Tiny Tales: Ramayana and Mahabharata

As part of my Tiny Tales project (5 books completed so far!), I am working on a Tiny Tales version of both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. I am really excited that I will have both of these books available as free #OER textbooks for the Indian Epics class in Spring 2021. There will be free digital editions in all the usual formats (PDF, epub, mobi, plus a web version), along with a free audiobook (at SoundCloud), and cheap Amazon editions: Kindle (99 cents) and paperback ($5.99).

I have written the Ramayana book, so I am proofreading now (in November), and then recording the audiobook in December; tentative publication date is December 26. Details about the Ramayana here. 

I've also started writing the Mahabharata book, and if all goes well I will publish that in early February (and the Mahabharata reading starts in class on March 1, so that should work out great). Writing the Mahabharata book is my #NaNoWriMo challenge for this year! Details about the Mahabharata here.

Character of the Day: EKALAVYA

(Nanda Lal Bose)

EKALAVYA was a Nishada man of the forest who wanted to study with Drona. Drona rejected him, so Ekalavya trained, honoring a statue of Drona as his guru. When he came to pay the guru-dakshina, Drona saw Ekalavya's great skill as a threat to Arjuna, so he demanded Ekalavya's thumb as payment.

Wikipedia: Ekalavya

Mahabharata: You can read Ekalavya's story in the Sambhava Parva of the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata.

Devdutt.com: On Insecure Arjuna

Bizzell: Offering: The Story Of Ekalavya And Dronacharya

Videos:

Ekalavya's Story

Eklavya - The Devoted Archer

Story of Ekalavya for Children

Character of the Day: URVASHI

(Urvashi and Pururavas)

URVASHI is one of the most famous of the apsaras, the celestial dancers in Indra's heaven. She became the wife of Pururavas, and famously cursed Arjuna when he rebuffed her.

Wikipedia: Urvashi

Ramayana: Urvashi is connected to the Ramayana by being the mother of Rishyasringa.

Mahabharata: It was Urvashi's curse that led Arjuna to spend a year in disguise as the eunuch Brihannala.

Freebookapalooza: You can find a retelling of Kalidas's play Pururavas and Urvashi in Tales From The Indian Drama by Charles A. Kincaid.

Devdutt.com: Female As Alpha

Bizzell: Urvashi: The Apsara Who Fell In Love With A King

Videos:

Urvashi's Curse

Pururava and Urvashi

Urvashi - The Most Beautiful Apsara's Birth

Character of the Day: ULUPI

(Ulupi and Arjuna)

ULUPI is a naga princess who became the wife of the Mahabharata hero Arjuna. Together they had a son, Iravan.

Wikipedia: Ulupi

Mahabharata: Ulupi is Arjuna's wife, rescuing him from the curse of the Vasus; more about that.

Devdutt.com: Queer Sexuality and Indian Culture (the article talks about Ulupi and Arjuna's son)

Bizzell: Uloopi: The Naga Princess who Fell in Love with Arjuna

Videos:

Ulupi: Women from the Mahabharata

Character of the Day: PARASHURAMA

(Parashurama and Rama)

PARASHURAMA, son of the sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka, is considered to be an avatar of Vishnu. He is also considered to be one of the immortals, the Chiranjivi. Born a brahmin, he carried out a war against the whole kshatriya class. One of his weapons was the axe, which is why he is called Parashu-Rama, Axe-Rama.

Wikipedia: Parashurama, Chiranjivi

Ramayana: Parashurama confronted Rama after the breaking of Shiva's bow; read more here.

Mahabharata: Parashurama was Karna's guru, but he cursed him for pretending to be a brahmin; read more here. He also played a role in Amba's story; read more here.

Devdutt.com: The Axe of Parshuram

Kindle: Parashurama (Maharshis of Ancient India) by M.N. Lakshminarasimha Bhatta

Bizzell:  Parashurama: Sixth Incarnation of Vishnu.

