Reading Notes: Part B Ramayana - Patrick's Discoveries

So far the Epic follows Rama's adventures in the woods. Rama just ran into Soorpanaka who, madly is love with him, tries every method of deceit in order to win Rama's love. Rama, however, did not yield to the demonic creature. The depiction of Rama here is fascinating as he is the embodiment of human completeness - winning the love of unearthly beauty and feigning off the deceit of demonic powers. The story continues with Soorpanaka being devestatingly mutililated by Lakshmana who detected Soorpanaka's egregious plan a mile away.  Soorpanaka eventually tries to grab Rama by force and her army is defeated, in which case she turns to the aid of her her brother, Ravana. Ravana intercedes under the pretense of attaining Sita as his divine love, being that she should desires him first before desiring any mortal, makes it his plan to capture Sita and avoid direct conflict with Rama at all cost. Ravana succeeds in his endeavor to capture Sita.

Perhaps the most interesting theme of the depiction of the gods in The Ramayana is the fact that all these gods are struck by earthly appetites. Such feelings of pleasure, anger, jealously, and revenge affect humans as much as they affect the gods. The theme of appetite in supposedly immortal figures seem to exist not only in western pagan views of gods but also eastern ones. It brings up speculation that perhaps the eastern powers were exposed to the west's oral stories of their gods.

Another interesting concept is the language that the author uses to describe confrontation with the gods - particularly when Jatuya obstructs Ravana's getaway by presenting what he calls a 'challenge.' The use of the word "challenge" is powerful because it connotes a theme of justification for action - just as it is worthy to challenge somebody to a dual and to win something as a prize, the idea of challenge seems to be an important concept of for justifying actions. 

Ideas for my story would perhaps involve some type of story where Patrick is taken away as a prize or Ravana goes mad because of patrick's form and figure.

Mareechi being shot by Rama - image taken from asuras anonymous

Bibliography:

Narayan, R. K., and Kampar. The Ramayana: a Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic (Suggested by the Tamil Version of Kamban). Penguin Books, 2006.