Week 11 Storytelling: Goodbye Khandava Forest

Agni was SO fed up with everything. This forest had been tempting him for months! Every morning he woke up and could smell the soft clean scent of the pine trees and the deep dark fragrance of the oaks. He could see the luscious leaves and the tough giant trunks. He wanted to eat them, eat them ALL, every single one of those trees in that forest. 

There was just one GIANT problem: Indra. Every single time Agni set out on a mission to burn even ONE of those trees, Indra used his storm powers and rained all over Agni's parade. Agni just couldn't seem to catch a break and he was getting extremely frustrated. There were so many other forests in the state, why couldn't Indra just let Agni have this tiny little forest? And it's not like Agni wasn't leaving any good things behind... A nice healthy fire was needed once in a while. It would replenish the soil, kill off some animals that were weighing down the food chain, and just clear the ecosystem a little bit. Indra was stubborn though and enjoyed raining down on Agni's plans. Indra wanted to show Agni that he was far more powerful than Agni would ever be. He wanted Agni to know that rain would always triumph over fire. 

One day, Agni had a brilliant idea. People all over town always talked about how kind and helpful Arjuna and Krishna were. Surely they could help Agni attain Khandava Forest. That's all Agni wanted. He knew after he ate that forest, his mind would be at ease for years to come and he could then focus more on doing his job as the King of Fire.

He approached Krishna and Arjuna and explained his problem. To his surprise, they were actually extremely understanding. They told him they were happy to help and had actually always wanted to mess with Indra. This would be their break from their busy lives. Agni is beyond delighted and offers Arjuna and Krishna a reward if the job is properly done and Agni gets what he wants. 

Later that night, while everyone was fast asleep. Krishna and Arjuna gave Agni the go-ahead and told him to get started on burning Khandava. Not soon after Agni started burning the forest down, Indra smelled and felt the smoke around him and rose from his slumber. HOW DARE AGNI TRY TO GO BEHIND HIS BACK AND TAKE KHANDAVA WHEN INDRA HAD SPECIFICALLY SAID NO! Indra, beyond upset, rushed down from the sky ready with his monstrous rain clouds and giant thunderbolt. Arjuna and Krishna knew this was coming and were ready to distract Indra. Arjuna used his super fast speed and great aim to disperse the rain clouds all over the state, far far away from Khandava. While Krishna used his energy and power and shattered the giant thunderbolt right out of Indra's hands. Indra was now powerless; without his thunderbolt and clouds, he was nothing. Defeated Indra watched as Agni happily ate the entire Khandava forest. 

After Agni was satisfied, he called Krishna and Arjuna over and presented Arjuna, the bow Gandiva, and Krishna, his iron discus. Krishna and Arjuna happily welcome the presents and leave satisfied knowing that they helped someone in need and also got to teach Indra a lesson. There is always a line between being cocky and being confident. Hopefully Indra now knew where he stood and would never forget that helpless moment where he had no power. 

Agni fulfilling his desires of eating Khandava Forest

(Image Information: Image retrieved from Tech Times)

Author's Note: This story was based off of Buck's Mahabharata, specifically, Reading Guide B. As I was skimming through the reading guide, this small little story stuck out to me. It made me happy to think that Krishna and Arjuna took time out to help Agni with his problem. I left out the part where Agni shows up to Krishna and Arjuna as a "woodsman with gold skin and dressed in black rags, his mouth smeared with butter." I wasn't sure if that line was a metaphor for something or if Agni actually did show up with gold skin and an oily mouth? It didn't really make much sense to me, so I left it out. I added a lot of personification to Agni's character but also tried to stay within the plot. 

Bibliography: Buck, William (1973). Mahabharata.

Week 11: Reading Diary B

Buck's Mahabharata
Reading Notes: Pages 49-91
Notes and Thoughts:

• I think that Buck's Mahabharata has so much more detail than the Narayan's Mahabharata. It's different kinds of detail. In Narayan's, Drona's son was at least mentioned and talked about a little. In Buck's, I don't remember reading about him at all
• I also had no idea that Drupada set an archery test that only Arjuna can pass...
• Buck's story also makes much more sense to me, I feel like it's a lot less complicated than Narayan's
• I like the story about Arjuna and Krishna helping Agni ward of Indra and burn the forest down 
• I also don't remember Maya being part of this story in the last Mahabharata that we read, it could easily be because I didn't pay attention. But overall, I am a bigger fan of Buck's version
• Vyasa is a smart guy, taking his mother, Ambika, Ambalika, and the mother of Vidura away in the forest so they don't have to be a part of or witness the war that is bound to occur after this giant gambling game

