Week 2: Storytelling--Cracked Perfection

Brahma once created a paradigm of absolute beauty, a woman who had not a single blemish or imperfection to mar her perfect features.  She was desired by all men, creatures and gods, for who would not wish to be the lover of such pulchritude?  Yet perfection can be a curse as much as it can be a blessing; not all are able to refuse the siren's call.  Moreover, when one encounters a siren--when one caves to temptation--someone must face destruction.

My name is Ahalya.  I am the creation of Brahma and the definition of non-imperfection.  And I am the one who faced the consequences of the siren's song. . .

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

While I was still a little girl, Indra, king of heavens, and highest of the pantheon, became enthralled with my beauty.  Brahma wished to save me from Indra's presumptuousness and left me in the care of Sage Guatama.  Gautama was generous and kind; never did his heart or mind stray from purity.  And I, having spent so much time in his company, loved and adored him.  Thus when Brahma and the gods blessed our marriage, I could not have been happier.

Perhaps it seems odd to you that I should delight in marrying my childhood guardian; but when you develop such adoration for a man, when you rejoice in his companionship and compassion, when a man has won your heart through his purity and wisdom and through his devotion--well, it is not so hard to promise yourself to him.

And perhaps it was the tranquility and bliss of our marriage that left me open to deceit.  Perhaps if I had experienced more duplicity in my childhood I would not have been so vulnerable to deception.  Yet, if my only fault was naivete and ignorance of guile, am I really to blame?  Was I really deserving of the harsh punishment I received?

For throughout the years Indra's infatuation had not waned, and his obsession to possess me had even grown.  He deceived me, assuming the guise of my beloved Guatama, and made 'love' to me.  By the time I realized that this figure, this semblance of my husband, was not in fact my love, it was too late.  Guatama found me in bed with Indra, cursed the god, and then claimed me defiled and sentenced me to a life as a stone until Rama would redeem me.  No matter how much I pleaded, no matter how I tried to explain that I should not be held culpable, Guatama could only look at me with thinly veiled disgust in his eyes.

To be left as shapeless granite through the long years by my beloved, my dearest companion. . . How it stung.  And to not even be able to voice my sorrow, for all of my lamentations to be unheard, it tortured me.  Every foot that trod on me, every voice that echoed off my cracked surface, every traveler who stopped to rest in my vicinity--how I wished to cry out to them, to beg for understanding and forgiveness!  I craved the affection of my beloved, but all I received was the caress of the wind. . . No punishment could have been greater.

I may as well have been a headstone whose inscription was worn away and whose identity was forgotten--that is, until Rama's path crossed with mine.  Suddenly my human form was restored to me, and my lamentations could be articulated.  But none of that mattered; all that I cared about was returning home to my beloved and being forgiven.

Do you hear me, dearest Guatama?  I know we cannot truly forget the past, but can you move on?  Will you forgive me my one offense?  You and I both know that I am not the same as I was, but no one is the same person they were yesterday.  I only hope that you can see beyond my transgression, and love me once again.

My name, Ahalya, no longer suits me.  Nevertheless, can you love me, Guatama, even though I am naught but cracked perfection?




Author's Note.  In this story, I expanded on the tale of Ahalya as it was told in Narayan's The Ramayana.  I found it odd that Ahalya, who was herself deceived, was punished so harshly for her indiscretion with the god Indra.  And so I decided to look at how she may have felt, at how blameless and yet guilty she may have thought herself, and to tell the story through her eyes.

Bibliography.  Narayan, R.K.  (1972)  The Ramayana.

Image Information.  Ahalya leaning on tree.  Chromolithograph by R. Varma, 1896.  Source:  Wellcome Images.

Week 2: Reading Diary B--Rama's Exile

Okay, so we left off with Kooni having convinced Kaikeyi to ask Dasaratha for Rama's exile and for Bharatha's coronation.  Dasaratha has spent the day spelling out all the details necessary for the coronation ceremony (which is still for Rama at this point), and then decides to seek out Kaikeyi's company.  Meanwhile Kaikeyi is in the kopa gruha, or the room of anger; there the king finds her, sulking and sprawled on the ground.

