Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana, Section B

Jatayu and Ravana - Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914)

I found the tale of Jatayu battling Ravana in the sky to be very interesting. Unfortunately, the author only devotes two paragraphs on the details of this battle. I would like to go into more detail and expand upon this battle. Ravana, wielding countless bows with his many arms, and Jatayu the Lord of Eagles (because eagles are cooler) clawing and piercing at Ravana with his razor sharp beak. I feel like this fight could be written in a way to be climatic and intense, perhaps making it seem as if Jataku would actually slay Ravana and free Sita, only to be struck down with one last arrow from the Rakshasa.

Rather than having Sita land in Ravana's lap after the three fall from the sky, I will have Jataku catch her, injured as he is. They see Ravana plummet to the Earth, and rejoice, believing he is dead. Then Ravana would drive a final, fatal arrow through the eagle, and emerge to take Sita away once again.

Jataku Flying to Sita's Aid (Source: Pixabay)

I would like to keep the ending the same, with Brahma rejoicing, knowing that this will set in motion the end of Ravana at Rama's hands. I would make him be more somber about it, knowing that this is a difficult experience for Sita. I'd have him sing apologies for her, thanking her for her role in the vanquishing of the Rakshasa, and that she will be rewarded when the deed is done.

This is an interesting story that has a lot of room for additional details to create an epic battle. I could play around with giving each combatant additional abilities as well, Jataku perhaps harnessing the powers of the wind itself, and Ravana hurling bolts of fire in addition to his arrows due to his vile Rakshasa sorcery. One idea for part of the encounter would be to have Jataku catch one of Ravana's arrows with one of his talons, hurling it back toward the evil demon, destroying the bow from whence it came.

Comments

Comment Wall

The Ruins of the Old World (Source: pixabay ) Race for the Prize

Introduction to a Mechanical Engineering Major

My name is Callum Maguire, and I am a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering. The coolest class I took last semester was AC Systems, which explored how air conditioning systems work and how they cool down rooms. Get it? Coolest class? Jokes aside, it was a very interesting course that opened my eyes to how complex a system the air conditioning in a building is, as even a single room can be a lot to deal with as far as calculations go. I was raised on Star Wars and Tolkien, so they happen to be some of my favorite works, however I'm also very fond of superhero movies, sitcoms like Community and IT Crowd, as well as sci-fi and fantasy novels. Long story short, I'm a nerd. Best movie I've seen recently is The Last Jedi, which is something of a controversial opinion I guess, but I don't care. I enjoyed it, and that's all there is to it. I recently re-read one of my childhood favorite novels, Redwall, which was a nice trip down memory lane. It was clear that it wasn...

My Favorite Place, the Wichita Mountains

My favorite place is located in southwestern Oklahoma, near the town of Lawton. It is the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, in particular Mount Scott and Elk Mountain. These two sites offer incredibly breathtaking views as well as fantastic opportunities for hiking, bouldering, and rock climbing. Mt. Scott Mt. Scott features a road that snakes its way up the small "mountain", culminating in a parking lot at the top. This location is fantastic is most likely what most people imagine when they think of the Wichita Mountains. It has gorgeous views of the surrounding area, including hills, forests, towns, and lakes, as well as plenty of spots to hike and climb. I have visited Mt. Scott countless times, initially just driving up to the top with my family, but eventually hiking up it with friends. It is a place that I feel very connected to, for reasons I cannot seem to explain. Whenever I hear people claim that Oklahoma isn't pretty, all I have to do is imagine the vie...

Indian Epics

Search This Blog