Week 7, Reading Diary 2, Epified Mahabharata, Arjun's Journey

Epified Mahabharata

Arjun's Journey

image found
Warwick Goble—1913, Indian Myth

I of course gravitate to this story of Arjuna and the water nymph that reminds me so much of the story of Melusine and a Crusader knight. I like that she is the daughter of a Naga. I was just reading an interesting article today that talks about how  the Naga's were a ruling class at one time in our history.Tracing the origins of the Serpent Cult



I don't like the part about where he leaves the nymph. Then goes off to some other kingdom and married some princess, has a kid and leaves in the middle of the night without saying goodbye. And he is already married in the most awkward of ways while breaking young nymphs hearts along the way. Reckless I say.

Week 5, Reading Diary 2, PDE Mahabharata: Arjuna and the Apsaras

Image: Arjuna and Krishna
(decoration in Bishnupur, West Bengal, India)

PDE Mahabharata: Arjuna and the Apsaras

Source. From The Indian Heroes by C. A. Kincaid (1921).

This story appeals to me greatly. It is kinda lengthy and depends on parts from the other stories to make it work. I may have to think on how to retell this a bit. I like that the alligator is a nymph. I like that Arjuna wants to go and help the others. I like that his former lover gives him the power to not be harmed by things in the water, with empathy. Love this.

Week 4, Reading Diary 2, Sita Sings the Blues

Image source: Sita and Valmiki, from Nina Paley's Sita Sings the Blues

The music is mesmerizing, it really pulls me in. I really enjoy this movie and the music. Rama and Sita are just so dysfunctional. Sita has the heart of a saint. In the ending and she jumps into mother earth, I would probably have ended it more violently. Paley is nice in her ending of the story. 

Sita Sings the Blues

Author: Nina Paley

Title: Sita Sings the Blues

Year: 2008

Week 2, Reading Diary 2,The Golden Deer

From Nina Paley's Sita Sings the Blues

The Golden Deer

What I like the most about this part of the story is how the magical creature who is seemingly the most gorgeous thing in the forest is the work of evil and misdeeds. These wise and divine natured people, Rama  and Sita fall prey to the lure of the beauty and pay the consequence, which is so human. I like in the poem how she is beguiling her husband to go and get this thing for her. The quote I pasted here is funny to me because Rama tells Lakshmana his brother that he already kinda knows this is the wrong choice, but what else can you do but do what your wife tells you. Happy wife, happy life. It may be easier to chase demon deer into the forest on a fool's mission than to disobey your wife! Smart man. Must be why is a god, and a king.

Lakshmana spoke to Sita and said, “My heart is full of misgiving. Sages have told that rakshasas are wont to assume the forms of deer. Ofttimes have monarchs been waylaid in the forest by artful demons who came to lure them away.”

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)