This next scene kind of surprised me--heck, it almost annoyed me.  Kaikeyi turns out to be quite the manipulative witch.  Dasaratha expects her to be excited for the coronation, which keeps him from realizing that she's upset for a surprising amount of time seeing as she is in the room of anger.  When Kaikeyi starts asking for a bowl of poison so she may end her troubles, Dasaratha freaks out--I mean, she is his favorite wife, so I can see that.  But when she asks for her two favors, you can't really outright deny her; and obviously she isn't in the most stable state of mind, so bargaining is also probably out of the picture.  And I get that that's extremely upsetting for the king.  Yet the extreme of his agony seems unrealistic.  A king who falls apart as soon as one close to him departs seems utterly unreliable and not worthy of my faith or trust, if you ask me.

Then, to top it all off, Dasaratha doesn't even have enough strength to talk to Rama or the ministers himself; no, he trusts this task to Kaikeyi, the scheming witch or initiated the whole mess.  I mean, my estimation in Kaikeyi grew in that I now respect her cunning and performance skills, but everyone else?  What the heck are they doing?  The ministers cave to her demands almost immediately and the king and Kausalya spend the whole time lamenting.  And Rama, well, he just accepts Kaikeyi's orders without saying a word to the king.  It's very honorable and all, but shouldn't he have at least asked that the king give the orders himself?  Rather than trust the distrustful witch? . . .

In any case, Rama willfully bows out while Dasaratha basically claims he will die as soon as Rama leaves.  And then, upon hearing that Rama did actually depart and head into exile, Dasaratha does, in fact, die.  Leaving the kingdom without a monarch until Bharatha can be summoned and brought back to Ayodhya.

At this point I really started to wonder about Rama's personality and services to the people.  When he leaves, the entire kingdom mourns; heck, half of the kingdom tries to go into exile with him.  That is some insane devotion right there.  We don't really know much about Rama's life up to this point, other than that he is a morally and spiritually upstanding guy who no one believes can do any wrong.  And it leads me to wonder what he did to deserve all the allegiance he has from the people.  But, moving on. . .

Lakshmana meanwhile has what I would consider a reasonable--and even judicious--response to the whole scenario.  He is enraged, and is ready to fight for Rama's spot not only in the country but on the throne.  He wishes to "overpower fate itself," a sentiment I believe many of the characters in this epic could benefit from.  But Rama, ever levelheaded, says that Kaikeyi deserves the kingdom, and that he is privileged to head into exile.  Bah!

So Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita head into exile in the woods together.  When Bharatha returns to Ayodhya and finds Dasaratha dead and Rama banished he is overwhelmed with sadness but chooses to act on it.  Big step forward for characters in the story right there!  In any case, he eventually concedes that Rama will perform his fourteen years of exile and that Bharatha will serve as a regent during his absence--but he does this only after the gods order him to do so, soooo. . . Yeah.  Everyone really loves and supports Rama, basically.  Except Kooni and Kaikeyi, of course.

As Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita travel, they encounter various figures such as Athri and his wife Anusuya and the Great Eagle, Jatayu.  Eventually they settle at Panchvati, where Lakshmana (luckily an adept architect) builds them a home.  Not long after they arrive, Ravana's sister Soorpanaka approaches Rama, her demon's appearance hidden behind the guise of a beautiful maiden.  Soorpanaka wishes to claim Rama as her own, and so after he first rejects her advances she works to capture Sita and take her place in Rama's home.  Luckily, the ever-present and ever-angry Lakshmana protects Sita and mutilates Soorpanaka.  Soorpanaka once again tries to gain Rama's favor; however, when he rejects her once more she sets her brother Kara and his armies on our exiled trio.

Fortunately--and just a bit unrealistically--Rama is able to defeat everyone who comes at him all by his lonesome through the use of his trusty bow.  Three cheers for Rama!  Fulfilling his destiny to defeat the demons like a pro, haha.  But, of course, Rama has yet to encounter Ravana, the supreme lord and leader of the rakshasas, who has just been informed of his stepbrother's defeat and sister's mutilation from the scorned Soorpanaka herself. . .

