Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part C

Ramayana by various authors

- After reading the tale of woe between Vali and Sugriva, I actually side with Vali. It was very sketchy of Sugriva to not only leave him in the cave, but to trap him inside of it as well. It could be interesting to write a story of a truly malicious brother who does that on purpose, unlike Sugriva who claims it was accidental. 

- Vali's wife makes a passionate plea for him to give up his war with Sugriva because the love of a brother means more and I happen to agree with her. It will be Vali's foolish pride that leads him to his death when he could have had a brother to love him. It makes me wonder if Sugriva would have taken him back, though. It might be interesting to try and imagine how it would have gone if Vali had decided to reconcile with his brother.

- I liked the phrase "brothers and relentless foes" from the episode "Vali's Death". I despised how Vali died because it was very unjust. If Sugriva had wanted him dead, he should have killed him with his own hand. This only adds to my story about the brother who is truly malicious wherein the one brother could not overtake his brother on his own so he underhandedly had someone else do it for him.

- Sugriva's mourning for his brother after his death proves that he loved him somehow but what if it had been written as all for show?

- Sampati's whole story interests me greatly: giving up his wings for love, living his life in agony and hoping to die, and then deciding that he can live on without his wings for a change at an amazing afterlife. Nishakara's words about what it means to be alive and happy are also of interest to me since I find them to be at once ridiculous and still insightful. 

Sampati (Source: Wikimedia)

 Bibliography: Ramayana by various authors. Website: Indian Epics: Images and PDE Epics