Photographer: Indi Samarajiva
While I read through this, I got lost in the wikipedia pages quite often. Not knowing any of the characters, places, or cultural references, I was often clicking on the links to understand better. It was tough for me to decide who was my favorite but I like Lakshmana a lot. He is pretty awesome playing the side role to Rama. I am still needing to digest everything I just read but I really enjoyed diving into the deep lore.
Below are quotes that stuck out to me while reading.
But although Dasharatha was mighty and powerful, and prospered greatly, his heart was full of sorrow because that no son had been born to him by either of his three queens, Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra.
Dasharatha's Sons
Twenty-one sacrificial posts were set up for the birds, and beasts, and reptiles which were to be offered up besides the horse, and there were eighteen Homa pits.
Thataka
Because she was a female, the sons of Dasharatha were reluctant to cause her death.
In the morning Vishwamitra chanted powerful mantras, which caused celestial weapons to appear for Rama, and the spirits of the weapons stood before the prince with clasped hands and said, “We are thy servants, O nobly generous one. Good betide thee! Whatever thou dost desire, lo, we shall accomplish for thee!”
Rama thought of his celestial weapons, and they immediately appeared beside him.
Bhagiratha and Ganga
Asamanja, who should perpetuate his race, and the other should be the mother of sixty thousand manly and high-spirited sons.
This heroic prince, following the traces they had left of their eventful journey, at length reached the spot where the missing horse was detained and there discovered also the ashes of his sixty thousand uncles.
Sagara himself died after a reign of thirty thousand years.
Ahalya
When Town-Destroying Indra came
And saw the beauty of the dame.
The sage's form the god endued
And thus the fair Ahalya wooed.
And saw the beauty of the dame.
The sage's form the god endued
And thus the fair Ahalya wooed.
Sita
"I know of a surety that there comes hither a lady whom I shall love beyond all things else in the world." Lifting his eyes he saw Sita, the king's daughter, and they loved each other then and for ever.
King Janka
Said Janaka, “Behold the mighty bow which has been treasured by generations of kings. Many rajahs and warriors have endeavored in vain to bend it; even rakshasas and asuras have failed; the gods themselves quail before it. To the rajah who can bend this mighty weapon I will give in marriage my daughter, the beauteous Sita.”
Rama Wins Sita
Reminds me off excalibur
Parashurama
So saying, he handed to Rama his bow, the string hanging loose. No sooner had Rama touched it than the string fastened itself tight, ready for shooting a shaft! At this token of magic the hermit of the woods clasped his hands in homage: "Glory to the mighty Rama!"
Rama and Sita's Wedding
Wonder what all of their wedding rituals are like?
Rama Gets Banished
Calmly he spake and said, “I will depart this day in fulfilment of my father's vow. Cheerfully will I obey his command. Let Bharata be summoned quickly fromGirivrajah, and I will hasten to the jungle of Dandaka.”
Rama Goes into Exile
thou art dearer to me than life itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment