Review Week 10

 Review 

India Video. Here's a video about the connection between the Ramayana and the festival of Diwali: Rama and Sita Defeat Ravana.

I was excited to learn more about Diwali and to see the linkage to the Ramayana. I've always wanted to celebrate Diwali in India and just experience the festival. My roommate is the president of ISA (Indian Student Association). This organization has hosted Diwlai events on campus. I always attend and it's what's holding me off until I can go to India and celebrate

Diwali is still celebrated in honor of Sita and Rama returning back to Ayodhya. I wasn't sure why it was celebrated. I just thought it was a festival of light. It's nice to be able to connect Diwali to it's deeper meaning. 

Here is the image that I found that I liked the most. I like it because it is something I needed to hear. Personally I struggle with being empathetic sometimes and it takes a toll on my relationships. I've recently had a conversation that I promised to work on being empathetic and be more open minded so that I can understand the other person. This was a good way to remind myself of that. 

"Empathy". Source: Flickr

Week 10 Story: Shri Krishna of Dwarka- Retold

Shri Krishna of Dwarka- Retold

Hundred's of years ago, the Earth was crawling with monsters and demons. The world was filled with evil and darkness. All the people of Earth were living in fear and dread everyday. The Earth could not take it any longer. The Earth was in pain seeing how awful the world has become. The Earth decided to try something drastic. 

The Earth took the form of a cow, because this animal was to be a sacred symbol of life. Once the Earth took the form of the cow it went to visit Brahma Deva. It thought with the help of Brahama Deva, there could be peace in the world once again. 

Brahma Deva heard the Earth. Brahma Deva felt the pain in the Earth's voice. So Brahma Deva took the god Shiva and then went to visit Lord Vishbu. They asked for Lord Vishnu to be born again to help Earth.

After hearing the story of the Earth, Vishnu pulled out two of his hairs. One was black and the other was white. To represent the darkness the world is in and the light that is to come. These hairs will take human form. 
"The white one will be born as Balarama. This is the incarnation of my serpent Shesha" said Vishnu. 
"The black hair will be born as Krishna. Krishna will slay Kansa and all the demons who aid him."


Some time later...
A sage comes to Kansa, the demon, while he is at a wedding. The sage tells him that “today Kansa in his folly honours her whose eighth child will slay him.” 
Kansa asks " The eighth child of who?"
"The eighth child of Vasudeva and Devaki" the sage responded. 
So Kansa throws Vasudeva and Devaki into prison and slays all of their six prior children. 
In prison Vasudeva and Devaki conceived  their seventh child... Balarama. Before Balarama wa born, Lord Vishnu caused it to be drawn from her womb and placed in the womb of Rohini. Rohini is the other wife of Vasudeva. 
In time the eighth child came... Krishna. He had he had four bejeweled arms and on his brow a diadem.
This is the story of Krishna's birth.

Vasudeva carrying the newborn Krishna (Source)

Bibliography- Shri Krishna of Dwarka and Other Stories by C. A. Kincaid (1920)
Authors Note: I wanted to tell the story of Krishna's birth. He is the figure I am most familiar with. I never knew his origin story. So I chose to retell the story in my own words.

Reading Notes:Krishna. Chapter 13, Part B

Shri Krishna of Dwarka

Chapter 13
The passing of Krishna

Shri Krishna of Dwarka and Other Stories by C. A. Kincaid (1920)

Krishna returns to Indraprastha.
Prince Samba goes to Pindaraka with some nobles.
They come across some sages (Vishvamitra)

Samba tries to trick the sages by dressing up as a girl. The sages know that they are trying to fool them.

"The child that she will bear will be a club which will destroy all the Yadava race."
he found in the folds of his skirt an iron club."


They went back to Dwarka and told King Ugrasena. They ground the club to powder but left the handle. (Why?). Then threw the powder and handle into the sea. Iron dust sunk to the bottom and was washed ashore. Grew into rushes. The handle was swallowed by a fish as it sank. A fisherman caught that fish. Cut it open to find the handle. Sold it thinking nothing of it. Jara, hunter, made it into an arrow. 

Dwarka was terror struck. There were earthquakes and demons, and storms. To calm the fears of his people, Krishna told them all to take pilgrimage. "The women, the children, and the old men should go to Shankhodhar. The men should go with me to Prabhasa. It is sacred to the goddess Saraswati. There let us bathe and worship her. In Prabhasa, too, live holy brahmins. We shall give them gifts of cows, of treasure, of land, of elephants, and of chariots, and they will pacify the gods who are angry with us."

Reading Notes: Krishna. Chapter 1. Part A

Shri Krishna of Dwarka

the birth of Krishna and his escape from Mathura.
incarnation of Vishnu's own power

100's of years ago, many demons came to exist to harass man

Earth took form of a cow and visited Brahma Deva to get rid of the demons.
Brahma Deva took the god Shiva and visited Lord Vishnu. (Why did Deva take Shiva?). Asked Vishnu to be born again to help earth.

Vishnu, after hearing the story, pulled out 2 of his hairs. One black and one white. The hairs will take human form. White- will be born as Balarama and shall be the incarnation of my serpent Shesha. Black- will be born as Krishna a will slay Kansa and the demons who aid him.

“Today Kansa in his folly honours her whose eighth child will slay him.” 
Comes during wedding procession 

Sage Narada came and told Prince Kansa that he will be slayn

Prince Kansa then killed all 6 children and threw Vasudeva and Devaki into prison. 

