Extra Credit Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part B

 Tiny Tales from the Ramayana

by Laura Gibbs

https://sites.google.com/view/tinyramayana/home

Tiny Tales 51-60:

-King Dashartha wished Rama to be the next king, Rama wished to be a forest rishi

-royal priest, Vashishtha, helped Rama understand that God is all things and that Rama should be king

-Kaikeyi's mind was poisoned to despise Rama and use her boons from Dasharatha to have Rama exiled and make Bharata king

-Rama's wife, Sita, and Lakshmana join Rama in exile

-the people of Ayodhya and the hijras remained loyal to Rama (loyalty)

-Lakshmana did not have time to sleep in order to protect Sita and Rama, the sleep goddess, Nidra-Devi, had Lakshmana's wife, Urmila, sleep in his place (loyalty, sacrifice)

-Dasharatha died grief stricken in his bed over-night from Rama's exile

-Shatrughna was furious over Rama's exile, and asks Bharata to kill the maid, Manthara, for poisoning Kaikeyi's mind

-Bharata refuses, forgiving as Rama does (forgiveness) (learning)

-Dasharatha had a restless spirit and ordered his four sons kill a rhino together, they did and he was at peace

-Rama forgives Manthara and gives insight on past and future lives of Manthara

Tiny Tales 61-70

-the rishi Sutikshna explains to Rama he does not need to kill animals if they are doing no harm (no one is perfect)

-the rishi Sharabhanga does not ascend to Nandana-Vana and waits his whole life in order to see Rama, then departs

-Viradha captures Rama and Lakshmana, they cut Viradha's arms off and buried him, freeing the celestial being Tumburu

-Sita tells Rama a story resulting in the loss of spiritual powers from the cease of ritual practice and prayers

-Rama meets Agastya and respects Agastya for his powerful battle story

-Agastya gives Rama the "diamond-studded bow of gold" made by Vishvakarma, two constantly loaded quivers, a sword (Indra's), and a bow (Vishnu's) (weapons)

-Lakshmana believed he accidentally killed an ascetic, however he was Ravana's nephew trying to get powers to destroy Indra, Indra thanks Lakshmana

-Sita meets Anasuya, who tells her a story of helping the gods and bestows Sita with gifts

-Sita and Rama's sweat droplets grew fruit-bearing trees: Sita-fruit, Rama-fruit

Tiny Tales 71-80

-Lakshmana is forever faithful to Urmila, cannot be seduced

-Rama's father's friend Jatayu, an eagle, offers them protection during the exile

-Lakshmana protected Sita from Ravana's sister, Ravana lost one of his heads as a result

-Cousins of Ravana (Dushana and Khara) come to help the sister, but were defeated

-Ravana hears of Rama destroying his family, he has it out for Rama and plans to take his wife

-Ravana forces Maricha to be a golden deet and distract Rama to kidnap his wife

-Rama is tricked by the deer despite Lakshmana's warnings

-Lakshmana leaves Sita in a safe circle while he went to help Rama, Sita could not leave this circle

-Sita is tricked by Ravana to leave the circle

-Ravana takes Sita, Jatayu tries to save Sita but falls under Ravana

Tiny Tales 81-90

-Ravana brings Sita to Lanka, his wife Mandodari tries to stop him

-Jatayu told Rama that Ravana took Sita then died, Rama was heartbroken

-Lakshmana denies another out of loyalty to his wife

-Shabari feeds Rama and Lakshmana berries

-Rama and Lakshmana kill Kabandha, who was freed by his death and tell them the monkeys will help

-Hanuman and Sugriva find the jewelry Sita threw down and took it as a call for help

-Vali and Sugriva are children of Indra and Surya with Aruni (respectively)

Tiny Tales 91-100

-Hanuman could be a child of Anjana and Vayu (monkey son of wind god)

-Hanuman was left alone as a baby and became very hungry, he tries to eat the sun because it looked like a mango

-Gifts to Hanuman: protection from thunderbolts (Indra), radiance (Surya), freedom from sickness (Yama), safe from weapons (Vishvakarma)

-Hanuman lost memory of his powers from a rishis curse, remembers his powers when he hears King Jambavan

-Surya, the sun god, became Hanuman's guru, and Surya asks Hanuman to care for his monkey son Sugriva

-Vali beats Dundhubi in a battle

-Matanga curses Vali for Dundhubi's death, Vali will die if he came to Rishyamukha Hill

-Sugriva thinks Vali died and declared himself king, but Vali did not die

-Vali defeats Mayavi, Dundhubi's son, and returned to find Sugriva king

-Sugriva flees to Rishyamukha Hill to hide from Vali

Misconception filled stories