Reading Notes: Indian Heroes Part B

The Year of Disguise:

Plot: The Pandava Princes are on their last year of the 12 years of exile. They decide to live in disguise in Viratnagar to hide from Prince Duryodhan. Prince Yudhisthira disguised himself as a gambler, Prince bhima as a skilled cook, Prince Arjuna as a dancer and singer, Prince Nakula as a horse groomer, Prince Sahadev as a cowherd, and Princess Draupadi as a waiting maid. They hid their weapons before entering the palace and asked for an audience with King Virata. After 12 months, Prince Kichaka returns and asks Queen Sudeshna to send Draupadi to his room with food but he embraced Draupadi as soon as she entered his room and then threw a bunch at her when she ran away. Draupadi begged the king for help but he turned her away so she went to Bhima who took revenge on Kichaka for her.

Setting: King Virata's Palace

Draupadi humiliated in front of King Virata: Wikipedia

Bibliography. "The Year of Disguise" from The Indian Heroes:Mahabharata - The Princes of Elephant City by C.A. Kincaid: web source

Reading Notes: The Indian Heroes Part A

The Winning of Draupadi:

Plot: The Pandavas went to Panchala to win Draupadi's hand in marriage. The goal was to shoot an arrow through a ring high above the ground without looking directly at the ring. The problem was that the bow given to the suitors to use was stiff because of the wood used. Suitor after suitor failed to even bend the bow until Karna stepped up and held the bow with dexterity. However, Draupadi refused to take Karna as her husband and stopped him from even trying. Prince Arjuna then proceeded and was dressed as a Brahman beggar. He successfully accomplished the task but the crowd was outraged that a Brahman from a different caste would be marrying Draupadi so they rushed to swarm him but his brothers protected him and then duels started between the princes. In the end, Arjuna won Draupadi's heart and the Pandavas went home. Their mom didn't know what the prize was so she told Arjuna to share with his brothers so they all married Draupadi one after the other.

Setting: King Drupada's palace in Panchala

Arjuna winning Draupadi's hand in marriage: Indian Myth

Bibliography. "Winning of Draupadi" from The Indian Heroes:Mahabharata - The Princes of Elephant City by C.A. Kincaid: web source

Review: Passive Aggressive Voice

My favorite video was The Biology of Positive Habits because I do find myself naturally focusing on the negative whenever something bad happens and it's a downhill spiral for me but I will now try to practice focusing on the positive things! 

This was my favorite graphic from Wednesday's announcements. 

Active vs Passive Voice: Writing with Aesop

Growth Mindset: What is a Genius?

Genius is:

15% Courage

8% Devotion

12% Drive

10% Optimism

5% Persuasion

15% Patience

15% Versatility

10% Adaptability

10% Curiosity 

10% Imagination 

Definition of a Genius: Canva

Week 8 Progress

I am happy with my progress. I was a lot more productive during the first few weeks and then I slowed down quite a bit but I am still making my way through. I just do the assignments whenever I can. I am making my way through all of the extra credit. My favorite extra credit assignments are the growth mindset and tech tips. I also really enjoy the readings. I want to try new writing styles rather than the same ones I have been doing because they're the safe option. I want to avoid doing things last minute and having them build up.

Motivational Quote: Shutterstock

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

The feedback is really helpful! The best kinds of comments are the ones that point out exactly what I can add at certain places or where I need more detail at rather than really vague overall generalized comments. I have gotten better at giving feedback and I like the WWW strategy. It helps me think more out of the box when I read others' writing. I feel like I have gotten to know people through reading their blogs because I imagine their voice and personality while I read not only their stories but posts on their blogs as well. I did the extra credit commenting so I got to meet everyone in the class. My introduction and posts show more of me than I normally show people in person. I usually go pretty deep when I put up posts on my blog that I wouldn't have said out loud. I need to read others' stories in their projects out loud to give even better feedback that I hadn't noticed before. I chose the feedback cat below because I believe that if you don't find the source of the problem in the first place, you're going to keep making the same mistake over and over again.

Feedback Cat: Cheezburger

Week 8 Reading and Writing

The reading and writing assignments are really fun and a good way for me to step away from my other science courses. My favorite reading was the Ramayana aside from some moments where Sita and Rama were not together. My reading notes are helpful and I use them in my author's note too. I am really happy with my portfolio! I might change it to a storybook soon because I realized that I was following a trend with the kinds of stories I write. My biggest accomplishment was getting ahead the first week of class so that I had leeway during certain weeks. I chose the photo below because it depicts the happy ending I really wanted for Rama and Sita. I could start reading out loud to get the full experience in the future readings.

