Reading Notes: Ramayana Part A

The Wedding (Photo Source, Marriage of Rama and Sita, 1750).

King Dasharatha was a story about a town that sounds like I would have liked. People discuss it as having prosperous and happy people in it, which sounds positive. But the story is sad because the king is filled with sorrow because he does not have a son. The sons of Dasharatha did not have anything that really stood out to me or that I liked, I am an animal lover so the idea of a horse sacrifice was not appealing to me. Dasharatha is finally given a son in Vishnu, but it was interesting to me how Vishnu was able to speak so quickly in the story. Vishnu was there to protect them from the bad. Then there seemed to be a bonding that happened between the two brothers. I enjoyed the descriptiveness in when they left carrying their bows and swords wearing what was described as splendid jewels. Thataka was what the brothers came across and she was a shape shifter and could become invisible if she really wanted to. She was killed by an arrow, her death brought the two brothers together. Sagar Island is where the goddess descended to earth from heaven. Ganga descended from heaven to earth and all the way to the ocean where she entered the underworld. The spirits whose ashes had laid there were then ascended to heaven by Ganga. Rama has the opportunity to meet a lady friend, Sita, whom stubbles upon him in the garden. Janaka finally gives Rama permission to marry his daughter Sita.

My favorite of all the shorter stories is Wedding  where Rama and Sita are finally married. But this story is all the more interesting because Rama's brothers Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. This story is sweet and shows the softer side and is not all about battle or fighting. The wedded pair were sprinkled with holy water when they were wed. This story was mellow and very sentimental, seeming like there was happiness in the words. After the pair were wed a rain of flowers filled the air and soft music was played. The air smelled of flowers as they were showered over everyone. The groom led his bride around as the flowers fell. This was a very sweet moment in the story. The princes took their brides away after the wedding and the whole town was happy.

If I were to write a story it would definitely be more focused on the happier times like the wedding. I enjoyed that story the most of them all throughout the Ramayana that I have read up to this point. I read the PDE Ramayana by multiple authors, that was offered to us online.