Storytelling Week 12: Ancestors of Rama

Raghu, the great grandfather of Rama, sent his son Aja to Vidarbha to compete for a wife. Her name was Indumati. On his way to Vidarbha, a fierce elephant attacked Aja. After a long battle Aja finally came out victorious and delivered the final blow. A burst of bright light shot out of the elephant and its form changed to that of a gandharva (celestial musician). The celestial musician was impressed by Aja’s combat skills and offered him a gift.  The gandharva said, “This magical spear is a celestial weapon. It will help you in your future conquests. Good luck.” Aja thanked the gandharva and continued his journey to Vidarbha.

Aja finally arrived at the city of Vidarbha. He made his way to the bride and noticed that many suitors were trying to court her. Princess Indumati announced that there would be a huge competition where the suitors would have to fight for her hand in marriage. She said that each suitor would get one weapon of choice, and would have to be the last man standing in the arena if they wanted to secure their prize. Each contestant will fight one on one in a tournament style. The way to win is to either push your opponent outside of the ring or to keep them down for ten seconds.

All of the suitors were excited for the tournament. They each selected their weapons and prepared themselves for the fight. The first couple of rounds were very easy for Aja. He did not even have to rely on his magical spear. He used hand-to-hand combat and overwhelmed his opponents with his speed and strength. After many battles Aja secured himself a spot in the final match. Princess Indumati said the final battle will take place the next day. She gave Aja and his opponent a room and some food to for the night.

The next day was filled with excitement. Everyone in the whole city gathered at the arena to watch the two fierce competitors battle it out. The bell rung and the fight began.

“Before we start this fight I would like to introduce myself. I am Aja, son of Raghu, from the Kingdom of Ayodhya. Prepare yourself,” Aja screamed.

“I am Rizwan from the Kingdom of Lanka. Sumali is my cousin. It is you who is going to have to prepare yourself,” Rizwan screamed.

The two warriors began to fight the serious battle. They were even fighters matching each other in every strike. At one point in the battle Aja, almost succeeded in throwing Rizwan outside of the ring. Rizwan plunged his sword into the edge of the ring and used it to stay in bounds.

“You are going to try to defeat me off of that cheap tactic? I will destroy the ring,” Rizwan said as he jumped up into the air and delivered an earthshaking punch right in the center of the ring. The ring disintegrated at the sheer force of the blow.

“Now we will fight like real warriors! You will die now,” Rizwan cried.

The two warriors fought with all their might. The battle went on for hours and neither of them would let up. They began to rely heavily on their weapons towards the end of the battle. At one point Aja’s spear and Rizwan’s sword clashed. The two warriors pushed back and fourth at each other but neither one would give in. Aja gave one final push with all of his strength and knocked the sword out of Rizwan’s hand. Aja was about to claim the finishing blow on Rizwan but decided to spare his life.

“You are a great warrior, and I enjoyed this fight very much. I will spare your life,” Aja said. He turned his back to Rizwan and began to walk away. Rizwan grabbed his sword that was lying on the ground next to him and hurled it at Aja’s head. Aja’s spear began to glow with a bright light. The light enveloped Aja, and caused the sword to redirect its path to Rizwan. The sword pierced Rizwan’s body and delivered a lethal strike.

Aja looked into the sky said a silent thankyou to the gandharva that gave him the spear. The whole crowd began to cheer for Aja as he claimed his bride. Aja and Indumati made there way to Ayodhya where they lived happily ever after.

One of Rizwan’s messengers went back to Lanka to deliver the bad news. “Hahaha, little Rizwan was defeated by the likes of a mere human. Serves him right for being so cocky all the time. I can’t believe that he is so weak. Curse the day that another human brings shame to our great rakshasha lineage,” Sumali laughed as he sipped on his tea.

This is a picture of the comic book that the story was based off of.

