Week 6 Reading Diary B: Rama and Ravana's War Part I

• So Samundra lets Rama through the oceans by allowing him to build bridges if one of the monkeys in his party—Nala—wishes and commands it. Sumandra lets this happen because Nala is able to put anything on the water and it’ll float. That’s pretty cool (Page 275).
• I love stories about how animals received certain traits, so I thought it was cool that it showed the squirrels getting their three stripes on their backs by Rama stroking them (page 277).
• Poor Vibhishana was just trying to speak some sense into Ravana. He knew that if Ravana carried out his plans then it would all end badly. But Ravana didn’t listen and instead cast Vibhishana out (pages 278-280).
• Note to self: Hanuman paying back Vibhishana by persuading that Rama take him as an ally is here (pages 280-281).
• Dear Trijata is there to help Sita in her time of sorrow, her only friend who dispels the belief Ravana gave to her that Rama is really dead (page 287).
• Um… Prahasta has a lot of odd things tied to his chariot. It’s nearly comical (page 295).
• Ravana is just so obstinate. Even Kumbhakarna who has been asleep for so long, tells Ravana that he is stupid, yet Ravana fights back and believes that what he is doing is not in fact wrong (page 300).
• Ravana is so keen on illusions in this war, both towards Sita and Rama. He plays so hard on their mental pain as well as their physical pain.
• Also, everyone tried to tell Ravana that his plans were stupid, and that he should just give Sita back to avoid all of the deaths and pain that would come to him. He ignored them, only to be surprised when his son and brother were killed.

Image Information: Kumbhakarna Fighting Hanuman; Web Source: Wikimedia Commons.