Videos:

Epified: Parshuram, Wielder of the Axe

Parashurama Avatar




Karna Stories - Karna's Curse

Character of the Day: PANDU

(Wayang kulit shadow puppet)

KING PANDU ("the Pale") is the son of Vyasa and Ambalika (the widowed daughter-in-law of King Shantanu). Pandu, in turn, is the father of the Pandava heroes with his wives Kunti and Madri.

Wikipedia: Pandu

Mahabharata: Ambalika grew pale with fright at the sight of Vyasa; hence Pandu the Pale. Pandu was later cursed to be unable to sleep with his wives, so Kunti and Madri used divine mantras to give birth to their sons. Pandu died when he was unable to resist and slept with Madri.

Devdutt.com: Beware the deer hunt

Videos:

Sons of Vyasa

Pandu's Curse

Sons of Pandu

Character of the Day: VIBHISHANA

(Vibhishana and Rama)

VIBHISHANA is Ravana's pious brother who defects to Rama's side in the war, and who then becomes ruler of Lanka after Ravana's death. He is also considered to be one of the "Immortals," or Chiranjivi.

Wikipedia: Vibhishana

Ramayana: Vibhishana is one of the main characters of the Ramayana, eventually becoming ruler of Lanka and marrying Ravana's widow, Mandodari.

Devdutt.com: Challenging Loyalty

Kindle: Vibhishana (Epic Characters of Ramayana)

Videos:

Virtuous Demons

The Eight Immortals

How Vibhishana Surrendered to Lord Rama

Character of the Day: JATAYU

(illustration by K. Venkatappa)

JATAYU is the mighty bird ally of King Dasharatha who fought against Ravana when he abducted Sita. He is the brother of Sampati.

Wikipedia: Jatayu

Ramayana: Jatayu attempts to rescue Sita from Ravana, but Ravana defeats him. Rama discovers the dying bird, and then performs his funeral rites.

Devdutt.com: Ram and the Rooster

Kindle: Jatayu: Savior from the Skies by Anuradha Kumar

Bizzell: Divine Beings: Airavata, Jatayu, Nandi and Others

Videos:

Giant Statue of Jatayu

Jatayu: Earth's Center

Jatayu: India's Best Statue
(English subtitles)

Character of the Day: HANUMAN

(painting, circa 1700)

HANUMAN, the divine monkey, is Rama's devoted follower and protector. He is considered one of the Chiranjivi (Immortals).

Wikipedia: Hanuman

Wikiquote: Hanuman

Holiday: Hanuman Jayanti

Ramayana: Hanuman is one of the key characters of the Ramayana. Rama meets Hanuman shortly after Sita is abducted, and Hanuman plays a key role in her rescue from Lanka.

Mahabharata: Hanuman meets his half-brother Bhima who, at first, mistakes Hanuman for a normal monkey. (Bhima and Hanuman both have Vayu, the wind god, as their celestial father.)

Devdutt.com: Why Hanuman Chalisa is the most powerful expression of personal Hinduism

Kindle: The Chronicles of Hanuman by Shubha Vilas ($5)

Bizzell: Sundarkaand: Triumph of Hanuman by Shyam Prakash

Videos:

Epic Facts about Lord Hanuman

Names of Hanuman

Hanuman Chalisa

Character of the Day: SITA

(Sita: puppet theater in Andra Pradesh)

SITA is the wife of Rama, and widely regarded as an incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi, as Rama is an incarnation of Vishnu.

Wikipedia: Sita, Maya Sita

Wikiquote: Sita

Holiday: Vivah Panchami, Dussehra

Ramayana: Sita's abduction provides the central plot of the Ramayana.

Devdutt.com: From Earth, To Earth

Kindle: The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Divakaruni ($5.99)

Bizzell: Sita's Ramayana by Samhita Arni

Videos:

Sita Sings the Blues

Ravana and Maya-Sita

Birth of Sita

Character of the Day: VISHVAMITRA

(Vishvamitra and the princes battle Thataka)

VISHVAMITRA is an Indian wise man, or rishi, who plays an important role in the Ramayana, training young Rama in battle. Vishvamitra was born a royal warrior in the kshatriya caste, but later became a brahmin, and finally achieved the status of a brahmarshi.