Week 11: Reading Diary A

Buck's Mahabharata
Reading Notes: Pages 1-47
Notes and Thoughts:

• Well, now we know why Ganesha has an elephant head instead of a human one
• We also now know why Shiva's throat is blue. I like knowing the small little details behind these things. It reminds me of the fables my parents used to read to me when I was little. There was always some sort of silly reason why the Giraffe had spots and the Elephants had wrinkles and Tigers had stripes.
• The story of Ganga is super sad and if I was Shantanu I would definitely break my promise about not asking why she was killing their babies
• The fish and semen story is kind of funny. It's sad for Chedi though because he is never able to meet his daughter or even know that she exists
• It sucks that Pandu can never make love to anyone again and has to exile himself into the Himalayas. Welp. Actually, he did make love to his wife and then died. It must be true love since she joins him
• Gandhari is pregnant with ONE HUNDRED sons?! The hard ball of flesh and cutting it into 100 sons and 1 daughter and then sealing them into jars for two years is super weird
• It's sad that Drona tells Arjuna to capture King Drupada as a "teacher's fee"

Week 10 Storytelling: Karma Always Wins

     Every single day on the dot at 4:00 pm, Ishaan took a walk around town. Ishaan was a well known guru that was very respected and loved. He was honest, loyal, caring, and helped everyone around town make the right decisions. People would even travel from different villages just so Ishaan could help settle their fight/arguments and give them non-biased advice. There however, was this old woman named Anjali who LOATHED Ishaan. She hated the attention he received, the love from all the townspeople, and his reputation that he had created for himself. She was jealous and she knew it. But she admitted this to no one.

      Everyday when Ishaan took his walk around the small little town, he would pass by her house and every single day she would be waiting for him. The second he was under her window, she would take her trash and dump it on Ishaan. The townspeople saw this and asked Ishaan if he wanted them to go beat her up or punish her but Ishaan always had the same response, "One day, she will learn her lesson. Just let her do what she's doing. Brahma sees all and Karma will take it's toll." So the townspeople left her alone and Ishaan continued to silently take the hate from Anjali.

     A couple days passed by and as Ishaan was taking his daily walk, he noticed that Anjali was not at her window. The third day when Anjali was a no-show, he knew that something must be wrong. Anjali had loyally stood at her window for over a year throwing her trash at him, why stop now?! He raced up her building stairs and knocked on the door that corresponded with her window. No answer. Worriedly, he asked the guard of the building if he had seen Anjali. Weirdly, no one had. Thinking the worst, Ishaan banged down her door, and lo and behold, found Anjali passed out in bed. Her fragile wrinkled body looked feverish and she seemed pale and weak. He quickly called a doctor and had her checked. The doctor told Ishaan that she would need a lot of care and nursing if Anjali was to get better.

     Ishaan sat by her bedside feeding her and nursing her according to the doctor's orders. He fed her, cleaned her, read her stories, and took insanely good care of her. After a couple of days, Anjali was doing better then when she had started. Ashamed, she looked at Ishaan and asked him why he had chosen to be so good to her, especially after everything she had done to him, why had Ishaan chosen to take care of her and be there for her? She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve this much care and love from someone who she had treated so poorly. Tears streaming down her face, she grabbed Ishaan's hand and begged for forgiveness. She knew that she had messed up and that her jealousy and anger had taken over her right senses.

    Ishaan took Anjali's hand and sat down next to her. He told her how he had known why Anjali hated him and he knew that anything he would have tried to do to win her over, would have just made her more mad. He hoped she realized now that Ishaan was not a threat, but a friend. He told her how he had left it all up to Brahma and the other god's and that he believed that Karma would teach her a lesson. Ishaan then accepted her apology and told her he was overjoyed to have gained another friend and that he was happy that Anjali had learned her lesson. 