Week 2: Reading Diary A--Beginning R.K. Narayan's "The Ramayana"!

This week I began to read R.K. Narayan's version of The Ramayana; and may I just say that the writing style is fantastic!  Narayan is able to summarize portions of what the full epic says and to tell the main story points as well as the various stories embedded in the epic while still maintaining enough detail to draw you into the tale.  How he manages to write concisely and provide continuity within the story is quite impressive.  Nevertheless, seeing how I have indeed read the start of the epic, perhaps I should get on to the story itself!

At once the stories in The Ramayana are both what I expected and something unforeseen.  As the tale opens, we meet the emperor Dasaratha of Kosala--a country with the capital of Ayodhya.  Dasaratha is in need of sons, or else his dynasty will die out; and so he turns to his mentor, Sage Vasishtha, in order to remedy his problem.  King Dasaratha seeks out Rishya Sringa to perform a sacrifice, and during the ceremony a supernatural being gifts to the king a platter bearing sacramental rice.  And in giving this rice to his wives Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumithra, Dasaratha attained the children he so desired!  (One of his sons, Rama, was an incarnation of the god Vishnu, and destined to defeat the demon Ravana. . .)

Now that he had sons--Rama and Bharatha from Kausalya and Kaikeyi and Lakshmana and Sathrugna from Sumithra--courtly proceedings continued on as per usual.  But one afternoon a king-turned-sage by the name of Viswamithra came to the court and asked that Rama accompany and protect him on a trip to perform a yagna at Sidhasrama.  After a short while, the King agreed, saying only that Lakshmana must also travel with them.  Viswamithra, Rama, and Lakshmana then set out for Sidhasrama, crossing the Sarayu River and heading on through a sacred grove and into an accursed desert.

Here Viswamithra tells Rama and Lakshmana the story of Thataka, a woman who was a beautiful, pure, and wild demigod.  Her two sons Mareecha and Subahu had supernatural powers but laid waste to the world around them due to conceit.  The saint Agasthya saw the destruction they caused and cursed the boys' father, killing him instantly.  Thataka and her sons wished revenge, but were themselves cursed and become demons.  Not long after hearing the tale, the group encountered Thataka herself, though she was quickly defeated by Rama.

Next, upon reaching a misty wood, Viswamithra told the story of Mahabali, who seized the earth and heaven while Vishnu meditated.  Vishnu soon incarnated as a dwarfish man and visited Mahabali.  Mahabali granted the dwarf a gift--however much land the dwarf could measure in three strides.  Once the deal was struck, Vishnu grew to a massive size and covered the earth and the heavens, and then pressed Mahabali into the netherworld with his final step.

As they reached the location for the upcoming yagna, the group was beset by demons and Thataka's sons.  Together Lakshmana and Rama protected the sages, and Rama defeated Mareecha and Subahu with his bow.  When the sacrifices were complete, Viswamithra lead Rama and Lakshmana on to Mithila, a city under the rule of King Janaka--Sita's father!

But before we are to meet Sita, we hear the story of Ganga from Viswamithra.  One of Rama's ancestors, Sakara, wished to perform the "Horse Sacrifice" in order to cement the power of his empire.  But in an attempt to defeat the sacrifice, the god Indra abducted the horse and hid it belowground.  Sakara's sons dug to find the horse, only to be killed by the Sage behind which the horse had been hidden; only one of the party survived the expedition.  King Sakara later turned the crown over to his grandson Bhagiratha, who wished to attain salvation for his ancestors who had been killed.  After thousands of years of praying to Brahma and Shiva and Ganga, Ganga began her descent to the world.  Shiva lessened the tumultuous deluge of her arrival and left only a trickle of her waters to cleanse and nourish the land.

Back to our trio on the road!  As Rama approaches Mithila, the sands from his feet turn a stone into a woman, Ahalya.  We learn through Viswamithra that she had been turned to stone by her husband Gautama as a result of her infidelity with the god Indra--who had so desired Ahalya that he transformed into Gautama in his absence in order to have her.  And here we see, once again, Rama's role in eliminating evil and restoring righteousness to the world around him!

