Week 6 Reading Diary Mahabharata PDE Edition Pt 2

 Title: Mahabharata PDE Edition

Author: Vyasa

·         If I found all of my furniture, wouldn’t run and get my family to see it, but I would get everyone out of there as soon as possible.

·         The rakshasa woman really fell in love fast. All she had to do was see Bhima sleeping and she was love struck. He must have been really good looking!

·         I like the detailed descriptions of everything that is going on and the surroundings

·         So many decisions are being made in order to get personal gain or receive more power. A lot of importance is being placed on being a power over someone else.

·         It is hard to follow the story due to the fact that a lot of time is passing by from section to section

·         Arjuna seems to have some sort of a special connection with Krishna.

·         Duryodhana is really jealous of the palace that is built for the Pandavas. I wonder if his jealousy will lead him to act out and do something.

·         Why is it required that Yudhishthira needs to fight another king in order to be a supreme monarch. If the kings are ruling separately, what is the connection between the two?

·         I like how such a big thing is being settled over a gambling match.

·         Most of the stories seem to be driven by the motives of jealousy or vengeance. The is a lot of individual search for power.

·         How terrifying would it be to be told that you were gambled away in a game?

Shakuni (Image Info)

Thoughts About Comments

I have enjoyed the comments that give me specific points to improve on, hether it is increasing the story length, giving greater detail about specific characters, or fixing sentences that are confusing. I also like the comments that give specific things that I did well on. Basically the more specific the comment the more useful I find it. Making jokes also makes things more entertaining

Week 5 Storytelling: A Missed Opportunity for Shantanu

 Title: Mahabharata PDE Edition

Author: Vyasa

Year: 2009

Once upon a time, there was a magnificent king named Shantanu. He had spent many years in service of his kingdom, but wanted to find a beautiful, young wife to marry. As he strolled along the marvelous Yamuna River, he gazed upon a heavenly beauty named Satyavati.

Satyavati had a miraculous birth of destiny because she was inside of a fish when a fisherman was fishing. She was kept and raised as his own. Growing up, she had a fishy smell, and all of the friends made fun of her. Satyavati of returned home in tears because of the mean things that were said to her. She didn't understand why she was born with such a bad odor that never fades. She felt like an outcast, an ugly duckling, and that she has recently been completely misunderstood. Shantanu wanted to be with Styavati, but lost her in the thick of the forest.

One day, Satyavati came across a mighty brahmin named Parashara, who was awestruck by Satyavati's beauty. Parashara wanted Satyavati to be his wife, so he made a vow that she smell as a lovely perfume. Parashara and Satyavati had a fast romance and soon after meeting, they found out that they were having a baby! Satyavati was ecstatic to hear the news and couldn't wait to have the privileged of being a mother.

After nine months, Vyasa was born. Vyasa was a very mature man for someone his age, and continued to grow quickly in both stature intelligence. After he had grown into manhood, Vyasa left his mother and his friends to enter into the dark forest in order to test and hone his skills,

After Vyasa, moved far away, Parashara wanted to ensure that Satyavati felt safe and had the ability to reach out to him whenever he is needed. He was terrified in the fact he was moving away from his mother. He continued to thrive and prosper throughout his whole life, never forgetting each year to return to his mother to tell her about everything that has happened in the past year. Even to this day, Satyavati is visited every year by Vyasa. Pleasantries are passed back and forst, and Vyasa returns to his home.

Towards the end of Satyavati's life, King Shantanu once again saw her. He still desired to marry her, but discovered that he had already been married. Although Shantanu was a little jealous, he congratulated her on her beautiful son.

Author's Note: This story is loosely based off of the story when King Shantanu and Satyavati meet. It is meant to read as a bedtime story with a little bit of an unusual love and ending.

King Shantanu and Satyavati (image info)

Week 5 Reading Diary: Mahabharata PDE Edition Pt 1

·         Title: Mahabharata PDE Edition

Author: Vyasa

How did Uparichara drip semen? How did it fall to the river when he was in a car??

