Week 2, Reading Diary: Ramayana

This reading went a lot smoother than the last. I don't know if I just had to get into the swing of reading again or what, but this section was also more exciting to me.

The Wedding: Two Promises Revived ... Continued
The rest of the story pretty much goes like this...
So, Kaikey has pissed everyone off in the kingdom, ESPECIALLY Lakshmana, Rama's half brother. He basically went around town like a macho man on steroids wanting to fight everyone. Rama told him to chill and that it was fate's decision that he should go into the woods. Lakshmana and Situ, Rama's wife, go into the woods to be with him. On their way out of town, half of the town follows them. Rama decided to take off in the night with Situ and Lakshmana so he could finish his 14 years in peace. Soon after Rama's dad died, Bharatha came home and realized what his mother had done and took off after Rama. After much heeing and hawing they settled on the fact that Bharatha would be King until Rama returned 14 years later.

Ravana, Demon-King of Lanka. Watercolor painting by unknown artist, 1920.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Four Encounters in Exhile
In this chapter, as Rama and company are moving through the woods, they come upon Jatayru, a great eagle, who was once divine. He had also, at one point, been on the battlefield with Rama's father and so Jatayru joined the group. As they went to Panchuati to destroy some demons-especially Ravana, who was head MF in charge-some hot chick showed up in Rama's yard. Turns out, she was really Soorpanaka, Ravana's sister. So, she basically tried to con Rama into ditching Situ by saying that just by being with her he would be safe from Ravana. Rama then said he ain't scared, and told her to bugger off. She gets love sick and decides to take Situ out of the picture herself. Needless to say, she ends up noseless, earless, and boobless...not a good day for Soorpanaka for sure! So, she runs to her brother and gripes hoping he will take Situ for himself so she can run off with Rama. Ravana then goes to his unc's, who has already had two run-ins with Rama before this, and he's like, nope, nuh-huh, not beefin' with Rama again dude. Ravana then threatens his life, so he's like, well, I'm danged if I do and danged if I don't, so let's do this...