Two more major events occurred in this first reading:  First, Rama successfully bends and strings Shiva's enormous bow, thus winning the hand of King Janaka's daughter Sita.  And it just so happens that shortly before taking on this challenge, Sita (an incarnation of Lakshmi) and Rama had fallen madly in love at first sight in the streets.  Not long after winning her hand, all who are able travel from Ayodhya to Mithila to witness the festive occasion that is their marriage!

But the final major event in this reading leaves us hanging; Dasaratha, realizing his age, decides to retire and leave the throne to Rama.  But, ever plotting, Kaikeyi's handmaiden Kooni reminded Kaikeyi of the two favors that Dasaratha owed her.  Thus Kaikeyi was led to demand the banishment of Rama for fourteen years to the forest and the immediate crowning of her son Bharatha. . .

Now to read on and discover what happens next!!!

Week 1: Storybook Favorites

So for this post I will explore past Epics of India Storybooks.   And honestly, this post was a lot of fun to write.  Not the writing of the post itself, but the exploration of the creative intellects of past students.  Plus, this only creates more foreshadowing and further piques my interest for what we will be reading this semester!

(screenshot of the Zoo Animal History Storybook)

The first Storybook that caught my interest was Zoo Animal History.  At first glance this storybook caught my eye because, well, I am a Biology major.  As such, anything having to do with animals is going to get my immediate attention.  And when you throw mythology, history, and a foreign culture into the mix?  Well, let's just say I'm hooked!  In this Storybook, various animals found in the epics were described as you took a zoo tour of various habitats.  Background on the mythological creatures was given as well as their role in the epics.  Plus there was an adorable zoo animal background that I couldn't help but "Awww" at.  All in all, this Storybook presented a great way to introduce me to some of the critters we will be encountering this semester.

(screenshot of the Post Secret Sanskrit Storybook)

Next I was drawn in by the Post Secret Sanskrit Storybook.  Post Secret has fascinated me since I heard about it, and it is the combined image and emotion format that really draws me in. The fact that this storybook used images and added in sayings or sentiments relating to the epics just highlighted certain topics and themes that will be addressed.  It also provided an emotional view of the stories we will read, rather than solely a factual or informational stance.  I loved the intersection between emotion, information, and visuals, and so this Storybook really seemed striking to me!

(screenshot of the Indian Horror Story Storybook)

The third Storybook that really grabbed my attention was Indian Horror Story.  This Storybook engaged me with its chilling photograph on the site's home as well as the interesting, modern-day thriller approach to the Indian mythology.  The references are noted below the stories in the Author's Notes, and the very subtle methods used to incorporate characters and plots from the epics showcases a creative (and creepy) talent for writing!!  While I would read these stories only in the bright light of day, I applaud the author's ability to turn traditional Indian stories into sinister but modern tales.


The variety of creative styles and methodologies in approaching the epics of India is truly astounding when flipping through these past Storybooks!  I look forward to beginning my own and delving deep into the mythology to record these tales in my own narrative style.

Week 1: Introduction to Indian Epics

Now that this blog has been established, I do believe it is time to formally introduce myself.  Or at least it's time to informally introduce myself, if I am being completely accurate.

(A personal photograph of my front porch from my favorite

tree to sit and read in; July 2014)

To reiterate a fact I stated briefly before, I am a Pennsylvanian; my hometown is Macungie, PA, though I now live in Mount Bethel, PA--where formerly I spent every summer since I was a baby.  So I guess you could even say I have two hometowns, haha.  I came to OU due to the National Merit Scholarship and fantastic Honors College programs.  And, upon attending school here, I have realized that there is no other university where I would rather be!

I am double-majoring in Biology & Letters, a very eclectic (but fitting) duo.  I have always wanted to go into some kind of animal behavioral research, but also find the classics, literature, philosophy, history and language fascinating--making my choice in majors perfect but widely encompassing as far as subject matter goes.  Therefore this semester I am taking Ovid's Poetry (in Latin), Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, The Examined Life: Antiquity, Principles of Ecology, and Epics of India.  That list of courses right there truly exemplifies my wide-ranging variety of tastes!

