Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana Part A
The Ramayana, Pages 1-53
Characters*: King Dasaratha, Sage Vasishtha, Rishya Sringa (*gives king the bolus which allows him to have children), Kausalya (mother of Rama), Kaikeyi (mother of Bharatha), Sumithra (mother of Lakshamana and Sathrugna), Sage Viswamithra, Thataka, Ahalya, Sita, King Janaka, Kooni
POV: Narayan translates the poet Kamban's version of The Ramayana
Setting(s): the kingdom/country of Kosala, Adyodhya the capital, Mithila, forest and mountainland on the trip to Mithila travelled by Viswamithra and the two brothers, Rama and Lakshamana
Deities and demons⧫: Shiva (the destroyer, his bow is the one Rama breaks), Ravana (demon), Vishnu (Rama his incarnation), Ganga (goddess of the Ganges river), Thataka (demon mother of Mareecha and Subahu, defeated by Rama and his bow), Manmata (god of love, aka Kamdeva), Indra (the thousand 'eye' god), Lakshmi (incarnated as Sita)
Favourite sentences/phrases:
Prologue
Kosala is described and King Dasaratha is introduced as having barren wives (Kausalya, Kaikeyi, Sumithra) who are only able to bare him sons once he is gifted with a rice bolus by the Rishya Sringa and the wives consume it. In this section, his sage Vasishtha also introduced the notion of a Vishnu incarnation slaying the ten heads of Ravana.
Chapter 1: Rama's Initiation
Essentially introduction to Viswamithra who asks to have Rama and Lakshamana accompany him on his journey; so here begins Rama's journey as he faces many 'trials' along the way (the trials of a hero/saviour); Dasaratha clearly favours Rama and does not wish to be parted from him
Thataka's Story
[Interesting how it is mentioned as her story but it is her end] Thataka is a demon who is slain by Rama; a mother of two sons Mareecha and Subahu, and she is married to Sunda a chieftain; they are the cause of the wasteland Viswamithra, Rama and Lakshamana happen upon
Mahabali's Story
Arrogant and terrible conqueror crushed by Vishnu who takes the form of a dwarf; perhaps sage mentions this to prepare Rama and enlighten him on the fact that he is an incarnation of the same god in the story
Ganga's Story
They reach the Ganges and are told the goddess of the river's story and how she came to be (how the Ganges came to be); the "Horse Sacrifice"; Sakara's downfall and his grandson's plight to honour his ancestors by pleading with both Shiva and Ganga
Ahalya's Story
Seems to be equally the story of Indra as well, and how he came to be the thousand eyed god(!); important point in Rama's story because he breaks Ahalya's 'curse' as a stone for being deceived and sleeping with Indra (even though it wasn't her fault); Sage Gautama is also introduced here and Brahma the creator who created Ahalya as the most beautiful woman
Chapter 2: The Wedding
Sita and Rama meet here and are immediately enamoured with each other; Sita is beside herself and finds no comfort; Rama breaks Shiva's bow in order to win Sita's hand; Sita only learns of this news later and they are married; Viswamithra returns to the Himalayas and relinquishes the two brothers back to their king father.
Chapter 3: Two Promises Revived
Dasaratha is ready to relinquish his throne, chooses Rama, and hastens preparations for Rama's coronation while the eldest, Bharatha (son of Kaikeyi) is away; Through Kooni, Kaikeyi is driven to ask the King to fulfill promises he made to her in the form of banishing Rama and making Bharatha his successor [small parallel to the story of Adam and Eve, and the temptation that lead Eve and Adam to downfall-downfall of a kingdom and despair of the King and people in the absence of Rama from their country); the king is beside himself (speechless) but cannot refuse; Rama does not fight the exile; Lakshamana and Sita firmly decide to join him in his wilderness exile.
*Focus is on characters most involved in the story and not those necessarily mentioned and given credit to in stories told within The Ramayana, e.g. Suketha in Thataka's story.
⧫Mentioned here as an interest in learning more and for potential retellings later.
Reference: R. K. Narayan. The Ramayana [Print].