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Author’s Note:

In the original story, Aja wins the spear from the gandharva elephant as I described in my version. Aja is chosen by the bride to be her husband and they make way for Ayodhya. On the way home a group of jealous princes attack the couple but are quickly put down by Aja. In my version I wanted to make the suitors fight for Indumati’s love. I thought it would be interesting to bring in a made up relative of Ravana’s to compete for Indumati’s hand in marriage. This would add more history to the conflict between Ravana’s family, and Rama’s family. At the end of the story I made Sumali laugh off the event like it was no big deal. This part of my story was meant to show irony.

Author: Amar Chitra Katha

Year: 1977

Title: Ancestors of Rama

Week 11 Storytelling: Rama

Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana roamed the lands of India after being exiled from King Dasharatha’s kingdom. They had just finished a quarrel in which they had to defeat the demons Khara, and Dooshana. Shurpanka, Khara and Dooshana’s cousin, had escaped from the battle and retreated to the Kingdom of Lanka where she hoped to receive aid from her brother Ravana.

Shurpanaka begged Ravana to defeat Rama and Lakshmana in battle after they had injured her in battle. At first he disagreed because he did not want to involve himself with his sister’s drama. Shurpanaka then told Ravana about Rama’s beautiful wife Sita. Ravana grew more interested and finally decided to help Shurpanaka get revenge on Rama and Lakshmana.

Ravana devised a plan in which he would attempt to steal Sita away from Rama. He tells his uncle Maricha about the situation, and Maricha decides to help him. Ravana’s plan was to have Maricha shape shift into a beautiful golden deer. Sita would be so in love with the deer that she would send Rama and Lakshmana after it. Ravana would then swoop in to steal Sita away.

A couple weeks passed and the plan was set in motion. Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita were all taking a rest from travel. They all sat down and ate some fruit that they picked off nearby trees. All of a sudden a beautiful golden deer appeared before them. Sita instantly fell in love and urged Rama and Lakshmana to catch the deer for her. Rama said that he would go after the deer alone while Lakshmana protected Sita, but Sita disagreed. She said that Rama would have the best chance of catching the deer if Lakshmana accompanied him. This way they would catch the deer, and they would accomplish the task quicker than if one of them went alone so that they could hurry back to protect Sita again. After a lot of begging from Sita, Rama finally agreed. Lakshmana and Rama made way for the golden deer.

Meanwhile, Ravana hid where he could not be seen. After Rama and Lakshmana were out of sight he made his way toward Sita. Jatayu, a powerful bird the roamed the skies, had happened to be observing the situation that was taking place. He did not dare to challenge Ravana to battle because he knew that would end in his defeat. Instead, he flew as fast as he could to catch up with Rama and Lakshmana. He warned them that an evil and powerful rakshasha named Ravana was kidnapping Sita. He told them that he was a relative of the demons they had defeated earlier.

Rama did not know if he could trust Jatayu. He quickly shot a non-lethal arrow at the deer. The deer instantly transformed into Maricha. Rama believed Jatuyu’s story now. He instructed Lakshmana to defeat the injured rakshasha while he saved Sita. Rama jumped on Jatuyu’s back and made way for Ravana.

Rama and Jatayu finally found Ravana flying in his chariot in the sky. Rama demanded that Ravana return his wife. Ravana rejected Rama’s command and after that an intense battle followed. Each party exchanged blows but seemed to be evenly matched. Rama then decided to attack Ravana’s chariot instead of Ravana. He sent a shot at Ravana to bait him. As Ravana dodged the arrow, Rama intercepted his chariot’s motion with a barrage of arrows. The chariot was damaged and began to spiral out of control. Rama and Jatayu quickly pursued it and saved Sita. Ravana crashed to the ground with the chariot.

Jatayu descended to the ground. Rama and Sita were happy that they were reunited. Soon after, Lakshmana joined the family with news that Maricha had been defeated. Ravana then slowly crawled out of the chariot with several severe injuries. Rama told Ravan that he should have never attempted such a cruel act. He then shot Ravana with a barrage of arrows to ensure his death.