Anjali throwing trash from her window 

(Image Information: Photo retrieved from Daily Mail Online)

Author's Note: This story is loosely based on a reading I did this week from Reading Guide A. Duryodhana decides to make a camp near the Pandavas to humiliate them. The gandharvas take Duryodhana captive during a battle and the Pandavas end up actually being the ones who free Duryodhana. Duryodhana's plan to humiliate the Pandavas backfires entirely. Similarly in this story, Anjali has a plan to embarrass Ishaan and humiliate him completely. But Ishaan is actually the one that rescues Anjali from a near-death sickness. Anjali's plan backfires completely and she is the one left humiliated. 

Bibliography: Narayan, R.K. (1978). The Mahabharata

Week 10: Reading Diary B

Narayan's Mahabharata
Reading Notes: Pages 133-179
Notes and Thoughts:

• Duryodhana really should have listened to his mother and Krishna. Mother's are ALWAYS right and I have a feeling that Duryodhana will realize this sooner than later
• I like that Krishna and Arjuna use teamwork to kill Jayadratha. The discus is a smart idea to make Jayadratha come out of hiding
• Wow, the way that Drona dies is pretty sad. It's a smart move on Krishna and Bhima's part though.. Naming an elephant Ashwatthaman and killing it is a very smart idea because now it makes the sentence the truth when Drona asks Yudhishthira if Ashwatthaman is dead
• Karma seems to be doing the right thing when Duryodhana dies, he has caused a lot of misery and bloodshed. 
• I wish there had been more about Krishna and his divine form. Not pleased about how Krishna and all his people die, but I feel like this how most of the Indian Epics end

Week 10: Reading Diary A

Narayan's Mahabharata
Reading Notes: Pages 85-131
Notes and Thoughts:

• I'm glad that Duryodhana's plan didn't work to humiliate the Pandavas. Funny how Duryodhana wanted to humiliate the Pandavas and the Pandavas were the ones that freed Duryodhana from captivity
• It's also confusing why Nakula, Sahadeva, Arjuna, Bhima can't just answer the questions and be obedient. Good thing Yudhishthira listened or he would have been dead too
• I thought Bhima, Nakula, and Sahadeva were dead? Is this them being reincarnated as something else? I'm glad that Bhima avenges Draupadi's rape, but what doesn't make sense is why the King and Queen want Draupadi sent away...
• I really don't get why the Pandavas get rejected when they come to make another bid for peace... If their bid was accepted, then everything would be SO much easier. All this jealousy and anger and hatred just lead to more fatalities

