Reading Diary B: Week 10- The Final Battle

Pgs. 132-179

• I thought it was interesting that the Pandava’s want try and avoid war at all cost. They know what it will cost if they go to war.
• Though the younger brothers want to go to war.
• Krishna isn’t afraid of being captured. He is the avatar of Vishnu.
• The final battle has started. I thought that the war would be short because of the power of the Pandava’s.
• I am surprised at how little Yudhistria actually participated in the actual battle.
• I liked that we were able to follow around Arjuna during the battle. He was an unstoppable force.
• I was sad to see Bhisma fall.  I wish that he didn’t have to fall, but he was able to pass away in his own time.
• I was shocked to see Yudhistria tricked Drona into being defeated. I was sad to see their master die.
• I am glad Bhima was able to fulfill his promise to crush Duyrodhana leg.

Bhisma on the bed of arrows. Source

Reading Diary B: Week 9- Yudhistira Gambling

Pgs. 40-83

• I am surprised that their Uncle would allow them to come home. I definitely could see that being a trap.
• It actually wasn’t a trap. It was nice to see that their uncle definitely wants them all get along, but I can see that there will be some problems in the future by dividing up the kingdom. I can see the Pandavas cousins getting jealous.
• I am glad to see that the Pandavas are able to turn a desert wasteland into a majestic kingdom.
• Like I said the Pandavas cousins become jealous of their wealth. Duryodhana becomes jealous of his cousins and plans to destroy their kingdom.
• I can’t believe that Yudhistira has that bad of a gambling problem. He gambles away everything, including his brothers.
• I am glad to see that Vikarna was able to stand up to everyone and say that Draupadi wasn’t a slave.
• But of course someone says that he is too young to be able to address the elders.

The Pandavas. Source

Reading Diary A: Week 9- The Mahabharata

Pgs 1-39

• Santanu seems to fall in love very easily. The young maiden is very brave to ask that she can be free to do whatever she likes, and that he cannot question what she is doing or they will no longer be married.
• To top it all off the young maiden drowns the first, second third, fourth,fifth,sixth, and seventh children. Santanu stops her from drowning the eighth.
• Upon stopping his wife he finds out she is the Ganga, the deity of the river. She took the form of a maiden so she could punish the eight vasus.
• King Santanu finally gets to have his son come home with him after he trained and learned  from Sage Vasishta.
• Santanu falls for another maiden in the woods.
• Both of the sons of the new wife die. Leaving only Bhishma, who is supposed to stay celibate.
• Satyavathi orders her eldest son Vyasa, a sage, to conceive a child with her son’s wives.
• Vyasa conceives three children. One will be blind, one will be pale, and the other will be normal.
• The eldest brother is blind, and surrenders his right to rule to the second brother.
• Pandu, the second son, was cursed for killing a deer in the act of love making.

Bhishma. Source

Reading Diary B: Week 7- The End

Pgs. 374-432

• I find it interesting that Rama takes Sita to every major spot from their journey, even the ones that she was there for.
• I like that they destroyed the bridge that led to Lanka. I know that the sea was happy to have the bridge gone.
• If Hanuman hadn’t gone to the city to announce that Rama would be returning tomorrow I think that Bharata would have killed himself for letting Rama down.
• Also it was nice to see Bharata so welcoming to all the other rulers and the other people to their city.
• It was great to see that because of Rama the world was in a much better place. Everyone was kind and everyone lived to a great age. There was no trouble with crops or food.
• I am sad that Rama had to send Sita away. I could tell that it really devastated him to send her away.
• The story of why Rama had to send Sita away was crazy. I am so surprised that a human had the ability to curse a god, I would have thought that humans wouldn’t have that kind of power.
• I still am surprised that it took Rama so long to figure out that Lava and Kusa were his sons.

