Ramayana
For the next couple of weeks I will be diving into the Indian Epic, Ramayana. I have chosen to read R.K. Narayan’s version. Many factors influenced this decision, but ultimately it came down to fact that I love actual books (in print). I also really liked the Reading Guide options with four different reading portions. I think breaking reading down into portions will make it much more manageable once my other classes actually begin.Topics of Interest
At this point, I am most intrigued by the ability to explore my own interests in regards to Indian Epics. It will definitely be a challenge deciding which direction I will go later on in the course, but I am so excited about the numerous options. I think I will end up favoring the Buddhist folktales, because I have studied Eastern religions/beliefs since high school.I actually took a course on epic literature in high school, and really enjoyed it. Mythology/folklore is so fascinating, because of how it really captures the culture and the beliefs of the associated society. Having studied Buddhism, Islam, and several Eastern religions, I am eager to see how these epics have religious influences. My high school was specifically focused on science and math (Oklahoma School of Science and Math), but they encouraged us to pursue fine arts as well. I actually took part in an Indian dance class, where we were taught how dances could be used to show respect and admiration (I was told that the placement/direction of your hands is VERY important – the different between a compliment and an insult).
When browsing through the Indian Epics images, the following image of Vishnu particularly caught my attention. Dashavatara is the reference to the ten "avatars" of Vishnu (Hindu god of preservation). The tortoise form was taken by Vishnu to bear the weight of a mountain Mandara (I highly suggest reading more on this on Wikipedia).
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| A depiction of Vishnu in his avatar as Kurma, the tortoise. Wellcome Images, L0043633. |
This sounds super, Morgan! Narayan's book is a really great way to get started, and he was an incredibly important Indian author, one of the most influential of the 20th century; you can read more about him here: R. K. NARAYAN. And how cool that you have learned about Indian dance; it is very important in the Indian tradition, and there are many classical dances inspired by the epic stories!
ReplyDeleteEven better: I am so glad you already know about the avatars of Vishnu. Rama is one of those avatars (he is usually counted as the 7th), and Parashurama, who lived during the time of both epics, is also an avatar (usually counted as the 6th). Narayan does not include Rama's confrontation with Parashurama, but you can read about that and more about Parashurama at Wikipedia: he is really fascinating! Kurma the turtle avatar was the second, after Matsya the fish who was first. If you want to do a project on the avatars of Vishnu for this class, you would have some fabulous stories to work with and so much great artwork too!