Week 7 Reading Diary B: The End of "The Ramayana"

•  I am glad that in this version, Bharata was not suicidal when Hanuman reached him to tell him the news about Rama’s success and return (page 379).
• Buck really gets into describing Ayodhya when it is full of festivities. Didn’t he go into an elaborate description of it when Sita and Rama married? (Pages 380-381).
• “Vasishtha cam in. He said to Kaikeyi the youngest Queen, “By your doing were the worlds saved from tyranny”” (Page 384). So, the selfishness that Kaikeyi portrayed due to Kooni’s insistence led to the world being saved? That’s a ringer.
• I really do like how Buck, in his version, gives the characters more natural dialogue and even funny lines. There were many parts that I found myself chuckling at in Buck’s book due to the lines said, which was something that didn’t happen in the other version.
• I was happy that Sita did not have to go through her trial by fire in this version. But of course, during Rama’s long reign, many question her loyalty and they think poorly of Rama for taking her back (page 390).
• So Rama cast Sita out because the people thought ill of him for taking her back, although doing so hurt him badly. Can he just never be selfish?
• And of course Rama knew that those two boys were his sons, and wants Sita back now!
• Sita is part of the Earth now, what in the world? (Page 415).
• Lakshmana had to die because the recluse could not wait his turn and threatened to curse people, Lakshmana chose his own death over the death of others (page 422).
• And of course, this version had to end with the valiant death of Rama himself.

Image Information: Rama with Those He Loves Most; Image Source: Wikimedia Commons.