Chapter Fourteen: Reading the Ramayana Part A (PDE Version)

 I recently read part A of the Ramayana, and all I can really say is WOW! As I initially started reading, I couldn't help but notice how detailed the story was. The author did a wonderful job of describing the capital of Koshala, so well that I could imagine being there! One of the most interesting things I read in the story was the sacrifice of a horse in order to be blessed with a son. It's also really hard to believe that the king had many wives and before the sacrifice, none were able to conceive a son, but after the sacrifice the king had four sons. Of course one of them was Rama, I don't think we would have had an assignment if Rama wasn't one of them. 

Another thing I really loved about this story is that Rama knew from the moment he heard the bangles on Sita's feet that he would love her forever. A lot of people see that as a cliche, but I don't think so. I love it. I think it's what draws people into stories in the first place. It's quite a beautiful thing to read about as well. 

One of the last things I would like to take note on was the death of the boy fetching water for his family. I like how this story was included in the story because it adds to King Dasharatha's ultimate demise. His accidental slaying of the boy also added an emotional appeal to the story, although it was not lacking in that department. With the way the words were strung together I could imagine the pain the parents were feeling upon seeing their son lifeless on the ground. You definitely get that sense of desperation for their son to be back when they flee into the fire as well. I got the sense that it was a "if he can't be with us, we will go with him" ordeal. 

The stories that I wrote about today are Ramayana: King Dasharatha by Donald A. Mackenzie, Ramayana: Sita by F. J. Gould, and Ramayana: Dasharatha's Karma by Donald A. Mackenzie. 

(Above is a closeup image of Rama that I obtained from the Indian Epics: Images and PDE Epics blog. It's from a painting titled "Rama Receives Sugriva and Jambavat, the Monkey and Bear Kings", Folio from a Ramayana Date: ca. 1605. It is found at The Metropolitan Museum of Art)