic Bibligraphy: Bhagawat: The Krishna Avatar by Anar Chitra Katha Publication

This week I chose to read the graphic novel, Bhagawat: The Krishna Avatar. Part A is titled The Darling of Gokul. This story starts with Arjuna's grandson Parikshit. Parikshit asks to hear the story of Krishna. This story begins when Devaki and Vasudeva are married. They receive a prophecy that their eighth child will kill Kamsa. Kamsa puts them in prison and kills their children as they are born. The 7th and 8th children, Balarama and Krishna, are secretly taken to Gokul to be raised. Kamsa sends Pootana to kill the children but Krishna defeats her. It turns out he is the reincarnation of Vishnu. Yashoda sees the universe in her sons mouth. He is a very mischievous child. Bhagawat Comic Bibligraphy: Bhagawat: The Krishna Avatar by Anar Chitra Katha Publication

This part starts with the Pandava's exile in the forest. Arjuna goes away to find weapons.Duhshasana and Duryodhana plan to stage an attack to kill them. Hidimbi is sent to kill them but falls in love with Bhima, and makes herself beautiful. He falls in love with her too and kills her brother. They get married and have a son who's a magician. Her and her son leave to a different world. Vyasa tells the Pandava's to visit wise men. He intervenes when Duryodhana threatens them. Film Adaptation of Mahabharata Bibliography: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EENh1hxkD6E&t=0m5s Title:   The Mahabharata Director : Peter Brook Scriptwriters:   Jean-Claude Carriere and Peter Brook Year:  1989

This week I continued to watch Brook's Mahabharata. This second part picks up before the game of dice. Krishna tells the Pandavas and Draupadi that Yudhishithira will be king. Dhiritarashtra gives the Pandavas a piece of his kingdom which angers Bhima. Duryodhana wants war. He visits the Pandavas palace and runs into invisible walls. The Pandavas mock him which makes him even more angry. The game of dice begins and Shakuni, a cheater, plays in Duryodhana's place. Yudhishthira gambles away his brothers, himself, and Draupadi. Duhshana tries to remove Draupadi's clothes but she prays and the Sari extends endlessly.Draupadi asks for her husbands freedom. Yudhisthira goes back for another round.They lose and are exiled for 12 years. Film Adaptation of Mahabharata Bibliography: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EENh1hxkD6E&t=0m5s Title:   The Mahabharata Director : Peter Brook Scriptwriters:   Jean-Claude Carriere and Peter Brook Year:  1989

For my reading notes this week I chose to watch the film adaptation of the Mahabharata. I enjoyed this version because it was interesting to see it in the form of a movie. The movie contains people from all different cultures. Vyasa tells the story of the three women who Bhima wins. One leaves because she is love with another king. Their husband dies and the two women have to sleep with Vyasa to have babies. One baby is blind and the other is pale. The pale one, Pandu, is cursed and if he sleeps with his wife he will die.His wife Kunti has a special mantra. She calls down the sun God and has a baby with him. I liked the way the movie is easy to understand and fun to watch. I'm looking forward to watching more of it. Film Adaptation of Mahabharata Bibliography: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EENh1hxkD6E&t=0m5s Title:   The Mahabharata Director : Peter Brook Scriptwriters:   Jean-Claude Carriere and Peter Brook Year:  1989

-The townspeople thought the Sun God had appeared to them but Krishna told them it was just Satrajit wearing the Sun God's jewel. -he gave it to his brother Pasena, who was an evil man. Because of this the gem would bring him death. He was killed by the lion. -Jambavat, King of the Bears, gave it to son as a toy. -People tried to blame Pasenas death on Krishna. -Krishna married Satyabhama and some of the men killed her father in jealousy. -Akrura found the gem in his garments and gave it to Krishna, but he kept it and renounced women. -Krishna and Rukmani's first son is Pradyumna, He is meant to kill the demon Sambara, Sambara took him and threw him in the sea but a fish caught him and swallowed him whole.A woman found him in the fish and kept him. She taught him how to fight. -Pradyumna and Rukmavati marry. -Balarama kills Rukmi by shattering his skull with dice after he is insulted. Krishna and Jambavati Bibliography: Kincaid. Shri Krishna of Dwarka http...

