Week 6: Reading Diary B--War, War, and More War.

Jumping right in. . .

Rama decides to lay siege to Lanka with the animal army.  His decision on when to start (the next day) and description of the time is quite ominous.  All "Death will be in conjunction with the moon"--spooky!  Haha.

Rama is quite rude to the Ocean when it won't let him pass.  So something won't immediately bow down to you--get over it!  He doesn't even really ask nicely or anything; no manners!  And yet the Ocean helps him anyway for love.  Turns out the Ocean is more compassionate than Rama is polite.  Go figure.

Squirrels helping build a bridge. . . Yeah, would never see that coming.

Vibhishana makes some very passive aggressive comments here.  If I didn't know any better, I'd say he even employs a little sarcasm.  Is it bad that I love him for it?

Ravana refuses to give back Sita and ask pardon 'cause he's a--shall we say--stupidhead, for lack of a crude term.  So Vibhishana goes to join Rama's side.  All in all, we see that V is the smart sibling of the two.

And then Hanuman calls Sugriva out for being a drunk.  Because if I served a king, that's totally what I would say to him.  "King, you were to drunk to remember, plus you're just plain ignorant.  Leave off!"  Granted those are my words, but still, that is basically what he says.

The bridge is built and Lanka is reached.  Woot woot!

You also hear the phrase in books "shrink to nothing," but in this case it was actually literal.  Huh.

"'Are you afraid?' 'Well no, but my stomach hurts!'"  <--Best/weirdest excuse ever to resign from being a spy.  Do you think it works for other jobs/activities too?

So Sita couldn't see through the illusion of Rama's dead beheaded head.  Fun fact.  Thank goodness for Prahasta's timing in announcing Rama's arrival, or Sita would have killed herself--she definitely resorts to that solution a lot. . . Anyway, that gave a rakshasi the chance to tell her the truth.  A demon who isn't demonic?!  Say what?

Yay, Time is back!!  This time he is an old, withered man, walking the streets of Lanka.  Cool descriptions, though I never want to see someone grinning at me like a skull.  That's just plain creepy.

Ravana has serious anger issues.  He needs a therapist, stat.

Loved the verse at the beginning of the "Siege of Lanka" chapter:  "This perilous Life is a drop of water,/ A hanging raindrop on a lotus leaf;/ Soon it falls back in the pond below/ And is lost."  Truly sad words, but beautifully told.

I wish I had brass clubs thrown at me to kill off all the mosquitoes biting me on summer nights.  Imagine how awesome that overkill would be. . .

The whole time Nala is killing Prahasta, I'm picturing a lioness attacking a demon.  Like a mix of The Lion King and Fantasia.  There is so much wrong with me. . .

I can kinda relate to Ravana in that my younger sibling is also significantly taller than me.  I mean, she's no Kumbhakarna, but that would just be ridiculous!

Okay, now I'm picturing Ravana as a child throwing a tantrum.  "'What I don't like I don't hear!'"  Pfft.  Grow up, little boy, this is the real/mythological world.  Both of your brothers tried to correct your error and you ignored them; you will get your due, and it won't be pretty!

What is so special about Rama's arrows?!  Every other weapon fails, but one arrow from him and poof!  Problem solved.

Answer:  The arrows are washed in gold and then blood.  Soooo, okay then.  That's different.

Indrajit still seems like the best and most intelligent/straightforward warrior on Ravana's side.  It's no wonder he's the only one who can get things done.  Not that I support him, but you have to love a guy who knows what he's doing.  Even if he does kill everyone and Rama.  Still impressive.  (Again, I have sooooo many issues, haha.)

And now we bring the dead back to life.  Why not?  Death is the work of Maya, after all.  It is only an illusion.  Just carry a mountain of herbs over an army of the dead, and they come back to life.  It's that simple, hah.

Wholehearted love = impossible deeds.  Good to know.

And on the third day he rose again. . . to find Rama is alive.  Poor Ravana, can't even rest without everything falling apart around him.

Seems my Bible allusion was apt; for now we have "Fight for me on Earth, as you did in heaven!" mirroring some Christian prayer.  Curiouser and curiouser.

More illusions, more people too ignorant to see through them, more battles. . . And Lakshmana kills Indrajit!!  Awww! :(    (I-I mean woo-hoo!!  Go protagonists!  Hooray cliches!!)

And finally, Ravana decides he will go face Rama himself.  Now we must wait for the battle royale to begin!!