Chapter Nine: Week Two Reading Overview

Today we got to choose which version of Ramayana we want to read. We had the option of choosing Narayan's Ramayana or the Public Domain Edition. I chose the Public Domain Edition not just because it draws on many different versions, but it is also incredibly accessible. I definitely will read Narayan's version when I get the time. Hopefully I can go back and compare the two. I really also liked the style of the PDE. It seems like a version that will keep me invested instead of me just trying to get through it. It also has a audio recording which I'm very excited to listen to. 

We also got to browse through the Bizzell Comic Books. Two of my favorites are Rama: Retold from the Ramayana and Kubera: The Lord of Wealth. Rama: Retold from the Ramayana tells the classic story of Rama. I liked this one because it reminded me a lot of the story I read earlier last week, the one about the females of the stories. This was definitely a different perspective, but I feel like it gave me a better understanding of the story as a whole. Kubera: The Lord of Wealth gives a backstory, like way before Rama was a thought. I liked how this story focused on how each person became who they were, instead of focusing on the events that lead to Ravana's demise. 

Next we were to look through some videos that caught our attention. One that immediately caught my eye was titled Harry Potter Meets Hindu Mythology. As someone who loves the Harry Potter series, I couldn't not watch the video. It was pretty short, about two or three minutes, but it was very interesting! It talked about a lot of the similarities the Harry Potter series has with the classic story of Rama. If it weren't for that video I would have never known how similar they were. And now I can't stop thinking that maybe inspiration for Harry Potter came from Rama. I guess i'll never know. The next video is titled Rama and the Ramayana: Crash Course World Mythology #27. I love crash course, it really helps me to understand any topic I have trouble with, so it's no surprise that they have a video on Rama's story. I loved this video because at the end, they pose the question of who the actual hero of the story is. They go on to answer their question by saying that it could be possible that it's divided among Rama, his wife, his loyal brother, and the son of the God of wind. Mostly because what is considered a hero in this context is following Dharma, which they all did. 

I chose this picture to add because it reminds me of something we have in my culture. It's incredibly beautiful and the colors really caught my attention. It's titled the Draupadi Cult Statue.

                                                            (Photo from Wikimedia)