Week 9 Storytelling: Never Good Enough

    Drona was a man of patience, virtue, and outstanding martial skills. He was the best of the best and many families pursued him to train their children. He had a son named Ashwatthaman who loved and obeyed him. Ashwatthaman started attending trainings and practices with his father since he could walk, just hoping to one day be as good as him. He strived for his father's praise and acceptance but he felt like no matter what he did, he was never good enough. No matter how hard he trained, who he beat in practices, or how loyal he was to helping his dad with his practice, none of these things seemed to matter to Drona.
    One day, his father got a letter in the mail from two of the grandest families in the city: The Pandavas and the Kauravas. Ashwatthaman wasn't surprised that his father was wanted by people this rich and grand, he knew how good his father was at his job and how humble he was about being the best guru in town. He sometimes wished that he had enough money to maybe one day, pay his dad and reserve a session just for them two. He wanted to hang out with his dad and bond with him but it always seemed like his dad had other things on his mind.
    Undoubtedly, Drona accepted the invitation to train the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Ashwatthaman happily trailed along hoping to impress his father further and gain some quality time with him. Little did he know that this would just create a bigger rift between the two of them. Walking into the house, Ashwatthaman was surprised to see a line of boys around his age, lined up on the stairs, waiting for his father. He cowered behind his father as his father used his most powerful voice to direct the boys to their first training. Ashwatthaman quickly realized that this was his golden ticket... If he could train with these boys everyday and then show his father how good he was and how he could easily beat them, then maybe his father would finally be proud of him and give him the praise and love that he had been yearning for.
    Weeks passed and Ashwatthaman loyally trained with his father and the Pandavas and Kauravas. Soon enough, his father announced that there would be a test. The test would determine who could move on to the next level of training and who would be stuck repeating level 1. The goal of the test was to be able to use a bow and arrow and use the skills that they had learned to focus and shoot the counterfeit bird that Drona would be controlling. Ashwatthaman knew that he had this test in the bag. He had shot that silly bird so many times and was beyond confident that he would be able to wow his dad and all the students trying.
    Morning of the test, Ashwatthaman woke up early and quickly showered and got ready. He had breakfast waiting on the table for his dad before he even awakened out of his slumber. He knew these brownie points would come in handy. Drona walked out from his room, not even acknowledging the breakfast that his son had made for him and urged Ashwatthaman to hurry up so they could leave. It was test day and Drona was stressed that all his training wouldn't give him the results that he wanted to see from his pupils. Disheartened, Ashwatthaman quietly trailed behind his dad as they walked quietly to the testing site in the woods. When they got there, he instantly noticed how nervous each kid was and laughed in his head as he realized how proud his father was going to be after he shot that dumb bird.
     One by one, Drona's pupils took their turns at shooting. Surprisingly, no one had been able to shoot the bird yet. Drona started feeling nervous that none of his pupils had learned anything from all this training. He prayed to Krishna hoping for a sign that he was still doing the right thing and that all his effort had not gone to waste. Even if ONE of his students could hit this bird, he would be satisfied. Two students were now left, his son Ashwatthaman and this scrawny little boy named Arjuna. Drona decided to let the boys shoot at the bird at the same time. This would increase the interest of the others and turn this into a friendly competition. The class gathered around and both Arjuna and Ashwatthaman took their stance with their bows and waited patiently for the bird to appear.
     Ashwatthaman knew that this was it. He HAD to shoot this bird. If this tiny little kid Arjuna beat him, he would never be able to live it down from his dad and then he would never gain his respect. Ashwatthaman focused on his breathing and technique and drowned the rest of the world out. His eyes swept the surrounding trees hoping that he would catch sight of the bird first. Then suddenly out of the corner of his eye, he saw the bright red bird flitting through the trees! He knew it was now or never. He took aim and then steadily let his arrow fly. Whoosh! He heard an arrow achieve contact with the bird and looked up excitedly to see how evenly he had hit the bird... Before he could even process what was going on, he watched his dad run up past him, up to Arjuna, and embrace him in a giant hug. All the kids in the class were running up to Arjuna and high-fiving him and chanting his name. Ashwatthaman's stomach dropped to his feet as he realized what had happened... It wasn't his arrow that had hit the bird, it was Arjuna's.
    He looked at his father happily chatting with Arjuna, listened to the kids chanting Arjuna's name, and it finally just hit him. There was no winning. Drona would never fully accept Ashwatthaman. No matter what he did or how hard he tried, Ashwatthaman would always be stuck on the back burner. He held back his tears, gathered his stuff, and then slowly began the long walk home.

This picture symbolizes the red bird that Arjuna shot 

(Image Information: Image retrieved from Michigan Nature)

Author's Note: This story is based off of this week's reading regarding Drona and his pupils. In Narayan's Mahabharata, Arjuna easily becomes Drona's favorite because he shoots the bird and saves him from the crocodile. I excluded the crocodile part because I felt like instead of adding the crocodile part, I focused more on his son, Ashwatthaman's emotions and feelings and based the story off of that. The actual story focused more on Arjuna, but when I was reading this, my thoughts were with Ashwatthaman and how he must be feeling knowing that Arjuna was his father's favorite.


Bibliography:     Narayan, R. K (1978). The Mahabharata.

Week 9: Reading Diary B

Narayan's Mahabharata
Reading Notes: Pages 41-83.
Important Notes and Thoughts

• Draupadi having so many husbands is still a weird concept to me. I don't know how I feel about 5 men sharing her. 

• Yudihishthira has a very negative vibe. I don't like that he gambles everything away like that. I personally have nothing against gambling, but I hate it when people gamble more than they should. Gambling $20 is very different than gambling away everything you have and the lives of other people. It doesn't seem like a very fair deal to me. He also gets a second chance but instead throws it away by having everyone exiled for 13 years

• Arjuna is a character that I want to keep my eye on. I feel like that will be a good story to re-tell sooner or later in one of my blog posts.