Lava and Kusa. Source

Reading Diary A: Week 7- The Final Battle Begins

Pgs. 325-373

• Ravana is clearly a mess. He seems that he will do just about anything no matter the cost to defeat Rama.
• The description of Shiva is very detailed. It even describes his eyes as being like honey.
• It is sad that the demons are killing all the animals around Lanka. The bear king is quite a formidable opponent. He destories any demons that get in his grasp. I found it funny that the demons thought they were outnumbered because of the bear king.
• All the gods have come out to watch the final battle between Rama and Ravana. I am surprised that Ravana has the power to call the Wind.
• Rama seems very confident that he will have the ability needed to defeat Ravana. I  would be much more nervous about fighting someone so strong.
• Just when Rama was in need of a chariot, one arrives to help him defeat Ravana. Not just any chariot either it is the chariot of Indra.
• I laughed the chariot was going to tell Rama that he wasn’t wearing any fancy rings.
• I think Matali didn’t believe that Rama was going to be able to defeat Rama until Rama hit Ravana with a arrow in the shoulder as they flew past each other.

Rama and Ravana battling. Source

Reading Diary A: Week 6- Hanuman in Lanka

Pgs. 219-270

• I liked that Hanuman is telling the story of Rama to everyone present.
• I loved that since Hanuman is telling the story of Rama it stops Jatayu’s older brother from taking and eating the listeners of the Hanuman’s story.
• I really liked that Sampati saved his younger brother from experiencing the intense heat that made his wings useless!
• It is weird to think that the city of Lanka is actually a goddess. I can’t believe Hanuman defeated Lanka so easily, and that she let him pass with no repercussions for his actions.
• I like that Hanuman has utter faith that Sita wouldn’t betray Rama when he is searching for her.
• Hanuman still thinks that Sita is beautiful even though she has been suffering at the hands of Ravana. Even in the face of Ravana Sita is still defiant. I am amazed that she can put up such a resistance to him since she has been fasting since she was taken.
• It is interesting that Indrajit takes the time to worship Shiva. I would have thought that he wouldn’t worship the gods. Also it is funny that he cast the mantra against Hanuman and it worked, but the other demons tied him up with other chains so the effect of the mantra didn’t work.

Hanuman setting Lanka on fire. Source

Reading Diary A: Week 5- Rama and Bharata

Pages 110-161

• I thought it was interesting that Bharata and his brother both knew that something bad had happened the night that their father passed away.
• I really admire that Bharata has no desire to be king. He wants Rama to be king.
• I also am glad that Bharata forgave his mother for what she did.
• I am glad that they had the funeral for the King so that his spirit could escape Time.
• I thought it was interesting that everyone from the city followed Bharata to try and bring Rama back. Sumitra should’ve known there was no way Rama would come back before the fourteen years.
• I can only imagine what it must’ve been like for Bharata to leave the little hut, and come back to this eloquent dinner and place.
• I thought it was cool that Bharadwaja blessed each of the wives of the King. Especially Bharata mother. I thought for sure that she wouldn’t get blessed.
• The exchange between Rama and Bharata is excellent. It really shows their true character. Bharata wants nothing more than to see Rama on the throne right now. Rama wants to wait out his exile of fourteen years. No matter how hard Bharata tries to convince Rama to come back early, Rama won’t.
• I thought it was honorable for Bharata to rule in his stead until the fourteen years are up. Though I think it is a little over the top for him to kill himself if Rama doesn’t show up on the first day after the fourteen years are up.

Rama and Bharata. Source

Reading Diary B: Week 4- Rama in Exile

Pgs 60-109

• I thought it was that the King asked his advisors and high ranking officials if they thought Rama should be king. I was surprised because most kings wouldn’t ask their subjects if they thought this person should be king, usually kings just do as they please.
• I really don’t like the servant Manthara. She is a evil, old crone. She twisted the mind of Queen Kaikeyi.
• I can’t tell if Queen Kaikeyi is just acting like she doesn’t know what to do when she goes to the anger room. I think she has already made up her mind and is just putting on a show.
• It shows that Rama is truly a good person when he harbors no ill will towards his father or his step mother. He even goes on to say that his brother will be a good king.
• The King is going to die soon from having to exile Rama. He doesn’t seem to be able to let it go.
• Sita and Lakshmana both easily decide to accompany Rama into exile.
• I really like the character of Guha. He loves to hunt. I also liked that when he died Shiva saved him from Hell.
• The house that Lakshmana builds sounds beautiful.
• It is sad to see the King in such a bad condition. I was surprised to find out that he had killed that innocent man when he was younger. He truly seems sorry for killing that young man. He finally goes to meet death in his sleep.

