Hannah's Indian Epics Blog

Image Credit. Sita Sings the Blues. Source: YouTube .        I love the Epified videos so when I saw another opportunity to watch a illustrated version of an Indian Epic I decided to go for it. After watching part a I know that I will want to watch part b as well. The animations of this film are so fun. All of the little animated characters are so cute and fun.  I love that there are narrators in this film. I remember reading the Ramayana for the first time and it was hard to keep all the characters and places straight. Not only that but it was also difficult to remember all the curses that were going on in the story too. The whole movie has an adorable look to it and the characters all were designed with so much personality. I also like the backstory of Nina and her friends. It really gives the story a more modern take on the retelling of Sita's part in the Ramayana and all the interesting events surrounding her.      The first portion of ...

Image Credit. Sun. Source: GoogleImages . I decided to watch more of the Epified videos covering the topic of the Mahabharata. I will be watching the Mahabharata part b portion of the videos for Tuesday's free reading as I have already watched part a. The Mahabharata was definitely more my favorite than the Ramayana. I enjoyed the characters, scenery, and storytelling much more. When I saw the chance to revisit the Mahabharata I knew that it was something that I wanted to do. The Epified videos are the best way to rewatch or look again at an Indian Epic. The illustrations add a whole new element to the story. It makes it very easy to pay attention to and it is very fun to watch the story unfold.      I really loved the story of Kunti giving birth to the son of the sun god. This story reminded me a lot of a bible story I used to read when I was growing up. This story has a lot of elements that I like. I like Kunti's courage to talk to the sage and keep him company. ...

Image Credit. Ulupi. Source: GoogleImages .       This comic book was one of the best things that I have read so far in this class. There were so many beautiful illustrations that were very compelling and made me want to continue reading the comic book. There were bright colors, blues, pinks, yellows, oranges, and greens, that made the story come to life. Uloopi is one of my storybook characters so I had read about her before but this story I really enjoyed. I like how she lives in an underwater kingdom as a princess. This has a Disney princess air to it and I hope she gets a happy ending that would make a Disney princess jealous. So she meets Arjuna who is not very good to her. He is definitely not as invested in the relationship as she is.       At first, I was mad that Uloopi decided to follow Arjuna and then mad again that she decided to live with his other wife and their son. However, I think it shows Uloopi's big heart. She is not extremel...

Image Credit. Attracting Quails to Your Yard. Source: GoogleImages . The stories that really stuck out to me were the Great Elephant and The Quarrelsome Quails. The Great Elephant was a very inspirational story that really made me emotional. It was a very tough call for the people to either eat the elephant or continue on the way knowing that they would die. The elephant's sacrifice was extremely noble. I really like his character. He did not let the people know that he was going to save them. Which makes me like his character even more. I also like the attitude of the people. I was glad that they were conflicted about whether to eat him or not. It shows that they truly appreciate his sacrifice. I was happy that there also seemed to be a mythological element to this story. The energy that the people felt after consuming the elephant seemed to be a bit supernatural. I enjoy the elements of supernatural in the Indian Epic stories.      The Quarrelsome Quails caught m...

Image Credit. Krishna HD Wallpaper. Source: GoogleImages .      This week is the first week of free reading. I am extremely excited about getting to pick what I want to read over the next few weeks. I liked the Mahabharata better than the Ramayana. So, I thought I would pick something along the lines of Mahabharata. However, I came upon the Epified version of Krishna's tale. It caught my eye with it's illustrated version of the story.      I enjoyed watching Krishna's birth story come to life. It was deeply saddening to me when Kansa killed six of his sister's children. This was extremely cruel to Vasudev and Devaki. I hated that part of Krishna's birth story the most. If I was to retell this part of the story I would want to change this part of the story. I thought the setting of the castle and the dungeon was interesting. I really liked the tone it gave to the story. It also added to depth of cruelty Kansa put Devaki and Vasudev through.   ...

Image Credit. Are You an Owl or are You a Crow? Source: Steemit .       So I was more intrigued by the titles of the reading b but I now for the second reading of the week I am going back to part a of the Babbitt Jataka Tales. The merchant of Seri was a good read in this group of stories. I like how the grandmother, even though they were poor and that the bowl had special meaning to them, agreed to trade the bowl so that her granddaughter could get something. The greedy merchant was a fool to throw the bowl on the ground and then walk away. I was glad that it was the happy merchant that got to profit from the gold bowl. I also like how the story ended. It was yet another happy ending in the Jataka Tales. I think that these stories are so short that they will be easy to recreate and add in some detail that I think the original stories lack.    The story called "Why the Owl Is Not the King of the Birds" was interesting to me as well. It was so short I think...

Image Credit. White Elephant. Source: 999thepoint .       For this week's reading, I decided to read some of the Jataka Tales instead of more Krishna. I really liked the Jataka Tales when we read them at the beginning of the semester and all of the stories in part b I really enjoyed. The first story that caught my eye was the story of "The Princes and the Water-Sprite". This story was very engaging and while there was not much detail it was still a well-rounded story. The brother's attitudes caught me off guard. Even though the mother preferred the youngest son the older brothers were not angry with him for being the favorite and for being the reason that they were banished. It is also interesting how common banishments are in Indian mythology. The water-sprite is a tricky character who is able to change shape. This ability makes all of his encounters different. I like that the oldest brother chose the younger brother to save but also got to save the middle bro...