Characters*: King Dasaratha, Sage Vasishtha, Rishya Sringa (*gives king the bolus which allows him to have children), Kausalya (mother of Rama), Kaikeyi (mother of Bharatha), Sumithra (mother of Lakshamana and Sathrugna), Sage Viswamithra, Thataka, Ahalya, Sita, King Janaka, Kooni
POV: Narayan translates the poet Kamban's version of The Ramayana
Setting(s): the kingdom/country of Kosala, Adyodhya the capital, Mithila, forest and mountainland on the trip to Mithila travelled by Viswamithra and the two brothers, Rama and Lakshamana
Deities and demons⧫: Shiva (the destroyer, his bow is the one Rama breaks), Ravana (demon), Vishnu (Rama his incarnation), Ganga (goddess of the Ganges river), Thataka (demon mother of Mareecha and Subahu, defeated by Rama and his bow), Manmata (god of love, aka Kamdeva), Indra (the thousand 'eye' god), Lakshmi (incarnated as Sita)
Favourite sentences/phrases:
"A seed that sprouts at the foot of its parent tree remains stunted until it is transplanted." -Viwamithra
"One must know when to cease, and not wait for death or dotage."Section Summaries:
Prologue
Kosala is described and King Dasaratha is introduced as having barren wives (Kausalya, Kaikeyi, Sumithra) who are only able to bare him sons once he is gifted with a rice bolus by the Rishya Sringa and the wives consume it. In this section, his sage Vasishtha also introduced the notion of a Vishnu incarnation slaying the ten heads of Ravana.
Chapter 1: Rama's Initiation
Essentially introduction to Viswamithra who asks to have Rama and Lakshamana accompany him on his journey; so here begins Rama's journey as he faces many 'trials' along the way (the trials of a hero/saviour); Dasaratha clearly favours Rama and does not wish to be parted from him
Thataka's Story
[Interesting how it is mentioned as her story but it is her end] Thataka is a demon who is slain by Rama; a mother of two sons Mareecha and Subahu, and she is married to Sunda a chieftain; they are the cause of the wasteland Viswamithra, Rama and Lakshamana happen upon
Mahabali's Story
Arrogant and terrible conqueror crushed by Vishnu who takes the form of a dwarf; perhaps sage mentions this to prepare Rama and enlighten him on the fact that he is an incarnation of the same god in the story
Ganga's Story
They reach the Ganges and are told the goddess of the river's story and how she came to be (how the Ganges came to be); the "Horse Sacrifice"; Sakara's downfall and his grandson's plight to honour his ancestors by pleading with both Shiva and Ganga
Ahalya's Story
Seems to be equally the story of Indra as well, and how he came to be the thousand eyed god(!); important point in Rama's story because he breaks Ahalya's 'curse' as a stone for being deceived and sleeping with Indra (even though it wasn't her fault); Sage Gautama is also introduced here and Brahma the creator who created Ahalya as the most beautiful woman
Chapter 2: The Wedding
Sita and Rama meet here and are immediately enamoured with each other; Sita is beside herself and finds no comfort; Rama breaks Shiva's bow in order to win Sita's hand; Sita only learns of this news later and they are married; Viswamithra returns to the Himalayas and relinquishes the two brothers back to their king father.
Chapter 3: Two Promises Revived
Dasaratha is ready to relinquish his throne, chooses Rama, and hastens preparations for Rama's coronation while the eldest, Bharatha (son of Kaikeyi) is away; Through Kooni, Kaikeyi is driven to ask the King to fulfill promises he made to her in the form of banishing Rama and making Bharatha his successor [small parallel to the story of Adam and Eve, and the temptation that lead Eve and Adam to downfall-downfall of a kingdom and despair of the King and people in the absence of Rama from their country); the king is beside himself (speechless) but cannot refuse; Rama does not fight the exile; Lakshamana and Sita firmly decide to join him in his wilderness exile.
Kaikeyi is convinced by Kooni that she has been cheated by Dasaratha, in naming Rama his successor. Source: Flickr
*Focus is on characters most involved in the story and not those necessarily mentioned and given credit to in stories told within The Ramayana, e.g. Suketha in Thataka's story.
⧫Mentioned here as an interest in learning more and for potential retellings later.
Reference: R. K. Narayan. The Ramayana [Print].
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