Reading Notes Narayan's Mahabharata, part A

Mahabharata Part A Notes

King falls in love with a girl by the river

The woman is the river ganga 

Human form to give birth to eight sons

8th son returned as an adult

Woman wants revenge for a man ruining her marriage. 

Son born blind

Deer curses Pandu so that he will die when he makes love

Bibliography: Narayan's Mahabharata

source 

Reading Notes Ramaya Divine Archer

The Divine Archer, F. J. Gould 1911

The length of this version was what I enjoyed the most.
The search for Sita
Rama slays Vali with an arrow
Rama gives Hanuman his ring as a token for Sita
Sita is in Lanka.

Hanuman in Lanka
Sita refuse Ravana's advances
Hanuman speaks to Sita, giving her Rama's ring. He tells her Rama is coming.

Lanka on fire
Hanuman makes his tail grow larger and larger

I want to focus my story on these three chapters. These were the most exciting to me. I want to focus on loyalty.


Ramaya (Source)

Feedback Strategies

BE CURIOUS AND ASK QUESTIONS

When reading this post I found that the main idea was to have a conversation with the text. To ask questions when you don't understand a point. If there is something unclear then to ask for clarification. I feel like this is a good way to get a start on giving constructive criticism.

Giving Creative Feedback – A Guide for Those Who Aren’t Creative

I liked reading this article because there was a list of things for the reader to do. It was a list that flowed together. The one that stood out to me was "notice where your eye wants to go first, second and third". I think this is a neat way to start giving feedback when you feel like you're running dry on ideas. I plan to have this article pulled up when giving feedback to peers.

Good Feedback Chart (Source)

Topic Research

For my project I want to stick with the biography of Ganesha. I think I will have a lot of fun with it. I can keep the story as is or even put a modern twist to it. I haven't decided just yet. Here area list of ideas I have...

• The first idea is a biography of Ganesha. He is the Hindu god that I am most familiar with. I would use resources to learn about Ganesha. Then tell his story in a way that is using those resources but I will try to avoid sounding like a textbook.
• The next idea is from Dr. Gibbs. It is to write an autobiography of Ganesha. I could put myself in his shoes and imagine his life. Then write a story from his point of view.
• The final idea is to tell a story about traveling India and have Ganesha be the tour guide. The tour can hit many of the places that are important to Ganesha's story.

Resource links

• The Wikipedia page is where I started- 
•   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha
• Ancient History Encyclopedia 
• https://www.ancient.eu/Ganesha/

Ganesha (source)

Week 3 Story, The Kings Heir

The Kings Heir

There is a hidden world under the surface of the Earth. One that has existed long before humans roamed the Earth. This kingdom has been ruled by the same family for hundreds of years. The king is under immense pressure to produce an heir. He and his queen have not been able to conceive a child. The pressure of the family, the castle, and the kingdom are on his and her shoulders. They have tried all that they could. They visited doctors and tried herbal remedies. They prayed and begged for an heir but to no avail. 

One night, just past midnight, the king heard a knock on his bedroom door. He was outraged at who could be knocking on his door so late and who would the guards allow to come to his door. When the king opened his door he saw a shadowy figure. This figure was draped in a black ominous cloak. All the guards were asleep on the floor. There was a mysterious fog that was floating through the halls. 

What came next was even more strange. The figure told the king that they would grant him an heir if and only if the kind did as the figure said. The dark ominous figure gave a list of tasks for the king to do. 

The king must build a shrine in honor of the God Indra, the King of Heaven and lord of the gods. This task can only take seven days and seven nights, no more and no less.  The king must also sacrifice something he holds dear. This was a difficult task for the king. Before the figure vanished into smoke they said, "My King, I have given you one months time to deliver to me these completed tasks. And I will grant you your heir". 

Within seven days and seven nights the king had built the most majestic shrine for Indra. Now he was burdened with finding something he holds dear to sacrifice. After consulting his wife and his court, the king decided the only sacrifice great enough for them to be granted an heir is if the king abdicated his throne. 

The thirtieth night came. The king sat patiently in his thrown waiting for the shadowy figure to arrive. Surely it did just before midnight. Nothing was said between the two. The gave up his crown and turned his back, ready to leave his kingdom. The figure stops him and says "My king, you have given up your honor, your legacy, your kingdom, your way of life. This is the greatest sacrifice. I will grant you your heir. You must stay king to show them what is rightfully theirs". And just as the figure had suddenly appeared it was gone.
In the coming year the kingdom celebrated the birth of the new prince. They all rejoiced as the kingdom had a new heir. 

  

Authors Note: I took inspiration from King Dasharatha and Dasharatha's Sons. I was inspired by the sacrifice Dasharatha had to do to be promised four sons. In my story the king had to make different scarifies to be granted an heir. In the original story the king had to sacrifice 21 animals.

Underwater Kingdom (source)

Bibliography: King Dashratha and King's Sons, M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.