·         King Shantanu must have really loved Ganga if he allowed her to kill their first 7 children. Who loves someone that much? Or was there something else going on behind the scenes?

·         I feel like the story is moving extremely quick and hard to follow because so many people are getting married/born/introduced

·         Bhishma killed many people with a single arrow each and was awarded 3 princesses and brought them back to Hastinapura, so they could become the wives of Vichitravirya

·         It’s a little strange that Amba was willing to kill herself in order to be born again as a man, so she/he could have the power to kill Bhishma.

·         How difficult would it be to throw yourself into a fire and still have the concentration to chant something?

·         Vidura’s birth sounds very similar to Jesus Christ’s birth. A God who was born among men.

·         Kunti and her son sounds a lot like Moses’s mother sending him down the river as a baby to escape death and was discovered by Egyptian royalty.

·         Pandu really needs to stop killing deer. He kills one dear and gets cursed to die in the arms of one of his wives. Then he kills another deer who was having sex and was cursed to die with his wife when he was having sex..

·         Hard to believe that snake poison counteracted the poison that was already in Bhima. Were his ties so loose that he could simply break out of them?

Bhima and the Nagas

Week 4 Reading Diary: Sita Sings the Blues Pt 2

Author: Nina PaleyTitle: Sita Sings the BluesYear: 2008

Full cartoon can be watched here

• Rama seemed to have this internal doubt that Sita wasn't faithful to him when she was in captivity. However, the test of fire was supposed to prove her innocence. 
• Rama's true character is shown when he cares more about what the people are thinking about him than about his pregnant wife. He completely shirks the responsibility to take care of his future child.
• What is done to Sita seems even worse when it is shown in today's time. 
• The "Rama does what Rama must" song is funny. It's satirical that they act as if it is a song of praise for Rama when it actually highlights all of his inconsiderate actions.
• How many times does Sita have to be mistreated before she will get over Rama?
• If Sita told the story to Valmiki who wrote it all down. How would the story have been if it was told from Rama or from Hanuman's perspective?
• I was waiting for the film to end with the girl in New York to make her boyfriend realize that he was making a mistake, but tell him that it was too last. It never happened.
• What happens after Sita is swallowed by the earth? Do her children go back and live with Rama? Are they angry that their mother decided to leave them? Is Sita still alive?
• There were some parallelisms that occurred between New York and The Ramayana, but I feel like more connections could have been make to make the story be even more relatable to today's lifestyle.

Valmiki Writes Ramayana (image info)

Week 4 Reading Diary: Ramayana PDE Part D

Notes for Ramayana by Valmiki

  Ravana’s 10 heads reminds me of the multi-headed dragon that grows back two heads every time one if its heads get chopped off.

·         Rama probably gave the lamest reason ever to not take Sita back. Does that mean that all of the killing and fighting that he did was all in vain?

·         Rama said that he knew that Sita was pure and only looked upon him, yet he said that she needed to go into the fire in order to cleanse herself, so the people accept him for receiving Sita back by his hide. Is this a sign of Rama’s weakness of trying to please and prove himself to his people?

·         Did Rama know that Sita was going to be saved by the fire?

·         Looks like I was right. Rama cared more about his image in the kingdom and what people thought about him then about his own wife. When Sita was preserved from the fire, I wonder if he was just “playing along” acting as if he knew what was going on in order to not make himself look dumb.

·         I’m glad that Sita decided to permanently leave Rama because he didn’t deserve her. He already showed what mattered most to him.

·         I feel as if the ending was not satisfying because they all reached a “heavenly state” that I feel was undeserved due to recent decisions that Rama made.

·         Overall, I feel that it was a great story of a man who would go to any lengths to rescue his bride, but it simply lacked the fairytale ending.

The Earth takes Sita.