Vasudeva and Devaki got news that they will have a 7th child. White hair
But before Devaki’s seventh child was born, the Lord Vishnu caused it to be drawn from her womb and placed in the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva’s other wife who was in hiding in Gokula for fear of King Kansa. Rohini gave birth to a son and called him Balarama. But the dungeon guards told King Kansa that Devaki had miscarried. 

In due time, the eighth child came. The black hair. 
he had four bejewelled arms and on his brow a diadem

split water

took in his place Yashoda’s baby girl and carried her back with him to Mathura.


“Fool, did you hope to slay me? Your real enemy Krishna is born and is now in safety.”

Vasudeva carrying the newborn Krishna (Source)

Bibliography- Shri Krishna of Dwarka and Other Stories by C. A. Kincaid (1920)

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Week 9 Story- Power of Love

Savitri (Retold)

In a land far far away, there was a king named Advi and his queen named Sara. They lived a happy and loving life. Their kingdom prospered, they had a loving life, and couldn't be more happy for their success. Their only grief... they did not have and heir. They had a daughter, the princess of their kingdom, but she could never be the heir. The princess Rifa was loved by all. She was smart, kind, humble, and the perfect heir. Except she was a woman. 

The princess was given the best education. She was taught by the world renowned educators. She was trained in politics and was guided by the king himself. As if training her to be the heir. Rifa had become a wise and respected princess.

One day the princess took her ladies out to explore a nearby village. The village is near a river that is said to have magical properties. It will listen to those who come and grant them what they pray for. However, those are just rumors. The young ladies just went for fun. The river is now a popular tourist attraction.

The ladies arrive to the river and they enjoy the scenes and explore the river. They enjoy the scenery and fauna. Rifa wandered from the group. She strolled by the river enjoying her free time. Then she saw a man in the river. He was swimming with his friends. She quickly looked away. But what she saw was the most beautiful man. She was taken by his beauty. The man noticed her as well. He got dressed and met her across the river. The man was a disowned prince from another country. The princess hid her true identity as to not scare him away. They spent time together. The ladies watched from afar and they could see what was happening was dangerous. It was easy to see that the two had fallen for each other. 

The princess tells the king about her love for a poor commoner. The king does not approve. He uses all his resources to convince her that she should not marry him. He reveals the fate of the commoner to Rifa. The prophecy said the commoner is to die in a year. She said "if he is to die in a year than be it. I will much rather have a year of happiness with him than a life forgetting him". Her love for the commoner surpassed all objection and the king allowed the wedding. 

After the wedding the princess left to live with her husbands family. They lived a happy life filled with love. Rifa always held a heavy weight with her, knowing that her husband would be taken from her.

As the time approached she knew. Her husband fell ill. He was sick for a week. He wasn't getting better. One night her husband passed away as Rifa sat by his side. Later that night the god of death came to their room. "I have come to take your husband" said the god of death. 

The princess begged for the god of death to give back her husband. He would not listen. So Rifa said her final goodbyes and the god of death took her husband away. 

After a little bit Rifa got up and followed the god of death. He noticed and asked her to stop, "I can't take your husband to the afterlife if you keep following me". 

"I have no purpose here without him" replied Rifa.

This went on for a long time.  The god of death was taken by her love for her husband and have him back to her.

They went back to the kingdom and ruled together for many decades. 

Authors Note: I started with the story of Savitri. She was persistent and got what she worked for. That what I tried to do with Rifa. Savitri lost her husband after a year and pleaded with the god of death to give him back to her. That is the story I tried to retell.

Bibliogrophy: Sunity Devee, Nine Ideal Indian Women: Savitri, Damayanti, Sati, and Uttara

Savitri pleading with the god of death

Reading notes Nine ideal Indian women

Nine ideal Indian women
Uttara
First son of the king is asked to be heir
He vowed to never marry so that his father could have a second marriage
New capital
Distribute sacred food
wedding
war
uttara happy, kind, radiant
Uttaraa was widowedUttaraa tried to burn herself
Bibliogrophy: Sunity Devee,Nine ideal Indian women
 
Uttara grieving 

Reading Notes Mahabharata Part A

Nine Ideal Indian Women: Savitri, Damayanti, Sati, and Uttara

Savitri

Princess 

Only child of a king and queen

The king and queen grieved that they had no son
   why were they upset
   Cuz the son would be an heir

"the sun had finished it's days work"
I like the verbiage

Fell for "prince charming" Satyaban

King and Queen upset at the fact that their daughter is in love with a "penniless and unfortunate King's son"

Priest tells shavitri that satyaban will die in a year and that it is written to be true
She says that "woman's destiny is to love and serve him who is her hearts lord."


The priest pleads on her behalf

The kings allows the marriage

She leaves with her husband to go back to his father

She leaves all luxuries and gifts

So poor they wouldn't always have food

She is persistent - gets her way

Satyaban dies in Savitri's arms

God of death comes to claim him

She pleads with the god of death to give back

She concurs death and gets her husband back

Savitri brata- hindu wives say this so they never become a widow

Bibliogrophy: Sunity Devee, Nine Ideal Indian Women: Savitri, Damayanti, Sati, and Uttara



 Satyaban and Savitri

Week 8 Reading and Writing

The reading in this class have been fun. They have similar themes to stories that I am familiar with. The stories I have written are fun and were a great way to express myself. However, I did fall behind. I'm using this week to bounce back. I'm ready to work harder and get ahead so that when my workload gets hectic again I'm able to stay on top of things. 

I plan to work on my blog layout and make it more thematic. I'm going to start the project on Monday!

about whatever you think is most relevant to assessing your progress so far. Here are some questions that might help:

 

Underwater Kingdom (source)

This was my favorite image because it was my favorite story that I wrote