Reading Notes C: Ramayana

Reading C: The Armies

Ramayana

I loved the visual of the apes and bears marching.  I think that would be an awesome image to try and replicate.

I also really enjoy how much Rama cares for Sita, how much he is working to get her back.  It appears to be a very loving and mutual relationship.  There isn’t much characterization of Rama himself in this story, other than his desire to retrieve his wife.

You really learn about Sugriva, King of the Vanars, in this story.  He’s drinking wine and having fun with his wives instead of fulfilling his promise to Rama.  Because he is acting like a sloth, Rama gets rather upset and sends his brother Lakshmana to tell Sugriva off.  I think this interaction could be interesting to explore.  Lakshmana frightens Sugriva so much that he “speedily” gathers his armies of apes and bears.

Lakshmana’s ability to really frighten Sugriva, a king of Bears and Apes, makes me wonder what he could have done that was so terrifying.  Did he loom over the King, staring down with narrowed eyes as hot as coals?  Did he let just a tiny sliver of teeth peer out of his mouth, barely snarling at the King of the Vanars, with a gruesome glint to his eyes?  What was so threating about the brother of Rama?  What is the threat of his brother?  Or was it Lakshmana’s own appearance and domineering person?

The story doesn't really give a description of how Lakshmana was able to frighten Sugriva so thoroughly that he quickly gathered his armies for Rama's purpose.


I like the four divisions, being sent in all four directions, which must have some beautiful art out there.  The directions have such potential and usually quite symbolic meanings.  Sri Lanka is actually down South, so maybe if I can think of some way to incorporate this into a story that would be pretty awesome.

Lakshmana (far right) with Rama and Sita
Source: Wikipedia

Source. The prose portion comes from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913), and the verse portion comes from Ramayana, The Epic of Rama, Prince of India, condensed into English verse by Romesh Dutt (1899). 

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