Week 2 Reading Diary Part B

As it turns out I guess I will not be able to follow King Dasharatha anymore, as he is dead. I guess that is how all good epics go, the characters you become attached to pass on from the story. I enjoy how part B of the reading starts with another hook like effect to grab my attention. Bharata, the named son of the throne, is upset to find out that not only has his father past away but his eldest brother has been exiled. He is in anger and is now on a quest to set things right to the way they should be with Rama as the King of Ayodhya. My additional intriguing notes are as follows:

• Sandals are a form of symbolism for Bharata to represent Rama in the city of Ayodhya since he cannot convince him to come back.
• Sita tells the story of her unusual birth to the wife of sage Atri
• A demon from the forest takes Sita away and is not harmed my sharp weapons
• Surpanakha's jealousy and feeling of rejection by Rama leads her to attack Sita
• Ravana has special powers of voice and bodily changing abilities to construct mayhem, in which he abducts Sita again.
• The grand plan is for Rama, the human avatar, to take the life of Ravana
• Rama is a told myth by many saint's and gods, this is why many people of the forest have waited his arrival without his knowing. He gains valuable information on his quest to rescue Sita once again.

Dasharatha's Funeral, Manmatha Nath Dutt