Week 3: Reading Diary A

Coming out of the context of Ravana abducting Sita with the help of his uncle:

Rama is called the “ideal man” with all of his faculties “in control in any circumstances, one possessed of an unwavering sense of justice and fair play.” The controversy comes when he attempted to kill a creature “who had done him no hard.” (p. 90)

Context: Rama traveling to the forest regions of Kiskinda, a kingdom ruled and inhabited by giant monkeys. He is met by Hanuman, the watchmen for intruders.. Hanuman talks about Rama calling him “noble-looking” and says that “they appear to be incomparable beings. No way of judging by comparison. Are they gods?  - but they look so human.” (p. 91)

When Rama met Sugreeva, he felt an “instinctive compassion and also felt tat this was a momentous encounter, a turning point in his own life.”

Sugreeva: king of the giant monkeys, but only because Vali (who had freedom from death and possessed the “resplendence and the cool complexion of the full moon) had pursued a demon called Mayavi. He pursued him, but had been gone for 28 months. Sugreeva was made the ruler of Kiskinda in his absence.

Vali returns, thinking Sugreeva has attempted to seal him out of the kingdom. He chases Sugreeva mercilessly until Sugreeva takes refuge on Mount Matanga where Vali could not go. Vali went home, resumed authority as king, and took Sugreeva’s wife.

Rama offers to help Sugreeva. Hanuman senses the divinity within Rama, but Sugreeva needs more proof. To prove his strength to kill Vali, Rama shoots his arrow through the trunks of seven enormous trees, the seven worlds, seven seas, and “all things in seven.” Then the arrow went back in his quiver.

When Sita had been kidnapped, she threw off her jewelry, which had been found by the giant monkeys. Sugriva agrees to help find Sita, and gives her jewelry to Rama.

Rama kills Vali with his arrow.