Sita with her children: Ram

Week 6 Story: Amba's Path to Revenge

This story is now at my portfolio.

Scene 1: In the palace of the queen mother Satyavati of Hastinapura to soon be married to Vichitravirya. Enter Amba.

Amba: What should I do? Should I ask him? I wonder if he will listen to my request… No, this isn’t right! I can’t just wait here to be married off to another man when my heart already belongs to someone. I have to plead to Bhishma to let me go.

Scene 2: In Bhishma’s chamber. Enter Bhishma.

Bhishma: What did you want to see me about?

Amba: I cannot go through with this wedding, I am already betrothed to the king of Shalwas and it would be a dishonor to be married to one man but constantly long for someone else.

Bhishma: I understand, you may leave at once.

Exit Bhishma

Amba: I can’t believe Bhishma let me go, just like that. I was ready to hurl myself on the floor in a fit of tears until he let me go. I need to hurry out and leave Hastinapura before Bhishma decides to change his mind and abduct me again. I’m finally on my way to King Shalwas’ palace! He must have been so worried with me being gone all this time. I can’t wait to see the surprised look on his face when he sees me again.

Narrator: And so she skipped happily on her way to King Shalwas’ palace with no idea of what was about to happen.

Scene 3: Entering King Shalwas’ palace. Enter King Shalwas.

Amba: King Shalwas, I have finally returned!

King: Why did you come back? You should have just stayed there and become married off to Vichitravirya.

Amba: I don’t… I don’t understand. I thought you would be happy to see me. I still sincerely love you and have never once strayed from that thought. I am still faithful to you as I have always been.

Narrator: Amba went on expressing her sincere love to the king but he was unmoved. His face still as night.

King: I can’t take you back, you are not the same innocent Amba I once knew.

Amba: Even though you are turning your back on me, the truth will always be on my side and I know I have never committed a wrong against you.

Exit King Shalwas

Scene 4: In the forest. 

Narrator: Amba dashed out of the palace in tears with nowhere to go. She knew she couldn’t go back to Hastinapura after she already talked about being betrothed to someone else but now she wasn’t anymore. She also couldn’t bring herself to stay at her childhood home after all that had happened. She stayed in the forest and then visited the Ashram for help.

Amba: Where did it all go wrong? Why was I abandoned with nowhere to go?

Narrator: And then a thought struck Amba…

Amba: It was Bhishma! He is the one who abducted me in the first place and the reason that King Shalwas won’t take me back! He is the cause of all of my problems, I have to get revenge and turn my life back around.

Scene 5: Amba and Shiva.

Narrator: Amba did penance and fasted everyday eventually growing thinner but she did not care about her looks anymore. After many weeks of constant prayers, Shiva appears.

Enter Shiva

Shiva: What wish can I grant you for your dedication to penance all this time?

Amba: I wish to get revenge on Bhishma!

Shiva: That I can do for you, you will destroy Bhishma.

Amba: But how can I get my revenge on him if I’m here in the forest while he is in a palace full of guards?

Shiva: You will be reborn into a fierce and skilled warrior and will one day have the chance to slay Bhishma.

Narrator: Amba was determined to get her revenge no matter what. She prepared a fire and stepped to end her current tragic state and begin a new life.

Exit Amba

Author's Note: Amba along with two other princesses were abducted by Bhishma so Amba asked Bhishma if she could leave and go to the king of Shalwas who she intended to marry and Bhishma let her go but when Amba went back to the king of Shalwas, he rejected her and coldly sent her away with no affection. She had nowhere to go because she felt so ashamed that she was rejected on both sides so she went to an ashram where she felt that Bhishma was the source of all of her problems. Shiva showed up and said he would grant Amba a boon and she requested that she slay Bhishma but Shiva said she would need to be reborn into a different body who would grow into a fierce warrior to defeat Bhishma so Amba stepped into figure to be reborn.

This is one of my favorite scenes at the beginning of the Mahabharata because there is so much drama that happens and so much goes on in Amba's life from just this one scene. This scene is also crucial to the story line later on as Amba exacts her revenge. I thought this scene would be perfect to rewrite in the format of a play because of how dramatic it was so I did my best to try to write the scene as if people were acting out the scenes.

