Indian Epics

Vyasa eased the pain of the loss of the child, this story will be what I write about this week. Vyasa summons the ghosts Image Source Bibliography:  Source . Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).

The Pandavas and the sages seem like it'll be an interesting story to write about this week. Pandavas in the forest Image Source Bibliography:  Source . Life in the Forest: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).

Long ago, an evil plot to eliminate competition to the thrown was brewing among princes. King Dhritarashra, and Prince Duryodhana sought to kill Queen Kunti and her sons. However, Prince Vidura was clever, and he knew of the plot his half brother was plotting. To prevent the plot from coming to fruition, he visited his nephew Prince Yudhishthira and gave him a cryptic, dark message. Prince Yudhishthira, considered by many to have the wisdom of a sage, was able to interpret the message left to him by his uncle and gathered his family into the new palace which had just been built by the evil duo. Upon entering the palace, Yudhishthira noticed every last bit of furniture was soaked in oil and the ceilings were made of nothing more than wood. He told his mother that he believed they were in grave danger, and that they needed to plan an escape before they were burned inside the house. In secret, they hired a miner to come and build them a tunnel. They hid the miner and the tunnel from the c...

Interesting that they escaped alive and are now sort of on the run. Bhima and Hidimba Image Source Bibliography:  Source . Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)

Interesting how in the story Ganesha is never described as looking like an elephant outside of the image of him at the bottom. Ganesha Image Source Bibliography: Source   The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie (1921). 

When a new King was crowned, Rama was sentenced to exile by him. The king was threatened by Rama, for if Rama would have tried to take the crown, he would have succeeded. However, instead of fighting the exile, Rama accepted it. His lover, Sita begged and pleaded with Rama to allow her to accompany him. But Rama believed the woods to be too dangerous for her. He told her of all the wild animals, poisonous snakes, lack of food, water, and the many other dangers that awaited him in the forest.  But Sita simply looked at him with tears in her eye and said, “As long as you are with me, there is no evil that I shall fear”. She told Rama of the prophesy she received numerous times as a child by many seers, that she would one day live out in the woods. She told Rama that being with him was heaven and hell did not exist. And so, they set off together into the woods. It was not just Sita who wished to follow Rama into his exile, but also Lakshman. Lakshman vowed to set out before Ram...

Rama's wounds were an interesting thing, I'm not sure I remember him getting wounded last week. Still believe I will write about the relationship between Rama and Sita. Rama and Sita Source Bibliography: Reading Source Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists: Ramayana Sister Nivedita 1914