Storybook Topics Brainstorm

The first idea for my storybook is to have one that focuses on stories about the rakshakas or demons. So far, this is probably my favorite idea, although it does need more development. Most of what I know about the rakshakas is from Narayan's Ramayana and a little, I looked up on Wikipedia. Each of the four stories would focus on one rakshaka, probably the lesser-known ones than Ravana. In addition, I would try to find stories (or make them) where the rakshakas are more sympathetic. For example, one story may be about Maricha being threatened and therefore persuaded to trick Rama when he just wanted peace after his family was killed. For this storybook, I would have to decide what rakshakas I wanted to focus on and who I wanted to tell the story and who they were being told to. I think this would be an interesting topic, because most of the side stories in Ramayana that really interest me or that I wished I had known about involved a rakshaka.

The Death of Maricha. Wikimedia

My second idea involves heroines from the Indian epics. I saw quite a few past storybooks with this format, but I liked the ones I read. If I did this, it would probably be a mother telling her daughter about the goddesses to teach her something about lessons about women's lives. For this I would focus on one heroine in each story but I might repeat heroines. I would definitely use Sita for at least one story. For example, I may use the story of when Sita freaked out when Rama went to find the dear and couldn't be calmed by Lakshmana's reassurances. With that story, the moral being to keep calm when you don't actually know what has happened. I thought there were very interesting women in the stories and that is the main reason I decided to include this idea on the list. I would have much more research to do to find different heroine's and stories but I would use the Ramayana as a starting point.

My third idea would focus on secondary heroes or heroines in the stories. Lakshmana was one of my favorite characters in Ramayana and I think it would be interesting to focus on him and other secondary heroes (or sidekick type characters?) and tell stories either about them or from their perspective. Hanuman may be another character that I could talk about in this storybook. If I did this storybook idea, I would have more research to do on stories and secondary heroes outside of the Ramayana, as I haven't done much research beyond that yet. For this storybook, I'm not sure how I would have it told. Maybe like bedtime stories or maybe stories being told to a young adult or brother who is complaining about not being as important or cool as someone else to show that the legendary heroes also need support and help from others. This one isn't very far worked out, but I like the idea of focusing on characters who are at and involved in most all of the major events but not the focus of the original stories.

The fourth idea is probably my least favorite, but I do kind of like the concept. The idea of karma has always been very interesting to me, but I've never learned much about it or how it really works. This one would have the most research involved, because now I know almost nothing of the stories I would tell. However, I think it could be interesting to have the storybook feature someone from the Hindu religion using stories from old stories to try to explain karma to someone today. This storybook would be told about ancient myths but the language used would be modern since it is someone trying to explain the stories and concept of karma to someone who isn't well-versed in the ideas behind karma.

My last idea was to focus on the back-stories of small characters from the epics. For example, I thought that there were many interesting characters who were only in Ramayana for a few lines to a page, but seemed like they would have had great stories on how they got to the place they were. A couple of this was Ahalya, who was turned to stone for being tricked into sleeping with someone besides her husband, and Swayamprabha, who Angada and Hanuman find trapped in a cave while they search for Sita. I thought there were many interesting characters in the epic that were quickly brushed over but would have been cool to learn more about. For this I would have to do research outside of the stories on these characters as well as read the next epics to find similar characters to find out more about.

Week 2: Soorpanaka's Deceit (Storytelling)

I sat in our cottage while Rama and Lakshmana worked outside in the forest. Lakshmana had disappeared into the woods, but I could see Rama working just outside the cottage, humming quietly to himself.  

I went back to my cleaning until I heard Rama’s humming stop. I waited a second, listening before I heard him begin talking, but he sounded dazed. Not like he sounded when he talked to Lakshmana. I peered at the window to see a beautiful woman walking towards him from the woods.

She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She looked perfect with beautiful clothes and an abundance of jewelry covering her person.  No one of this beauty could be a mere human. She must have been disguised, or else been an incarnation of a goddess.

She sauntered over, never taking her eyes off my husband. Rama had stopped his work and was talking to her as she continued to approach him. They stood talking for a while. I couldn't hear what they said, but Rama was shaking his head, ‘no’ and the woman seemed to be getting frustrated. 

I decided it was time to see what was going on. I slowly walked out of the cottage, scanning the forest line, hoping to see Lakshmana, but to no avail.

As I approached the woman turned to me, a look of shock crossed her face as I approached Rama before her eyes darkened in hate. Rama turned to me then, “Sita,” he said as he extended his hand for me to hold as I approached.

The woman’s beautiful face had clouded with anger. She began yelling at Rama, I couldn't catch exactly what she screamed because of her franticness, but I understood enough to know that she was warning Rama about me.

“She’s a rakshasa! A demon! An enchantress!” the woman yelled, pointing at me. “You mustn't trust her!” Rama nearly smiled at these accusations, probably assuming that the woman revealed what she was in her lies against me.

