Ramayana Reading: Section D

Who needs Jatayu? (source)

Hi everyone, NitroDubbz here.

At the beginning of the story I didn't really understand what was so bad about Ravana, up until the point where he stole Sita away he didn't seem like an unreasonable guy. But the dialogue between him and his counsel shows that he allowed himself to be filled with conceit after he was granted the powers of the Gods. I believe that the inclusion of Sugreeva's brother, Vali, was a great primer. Stories need thematic continuity, and Ravana's hubris mirrors the hubris shown earlier in Vali.

One of my favorite characterizations in the entire story happens at the very end, after Rama has struck down Ravana. He is examining Ravana's corpse and he notices a large scar on his back. Even after Ravana stole Sita and waged war and acted so dishonorably, Rama is still concerned with his treatment of Ravana when he expresses concern that he may have "shot Ravana in the back". This is a perfect example of "show, don't tell". It conveys Rama's character and sense of morality better than any description ever could.

It is then strange to me that after the whole ordeal he forces Sita to undergo a purity test. The story very briefly skimmed over this part because I assume Narayan thought it was uncharacteristic and he wanted to cut it out. I'm sure further elaboration would have justified Rama's decision, but it was still weird.

Lastly, Vasavi Shakti - Indra's dart, these are the darts with serpent powers. I thought they were interesting and I would like to do more research into them for my final project.

That's all for today everyone. I hope you enjoyed my notes on the Ramayana. Until next time, I'm NitroDubbz.

R. K. Narayan: The Ramayana
http://dt.pepperdine.edu/courses/greatbooks_v/gbv-15/66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan.pdf

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