Lord Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana in exile. Source

Reading Diary A: Week 4- The Beginning of Rama

Pages 1-59

• I found it interesting that it was up to Valmiki to save Sita from killing herself and her twin boys.
• I also like that it was the killing of a innocent bird that started poetry. It is a way of saying that even in death there is beauty to be found.
• I thought it was funny that Valmiki when the Grandfather of the Universe was sitting beside him that all he could think about was the two birds.
• I like that the sons of Rama are singing Ramayana and that Rama doesn’t even know that it is his own sons that are giving doing it.
• I was shocked to see how easily Ravana defeated all of Heaven. Also I found it a little disturbing that the reason Ravana had all this power was because Brahma granted him the wish that he couldn’t be defeated by anything of Heaven or the Underworld.
• I was shocked to see how the first demons were born. Also I thought it was interesting that the demons weren’t actually bad in the beginning. It wasn’t until they started branching out of Lanka that they became evil.
• I was happy to see that even though they are supposed to be evil Vibhishana wished that he would never forget Dharma in peril or in pleasure. Since this was his wish Brahma granted him immortality on Earth and exempt from death or oblivion.

Lord Brahma. Source

Reading Diary B: Week 3- Rama and Ravana

• I really enjoyed seeing Hanuman destroying all of Lanka after Ravana tried to kill him. Also it was really good to see that Ravana brother saved Hanuman from being killed.
• It was interesting to see just how honorable Rama is. He accepts his enemy’s brother for asylum even though all his generals think that he shouldn’t.
• The part about building the bridge was interesting. I thought it showed Rama’s determination to save Sita. Since he was willing to destroy the sea if it didn’t help them in their journey. It was funny to see that even a little squirrel was rolling pebbles to help fill the sea.
• I was shocked to see that Rama didn’t try to kill Ravana when he was injured and without a  weapon. It shows his true character. Also I can’t believe that he offered to spare Ravana if he restored Sita to him.
• The battle between Ravana and Rama was great. It was back and forth trying to counter each others attacks. I loved that Rama had just as many special arrows as Ravana. Also I loved that even when Ravana used all his arms, Rama was able to counter.

Also I am glad that in the end Rama and Sita were reunited.

Rama and Sita. Source

Reading Diary A: Week 3- Rama and Sugreeva

Pages 89-130

• I found it interesting that Vali didn’t even try to find out why it was he was entombed. He just assumed that his brother Sugreeva wanted the throne. It seems odd that he would jump to conclusions like that because they seemed quite close before the whole ordeal.
• I liked how Rama justified his actions to Vali. In the end I was glad to see Vali recognized his wrongdoings.
• Rama really seems to be struggling with that fact he let Shita get captured. During this time his thoughts are very dark. I think he would have given up if it hadn’t been for Lakshmana. Lakshmana is a good at reaching Rama in this dark time. He is able to give Rama hope.
• If Tara hadn’t been smart, I think that Lakshmana would have destroyed the town. She is quick and leveled headed. I also like that she speaks her mind.
• It is funny that Sugreeva wanted nothing but to serve Rama, but he couldn’t resist the pleasures in the world. In the end I was glad to see that he was able to admit his mistake to Rama and that he swore off of alcohol.
• Hanuman is very loyal to Rama. He takes every detail about Shita to heart. He wants to serve Rama well.
• I am glad to see that Hanuman is able to reach his potential when he is able to grow so that he can cross the ocean to find Shita.

Rama waiting to strike. Source