Reading Diary A: Week 2

King Dasaratha: beloved king of Kosala, wants a child and at the same time the gods need a human to defeat the evil demons (especially Ravana) so they reincarnate Vishnu as one of his four sons he is able to have because of special rice told to be fed to his wives after a ritual. Seems to be a loving father, very fond of Rama and the well being of his people, kills an innocent boy in his younger years on accident and this curses him when he is trying to have Rama as his successor to the throne because of his old age. Seems to have Alzheimer's disease because of repeating things during preparation for ceremony of crowning Rama
Kausalya: Rama's mother, loving
Kaikeyi: Bharatha's mother, persuaded by her servant to redeem her two promised wishes of King Dasaratha because her fate when Rama becomes king is in question, stubborn, WAS King's favorite wife, after she made her request of Rama's banishment to the forest for 14 years and her son's crowning as king she was seen as a demon in the eyes of the courts and the people for forcing Dasaratha to fulfill these promises because she saved his life one time, his honor is at stake if he does not comply
Sumithra: King's other wife, mother of Lakshmana and Sathrugna
Lakshmana: goes with Rama on voyage with Viswamithra, loyal brother to Rama, outraged when heard of Kaikeyi's demands and dresses to go with Rama into the forest.
Viswamithra: used to be a king, persists that Rama go with him on voyage, (I think he knows of Shiva's existence inside Rama), teaches him to fight with weapons and such, tells stories of areas and things along their journey.
King Janaka: King of Mithila, father to Sita, said no man was worthy of his daughters hand in marriage unless they could string Shiva's bow, becomes Rama's father-in-law.
Sita: really Vishnu's wife in reincarnated form, this explains her urgent attraction upon laying eyes on Rama, very beautiful and loyal as a wife to Rama, princess of Mithila, she insists on coming with him as well into the forest since life's would be meaningless without him by her side.


--everything seems to have a purpose
--Vishnu's existence in Rama as a human is proving to show itself
--prophecies stay to be true
--very sad that the king asked for a son and has to risk his life when he leaves with viswamithra and then again because he is compelled to keep a promise to his queen in which his life is in debt to
--Can't tell if Rama is actually easy going and humble like he seems to be or if this is the God in him accepting how things are, either way he is better suited to fit the throne because he does not wish to take the throne (In sociological theory class remember that one of the classical theorists-update name later- asserted that the ones who are best fit to 'rule' society are those who do not wish to)