Image Credit. Krishna. Source: Pinterest .  Part B starts with Krishna as a man who has obviously grown in power. I think that it is interesting that Indra came down to ask Krishna for help. This just shows to me that Krishna is powerful and wise and that he can be trusted to help when called upon. I like that the author of Krishna's story included this tale of Indra coming to him to ask for help. It is a clever way to show Krishna's power aside from all the heroic battle tales and mythical powers he possesses.      When Krishna fights the demon Muru is probably one of my favorite parts of his tale. This demon reminds me of the Hydra from Greek mythology. I love Greek mythology so this story was right up my alley. It is interesting to me that Muru is gifted in fortification. I like that even though he is gifted in this area he is no match for Krishna. I think this is just another way that the author shows Krishna's power without directly saying it.   ...

Image Credit. Krishna. Source: GoogleImages .      The origin story of Krishna is very intricate and there is lots going on. I like how they switched the babies so that he would be the one who was beside Devaki. I really liked how when King Kansa picked him up he was not able to kill Krishna and he evaded him. King Kansa's plan to try and kill all the children in his country is quite harsh and unnecessary. King Kansa seems like the typical villain in the story. I really think that the ending of Putana's story is also unnecessary. Why should she attain salvation for suckling Krishna even though she did it meaning to kill him? She had done so much evil in her life time and killed so many innocent babies I do not think that she should have gotten to live.       Krishna has true power and I am interested to see how his story will end. He is quite the troublesome infant but I am happy that he had the parents that he did. They are very patient and kind to ...

Image Credit. Bheem. Source: Wikipedia .       So for this week's reading, I have continued watching the online video version of the Mahabharata. one of the stories that stuck out was the one where Bheem was in the water and was attacked by the snakes. I really liked the imagery that this video gave me. The snake fight with Bheem was really cool to see illustrated. I like that Bheem was able to fight them off and show his strength to the snakes. Then when the fight is over I thought it was so cool that he ended up being in the very deep water. This was a part of the story that I really liked and was interested in. It really gave the story a new and interesting setting. I really liked the change of pace in the story and thought it flowed well.    Bheem's walk through the palace and finding Vasuki. I like how they clearly explained his backstory and how Bheem and Vasuki were connected. I think it is really cool that one minute the snakes are attacking ...

Image Credit. Goddess Ganga. Source: Pinterest .       This week we are exploring the Mahabharata in a different light. I chose to watch the Epified online film version of the Mahabharata. I really enjoyed listening and watching to part of this film. The graphics that the author creates to narrate his stories are very fun. I really like watching the illustrations take shape. They give a new dimension to the story that makes it more fun for me to listen to and watch. I think that the narrator is very talented because his characters are drawn so well. Another thing I loved about the Epified version was being able to tell if I was pronouncing all the names in the Mahabharata correctly.    Again the parts of this story that stuck out for me were the story of Shantanu and his wife Ganga goddess of the river Ganga. This story is one of the most interesting to me that is in the Mahabharata. I really like the Epified take on this tale. It really encapsulated...

Image Credit. Yudhishthira Enters Heaven. Source: VyasaOnline .      The story of Ashwatthaman was a great read for the last part of the Mahabharata. The jewel on his forehead is very mysterious and intriguing. I hate that Draupadi had to lose her five sons and her brother. What a terrible set of tragedies that have befallen her. I want her to get justice but agree with Yudhishthira that even if they killed Ashwatthaman it would not bring her sons or brother back to life. There must be something done to avenge the loss she has gone through. I agree that taking the famed jewel on his head would be a type of revenge but it would not hurt him as much as the loss of six loved ones would I think personally. I think that this would be a good story to retell because it is so interesting. The jewel is mythical and supposedly magical which would make creating a story about it fairly easy.      The story of the Afterlife captured my attention immediately. I f...

Image Credit. Pandavas. Source: Wikipedia .       The first story that caught my eye was the story of the riddles at the lake. I find it really surprising that four of the Pandavas, Bhima, Nakula, Arjuna, and Sahadeva, fell prey to drinking the water even though they were warned. The setting is very interesting and tempting here. I wonder if the yaksha knows that his lake will be tempting for those that pass by and uses that to lure in victims. The riddles are all very confusing and I thought that they were quite long. I wonder how long and complicated the riddles in the longer version are. I like that Yudhishthira is very patient and answers each one diligently. I also really like how he uses his wishes to help himself and the other Pandavas.      The second story that stuck out to me was the one where the Pandavas and Draupadi spent some of their exile in the palace of the Rajah. It was very interesting how they each took on such a diverse role. T...