Amba being reborn :Deviant Art

Bibliography. "Amba" from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists: Mahabharata by Sister Nivedita, web source

Famous Last Words: Snow Days

I enjoyed reading the Mahabharata this week! I ended up reading both parts of week 6 and 7 readings all at once. I didn’t want to stop reading because so many scenes were intense and there was just so much happening. I also liked how you could see similarities to the Ramayana at some points. I wrote an essay this week for my Native American Music class and I enjoyed doing research on the different sacred games that were played and what they represented and then writing about them in my essay. I ended up not writing a story this week for this class because I couldn’t pick out a favorite scene that I wanted to rewrite or think of a way to change a scene. I absolutely loved reading the stories that people have been adding to their portfolio or storybooks. I find it so intriguing to see all of the creative things that people came up with that I had never thought of doing. My favorite one that I read was a storybook that mixed high school musical with the Ramayana. I found it very relatable and easy to understand because everyone was put into everyday terms and situations that we have been through. I want to change how I normally write stories because I usually go with the same theme of changing the ending or writing from a character’s point of view. I will try to explore different writing styles next week! I was thankful at first to have snow days this week until I realized that I still had to turn in assignments through canvas instead of in person and all of my labs got pushed back a week so my timeline feels off. I am constantly confused of what needs to be due when now.

Enjoying the snow: Surf

Reading Notes: Nayaran's Secret

I watched Nayaran's Secret from Seven Secrets of Calendar Art.
Narayan is a God who's sleep marks the dissolution of the world, so the world only exists when Narayan is awake. If no one is there to observe that the world is exist, then does it exist? If Narayan is the observer but he is asleep, then the world must not be there if no one is there to observe it. Hindus believe that people live multiple lives and this is just one of many. Narayan awake is also called Vishnu. The awaking is associated with Shiva. Brahma was angered by Narada and cursed him to be restless until it was time for Vishnu to sleep again so Narada is the cause of many problems. Narada provokes people and fills minds with insecurities and jealousy while Vishnu fixes all of these.

Nayaran: Shimran

Reading Notes: Vishnu's Secret: Detached Engagement Brings Order

I watched Vishnu's secret.
The the first video explains reasons why cows are sacred in the Hindu religion and how Vishnu is the cow herder who brings harmony between humans and nature. Shiva is a bull that we should not strive to be. Vishnu's law upholds Dharma which tells man to not destroy nature. Vishnu also has a measurement scale that is based on love, care, and affection so he turns away from domination over each other. Vishnu determines who does good and who doesn't. Civilization needs a perfect amount of compassion. The second video explains the story of the Ramayana and goes into how Ram was exiled and how he met Sita who went with him on the exile. Ram is also the reincarnation of Vishnu so it connects to the first video. Ram is about laws and conduct while Krishna focuses on love and affection.

Vishnu: Knapp

Review: Alike

My favorite video this week was Alike because it was relaxing to just sit back and watch a video with no words but still get be able to get the moral of the story. I agree that we shouldn't just go through our day to day lives monotonously and forget about creativity. My favorite graphic was the graphic below. I thought it was hilarious to see what a major difference you can have from the presence of a space or not. 

Space Matters: Blog

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part D

Bhima and Dushasana

Characters in the Scene: 

Bhima
Dushasana
Karna
Arjuna
Susharman
Yudhishthira

Plot: Arjuna starts by fighting Susharman but then Karna starts attacking as well so Bhima holds off Karna until Arjuna is done with Susharman. Dushasana comes to aid Karna but Bhima remembers his oath that he made to slay Dushasana and drink his blood for showing his thigh to Draupadi and causing her great shame. Bhima takes down Dushasana, chops his head off, and drinks his blood to everyone's horror.

Setting: Battlefield

Bhima drinking Dushasana's blood:Wikipedia

Bibliography. "Bhima and Dushasana" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie: web source

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part C

Bhima and Kichaka

Characters in the Scene: 

Bhima
Kichaka
Draupadi
King Virata

Plot: Kichaka spotted Draupadi and requested that his sister send Draupadi to deliver food to his room but when she arrived, he grabbed her by the waist and she threw the plate of food at him while trying to escape. He caught up to her and punched her in the face so she ran to King Virata to ask for help and told him what happened to her. King Virata was afraid to cross prince Kichaka so he just laughed her off and said it was her loss to reject prince Kichaka. Draupadi then went to Bhima to tell him what happened and Bhima told her to request a meeting with prince Kichaka at night and  Bhima would go in her place. Bhima hid his face so that Kichaka wouldn't know who he was later and Bhima continually beat Kichaka until he was unrecognizable. Bhima then told Draupadi to tell everyone that it was her immortal husband that killed Kichaka.

