SITA'S RAMAYANA

The Ramayana from Sita's View with King Rama and Demon Ravana.

SITA's Ramayana is a collection of verbal stories re-imaged from the Ramayana, a Hindu myth, which I told at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Sita's narrative presents a brief, quick summary of the ancient myth that takes hours to tell. I have as all storytellers do re-imaged, adapted, fabricated, modified, elaborated, and enhanced the stories.


SITA's Ramayana is included in Asian Tales. In April 2017 during the A to Z Blog Challenge, I wrote a story a day, that fit my AtoZ theme Asian Stories, which are posted here. 

The full stories will be on my Wattpad.com site.

twitter - @BobbieTales;
writing blog - BlobBlobandBlogging
website BobbieKinkead.

The full stories will be on my Wattpad.com and available as a PDF from Google.docx.


 ~~~~~~~

Sita’s RAMAYANA

The great Hindi Ramayana is an Epic Legend of great dharma.

READ the brief Summary
A story of the God Vishnu, protector of the worlds, and Goddess Lakshmi came to save the world from Ravana, the ten-headed and twenty-armed daemon. Rama (Vishnu) is a son of duty and loyalty to his father's words, regardless of the consequences, his dharma. Lakshmi (Sita) the loyal wife of Vishnu in another life raped by Ravana, who she cursed. Now Lakshmi returned as Sita for her revenge on the ten-headed daemon.

Evil Ravana, the ten-headed twenty-armed daemon, as Emperor of Lanka should protect the three worlds only conquers them and takes women as his possessions

Ramayana was orally told for centuries. The classic version was written 2500 years ago by Poet Valmiki with 25,000 verses and took 9 hours to recite. In an over-over-simplified version, I have shortened, modified, then re-image this epic to tell from the point of view of Sita.

~~~~~~~~~
Read on Wattpad.com

#1 - Abandonment

The carriage stops by the Ganges River. The old charioteer helps Queen Sita to the sand. She has known him since she became Rama's wife. He escorts her to a boat and loads inside all her belongings. Silently he paddles the boat across the river to the hermit, Valmiki. Sita's belongings are unloaded on the beach. Sita cries as the old charioteer helps her to the beach. He bows to his queen, kisses her feet and leaves.

"The heavenly poet, Narada, floats by Sita singing. 'Rama, Rama is an earthly man. Loyal Sita serves his will.' Sita watches the heavenly poet sing to awaken the hermit, who meditates in an ant pile on the sand of the beach. The heavenly poet, Narada says, "Get up, Valmiki! Come out!"


~~~~~~~~~

#2 - God Indra’s Anger

Read Chapter Indra's Anger
Ravana, the ten-headed twenty-armed daemon, his generals, and son Meghanada attacked the Heavenly Palace housing the poets, musicians, singers, and dancers and where the golden Ganges began. The gods watched from their heavenly positions, the earthly gods came from their temples, and the demons watched from the underworlds. The creator of the worlds, God Brahma in meditation to keep time alive stood, The protector of the worlds, God Vishnu, woke from his dream, The destroyer of the worlds, God Shiva stepped down from meditate and watched.

Anger drove Indra. On his white three-headed elephant, Airavata, he flew to God Brahma, who sat on the lotus flower waiting. “Brahma, how could you allow such a thing?”

 ~~~~~~~~~

Read #3 on wattpad.com
#3 - Birth, Love, and 
       Marriage of SITA

To conquer Ravana, Lakshmi comes to the earthborn in a furrow by the Earth Mother to King Janaka of Videha as an earthly woman, Sita. God Vishnu comes to earth in the form of early man, Rama. Rama wins the hand of Sita by breaking a huge bow given by Shiva. None of the other suitors could lift the lid of the chest, let alone lift the bow and pull the string. Sita agrees to marry Rama and Sita's sister marries Rama’s brother Lakshman.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#4 - BANISHED AND ABDUCTED

Read on Wattpad.com
The great Hindi Ramayana is a story of dharma of a son’s, Rama’s, duty and loyalty to father’s words, regardless of the consequences. And a loyal faithful, now banished from the Koshala Kingdom for fourteen years and now Sita abducted by the ten-headed twenty-eyed daemon Ravana for revenge of killing Rakshasas.