Here is an image of the comic book that gave me the idea for this story:

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Author’s Note:

I wanted the Ramyana to have an alternate ending. In the original story, Ravana successfully kidnaps Sita and takes her back to Lanka. In the process Jatuya is defeated after he attempts to save her. When Rama and Lakshman return, they have to seek information of Sita’s whereabouts. In my story I use Jatayu as a messenger to tell Rama that he is being tricked. Rama then catches up with Ravana just in time, and defeats him in battle.

Title: Rama

Year: 1970

Author: Amar Chitra Katha

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.

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Title: The Sons of Rama

Year: 1971

Author: Amar Chitra Katha

Week 9 Storytelling: Krishna v. Kansa

Deep within the beautiful city of Mathura there was a couple that loved each other a lot. A person from the 21^st century would say that they were goals. Their names were Devaki and Vasudeva. Devaki was the sister of Kansa the great ruler of Mathura, and Vasudeva was Kansa’s best friend. When Kansa found out that his sister and best friend were engaged he was overjoyed. He loved the fact that his sister had found a good man to take care of her, and he was ecstatic that his long time best friend was going to become a part of the family.

After the couple became engaged, Devaki quickly became pregnant. The couple, being a part of the royal family, did not want to have a child out of wedlock because the media would criticize them a lot for it. Kansa did not delay in the planning of their wedding. Although he did not have a lot of time to plan the wedding, he did not hold back. He made sure that this was the most extravagant wedding that the city of Mathura will ever see. Everyone from Mathura was invited to celebrate this joyous occasion. There were endless feasts, circus entertainment, ballroom dancing, ice sculptures, and anything else that you could possible want at a wedding. Everyone had a great time and the couple was happily married.

Kansa had a surprise for the couple after the wedding. He told them that in a couple months he would take Vasudeva and Devaki to a private island just off the outskirts of Mathura to enjoy their honeymoon. A couple months passed and Devaki’s stomach swelled due to her upcoming delivery. She assured Vasudeva and Kansa that she would be fine to go to the island. Kansa prepared the flying chariot, and they departed for the island.

On the way to the island, Devaki went into labor. Kansa told Vasudeva to take control of the chariot while he coached his sister through giving birth. To their amazement, she had eight kids! They were all fraternal twins. As the kids were being delivered, Kansa heard a divine voice say that one of these children will slay you in battle. Kansa’s love for the family quickly turned to hate. He grabbed all eight kids and one by one threw them out of the flying chariot to their death. Devaki and Vasudeva were confused at the situation, angry at Kansa, and sad that their children were dead. Kansa then ordered his royal guard to arrest the couple. He immediately turned the chariot around and placed the couple in a dungeon.

Kansa made a great miscalculation that day. One of the kids he attempted to kill was a reincarnation of Vishnu. He was brought up by a regular family and went by the name of Krishna. Throughout his childhood he continually amazed the community he lived in with his accomplishments. He possessed supernatural qualities and personality traits that were comparable to a God. Word of this boy got around to the kingdom of Mathura. Kansa suspected that this was the child that was predicted to kill him in battle. He was outraged that he did not kill him 18 years ago when he was born.

Kansa did not waste any time. He assembled an army of men and started to attack the young men in his kingdom. In his madness he led his army to kill every man that looked like they were eighteen years of age. One day he finally came across a village where he met his match. He had just got done killing another innocent man as he was approached by Krishna. “You will not take anymore innocent lives,” Krishna screamed as he charged the army. Krishna jumped into the air and struck the ground with his fist. A huge crack opened up and swallowed the entire army except Kansa. In the blink of an eye Krishna closed in on Kansa. With one strong chop to the neck, Kansa was beheaded.

The entire kingdom of Mathura was praised Krishna for his heroic deeds. Krishna then used his divine powers to resurrect all of the innocent lives that were lost. He then freed his parents from the dungeons and appointed his father Vasudeva as king.

Here is a picture of Krishna fighting Kansa.

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Author’s Note:

In the original story Krishna was switched with another baby around birth so that Kansa would not be able to kill him. After learning that Krishna was still alive he ordered every baby to be killed within his kingdom. Krishna used his divine powers to stay alive. After many years passed Krishna would eventually slay Kansa. I wanted to have a different take on the story. I thought it would be cool if Devaki gave birth to eight fraternal twins and Krishna would kill Kansa later in his life.