Setting: Prince Kichaka's palace

Draupadi and Kichaka:Wikipedia

Bibliography. "Bhima and Kichaka" from The Indian Heroes by C.A. Kincaid: web source

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part B

Wife of the Five Pandavas

Characters in the Scene: 

Five Pandavas
Draupadi
Vyasa
Drupada

Plot: Arjuna won Draupadi as a wife in an archery contest but when they came home and told their mom that Arjuna had won a great prize, she told them to share the prize among them. It was too late at that point to take back what she said so they were conflicted on what to do. Drupada sent his son as a spy who overheard the Pandavas talking so he went back and reported to Drupada who requested the Pandavas come back to the palace. They turned to Vyasa for help on what to do and he said that Draupadi had to be the wife of all five princes because she had requested for a husband five times in her past life and now she was being granted her wish. The five pandavas are also reincarnations of Indra so they count as the same person so Draupadi was married off to each son in five consecutive days going from oldest to youngest.

Story Idea: I want to add more detail to the scene but keep the plot the same because I really enjoyed reading this scene.

Draupadi and her 5 husbands:Wikipedia

Bibliography. "Wife of the Five Pandavas" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie: web source

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part A

Amba

Characters in the Scene: 

Shiva
Amba
King of Shalwas

Plot:
Amba asked Bhishma to go to the king of Shalwas who she intended to marry and Bhishma let her go but when Amba went back to the king of Shalwas, he rejected her and coldly sent her away with no affection. She had nowhere to go because she felt so ashamed that she was rejected on both sides so she went to an ashram where she felt that Bhishma was the route of all of her problems. Shiva showed up and said he would grant Amba a boon and she requested that she slay Bhishma but Shiva said she would need to be reborn into a different body who would grow into a fierce warrior to defeat Bhishma so Amba stepped into figure to be reborn.

Amba being reborn :Deviant Art

Bibliography. "Amba" from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists: Mahabharata by Sister Nivedita, web source

Review: Having Hope

My favorite video from the announcements was the Live to Inspire: Dance because I have spent most of my life watching dance shows. Dance can communicate emotions and a story from the power in each movement. My favorite graphic from the announcements was about hope. I struggle with many of the major science courses that I have to take for my major and I always have to remember to have hope and to not give up no matter what.

Having Hope: Incidental Comics

Famous Last Words: Chinese New Years!

I liked that the readings this week were also about the Ramayana but from a different perspective. I liked reading it from someone else’s point of view because they provided details that I hadn’t thought about or that I didn’t see before when I was reading the first version I read. I also saw how one story could be interpreted so many ways. I did have time to do both portions of the reading and the part I remember the most was the scene between Kaikeyi and Manthara because I previously wrote my story from Manthara’s perspective because I felt like she was misunderstood since she never told Kaikeyi what to do with the two boons in the first version I read. However, in the second version I read, Manthar was truly evil and she did tell Kaikeyi to banish Rama for 14 years. For my future readings, I will probably do research behind the background and see if there are other versions as well that I could read before I write my story to avoid a misguided story with a very narrow scope. I loved the stories I read from other people, I also found people who wrote stories focusing on one character’s point of view. My other classes are stressful as always but I can always depend on this class to de-stress. I really like reading others’ stories in this class and taking the time to sit down and just type away my stress on a page. I hope to get ahead for next week and stay on top of my material so that I can finish the class early. I am excited for this weekend because it is Chinese New Years so my family has a huge celebration so I am looking forward to all of the food and bonding time with my family.

New Year: Metro

Reading Notes: Dharma Ramayana Part A

The Trial of Strength

Plot:
Rama, Laksman, and Vismatria set out on a journey to Mithila. They hear of a bow that has been passed down in the Janaka family but no one has had the power to string the bow until Rama arrived. He was able to not only string the bow but he actually broke the string. Rama won Sita's hand in marriage and then Urmila and Laksman ended up getting married too. They had a huge ceremony and made sure to invite Dasaratha. After the wedding, they headed back to Ayodhya but ominous birds swooped low to foreshadow that something bad was coming. A dust storm formed and out came Parasurama, a sage who had killed many. Parasurama challenged Rama after having heard of his strength and Rama passed his test which revealed that he must be an incarnate of Visnu. 

Setting: On a journey to Mithila

Rama breaking the bow: Quora

Bibliography. "The Trial of Strength" from Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love and Wisdom by Krishna Dharma, web source

Reading Notes: Nivedita's Ramayana Part B

Rama's Sons

Characters in the Scene: 

Valmiki
Rama
Lava
Kusha
Sita

Plot:
Valmiki taught Rama's sons: Lava and Kusha to sing about all of the wonderful things that Rama has done and many enjoyed those songs. Rama finally met them and offered them money but they rejected it because they live in the forest and have no use for money. Rama eventually figures out that they are Sita's children and sends a messenger to bring her back to test her innocence again.

Setting: At Rama's palace in Ayodhya

Lava, Kusha, and Valmiki: Detechter

Bibliography. "Rama's Sons" from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists: Ramayana by Sister Nivedita, web source