Week 4 Reading Diary: Ramayana Sita Sings the Blues Pt 1

·      Author: Nina Paley

Title: Sita Sings the Blues
Year: 2008

Full cartoon can be watched here

   The cartoon movie highlights what might not seem logical according to today’s standards

·         Skips the  introduction of how Rama and Sita meet and fall in love

·         Sita is portrayed as a wife who is just completely obsessed with Rama and has almost no other thoughts whatsoever. A few too many songs of Sita just singing about how in love the is with Rama.

·         Does a great jobs as focusing on the main characteristics of the character. This helps their skills and differences stick out and makes the characters more memorable.

·         Makes Sita rescue seem pointless because she could have simply gone with the monkey. There is speculation that she stayed to Rama could find her and prove his strength to other for rescuing her from Ravana.

·         The way that Rama treats Sita raises the question, “Why did Rama love Sita?” Did he love just just because of her looks or the challenge he had to go through to get her father’s approval? Or maybe, did he have reason to believe that Sita was unfaithful that we didn’t know about?

·         Sita shouldn’t be so forgiving and submissive to Rama. He accused her of being unfaithful, but doesn’t seem to care that Rama didn’t believe her unless he had proof.

·         It isn’t portrayed in the movie, but was Rama upset that Sita gave up on him when he was lying on the ground with arrows in him? She thought he was dead and began to weep thinking that he had failed to rescue her.

Sita's Test of Fire (image info)

Week 3 Storytelling: Hanuman's Life Experiences

Title: Ramayana
Author: Valmiki
Publication Year: 2009

Author's Note: This is based off of Hanuman's actions as if he were using them to try to secure a job during a job interview. He uses the lessons that he learned as a child to help show his worth and value. It breaks down each part of his story to show what he learned from each specific part. It has some assumptions of what Hanuman learned from his experiences based on my own judgement and many times is reflective of what I have learned from his story. My goal for this paper is to help other people learn that even though their life experiences have little to no relation to a job they are trying to get, there is almost always a way to relate things that happen by discussing what was learned. The image at the bottom is an illustration of Hanuman reaching for the sun he mistook for a mango. It is a reminder to all of us that any memory can be relatable to the present. This is the first story I have added to my portfolio, but hopefully I will be able to add future stories that can make these messages sink even deeper.

INTERVIEWER: Thank you coming to interview for the Project Manager position. We are looking for someone why can lead, but also maintain a close relationship with those under him or her. This interview is to see if your qualities and skills can fill into that role. So, Hanuman, where did you grow up?

HANUMAN: As a child, I saw the sun and thought it was a mango, so I tried to catch it and eat it. Before reaching it, I fell to the earth and scarred my chin. From that point on, I tried to become more resilient and to find a way even if all of the possible roads seem to be blocked off.

INTERVIEWER: How have your experiences while growing up helped your prepare for this position?

HANUMAN: I have done my best to help others along their way. I met a wonderful man named Rama, who was one of the strongest men who has ever lived. He was separated from his beloved wife, so at that point, I wanted nothing more than to reunite them both. This helped teach me to be less self-centered and more willing to help all those I can. Rama and I quickly became friends and were able to find a way that we could work together and help each other out. It has helped me focus on a purpose that was not for me, but for someone else. I searched for days, trying to find Rama's beloved wife Sita. After much searching and determination, I finally found the place of Sita's captor. After searching room by room throughout the enormous palace, there was no sign of Sita. It was devastating to feel that you are so close, but realize that you aren’t as close as you thought. I felt as though the pain that Rama was feeling was actually my own. It is a feeling that crushes your soul, but I knew that Sita must be out there. Perseverance will bring success in its own due time. However, that doesn’t mean that we have an excuse to give up, but simply that we have to continue searching for what we desire most.

INTERVIEWER: Who is one of your greatest role models?

HANUMAN: Rama is my greatest role model due to the many different life-long lessons I learned during my encounters with him. The greatest one was to learn that some of the best characteristics that a person can develop is from watching and learning from others. Rama was a great example to me in many ways, but his constant pursuit of his love Sita left me awestruck. He fought through countless enemies without quitting just because he had the hope that Sita was still alive.