Author: Nivedita

Title: Nivedita Krishna

Year: 1907

Storytelling Week 7: Exile in Varata's Court

The Pandevas entered there last year of exile. The disguised themselves as workers in various professions and lived in King Varata’s court. They realized that if someone had found them in possession of celestial weapons it would raise suspicions. They all searched the city for a safe and secure place to hide their weapons.

After a short search, Arjuna came across an old shami tree in the cremation grounds. He reasoned that no one would ever think that anything of value would be hidden in in the cremation grounds. He met up with his brothers and told them of his idea. They all agreed and made their way to the cremation grounds and hid their weapons in the shami tree.

364 days passed and the Pandevas were enjoying there time in King Varata’s Court. On this day one of King Varata’s most trusted advisors passed away. The town loved this man because he was hardworking and brought a lot of prosper to the city. The cremation was to be held at 12:00pm on this day and many would attend his funeral. The Pandeva brothers chose not to attend because tomorrow would be the end of their exile and they needed to prepare for their departure.

In this city there was a lot of crime. There was a gang of thieves named the Aparadha brothers. They dominated the major crime in the city from drug deals to bank robberies. The 5 Aparadha brothers planned to attend the cremation because they knew the majority of the town would be in attendance. They planned to pickpocket citizens and make a quick fortune.

The Aparadha brothers made their way towards the cremation grounds at 12:00pm. They all split up and made a ton of money off the citizens. The oldest brother, Viraj decided that he would search for items of high value such as jewelry. He came across a huge man with a beautiful gold necklace with many jewels embedded within it. He could not resist and grabbed the necklace from the man and started running. In his hasty escape he accidentally ran in to a shami tree. The huge man laughed as he pounded Viraj’s face with his fists.

“That’ll teach you to not to steal jewelry you rotten theif,” as the huge man landed one last punch on Viraj’s bloody face. He grabbed his necklace and went back to paying his respects to the advisor in Virata’s court. The Aparadha brothers came to the aid of their older brother. They all felt bad that his efforts were in vain. He then shot them with smile. He explained that as he ran into the tree he noticed 5 shiny objects fall out of it. He then presented the Aparadha brothers with the celestial weapons. “With these we will be able to rule the city,” he stated with joy.

The next day the Pandeva brothers made there way toward the shami tree. They were all shocked to find out that there weapons had been stolen. Each of the brothers were extremely sad and disappointed that their hard earned weapons were taken away from them. “Worry not my brothers. The weapon does not make the warrior. We have the skills that no man can ever steal from us,” Arjuna said proudly.

The Pandeva brothers all made there way to a local weapon shop and bought regular weapons. They then heard screams across the city. Upon firther inspection they saw the Aparadha brothers reigning terror on the city with their celestial weapons. “THEY STOLE OUR WEAPONS,” Bhima screamed in anger as he charged towards them. The rest of the Pandeva brothers followed.

An intense battle took place. The Pandeva brothers had to use all the battle knowledge that was taught to them to compete in this battle. Finally the Pandeva brothers came out victorious. The city cheered as the Pandeva brothers claimed victory and got their weapons back. Arjuna smiled proudly at his brothers and told them again that nothing could stop them. King Varata then approached the heroes and thanked them for defeating the most wanted criminal of the city. He then asked them of their names.

“We are the Pandeva brothers,” they all said as they escaped the scene to make their return.

This is an image of the Pandeva brothers in disguise.

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Author’s Note: In the original story the Pandeva brothers were in disguise in King Varata’s court. They hid all of their celestial weapons in the shami tree for one year while they awaited the end of their exile. I wanted to make a story where a group of thieves would steal their celestial weapons. I then wanted the Pandeva brothers to be the super heroes of this story and defeat the gang thieves in battle. I hope you enjoy the story.

Bibliography: C.A. Kincaid, The Indian Heroes, 1921.