Week 3: Reading Diary B

The Ramayana by R.K Narayan
Reading Notes: Pages 131-171.

Important Notes:

• Hanuman rescues Sita. Right as she is thinking about committing suicide, he comes in, shows her the jewelry, and destroys the Ashoka Vana where Sita is kept guarded
• Hanuman comes up with a plan and gets himself captured by Ravana's son Indrajit. He tells Ravana to surrender to Rama but Ravana is stubborn and doesn't want to listen. Instead he burns the tail of Hanuman and in turn, Hanuman burns the entire city down
• Ravana is mad that a monkey, of all animals, attacked him and his city. Vibhishana offers Ravana really good advice and tells him about all the curses he is under and that he should release Sita. Ravana rejects the advice because he feels almighty and powerful.
• Vibhishana comes to Rama and asks for asylum
• Rama then asks the sea god to help him cross the sea to Lanka. 
• Ravana tries really hard to trick Sita and convince her that Rama and Lakshman are dead
• The battle gets really really intense. Rama defeats Kumbakarna and Mahodara. Lakshman defeats Indrajit. 
• Rama and Ravana fight and Ravana is finally defeated
• Sita is put to the test of purity by Rama
• Rama returns to Ayodha

Thoughts and Predictions: 

• When Ravana tries to trick Sita and Vishnu breaks the power of Rama's stun and brings him to Ravana, where is Sita then? It's almost like she just disappears. If she had been with Ravana at that time, it would have been the perfect opportunity for her to return to Rama
• I feel like it's really weird that Rama out of all people doubts Sita. Sita is so loyal and loving towards him and Rama is usually so trusting. But I guess everyone has their doubts sometimes and Sita was Ravana's captive for a very long time...
• I'm happy that Rama finally returns to Ayodha. It's sad that he spent 14 years in exile and went through so many problems and battles. But it's also great to see how fast time flew by and how him, Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman made it through.