As far as hobbies go, I love to read, watch a variety of movies and TV shows, like to write stories (though I have issues with completing what I start. . . whoops!), enjoy playing sports such as volleyball, soccer, basketball, and ping pong, like to sketch (even if I'm not an utterly fantastic artist), love to hike and kayak, and all-around enjoy any time spent outdoors.  I have also recently resumed running, an exercise that seems to get the better of me more often than not.

(One of my favorite silly photos of my sisters and I a couple of years ago

when we were moving out of our old house; November 2012)

I have two sisters, one older and one younger, and I am two years apart from each of them.  If this had been written two months ago, I would have stated that I have two pets--a Brittany spaniel named Buddy and a gray calico cat named Princess.  But then my sister decided to adopt an eight-week-old German shepherd/Anatolian shepherd mix puppy, so now I have yet another pet to list.  And while she is absolutely adorable, Calypso has proven to be a very mischievous puppy.  I hope that by the time I head home to PA for winter break I no longer have to worry about quite as much trouble from the little imp!

(Personal photographs of our new puppy, Calypso, on the left and my Brittany,

Buddy (under my favorite reading tree!) on the right; August 2014)

Well, now that you know the basics about me, it is time for the fun to truly begin.  Onward and upward we go!!

Week 1: Storytelling--The Echo of Tommy Lin

There once was a little boy named Tommy Lin who lived on a farm.  Now this little boy was not your typical, somewhat-meddlesome but rather well-behaved child.  No, Tommy Lin was the kind of boy who would sneer at you and cause shivers to roll down your spine and goosebumps to pebble on your skin.  He was the boy who you would turn around and watch as you walked away from him so as to never turn your back to him.  He was the boy whose laughs seemed to echo on forever as he mocked you.  He was the kind of boy who brought you nightmares.

And yet, somehow, Tommy Lin always seemed to maneuver so that adults never saw him act out.  While even they refused to turn their backs on him, nothing could ever be proven against him--and you can't do anything about a child who simply gives you the creeps.  But that all changed the day Echo, Mr. Lin's barn mouser, was found drowned in a well.

You see, Tommy Lin never did like that cat.  He was always locking it out of the house, giving it spoiled milk, or kicking it if it got too close.  Then one day poor old Echo raced right into a baited trap Tommy Lin had left for him; I mean, have you ever known a mouser not to chase after a live mouse?  Echo was only doing what he was supposed to, and he wound up dead.

In fact, it was not until later that evening that Echo was discovered.  Mr. Lin ran outside to find his dog Pioneer whining at something in the farm's well, and upon investigation found a strangled, waterlogged cat floating on the top of the water.  Yet Echo had done one final valiant deed before his drowning--he had scratched Tommy Lin across the face, marking the boy for his murder.  When confronted by his father, Tommy Lin only laughed; he laughed all the way to the correctional center and behind padded doors.  And, to this day, his laughs still echo through the fields of his father's farms, along the roads of the town, and in the cell where he stands grinning through the bars. . .





Author's Note.  This story is based on the nursery rhyme "Ding, dong, bell," which can be found in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897).  The original rhyme is written as follows:

Ding, dong, bell,

Pussy's in the well!

Who put her in?--

Little Tommy Lin.

Who pulled her out?--

Dog with long snout.

What a naughty boy was that

To drown poor pussy-cat,

Who never did any harm,

But kill'd the mice in his father's barn.

I decided to take a risk (and a new storytelling route for me) and create a mini horror story out of it.  Now to find a dying campfire on a farm and wait for a dark, cloudy night. . .

Image Information.  A photograph of a farmhouse ruin in the winter.  Photographer Peter Dargatz. Source: Pixabay.

Week 1: Overview for Indian Epics!

Now is the time when we begin to delve deep into the world and mythology of India!  But first...an exploration into why I am taking this course in the first place.