-Krishna was born as a reincarnation of Vishnu. Out of a piece of his hair. -Kamsa puts his sister and brother in law in jail. -The eighth child is born and Krishna's father escaped the jail and switched him with a baby girl. -Krishna grows up to be a naughty boy. -He steals butter from the neighborhood women. -He saved his friends from the serpent. -Many demons are sent to kill him but he defeats them all -His mother catches him eating mud but when she looks she sees the universe in his mouth. -This is when she accepts that he is something special -He falls in love with Rhada Krishna  as a child Bibliography: Kincaid. Shri Krishna of Dwarka http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2015/12/reading-guide-kincaid-krishna-chapter-1.html

- Brahma sees Krishna sharing his food and he questions this. He decides to kidnap Krishna's friends but Krishna recreated them to trick Brahma. - Krishna plays his flute to calm the bull Hastin. He then rides it. -His family refuses to let him marry Rhada. He reveals his true identity as a God and savior of the people. -Kamsa sends Akrur to trick Krishna and invite him to a dinner but he tells him Kamsa's plan. -Kamsa attacks Krishna with elephant but Krishna is stronger. -Kamsa orders his army to attack and Krishna and his brother defeat them. Krishna kills Kamsa. Krishna and Rhada Bibliography:  Epified Krishna Videos

This week I decided to watch the Epified videos about Krishna's story. I like watching these videos because I feel like they give me a better understanding of the stories. Kamsa learns that Devaki (his cousin's) 8th child will hill him so he puts her and her husband in jail. He killed her first 6 but the 8th was a God so he couldn't touch him. This son was Krishna. Vasudev exchanged Krishna for Maya to protect him. Maya was actually Durga Krishna kills Putana  When his mother caught him eating mud, she made him open his mouth to see that the universe was inside him. He played the flute Krishna loved the dancer Rhada  Lord Krishna with his Flute  Bibliography: Epified: Krishna.  Web Source

For my second extra reading assignment I decided to continue watching the videos I started the other day. While I do think reading the original text I think that this can be very beneficial as well. I especially enjoyed the story about the Pandavas and how it was told here. A few things that I think could've made it better would have been if there was color. I preferred the film Sita Sings the Blues because of its more movie like qualities. It could have been more enjoyable if it used more of a storytelling technique. Karmic Revolution Bibliography: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrWYQjLLbXcitH65DQccwo3hSnsA05JV4

For my extra Mahabharata reading I decided to watch the videos  Karmic Revolution by Epified TV. The thing I like about watching videos is it can give me a better understanding of what was going on in the story and when. It breaks the story down so I'm able to understand it more. Because the Mahabharata was so complex this was especially useful to me. I will probably continue to watch this for more of my extra reading. Karmic Revolution Bibliography: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrWYQjLLbXcitH65DQccwo3hSnsA05JV4

Duryodhana plans to take Krishna captive but this backfires because Krishna transforms into his divine form. Karna tells Kunit that he will only attack Arjuna A battle takes place. Krishna shows Arjuna a sermon called the Song of the Lord to prepare him for battle. Arjuna fatally wounds Bhishma and Karna takes his place. Arjuna's son is killed in the battle.  Drona is killed. Duryodhana is killed by Bhima and Krishna says its Karma. Yudhishthira becomes king.  Everyone dies and Arjuna's grandson is king continuing the Pandavas legacy. Image source : Bhima and Duryodhana Bibliography:   The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic , R.K. Naraya

Duryodhana makes a plan to humiliate the Pandavas. The plan fails as he is captured by the gandharvas and the Pandavas have to save him. The Pandavas come across a lake and they drink from it and they die because they refuse to answer questions. Yudhishthira answers the test from his father Yama and his brothers are resurrected. They are awarded unrecognizability during their 13th year exile. They spend this 13th year in King Virata's court. Draupadi is raped by the queens brother. Bhima squeezes him to death.  Duryodhana gets suspicious when he hears what happens. His ally Susharman proposes a cattle raid. Prince Uttara learns about it and the Pandava's reveal their identity to him.  Uttara (king Vitra's daughter) and Abhimanyu (Arjunas son) are married. They start preparing for war with Duryodhana. Image source : Bhima and Kichaka Bibliography:   The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic , R.K. Narayan

This part starts with the Pandavas at Indraprashta. Arjuna goes into exile for intruding on the marriage to Draupadi. Yudhishthira is crowned as a king at Indraprastha. The pandavas play a trick using optical illusions on  Duryodhana who is out to get them. He seeks revenge and goes to play a game of dice with them.  Yudhishthira gamblers away his brothers , himself, and Draupadi. Duryodhana Orders her to undress but Krishna replaces her safari with another. Arjuna returns after exile. Bibliography:   The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic , R.K. Narayan

Narayan's Mahabarata is a lot more complex than the Ramayana he wrote. I think this is because there are so many more stories going on in it that it's hard to keep track of all of the characters.  -Shantanu King of Hastinapura, marries a woman who is actually Ganga and she drowns her children to return them to heaven as Gods. He then marries another women, Satyavati. Bishma becomes king after his death. Ambika and Ambalika are supposed to sleep with Vyasa and the are repelled by him. Ambika makes her servant insteadm and her servant likes him Draupai marries the Pandavas, 5 men: I thought this was an interesting story as in this time it was usually then men who had multiple wives. ( Dhritarashtra and Duryodhana ) Bibliography:   The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic , R.K. Narayan

Today I finished watching the film Sita Sings the Blues. I liked how the commentators discussed whether or not Rama was in the right for banishing Sita. I also thought it was unfair that even when she passed the test he still sent her away. He should have been more forgiving because she was taken against her will. I like the creativity in showing their relationship in parallel to the couple in present time. We can see how their relationship, like any other, wasn't perfect. Everyone has faults and we could see both Sita's and Rama's. Sita was sometimes too devoted to Rama to the point where she was suffering for him while he didn't seem to care. Rama was too blinded by his responsibilities as King to take his wife back. Rama Banishes Sita  Bibliography: Bibliography: Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzTg7YXuy34&t=2171s

Sita Sings the Blues Poster For this week I decided to watch the film Sita Sings the Blues.  I really enjoyed this version of the story because of the colorful animations and representation of the story. When reading the Ramayana I got the idea that everything was very vibrant and extravagant and this retelling was what I imagined the stories to look like. I really liked the humor in the story and felt like it made it more interesting to watch. It was also easier to understand so parts where I was confused in the book were made more clear. I think by watching this film I have a more creative perspective on the book going into making my story. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about the Ramayana because its a fun and easy way to get the general idea of it. Bibliography: Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzTg7YXuy34&t=2171s

This part begins with Hanuman on his journey to find Sita. He mistakes Ravana's wife Mandodari to be Sita because of her great beauty. Hanuman is captured and taken to Ravana. In an attempt to kill him Ravana sets his tail on fire but this burns Lanka to the ground. It's rebuilt by Maya. Ravana refuses to release Sita Rama builds a bridge to cross the street A huge battle takes place Ravana is warned against it as he is not protected against humans. Ravana and Rama fight and finally Rama is able to kill him with a special arrow - Brahma-astra. Sita jumps in the fire to prove her purity. Shiva sends Dasharatha to earth to grant Rama a wish and he asks that he forgive Kaikeyi and Bharata Finally Rama is able to return to Ayodhya after his exile and he becomes King. Sita's test by fire Bibliography: Vālmīki, & Narayan, R. K. (1972).  The Ramayana; a shortened modern prose version of the Indian epic by R.K. Narayan. Suggested by the Tamil version of Kamban...

This section begins with Sita being captured by Ravana who is disguised as a hermit. He takes her to Lanka. When looking for her Rama and Lakshmana meet Hanuman in the monkey kingdom Kiskinda.  They go to help defeat Valli who put his brother Sugriva in exile and took his wife. Sugriva gives Rama Sita's jewelry and agrees to help him. Rama helps defeat his brother and get his wife back. Sugriva puts together an army to help Rama. Hanuman goes looking for Sita. He is trapped in a deserted underground kingdom in the process. He meets Jatayu's brother Sampathi who tells him that Ravana took Sita to Lanka. Hanuman grows so that he may cross the ocean with one footstep. Hanuman Meets Rama. Source: Wiki Bibliography: Vālmīki, & Narayan, R. K. (1972).  The Ramayana; a shortened modern prose version of the Indian epic by R.K. Narayan. Suggested by the Tamil version of Kamban . New York: Viking Press

This next part starts with Rama going to exile. When Dashartha is informed that Rama has left, he dies. This can be a form of karma he received for denying Rama his rightful throne.Even Bharata is upset that Rama is not king. Rama meets Ravana's sister Shurpanakha in the forest. She falls in love with him and decides to attack Sita but Lakshmana is able to stop her. Shurpanakha returns to her brother in Lanka to to show him what happened to her. He is angry but falls in love with Sita after hearing about her. He uses his uncle Maricha, disguised as a golden deer, to trick Sita. Sita is left unattended when Rama goes out to chase the deer and she is captured. The Golden Deer Source: Wikimedia Bibliography: Vālmīki, & Narayan, R. K. (1972).  The Ramayana; a shortened modern prose version of the Indian epic by R.K. Narayan. Suggested by the Tamil version of Kamban . New York: Viking Press