Reading Notes: p.162-218
Prof's Reading Guide B
Remember: Left off with Ravana deciding to capture Sita, and traveling to Maricha's hermitage
The Golden Deer
- Maricha meets with Ravana and tries to convince him to give up his quest and leave the trio alone. Ravana refuses and eventually Maricha agrees to go with him to Panchavati (where the trio is located) though he is certain it will bring about his own death. Maricha takes the form of a gorgeous golden deer and Sita insists that Rama capture the deer. Rama chases after the deer, wanting desperately to please Sita, against the wishes of Lakshmana who is convinced it is a trap. Rama runs off and is lured farther and farther away from Sita. Rama shoots the deer who dies and resumes his true demon form. As Maricha was dying, he used his last breath to scream "help me" in Rama's voice which sends Sita into a frenzy. She freaks out and even though Lakshmana tries to reassure her that Rama is okay, she cannot be consoled. So, Lakshmana goes after Rama. Ravana scoops in disguised as an old holy man and approaches Sita. He tries to convince Sita to leave with him, but she refuses so he snatches her up and carries her away on his chariot. Jatayu tries to save Sita, but is defeated when Ravana cuts off his wings. Ravana once again takes off with Sita, but as they are flying away Sita drops pieces of jewelry to help Rama find her.
Hanuman!
- Ravana holds Sita captive in Lanka. Indra brings her food and tells her Ravana's story of why he cannot just rape her. Ravana raped Rambha (a married Asparasa who refused to love him) and was cursed by her husband Nalakubara (son of Vishwamitra, the Treasure King). If he ever tries to rape another women, his 10 heads will burst.
- Rama and Lakshmana return from chasing the deer to find Sita gone. They also find Jatayu who can barely manage to tell them who took Sita before he dies. Rama and Lakshmana journey south to Matanga's hermitage. Matanga is dead, but his wife Savari remains to inform Rama of Sita's location and tell him to seek out the friendship of Sugriva and Hanuman, 2 monkeys that live in Kishkinhya (capital of the monkey people, ruled by King Vali).
- Savari steps into her own funeral pyre and is taken to heaven by Indra, her duty finished.
- Savari then tells Rama and Lakshmana how Riksharaja, the first monkey, was created. This first monkey lived both as a male monkey and as a female. In female form, she gave birth to two monkeys: Vali, whose father was Indra, and Sugriva, whose father was Surya, the sun god. She then asked Vayu, the wind god, to father a child who would be a friend to Sugriva. Vayu chose Anjana, who gave birth to Hanuman but then abandoned her baby. When Hanuman saw the sun, he reached out for it, thinking it was a mango. In an effort to obtain the mango, he jumps at the sun but is pushed back to Earth by Indra and breaks his jaw. Brahma heals his jaw and gives him the gift of inability to be killed unless he wishes it so. Then, he is taken to Lord Shiva who teaches him how to change form at will as well as poetry. Nandin teaches Hanuman how to speak other languages.
- Vali: Vali and a demon buffalo named Dundhuvi fight.When Vali won, he tossed Dundhuvi's corpse at Rishyamuka Hill where it fell into Matanga's sacrificial alter. In response, Matanga curses Vali- never again could he approach Rishyamuka Hill. Then the demon buffalo's son Mayavi challenged Vali to a fight to avenge his father. The two end up fighting in a cave with Sugriva left outside to watch. After a long time had passed and neither had shown, Sugriva assumed them both dead and sealed up the cave. When Vali finally got out of the cave he was pissed so he exiled Sugriva (his brother) and kept his wife for himself. Sugriva and his loyal friend Hanuman flee to the hill where they know they will be safe from Vali's wrath.
- Rama and Lakshmana meet Hanuman who takes them to Sugriva, who shows them the pieces of jewelry Sita left behind. The 4 hit it off and the next morning they travel to Kishkindhya, to the mouth of the cave. Vali attacks Sugriva and Rama kills him with an arrow. Before Vali dies he tells his son to help Rama. Tara, Vali's wife takes the arrow that killed him and plunges it into her heart. Sugriva suggests they spend the night in the city, but Rama refuses because the rains are coming. Sugriva agrees to take his place on the throne and help Rama when the rains cease.
The Search
- Rama, Lakshmana, and Hanuman hold up in a cave while the rains drench the Earth. When the rains cease, Sugriva is nowhere in sight. Lakshmana goes to have a word with him. Hanuman gets to the king first and finds him in a drunken stupor. He shames the king, but to no avail and Lakshmana is approaching filled with anger. Queen Ruma goes to speak with Lakshmana and hopefully calm him down. Sugriva finally gets it together and pulls millions of animals together to help find Sita. Sugriva sends out search parties then summons Hanuman. He gives him a scroll to memorize for when he comes face-to-face with Ravana. Hanuman plans to go straight to Lanka and find Sita, Rama gives him his ring to give to Sita.
- Angada, Hanuman, and Jambavan head south to find Sita. They fall into and get lost in a cave where they meet Swayamrabha who explains that they are in Maya's Cave of Trees (Maya being a male asura who built them). Indra killed Maya and Hema inherited the caves. Swayamprabha takes care of them for her. Hema's daughter is one of Ravana's wives. Then, she tells the men how to get back out of the cave.
- When they get out, they realize a month had passed while they were underground. Angada freaks out because he feels he has failed Rama and says he would rather starve than return to Rama a failure. The monkeys and bears agreed, except for Hanuman and Jambavan the bear who sat in silent meditation near the seashore and resolved to die. Jambavan asks Hanuman to tell him the story of Rama and how Sita was captured. The two refuse to give up.
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