Indian Epics Blog

 I began my Wikipedia trail on F.J. Gould , since he was the author of The Divine Archer . I wanted to learn more about him, and his Wikipedia page indicated he was extensively involved in secularism and humanism. He worked to influence society and focus on rational, secular thought through a variety of institutions. Eventually, he became the Secretary to the International Moral Education Congress , which became my second Wikipedia page. This academic conference was held in Europe from 1908 till 1934 and aimed to create a moral education across many countries. It was a diverse representation of people that were all interested in cultivating a better moral education. I noticed the president of this conference was John Stuart Mackenzie , which led me to my third Wikipedia page. John Stuart Mackenzie was a British philosopher. He studied at Glasgow, Cambridge, and Berlin, and his work was focused on the political economy. He was considered an idealist philosopher and a Hegelian. After...

  King Janak was in possession of Lord Shiva’s bow and demanded that any suitor for his daughter must bend the powerful bow. While many men tried, none could wield the might weapon, until Rama attempted to do so. As Rama ascended the platform, his brother Lakshman prayed, not for his brother’s strength but for the stability of the world. Lakshman asked to hold the earth firm, as his Rama’s strength may snap the bow. As Rama held the weapon, the bow began to glow. When he bent the bow, it was as if the sky was bending too, until it finally cracked. As the bow shattered, the world shook as the sound echoed across the Earth. Elephants trumpeted in fear, and kings grabbed their weapons. Even the gods covered their ears.   Relief in the Hazare Rama Temple showing Rama breaking the bow. Source: Wikimedia   After the boom, the room went silent as a figure approached Rama. A mighty sage, the size of a bull, had appeared with an axe in one hand and a mighty b...

 These reading notes are over Part B of The Divine Archer which is written by F.J. Gould. Plot Notes:  An important detail I noticed in Gould's story was how we, the readers, meet Vibishan relatively early within the story. During Hanuman's first visit to Lanka, he found Vibishan by seeing the name Rama on a building. Vibishan is clear that he's not supportive of Ravana or Lanka, and he wishes to serve Rama and Ayodhya. These details foreshadow how important Vibishan will be in the impending battle, as he leaves Ravana to support Rama within the epic battle. Vibishan plays an essential role, and the foreshadowing was really interesting. I never realized how Hanuman was able to set Lanka on fire until I read Gould's book. It highlights how creative and clever Hanuman is and how brutish and ignorant Ravana can be. By manipulating his size and tricking the soldiers, Hanuman was able to set Lanka on fire and begin the prophecy that will eventually lead to Ravana's demis...

These reading notes are over Part A of The Divine Archer which is written by F.J. Gould. Plot Notes: It was definitely helpful to review over the Ramayana and read a different re-telling of the story. It's interesting to see what details are emphasized depending on the way the author narrates the story. For example, Gould chose to include the detail of the angry hermit after Rama broke Shiva's bow. It gives us, the readers, insight on how prominent Rama's actions were as well as how peaceful and noble Rama was as a character. He was able to calm the angry hermit and eventually the man said, "Glory to the mighty Rama!" I also noticed how this re-telling of the Ramayana avoided telling Ravana's background and role. The experience of Rama and Sita is the major plot of the Ramayana, but I believe Ravana's background and experiences help build the narrative world and allow us to better imagine all the different environments. The way Gould describes the marriage...