Week 4: Famous Last Words

This week in class I feel as though I really struggled with writing my storybook post. I do feel as though it was my best writing in the class this week, but it could have been better. I struggled with making it my own story, instead of just writing what I read in the book. I also felt as though I did not give the scene the justice that it deserves when describing it in the post. I tried to be more descriptive in this storytelling post, but it is something that I will have to keep working on.

This week I felt as though Marielle wrote a great story! I really have enjoyed reading her different storytelling posts. I feel as though she takes scenes from the book and really brings them to life. I think she is a great writer, and I strive to one-day write something like her. I am not very good at setting a scene and describing the different characters, but I believe she does this very well. If you get a chance you should read some of her stories!

My other classes are going well. I had my first quiz in one of them and it was harder than I thought it would be. Now I know I will have to keep up with all the reading involved. This class continues to have the most work, and I have not gotten ahead in it, but I still plan to find time to do that. I do enjoy the writing though, so it makes it worth it.

This weekend my roommates and I decided we would take a break from college life and go hiking. It was such a good decision, and I’m pretty sure that a lot of people had the same idea this weekend. We went to Turner Falls and hiked for about 4 hours. It was a great stress reliever! If you get a chance it is just an hour-long drive down I35 South!

(Hiking at Turner Falls. Picture taken by strangers)

Week 4 Storytelling: Valmiki Breaks Through

Why did Narada wake me, I asked myself? I have been perfectly content by myself for years, and now he needs me for something. That’s always how things go. They don’t need you, and then when they do they expect you to just drop everything to help. Why would I do that? I am confortable and happy sitting right here in my ant pile, contemplating life.

(Valmiki in Ant Hill. Source: Wikipedia)

But… He did ask me to save this woman Sita from killing herself, which I guess is important. Why would she do that anyway? That’s very sad. I wish I could help, but I am doing what I love here. Besides, people aren’t happy or friendly, why would I want to interact with individuals like that. But, Narada did say she was a good person, and maybe we can be friends. I’d like that. It’s lonely here sometimes.

It’s decided! I will help this woman Sita, whomever she may be. I can always go back to my meditation if she is an utterly horrendous person. I slowly pushed my way through the hard sand that has been sitting around me for thousands of years. Wow, times flies when you're having fun. I guess I was having fun, wasn’t I?

As I looked around I noticed that a whole community had been built in the clearing around me. Why did I not notice this before?

“Hurry up Valmiki, you will miss Sita, and she will be lost to the call of Ganga,” Narada lectured me, “You know how Ganga promises the comfort of her water to rid people of their sorrows. You have to get to Sita fast!”

Good thing the river was so close to me. I took off running towards Sita weaving through the large trees as fast as my legs would take me. My feet were pounding on the hard ground, and then I saw her. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. My feet ground to a stop right in front of her.

I did not know what words to say to this lovely creature before my eyes. She was perfectly proportioned from her lips, which glowed like rubies, to her toes that were decorated with the finest jewels around. A lavish silk wrap adorned her perfect body. As my eyes took in her beauty I noticed the little prize she was carrying with her, she was pregnant.

“Hello dear Sita, my name is Valmiki. I would be forever blessed if you would stay with me and my family,” I told Sita.

“Valmiki you honor me. I have just been banished from my own kingdom and have nowhere to turn. I cannot accept this grace you have given me.”

“But you must. I feel it is my duty to serve you in any way I can. Oh lovely Sita I know you can be happy again. Just stay here with us and we will make you forget the harshness of your past home.”

“Valmiki my life was not harsh. You misunderstand the situation. My dear Rama, the love of my life had to make a tough decision. I support him fully. He needed to show the kingdom that he would do anything for them.”

“What kind of man would abandon his wife, and a pregnant one at that?”

“The kind of man who wants more for his kingdom. He is a man who would sacrifice his own happiness for his people. You see my Rama still loves me above all things, but he sacrificed what he felt he needed to.”

“I understand what you are saying Sita. I still would like you to stay with us, and you will be treated like family. We will help you raise your children when they are born.”

“You do me a great justice. I will gladly stay here with you, and enjoy the life you have created here. It looks like the perfect place to raise my children,” Sita smiled at me.

“Then it is settled, you will live here with us.”

Author’s Note: For this story I chose to write it from Valmiki’s perspective. I wrote it from when he came out of his ant pile all the way through when he met Sita. I believe that writing it like this would show more of Valmiki’s feelings. It showed what he was thinking and feeling when he was interrupted from his meditation to save someone he didn’t know. I did not make many changes to the original story, besides taking away a lot of the conversation Valmiki and Narada had. I also had Valmiki discover that Sita was pregnant himself. I just really took the original story and expanded upon it.

Bibliography:

• Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way. 

Week 4 Reading Diary A: Starting Buck's Ramayana

Valmiki went into the Forest, to be alone, after being unsuccessful in finding happy and welcoming people. He sat there for so many years that he was covered in an ant pile. Pg. 3

Valmiki was not a poet until he said a verse about a poor bird that was killed. This is when he became a poet and Brahma came and told him the story of Rama. Pg. 7

I thought it was interesting that this story (Buck’s version) started at the end of the last one, but it left a good reason to tell the story of the Ramayana. Pg. 6

I still think it is weird that Rama sent Sita away even though he loved her so much. He even brought a golden statue of her to the festival to show his love for her. Pg. 9

Narayana flew on Garuda to rid the world of the demons. Many fell easily from his arrows. Pg. 24

Image Source: Wikipedia. Vishnu on Garuda.

I thought it was interesting to see that even Yama, Lord Death surrendered to Ravana during the battle of Heaven. Pg. 40

• Need to reread this section of the book.

Airvata, Indra’s elephant throws Ravana down during the battle of Heaven. Pg. 45

King Dasaratha has to give Rama to help with the fight against demons. He made a promise that he would help Viswamithra before he heard the story. After hearing his story he does not want to give up Rama, but he made a promise and he follows through with it. Pg. 47

I thought it was interesting that it says that Ahalya might have known it wasn’t her husband that she was bedding, but she was curious so she did it anyway. Pg. 51