Image Credit. High Five for Draupadi. Source: Times of India .      I am glad that Queen Kunti and her sons, the Pandavas, are still alive and the plan of Prince Duryodhana and King Dhritarashtra was foiled even if they do not know it. Kunti and her sons have moved to the wilderness. It seems that when a character in an Indian Epic is living in the wilderness the rakshasa find them. The rakshasa have shown up in many of the sections of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. They make good villains and are comparable to bad guys in most superhero movies.     Draupadi's swayamwara is a particularly dramatic part of reading B of the Mahabharata. She really dismissed Karna very harshly before accepting Arjuna warmly. I am happy that her father got what he wanted even though he never spoke of his wants out loud. This story would be fun to recreate because of the dramatic scene that unfolds here. I like that a princess took charge of her own destiny and that everyone, b...

    Image Credit. Kauravas. Source: Ancient History Encyclopedia .       Vyasa seems to be a very important person to and in the Mahabharata. I think that it is very cool that he is both an author and a character. His birth story is very interesting but I think Satyavati is the star of this origin story. I really like how she maneuvered and worked to get what she wanted. I hope that she and Vyasa play a large role in this story as a whole.       The story of the goddess Ganga is one that I can see myself coming up with a retelling. I really like how she married but would not tolerate harsh language from her husband. I feel like she should have been more open with him about what was happening and who she was and they would not have had a problem. I was happy that she introduced him to his child later on though.      I am very surprised at the vow that Devavrata took and also his name change to Bhishma. I wonder if his mo...

Image Credit. The Divine Archer. Source: Blogspot .       I am reading The Divine Archer by F.J. Gould for this weeks reading assignment. So this starts as the other Ramayana does as well. I do not remember Shatrughna in the other Ramayana. I like this style of writing better than the other Ramayana so far. It is more like a story where the other one seemed more poetic. I liked the scene where he sees Sita for the first time. Sita remains my favorite character of the Ramayana. I hope that the ending of her story is better in this book than in the other Ramayana.      This book portrays Rama and Sita falling in love very well. I like the scenery and dialogue from Rama expressing how he feels about Sita and how he broke the bow in order to win her over. It is interesting that Rama and all of his brothers are married on the same day. I do not remember it in the PDE Ramayana. Queen Kaikeyi is very dramatic and has yet again used her two wishes to m...

     Image Credit. Sita Returns to the Earth. Source: Blogspot .       Rama's encounter with the god of the ocean was a great way to kick off this portion of the reading. I like that even though Rama was clearly frustrated they were able to reach a compromise and both were able to get what they wanted. Ravana is yet again being cruel to Sita in this portion of the reading. How terrible would it be to see the head of your beloved! I am glad that she did not have to spend a long time believing that Rama was dead. Garuda was just the pick-me-up that Rama and Sugriva's army needed. I like that Garuda is able to fly over the armies. Hanuman is truly the hero at the point in the battle when he hoists up the entire mountain. I believe that without him here Rama's forces may have been destroyed.      It seems as though Ravana only has one trick up his sleeve: making people appear dead when they really aren't. Ravana is very upset about ...

      Image Credit. Ravanna. Source: Ancient History Encyclopedia .        Hanuman is a very interesting and humble character. I really like that he is willing to help Rama and that he can turn into a monkey. Vali is a classic villain of the story. He and Sugriva remind me a lot of the brothers Scar and Mufasa of the lion king. I like Sugriva's character and his willingness to help Rama also. I am glad that Sugriva and Vali are going to fight. I agree with the intro that Vali's death is very controversial. Rama is so powerful. I wonder why he didn't just meet Vali in open battle and help Sugriva win. I am glad that even though Sugriva and his brother had differences that he still mourned his brother's death.    Rama is heartbroken to wait until the rainy season ends. It is quite heartbreaking honestly. He has finally found someone to help him rescue Sita but now he has to wait. Okay, Sugriva needs to get a move on because Rama has been...

Image Credit. Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana by Unknown. Source: Wikipedia .       The beginning of reading B is very dramatic. I really like Bharata's loyalty to his father and brother. He despises his mother for what she has done. The death of Dasharatha has really shaken his family and his kingdom. Ten days of lying on the floor mourning definitely show the reader how much these people cared for their king. Rama is loyal, like his brother Bharata, to their father. The fact that he is contemplating remaining in the jungle even though his father is death shows the level of respect that he has for him. I think that Dasharatha banishing Rama to the jungle is a dramatic part of the story that has caused a lot of strife for everyone involved. Taking Rama's sandals back to the city in his place seemed a bit underwhelming. I was hoping that Bharata would be able to convince Rama to return.      Sita's birth story is very strange. I like how at the end of ...

Image Credit. Rama and Sita by Indi Samarajiva. Source: Flickr .  The beginning of the Ramayana is very interesting. There are many characters and deities. It is hard to keep track of them all. I think that the four sons born to Dasharatha will be very special since they are Vishnu divided into fours. It seems that Rama will be the greatest of the four brothers. Even early on there is more talk of him and more description of what he is doing. So far I like all the magic and mythical creatures but I wish the setting was more descriptive. I am enjoying the love between Sita and Rama that is beginning. I like that Sita's father had a task set that any suitor would have to pass before marrying his daughter. Rama proved himself and now he and Sita will be married. The character of Rama seems to be a classic hero and Sita a classic princess but we will see how their characters change throughout the story. Everyone knows having four wives will lead to some jealousy eventually. I w...