Rama’s duty to his father’s words, regardless of the consequences with loyal faithful wife, Sita, and brother Lakshman are banished from the Koshala kingdom for fourteen years. Then Sita abducted by the ten-headed twenty-eyed daemon Ravana for revenge against Rama and Lakshman for killing the Rakshasas.

Sita abducted even though married to Rama an earthy man, by the Daemon Ravana to revenge the killing of his Rakshasas by Rama.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read Ravana's chapter
#5 - Daemon Ravana Came from Where?


 Each time we visited, Trijata brought me a gift of fruits, perfumes, or fresh vegetables. I finally asked the question, “Where did Ravana come from, and why the ten-heads and twenty-arms?” Trijata said, “This is a long family history from God Brahma, I will tell the best I can.”






 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read Hanuman's chapter.
#6 - Hanuman

“Rama’s ring!” A white-haired, red-faced, brown, yellow-eyed, monkey with golden earrings jumped from the tree and smiled at me. “Faithful Sita. I am Hanuman, son of the Wind. Rama befriended me; I wear the prophesied earrings of helping Rama.”

“Hanuman, a friend Rama’s. Tell me what you know. I am hunger for news.”

Leaving Hanuman destroys Daemon Ravana's city of Lanka before returning to Rama. He is captured.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~

#7 - The Bridge, The Battles

Read #7 on Wattpad.com
After Hanuman finds Sita on Lanka, he burns the city with his tail, then he jumps back to tell Rama. The Monkey King Sugriva, the Bears, and the Lions build a bridge of stones and logs across the sea to the Palace of the Deamon Ravana, who brags that these are mere men and animals and can't harm him. He is Rakshasa Emperor and can not be killed. He tells Sita that in four days he plans to kill her. Ravana shows Sita the head of Rama. Her Rakshasa friend, Trijata, said the head was an allusion. Shift changed as a wasp, Trijata will find out and tell Sita what happens. Her husband, the youngest brother of Ravana, Vibhishana, is banished from the court because he told Ravana to give Sita back. He helps Rama, Lakshman, and Hanuman with the battles outside Lanka.


Rama and Lakshman, with Hanuman, the monkeys, the bears, and the lion wait on the Lanka shore ready for the battles with the Daemon Ravana, while Sita waits by the Asoko tree.


#8 - SITA RESCUED

Read Rescued on Wattpad.com
Many battles later with many Rakshasas, brother Kumbhakarma, son Indrajet, and now Daemon Ravana, whose obsessed to own a woman, were dead. Sita freed and for Rama. Angi, the Fire God, proved that Sita was the pure, faithful, loyal wife as always.

Indra, the God of the Heavens brought Rama’s father, Dasaratha to witness, and Sita's father, Janaka, presented her again to Rama.