Week 9: Reading Diary A

Narayan's Mahabharata
Reading Notes: Pages 1-39

Important Notes and Thoughts:

• If I were the husband, I would definitely be concerned if my wife started drowning all my new-born babies... I would question her even if I wasn't supposed too. So i'm glad that Shantanu questioned his wife before she drowned her 8th baby
• I feel like the indian culture is SO strict. The King of Shalwa won't marry Amba because she stepped foot into another man's house? That seems a bit preposterous. I'm thankful that my culture isn't as strict. I guess Amba's anger is fair but her want for revenge against Bhishma isn't fair at all. It isn't his fault that he wants the best for his sons? He did send her away when he found out about her prior commitment. Maybe she should have told him earlier?
• The way that these children are born is very funny. Ambika closes her eyes cause she does't like his appearance so her child is blind? Ambalika turns pale at the sight of Vyasa so her child is pale? Good thing the maid feels positively about poor Vyasa. 
• Wow. The Pandavas and Kauravas stories are pretty epic. A lot of kids and characters. Glad each son is able to have children though...
• Drona, Drupada, and Arjuna's story is quite confusing. So many past relations, enemies, and characters
• The Pandavas are smart for setting the house on fire and making it look like they are dead
• Draupadi story reminds me of the popular theme of reincarnation. She had 5 husbands in her past life and wanted them back and the Lord Ishvara answers her prayers.

Week 8: Reading Diary

    I think that the reading diaries are actually really helpful. Instead of having to back-track and read the last guide or read the last couple of chapters, I just go back to my reading diaries. I think the reading diaries also come in handy when it's time to write a story. Sometimes I look at the prompts, but usually I can just look at my reading diaries and pick a topic that I want to write about. My reading diaries aren't super structured and they aren't a certain length every time. It all just depends on my opinions when I am reading. I really like the fact that there isn't a certain length or picture requirement. The reading diary is my own thing and I like that I can control it.

    The reading diaries are just thoughts and topics that stand out to me when reading the book and guide. I try not to summarize the stuff I read and instead write my own thoughts and opinions on what i'm reading. This helps me remember the storyline better and also helps me when I'm writing my own story. I've looked at other reading diaries in our class and I think everyone has their own style. Some people write essays about what they read, some right just a couple of lines, and others just post a bunch of pictures with captions. I think there isn't a right or wrong way to write a diary. Whatever works for the person is really all that is needed.

    In general, I do remember the reading that I do in this class. Compared to Microbiology and Organic Chemistry, this reading is a lot more interesting and easier to understand and memorize. A big difference for my other classes is that those are just exam-based. I usually just read enough to study for those exams, but for this class you have to read everything to know what's going on. I think that the easiest way for me to memorize things is by relating things back to my life. When I can find some way to connect to the material, it makes it a lot easier to memorize.

Week 7: Famous Last Words

I think that my best writing this past week was my first story in my Storybook. I enjoyed writing that story and hope that I can do a better job on my next one. This past week, I worked ahead and it made a HUGE difference. I felt a lot less stressed not having Epics of India homework due every night. I think that I need to continue doing this so that I can manage my time better with my other classes. Besides that, this past week was alright. I had an Organic Chemistry quiz that went really well and my weekend turned out to actually be really fun.

A lot of exciting things are coming up, OU/TX, Halloween, and last but not least, the start of my FAVORITE SEASON! NBA SEASON! Tip-off is in less than 24 days and I could not be more excited. Can't wait to cheer on the Thunder!

This past week I read some really good portfolios and StoryBooks. I think the one Storybook that stood out to me the most was one that started with a background about 4 kids. Each kid had a different personality and each personality helped to tell a different fable. I read a lot of "Fable based Storybooks" from the past classes and they seemed good but very generic and ordinary. This Storybook was amazing! The introduction made me almost believe that the writer had children. The pictures and color scheme were perfect for the Storybook. The first story was great and the child's personality helped form the story which was a really cool concept. I look forward to reading the rest of her stories! I also read another good Storybook from an author that depicted the Indian Epics as a Reality TV show. The stories were portrayed very cleverly and the narrator did a fantastic job of staying near the show's script! I'm excited to keep reading more story books and seeing the way that different students portray the epics.

Links to those Storybooks are listed below!

• Epic TV of India
• Karma Bedtime Stories

The Oklahoma City Thunder

(Image Information: Photo retrieved from Bleacher Report)

Typing Game Tech Tip

I taught myself how to type because of school and because of silly communication methods back in the day like AIM and MySpace/Xanga. I loved AIM so much and I remember constantly blocking up my mother's telephone line because I just always wanted to be in all the group chats and not miss out on any of the fun. I am thankful for all those things now though, because my typing has improved dramatically. In high school and college, typing becomes almost a necessity. You have to be able to type to work on your papers and college essays. Nowadays, technology has advanced so much that you can actually install this software on your computer called Dragon and speak to it and have it type out everything you say. Nevertheless, typing is still pretty important!