Then the woman changed into her true rakshasa form as rage consumed her. She was Soorpanaka, the sister of Ravana.

Rama cursed the demon. Rama was angrier than I had ever seen him. “Go now! I don’t want you here. Leave before us my brother returns or else he will harm you.”  After some arguing, Rama turned and with his arm still around me, we walked into our cottage, leaving Soorpanaka alone. As we shut the door, her wail echoed around the building. 

The rakshasa's cry of despair must have worried Lakshmana because he soon returned but the demon had gone. “Don’t worry Rama, I’ll stay by the house from now on. I’ll make sure to protect Sita anytime you are away,” Lakshmana said.

“Thank you brother, I appreciate it. But I’m not too worried. She left on her own without any harm befalling her. I think she understood to leave us alone,” Rama stated confidently.

Lakshmana nodded at Rama but I wasn’t as convinced. Before she revealed her true self, Soorpanaka had shown so much distain and hatred towards me. I had little doubt she would be back soon, trying once again to marry Rama. Only next time, I feared she would to get me out of the way first. 

Events of Panchavati Forest. Wikimedia

Author's Note: I retold a part of the epic The Ramayana by Narayan. The section I retold was about when Ravana's sister tried to seduce and marry Rama by tricking him into thinking she was a beautiful, good person, instead of the rakshasa she was. I chose to retell this part of the epic because I felt like it was the beginning of Rama's fight since exile against the rakshasas and directly led to Ravana entering the story as Rama's main enemy. This one event sets into motion the next few chapters and fights for all of the characters.

I didn't change much of the story. The main change I made was telling the story through Sita's point of view. I condensed the dialogue and didn't use the exact phrases the character said and shortened the exchange between Soorpanaka and Rama. 

Story Source: Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana. Pg. 62-69

Week 2: Rama's Exile (Reading Diary B)

For the second section of Narayan's The Ramayana, I liked finally seeing more of Ravana, who seems to be the main villain in the story and in the world of Rama.

I really liked how Bharatha handled the news that his mother tricked and sort of killed his father by cheating Rama out of the kingship and making Bharatha king. I thought he handled it very well and I like the idea of Rama keeping the vow of his father for 14 years but knowing he is coming back to his home to be king afterwards. I was also very happy that Sita and Lakshmana went with Rama to his exile in the woods. 

I think my favorite part of this section was when Ravana was so in love with Sita, despite never having seen, that he kept changing the seasons, sun, moon, weather, and seas to try and make himself more comfortable as he went through his love sickness. I also thought it was interesting watching is sister Sooranaka work to try to hide her love for Rama from her brother while also still trying to win Rama over.

It's incredible how often people in this story threaten to kill themselves. Seriously, whether they are angry or sad or in love or scared, someone is always threatening to drink poison or jump into fires.

I think I remember a different version of the story of Sita's kidnapping by Ravana in the movie The Little Princess (The Liesel Matthews version. I'm not sure if the Shirley Temple version included a story or not.) The story was different from the one in Ramayana but it featured a deer that exiled Rama was trying to get for Sita and Ravana disguising himself as a beggar man to trick Sita before kidnapping her. I like hearing different versions of myths and stories so I thought it was cool comparing the two versions. I'm excited to see how the endings match up.

The Death of Maricha. Wikimedia

Week 2: The Beginning of Rama's Story (Reading Diary A)

So far I've really enjoyed the story in Narayan's The Ramayana. I was very happy for the guide. This was especially helpful when there Rama and Lakshmana were travelling with the sage, Viswamithra and the story jumped between what was happening with Rama and past myths that the sage was telling the boys.

Even with the guide that part was a bit complicated. I liking the story more when it kept with the narrative of what was happening with Rama, through meeting and marrying Sita, and Rama's almost-coronation and exile.

I thought it was funny the affect that Rama and Sita had on each other after just a glance. In so many stories about 'love at first sight' the couple is almost intoxicated and giddy after seeing each other, but Sita especially had a very different reaction. Yes, she couldn't stop thinking about him but she was quite angry afterwards at him and everything else in the world. I thought that her reaction was interesting because of how different it was than other stories of similar encounters in ancient stories.

I was also very interested with Kaikeyi and her plight against Rama becoming King. It was so unfortunate for everyone involved because Kaikeyi's first response and thoughts about Rama becoming King were correct. He wouldn't have harmed or tossed out her, Bharatha, or any of his other family members. But Kaikeyi's mind was so twisted by fear when her handmaiden convinced her that Rama would harm her son and cast her out, that she became the villain. I think in the end the exile of Rama and the crowning of Bharatha is going to end badly for everyone (except Rama, Sita, and Lakshamana.) I also think that Bharatha may feel bad or be angry at his mother, as it wasn't made clear if he even would want to be king.

Dasaratha's grief over Rama. Wikimedia