For one thing, with my schedule there were very few courses that I could fit this semester that work towards both my letters major and my non-Western civilizations gen-ed.  But beyond that, I have always been interested in mythology and folklore, in the commonalities between various religions and belief systems, and the unique perceptions of the world and creation.  Last spring, I took a course on American religion in the margins, in which we explored briefly the adaptations Hinduism made in order to assimilate into the western world, and the fleeting glimpse left me intrigued and grasping for more.  And so I enrolled in this course, an online course that is flexible enough to fit into my schedule, works well at incorporating into the course requirements I have yet to take, and allows me to explore the fascinating mythology of India.

Of course, I have only a cursory knowledge of the Hindu tradition, and very little background on the history of India.  However as I take this course, I hope to find points on which I may branch off on my own to explore and discover the historical, cultural and religious context of these stories.  My lack of knowledge only works to pique my interest and foster a hunger for more!

That being said, I am curious about many, many things pertaining to Indian culture and religion.  First off, what historical context are these stories set in, how does this affect the content contained in these stories, and through what tradition were these epics recorded?  How does the social and historical context of the time in which these epics were first written down affect the content within?

More generally, what roles do the Hindu deities play not only in the epics, but in the lives of the various strata of Indian peoples?  How would the deities' roles in the stories resonate with the people?  What aspects of the deities are disputed, both within the epics and outside in the general religious context?  What about these epics specifically resounds so strongly that they have remained as prominent examples of Indian literature even til today?

So, as you can see, I have more than enough questions, some of which will probably never be answered, or will at the very least be much disputed.  But that's the fun of reading great works of literature--there are always aspects that will be open to interpretation or at least open to debate.  And the fact that so many versions of these works remain is proof of that fact!!


P.S.   I went into this assignment planning on watching only about 5 minutes of Nina Paley's "Sita Sings the Blues"...But, before I realized it, I was half an hour in and engrossed by the mix of old and new elements, drawn in by the various unique animation styles, and amused by the various viewpoints and perspectives on the Ramayana given by the three different voices.  While I have not finished the movie yet, no doubt I will have watched the entire film by the end of tonight, satisfying--for the mean time--some of my thirst for knowledge and insight into Indian mythology!!

Week 1: The Delaware Water Gap and Columcille...My Favorite Places

Over the course of the spring and summer, I tend to do a lot of hiking and kayaking.  As a result, many of my favorite places are located in the great outdoors!!

(Also, a fun fact you might want to know about me:  I'm a Pennsylvanian!  So, armed with that knowledge, onto my favorite places!)



First off, there is the glorious Delaware Water Gap.  The Appalachian Trail passes through the Gap, making this a much-visited hiking site.  I have hiked on both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey sides, as well as kayaked down the Delaware River through the gap.  The best views of the river are undoubtedly from the New Jersey site, and the vista is simply breathtaking!!

(Image Information: personal photo of the DWG; photo from August 2014)

Often you see hawks or even bald eagles soaring level with you while you're at the top of the mountain, and no matter which way you turn the sights are wondrous!

(Image Information: personal photos of the DWG looking North and South; photos from August 2014)

Another of my favorite spots is a more relaxing locale--a peaceful walk through the woods rather than a hike up a mountain.  Known as Columcille Megalith Park, this park is privately owned but is open to the public.  It's fascinating in that it was inspired by the Isle of Iona has a very Celtic feel to it!

                                      (Image Information: personal photo of the tower at Columcille; photos from August 2014)

Often when I go to Columcille it's to relax and get away from the vexations of life...

 (Image Information: personal photos of the Columcille Chapel from inside; photos from August 2014)

Google Search-by-Image Tech Tip

Using Google search-by-image, I was able to discover the title and background of this image, which depicts Saint George and the Dragon.  This painting was created in 1889-1890 by Gustave Moreau.

Saint George and the Dragon by Gustave Moreau.

Image source:  Wikipedia.

More info:  Wikipedia:  Saint George and the Dragon

Testing, Testing: 1, 2, 3...

And so begins another attempt to enter into the world of blogging!!  This time, I shall foray into the world and mythology of Indian epics.  So, here goes nothing...

We have clearance, Clarence.
Roger, Roger.