INTERVIEWER: What was one of the most rewarding moments in your life?

HANUMAN: After countless hours of additional searching, I was finally able to find Sita in a grove of ashoka trees. Finding her not only made me feel accomplished, but also made me feel that I was making a difference because I knew how much this would mean for Rama to know that his wife was still alive. It feels as if a burden had been lifted off my shoulders. Additionally, the joy that Sita had on her face when she realized that Rama was coming was priceless. That is the kind of difference that I will make if you offer me this job. I want to help people and make their lives better due to the work that I do day in and day out. Success isn’t always guaranteed, but hard work and perseverance will give a person lasting satisfaction.

INTERVIEWER: Hanuman, I feel that your experiences will be a great fit as a project manager. The most important skill for this position is to be able to set up others for success. You showed that you have that skill when you helped Rama find Sita. You have also proven that you put others first which is essential when trying to manage a group of employees. I appreciate you coming in and we will get back to you with an answer in the next couple weeks.

HANUMAN: Thank you for having me. These life lessons that I have learned in my journey have prepared me for nearly everything that could come my way. I will be able to handle any situation that presents itself, and attack it with ferocity. I am looking forward to hearing back from you.

Hanuman Mistakes the Sun for a Fruit (image info)

Week 3 Reading Diary: Ramayana PDE Part 2

·    Notes for Ramayana by Valmiki

     I enjoyed how Rama finally has found someone that he can relate to in Hanuman because they both have been removed from the kingdom.

·         Rama could easily just be helping Hanuman because he might need Hanuman’s help in the future, but because of his previous actions he could easily be doing it just because he is being kind.

·         When Rama killed Vali his entire family began be visually upset, even Sugriva was sad over his death when Sugriva was shot and killed by the arrow

·         Another proof of loyalty and keeping promises when Sugriva stayed and remembered that he owned a favor to Rama

·         Sita’s reaction to Hanuman when he found her shows how scared and afraid she really was while she was captured. It was necessary for her to send something of Rama’s in order for her to be completely sure that it was you.

·         Hanuman is so loyal to fill the promise that he made with Rama that he would rather die while looking for Sita, then to return empty handed and say that he was unable to find and rescue Sita

·         The story makes it seem that Rama has not been there very long, but has an incredible amount influence and respect throughout the forest.

·         I find it interesting that Ravana’s younger brother Vibhishana warns Ravana that Rama might come in to kill him, and when Ravana refuses to have up the fight Vibhishana instantly switches said and it working against his own brother.

Ravana Comes to Rescue Sita (image info)

Week 3 Reading Diary: Ramayana PDE

Notes for Ramayana by Valmiki

·         Bharata was extremely close to his father and brothers.

·         Jabali’s attempt to convince Rama to return to the kingdom was extremely powerful and well thought out. However, Rama showed his resilience when he decided to remain in the jungle. He had no other desire than to obey and honor his father by obeying his last and final command.

·         Loyalty is shown throughout this part of the story; brother to brother, son to father. Rama stays in the jungle and Bharata acts as though his is in temporary control of the Kingdom, reminding everyone that Rama is the true king

·         Rama is also very loyal to Sita when he sends the temptress Shurpanakha off to try to get with his brother.

·         Everyone is out to get Rama! He was exiled to the jungle, yet he is still being threatened by Shurpanakha.

·         During The Chase portion of Ramayana, I find it interesting that someone imitates his voice in order to try and trick him and his loved. His only weakness might simply be himself.

·         When Ravana kidnaped Sita, she continued to refuse to be unfaithful to Rama

·         A great love story is developing between Sita and Rama. Both resisted temptation to cheat on their marriage. Both have endured physical traumas, and Rama is currently searching for the “damsel in distress”. The world needs to take a life lesson from Sita and Rama. Too many marriages are ending because of one person in the marriage cheats on the other. Everyone needs to just read The Ramayana

Jatayu trying to save Sita (image info)