Wikipedia: Vishvamitra

Ramayana: Vishvamitra takes young Prince Rama and his brother Lakshmana to fight the rakshasi Thataka and her sons Maricha and Subahu who are disturbing the practices of Vishvamitra and the other rishis.

Mahabharata: The story of Vishvamitra's daughter, Shakuntala, is told at the beginning of the Mahabharata.

Devdutt.com: Two Kinds of Teachers

Kindle: Ancient Sages by Swami Satyamayanand ($1)

Bizzell: Vishvamitra: The King Who Became an Ascetic

 

Videos:

The King Who Became A Great Sage

Vishwamitra Temple

The Story of Vishvamitra

Character of the Day: INDRA

(Indra and consort Shachi on Airavata)

INDRA is an ancient Indian god of the sky, storms, and thunder. His weapon is the Vajra, or thunderbolt, and the rainbow is Indra-Dhanush, Indra's Bow. His vehicle is Airavata, the elephant.

Wikipedia: Indra

Wikiquote: Indra

Ramayana: Indra is the father of the monkey-king Vali.

Mahabharata: Indra is the father of the Pandava hero Arjuna.

Devdutt.com: So many different Indras

Bizzell: Indra And Vritra: The Demon Who Terrorized the Gods

Videos:

Indra, King of the Gods

Joseph Campbell: The Story of Indra

Arjuna Meets Indra

Character of the Day: YAMA

(Yama and Savitri)

YAMA is the god of death, and Lord of the Pitrs; he rules the southern direction. He is also known as the Dharmaraja, the Dharma King. His kingdom is called Naraka.

Wikipedia: Yama, Yama (Hinduism)

Holiday: Pitru Paksha

Mahabharata: Yama is the divine father of the eldest Pandava brother, Yudhishthira. Yama tests his son with riddles at the lake. Some people consider Vidura to be an incarnation of Yama.

Devdutt.com: Land of Yama

Bizzell:

Nachiketa: A Collection Of Stories From The Upanishads

Savitri: The Perfect Wife

Videos:

Yama and Yudhishthira

Savitri and Satyavan

Nachiketa

Character of the Day: VAYU

(Vayu)

VAYU is the god of the wind. He is one of the Pancha Bhuta, the Five Elements.

Wikipedia: Vayu

Ramayana: Vayu is the father of Hanuman.

Mahabharata: Vayu is the father of the Pandava hero Bhima.

Bizzell: Bheema and Hanuman

Videos:

Mahabharata: Bheem Meets Hanuman

Vayu Gayatri Mantra

Character of the Day: SURYA

(Surya)

SURYA is the name of the sun god, and his abode is Suryaloka, the Sun-Place.

Wikipedia: Surya

Holiday: Makar Sankranti, Chhath Puja

Ramayana: Surya is the father of the monkey-king Sugriva.

Mahabharata: Surya is the father of the Kaurava champion Karna.

Devdutt.com: Where is the Sun?

Bizzell: Surya: How the Sun God Was Tamed

Videos:

The Konark Temple

Chhath Puja

Surya Ashtakam

Ramayana Books

Via Chris Rice at Twitter, I learned about a new animated Netflix project in development, based on... the Ramayana! Here's a write-up at Deadline.com: Netflix Orders Ramayana-Inspired Animated Action Drama Series ‘Heaven’s Forest’ From ‘Castlevania’ Team. They've committed to 8 episodes, an "Indo-futuristic" setting, with Ramayana plot and characters. 

So, I was thinking that people might be interested in some Ramayana books to read. And there are MANY Ramayanas. On that topic, there's a brilliant essay by A. K. Ramanujan: Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translatipm (online thanks to the University of California Press).

Traditional versions. The most famous Sanskrit version of the Ramayana is attributed to a poet name Valmiki, and there are other Sanskrit versions, plus versions in other languages of India, and there are also versions of the Ramayana in other south Asian traditions. There are some nice English versions of these traditional Ramayanas, some longer, some shorter; this is just a partial listing, in order from shorter to longer:

The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic by R. K. Narayan (at Amazon; 200 pages). I use this version in my Indian Epics class. You can find lots of cheap older editions from used booksellers!

