Saturday, January 23, 2016

Week 2 Reading Diary: Ramayana Public Domain Edition

The Public Domain Edition of the Ramayana is compiled from many authors, here is the version I am using.  This post will cover Part A.


  • I like the descriptive imagery used to describe Ayodhya. Even though the description is short, it tells you that it is a very nice place to be  
  • Ayodhya
    Modern picture of Ayodhya, from Best Holidays 
  • Dasharatha's desire for male heirs is a classic story, not unique to Indian Epics 
  • Gods are interacting with humans, and making promises. I think this compares to any of the Abrahamic religions, such as in the picture below 
  • Vishnu is born as humans, seems similar to some elements of the New Testament. God becoming a human being, and splitting into 4 humans could draw some comparisons to the idea of the Trinity
  • Rama acquires magical weapons with personalities, could be interesting to write about 
  • Rama seems to be destined to do many things, like rescue Ahalya and fall in love with Sita The debate between destiny vs free will is always interesting
  • The story of Shiva's bow does strike me as something out of a fairy tale. The idea of proving yourself and earning respect seems prevalent in all cultures 
  • Royal succession is also prevalent in Rama's story, another thing that transcends culture or language 
  • The exile seems similar to The Odyssey  
  • I think the exile could also be compared to the story of Christ. The son of a god/king is sent to experience a different lifestyle (be a human/ live in the forest)
  • Karma, which is given a name in Indian culture, always seems to be an element of many of these classic tales 

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