Reading Notes: Week 4 Ramayana Part D

(Vishnu Surrounded by His Avatars: Wikimedia Commons)

• Hanuman can jump over Lanka real easy, but a bridge is built for Rama and everyone else, also known an Rama's Bridge.
• Ravana has powers of illusion and tries to trick Sita into thinking that Rama is dead, but she realizes that he is just messing with her.
• Garuda helps Rama and heals all his men that have been attacked by Ravana's son, Indrajit.
• Ravana's giant brother, Kumbhakarna, helps him but Rama shoots flaming arrows at Kumbhakarna and decapitates him.
• Indrajit attacks Rama's men again, so Hanuman hastily jumped over Lanka and rooted up the Himalaya over and back to the injured men so the herbs from the mountain could heal them.
• Indrajit uses his illusional powers to try to trick Rama into thinking that Sita is dead, but Vibhishana explains to Rama what is going on and tells him how to ambush Indrajit.
• Lakshmana kills Indrajit, and Ravana swears revenge.
• Ravana kills Lakshmana, but there is a physician in the Himalayas that heals him.
• Indra, a god, comes down in a chariot and gives it to Rama as an aid against Ravana.
• Agastya give Rama advice, follow a hymn, in order to defeat Ravana.
• Rama kills Ravana.
• Rama tries to renounce Sita as his wife because she was "with" Ravana.
• Sita proves her fidelity by calling upon the fire god, Agni, and her and Rama are back together.
• Rama and Sita return to Ayodhya.
• Rama returns just before his fourteen year exile, which means Bharata doesn't have to kill himself.
• Rama is now king.
• The people of Ayodhya questioned why Rama took Sita back, so he exiled her. She found refuge with Valmiki and gave birth to two sons, Lava and Kusha, shortly after.
• Rama does a horse sacrifice, as to cleanse himself from sin, and Lava and Kusha took possession of it and defeated the royal army, injure Lakshmana, and encounter Rama. Rama then questions whose children they are.
• Sita proved her innocence and was taken away by the earth as proof. Rama is now sad.
• Lakshmana is taken into heaven by the gods, and Rama shortly follows and returns as Vishnu.

Bibliography

"Indian Myth and Legend" by Donald A. Mackenzie

(http://ouocblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/pde-ramayana-indrajit.html)