Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Storytelling Week 10: The Sons of Rama

Years have passed since Sita was exiled from the kingdom. Rumor around the kingdom is that she could have cheated on Rama with another person. Even if she claimed she did not have an affair, it is only logical that our great king got rid of her because she could not prove her loyalty. However, when she was exiled Rama had no idea that she was pregnant. Rama did not even get to meet his two sons until years later in battle. This family reunion makes for an interesting story. Before we jump into the story I would like to give you a quick introduction of myself. I am a housekeeper for Rama and have worked for this family for many years. My name is Bhavic. Now lets jump into the story!

One day it was time for Rama to perform his yearly Aswamedha. This is a religious ceremony performed by a king, which will help to secure the good fortune of the kingdom. After performing the majority of the ritual, Rama released the sacred horse into the wilderness to roam the land freely. He sent his brothers Shatrugha and Lakshmana to keep an eye on the horse from a distance and keep it safe.

As the horse was roaming the lands, it came across two hunters named Luv and Kush. They skillfully trapped and captured the sacred horse. Shatrugha and Lakshmana thought that they would be able to handle the two hunters easily but to their surprise they were easily defeated. Lakshmana and Shatrugha retreated back to the kingdom to describe the battle they just waged with the two hunters. Lakshmana described them as fast as lightning, strong as an ox, and having battle skills far beyond their young age. Lakshmana even went as far as to compare their skills to Rama! When Lakshmana said this, Rama’s face was in disbelief. He laughed at the idea that two random hunters could rival his effectiveness in battle. Rama immediately instructed his army to prepare his chariot. Rama would be paying these two hunters a visit.

Rama ventured deep into the forest and finally caught up with the two hunters. He approached the two hunters and said “I believe that is my horse you have,” as he charged the two hunters. To make the fight fair Luv sat on the sideline and would only interfere if his brother needed him. Kush and Rama waged an intense battle. The two men were extremely skilled with the bow. Every arrow one man shot was intercepted by an arrow of the other man. After this they waged close combat with swords. Although Ram was an extremely polished warrior he struggled to keep up with Kush’s strikes. Kush eventually took a couple steps back and told Rama that the battle was boring him. He then told his brother that he could have his turn if he wanted.

Luv excitedly sprang into battle. Within 5 minutes of intense battle Luv had Rama in place to deliver the final blow to end the battle and Rama’s life. Before Rama was killed he had one question for the boys. “You guys are very well-polished fighters. You remind me of myself in my younger days. To who do I owe this defeat to,” Rama questioned. Luv and Kush answered with their names and also told Rama of their family lineage.

Rama was surprised at these details. He told the boys that he was actually their father. The two boys did not believe him so they tied him up and presented him to their mother, Sita. Sita was shocked to see Rama in this state after so many years. “I raised them well didn’t I,” she bragged as she untied Rama. After the family reunion, Rama asked his two sons if they wanted to come back to the kingdom with him. Rama was getting old and soon would need to pass the throne to someone. The two boys refused unless their mother was allowed back into the kingdom as well. After some debate, Rama finally agreed to let them all stay in the kingdom. Today is the first day in many years where I have seen the royal family united. The Aswamedha was completeted and the kingdom lived happily ever after.

Author’s Note: I decided to write an alternate version of the story present in the comic book called the “Sons of Rama.” In the original version the sons of Rama and Sita defeat several of Rama’s men. After their defeat, Rama finally visits them in the forest to find out from Valmiki that they are his sons. The boys end up moving in with Rama in the kingdom while their mother takes refuge with the Earth Godess Bhumi. I thought it would be more interesting if Rama got to fight with his sons before finding out that they were related to him. Additionally, I gave Sita more respect in this version. I made her the primary parent of the two boys, and made sure that she was considered when everyone planned to move back into the kingdom. I also wanted to tell the story from the point of view of someone close to the family. That is why I picked Bhavic the housekeeper.

Here is an image of Luv, Kush, and the stolen horse.


Title: The Sons of Rama
Year: 1971

Author: Amar Chitra Katha

4 comments:

  1. Hey Aakash! Great story, I've read a few versions of Sita's story now, some that include her twin sons, and I really like your retelling of it! I hadn't come across this particular encounter between Rama, Sita, and their offspring, but I like how they both were very close in skill to Rama. I also really liked how you had Sita take a more prominent role here--she was the caregiver for the boys in their formative years, and had a hard time of it in the meantime. I didn't see many grammar mistakes, if any! Well done!

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  2. I enjoyed this retelling of the sons of Rama. I liked how you had it told in the perspective of the housekeeper. The ending of the story was better than the original were Sita goes into the earth. I liked how the battle between Rama and his two sons was written. The writing flowed well and it was interesting to read about their battle from third person.

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  3. I enjoyed this retelling of the sons of Rama. I liked how you had it told in the perspective of the housekeeper. The ending of the story was better than the original were Sita goes into the earth. I liked how the battle between Rama and his two sons was written. The writing flowed well and it was interesting to read about their battle from third person.

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  4. This was a great story! It was interesting having the story told from the third person point of view of the housekeeper. This was also a very unique depiction of Sita, as she is much more wholesome and virtuous in the original Indian Epics. Very good story, keep it up!

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