Flowers fall from the sky. Bells Ring!
Rama and Sita flew back to Ayodhya to be King and Queen.
"Rama, Rama, preserver of the worlds,"
"Loyal Sita served you with her heart."


~~~~~~~~~~

BIBLIOGRAPHY
   
Bibliography
©Asian Art Museum of San Francisco Storyteller Manual, 2002, India, Tibet & Himalayas, and Southeast Asia, Rama Statues and stories for storytelling.
***The Ramayana Summary', source The Ramayana of Valmiki, translated by Hari Prasad Shastri, Shantisandan, London, 1962, three volumes.

The Ramayana, A Telling of Ancient Indian Epic, adapted by Larry Tominberg for classroom use from 'Spotlight on Ramayana: An Enduring Tradition', pp.12.

Treasures, Vol VI, No. 4, 'Hanuman,' Summer 2003, publish Asian Art Museum, S.F., CA, USA, p. 5, www.asianart.org.

Missing Links: Hanuman, Study of Hinduism, Professor Philip Lutgendrof, University of Iowa, lecture, 2003, Hanuman's Tale, The Messages of a Divine Monkey, Philip Lutgendorf, Oxford, University Press 2007, pages 448. Buy at Amazon.

The Hindu University, Hindu Net Inc.org,@1994-2003 and on
'Ramayana,' C. Rajagopalachari, http://hidubooks.org.

INDOlink.com, INC., Ramayana – Part 1:'Early life of Rama, 'Part 2: 'Rama's Exile,' Part 3: 'The Abduction of Sita,' Part 4: 'Slaying of Ravana and Rama's Coronation,' narrated by Kanai L. Mukherjee (Grandpa), edited by Bibha Mukherjee, courtesy of Association of Grandparents of Indian Immigrants (AGII), 2002 and on, http://www.hinkukids.org/grandps/ramayana, 5/2003.

Seasons of Splendour, Tales, Myths and Legends of India, 'Dussehar, the Festival of Victory,' Madhur Jaffery, illustrator Michael Foreman, Puffin Books – Penguin Group, 1985, 1992.

Folk Tales of the World, 'Ravana', story adapted by A. W. Crown, Houghton Mifflin, 1963, page 80.

Rama and Sita, A Tale from Ancient Java, Retold and Illustrated by David Weitzman, publisher David R. Godine, Boston, USA, first edition, 2002, pages (Rama loses Sita and Hanuman offers to help using metal puppets.

http://www.sanatansociety.org/indian_epics_and_stories.htm, 'Goddess Lakshmi' and 'Hanuman,' 5/2003 and on

A.C.T., 'The Ramayana', written and directed by Ruben Polendo, Zeum Theatre, San Francisco, CA, March 8, 2003.

Abhinaya Dance Company, Surya, 'Rama's Doubts Resolved,' (Ramayana Epic), Valmiki's Ramayana, Julia Morgan Center of the Arts, Berkeley, CA, March 15, 2003.

**The Best SOURCES

Ramayana, retold by William Buck, Valmiki's Ramayana, 'King Rama's Way,' introduction B. A.van Hooten, illustrator Shirley Triest, University of California Press, 1976, Berkeley, CA, USA, 432 pp. (Includes list of character and a map) PLUS -an Audio Literature Presents: 'Ramayana,' read by Ram Dass, 1976, 1991.

Dictionary of World Myth, 'an A-Z reference guide to gods, goddess, heroes, heroines, and fabulous beast,' General Consultant, Roy Willis, Barnes&Noble Book, New York, NY, USA, 2002, pages 240.

Indian Mythology, Veronica Ions, Peter Bedrick Books, New York, USA, 1967, 1983.
Hindusim, World Religions, Madhu Bazaz Wangu, Facts on File, An Infobase Holding Company, 1991, pp. 128.

A Tale of Gods and Demons, 'Ramayana,' text by Rachor Prime, Illustrator B.G. Sharma, Mandala Publisher, San Rafael, CA, USA, 2002, pages 145. (The literally and beautiful of all the text)

The Ramayana for Children, Bulbul Sharma, illustrator k.P. Sudesh, Puffin Books, first edition, 2003, pages 182.

Ancient Wisdom of China and India, 'The Ramayana,' edited by Lin Yutang, Random House, New York, USA, 1942, pp.135-265.








1 comment:

  1. Thanks for looking --> read on Wattpad.com -- https://www.wattpad.com/398201730-asian-stories-11-brief-summary-of-the-ramayanaand

    or view on pinterest --->
    https://www.pinterest.com/bobbiekinkead/sita-of-the-ramayana-the-story-realm/.
    Leave me comments!

    ReplyDelete