My favorite game was the "Typing Racer Game". You pick your level of typing and then you race against other players by typing out the correct punctation and sentence. I definitely spent over 15 minutes just on that game. "Ninja Cat and Zombie Dinosaurs" and "Type For Your Life" were also really fun games as well.

Week 7 Storytelling: Ravana's Letter

    As soon as Rama slays Ravana, Shuka walks up to him and hands him a thick golden envelope that has "Rama" scribed onto it in beautiful calligraphy. Rama looks questioningly at Shuka and Shuka just kind of shrugs his shoulders and walks away. Rama, exhausted from the battle with Ravana, sits down underneath the colossal pear tree to cool off and says a quick prayer to Brahma hoping the letter isn't soImething dreadful before ripping it open. He pulls out two thick pieces of parchment paper with scrawly handwriting and quickly flips to the second page to see who this letter is from. In big bold writing he sees, "Your dearest Ravana." Rama, annoyed by the fact that his worst enemy has written him some kind of "letter", instantly just loses his jubilant attitude from defeating Ravana. He takes a deep breath and starts from the beginning. 

"Dear Vishnu, 
     I'm hoping you never read this letter because that would mean that I am dead and that Shuka has done his job. But since you are reading this, I must, for some very odd and deceitful reason, be dead. Anyways, since I am now dead, I hope that you can forgive me for all my wrong doings. I know that I have done some horrendous things to you and for that I apologize from the bottom of my dead heart. Kidnapping Sita, capturing Hanuman, tricking Sita into thinking you were dead, spying on your army, making Indrajit fight my battles for me and dying on my behalf, etc. Karma has clearly ran it's course since I am now dead. I know that I have caused many deaths and a magnitude of grief and sorrow to people everywhere, but I am now repenting for my sins. I am sorry for all of this Vishnu. Please do yourself a favor and take Sita back. She is innocent. I am not going to lie, I tried numerous times to seduce her and urged her to give in to me, but she refused. She is loyal to you, and you only. She loves you more than she loves herself and you deserve to be happy with the beautiful and charming Sita. Take her Vishnu. Go retrieve her from the Ashoka Grove where I have trapped her and claim her as yours once again. Do not make the mistake of losing the woman that would abandon the world for you. 
                                            Your dearest,
                                                                Ravana"

    Rama finishes the letter, scoffs, and rips it into shreds. Who does Ravana think he is? Trying to guilt trip him into liking him or feeling bad for him? Ravana deserved to die. Ravana had caused so much chaos and misery in his life that his fate had been written for him a long time ago. Rama knew exactly what Ravana's intentions were and was not falling for his sick twisted plan for even one second. Rama looked up at the small crowd gathered around him while he was reading the letter, laughed out loud, and said, "Go, go, I do not care what all this means."

The golden envelope that Shuka delivers to Rama

(Image Information: Photo retrieved from Golden Envelope)

Author's Note: I wrote this story with the purpose of conveying Rama's thoughts as he read Ravana's letter. The most important changes in this story were the contents of the letter. I kept the ending the same with Rama kind of blowing off the letter that Ravana wrote to him. 

Bibliography: Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way

Week 7: Reading Diary B

Buck's Ramayana
Reading Notes: Pages 374-432

Important Notes and Thoughts:

• Wow, that makes me so angry that even though Sita was SO loyal to him and didn't so much as even let Ravana touch her, Rama still would rather listen to gossip than his own wife
• I literally can not believe that he is such a big people pleaser and is abandoning the love of his life for gossip and approval
• That whole paragraph regarding Sita being banished because of Karma is really confusing and doesn't make any sense to me
• Well I guess Lava and Kush are born without a father that cares for them...
• Why would Rama invite Sita's dad to his festival and keep a golden deer in her spot when HE was the one that abandoned her? It's funny how he realizes that Kush and Lava are his sons
• So Sita asks to basically die if it is true that she didn't cheat... since she didn't, she dies? Doesn't make sense. 
• Makes me sad that Lakshmana breaks into Kala and Rama's meeting for Durvasa and dies.. 
• Hanuman's loyalty is incredible. He's more loyal than anyone. 
• Why does Rama jump into the river.. basically committing suicide?