Ramayana by William Buck (at Amazon; 400 pages). This is the first version I read in English myself, and I'm still fond of it. Lots of cheap older editions available used for this book too!

Ramayana by C. Rajagopalachari (at Amazon; 500 pages). Rajagopalachari was a remarkable figure in the history of India; you can read more about him at Wikipedia.

Ramayana by Arshia Sattar (at Amazon; 600 pages). Arshia Sattar also collaborated on a lovely new book: Ramayana: An Illustrated Retelling (Amazon).

The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic by Ramesh Menon (at Amazon; 700 pages)

Ramayana by Kamala Subramaniam (at Amazon; 1000 pages)

~ ~ ~

Modern adaptations. In addition to those traditional versions, there are some fascinating modern retellings! After you have some basic familiarity with the traditional story, you are ready to enjoy and appreciate any of these great books. I have just listed a few; there are so many brilliant experiments going on with modern takes on the ancient epic:

Sita's Ramayana by Samhita Arni with illustrations by Moyna Chitrakar (at Amazon). This is a gorgeous graphic novel!

The Missing Queen also by Samhita Arni (at Amazon). This novel is hard to describe... but I think it's brilliant; Sita is "the missing queen" of the novel's title.

Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana by Devdutt Pattanaik (at Amazon) and The Book of Ram also by Devdutt Pattanaik (at Amazon). Devdutt Pattanaik is my favorite mythologist, in any language. He is also a great illustrator!

Lanka's Princess by Kavita Kane (at Amazon). This is the story of Shurpanakha, the sister of Ravana, the lord of Lanka and the villain of the traditional Ramayana.

Sita's Sister also by Kavita Kane (at Amazon). This is a take on the epic from the perspective of Sita's sister Urmila, who is married to Rama's brother Lakshmana.

Asura: Tale of the Vanquished by Anand Neelakantan (at Amazon). This is an astounding novel about Ravana, and if you like audiobooks, the audio performance by Denzil Smith is one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to.

Vanara: The Legend of Baali, Sugreeva and Tara also by Anand Neelakantan (at Amazon). This is another book by Anand Neelakantan, also wonderful; it focuses on the story of the vanaras of Kishkinda, who are important characters in the Ramayana.

Ram - Sita - Ravana, a trilogy by Amish (at Amazon). The Ravana volume just came out recently, and I have not read it yet, but the Ram and Sita volumes are both really good!

Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Divakaruni (at Amazon). This is a new novel about Sita by Chitra Divakaruni; the paperback version just came out this week!

Breaking the Bow: Speculative Fiction Inspired by the Ramayana edited by Anil Menon and Vandana Singh (at Amazon). This is a fabulous anthology with all kinds of short fiction in all kinds of styles.

Character of the Day: RADHA

(Krishna and Radha)

RADHA was Krishna's consort when he lived among the cowherds (gopis) in Vrindavana. She is worshipped as a goddess and in the combined form of Radha Krishna.

Wikipedia: Radha

Wikiquote: Radha

Holiday: Radhastami

Freebookapalooza: Vidyapati's Songs of the Love of Radha and Krishna translated by Ananda Coomaraswamy

Devdutt.com: A milkmaid called Radha

Kindle: The Song of Vrindavan: A Radha Krishna Love Story by Sharath Komarraju ($5)

Bizzell: Alternative Krishnas : Regional and Vernacular Variations on a Hindu Deity by Guy Beck

Videos:

Radha's Love

Radha Krishna Love Story

Radha Krishna
(English Subtitles)

Character of the Day: KALIYA

(Krishna Subdues Kaliya)

KALIYA, a Naga who lives in the river Yamuna, is one of the many foes that Krishna faces during his boyhood adventures in Vrindavana.

Wikipedia: Kaliya

Holiday: Nag Nathaiya

Devdutt.com: Do you know why I stamped the snake Kaliya?

Kindle: The Song of Vrindavan: Kaliya by Sharath Komarraju  ($4)

Bizzell: Bhagawat: The Krishna Avatar

Videos:

Krishna: Dreams and Music

Attack of the Serpent King

Krishna dances on Kaliya