Tech Tip: Canvas Dashboard

(Personal Photo of my Canvas Dashboard)

I have actually been using this feature ever since I came to OU. I was so fed up with misreading the course numbers and thought that some of the colors were ugly (hahaha), so this is usually what my dashboard looks like.

Week 4 Story: Selfless Sita

Click here for the most updated version of this story!

(Sita Requests Rama To Fetch Golden Deer: Flickr)

Rumors began to spread about Sita's supposed infidelity, and the people began to grow hatred toward her. Initially, all the gossip and news was all speculation, but then people started speaking very badly about Sita, and wondered why the king would ever take back such a wretched women, and so the people grew weary and doubtful of the king himself. A man and his brother heard about the news and began their own conversation on the topic. They both agreed that the king was quite idiotic for taking back a woman that was so clearly unfaithful to her spouse, and began questioning Rama's political ability. The man exclaimed, "If a man is so ignorant of his wife, then how will he do with this kingdom? I am afraid that his misjudgment will turn this town to turmoil! I can not simply stand here and witness a unspoken crime unfold before my very eyes!" His brother responded, "We never had to deal with such foolishness under Bharata's rule. He need be king again." "Perhaps we are able to make such a reality come to fruition," the man said, to which his brother asked, "How could we ever do such a thing?"

"We must rally other people, and use political force, and perhaps even violence, to create such a replacement," the man strategized.

Word got back to the palace that the people of the kingdom that the people were curating a plan to create a public disturbance that could have possibly included the act of violence. Rama was infuriated with the people's lack of judgment and rash thinking and began to devise a plan to oppose the people, but Sita also caught word of the news and began to do some thinking herself. Finally, she came up to Rama and told him that is was best if she were exiled. It is the only way to make the people happy. Rama grew confused and feared the idea of his wife leaving into the unknown of the jungle, but he knew that this was the safest and most peaceful solution, and with that, Sita was exiled.

Author's Note

In the original story, there was not much detail on exactly Rama's thought process of exiling Sita. It was presented in a cause and effect manner. In my story, I wanted to give more background and more purpose for banning Sita, which is why I included the people's planned retaliation. I wanted to create a more urgent reason to exile reason, not just the fact that the people were talking about Sita. Also, in the original story, it was Rama's decision to ban Sita, but in this version, I wanted it to be her idea, to show her selflessness and her love to her husband and his kingdom.

Bibliography

"Indian Myth and Legend" by Donald A. Mackenzie

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

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)

Reading Notes: Week 4 Ramayana Part C

(Mandodari: Wikipedia)

• Hanuman meet Rama and Lakshmana and they exchange similar stories about Rama and Sugriva. Hanuman takes them to Sugriva to seek help in finding Sita.
• Vali thinks Sugriva tried to take his spot in the thrown. That's why Vali took Sugriva's wife and banished him.
• Rama helped Surgiva and killed Vali.
• Sugriva is now king.
• Sita became selfish with his new lavish life, and Rama grew impatient by Sugriva's lack of action. Lakshmana wen to confrom Sugriva, and then finally armies of monkeys were set out to look for Sita.
• The raven that died trying to help Sita, Jatayu, has a brother, Sampati, that guided Hanuman to the city that Sita was held captive in.
• Hanuman leaps over the lake and gets to Lanka. He finds Ravana's palace but cannot find Sita.
• Hanuman finally finds Sita but she is being guarded by rakshasis.
• Hanuman and Sita meet for the first time, but Sita thinks he is lying because she believes he is Ravana in a different form. However, Hanuman is able to gain her trust by showing her a token from Rama and offers to carry her out of the city, but she declines, insisting that she does not touch another man until she is saved by Rama. 
• Hanuman gets caught by Ravana's son, and Ravana is advised to not kill Hanuman but to set his tail on fire.
• Hanuman was so upset about his tail that he set Lanka on fire with his burning tail.
• Hanuman returned to Rama and King Sugriva, and now they all are destined to go to Lanka.
• Debate happens in Ravana's court, and war may be near.
• Ravana's younger brother, Vibhishana, tells him to give Sita back, but this outrages Ravana. Vibhishana leaves Lanka and goes to ally with Rama.

Bibliography

"Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists" by Sister Nivedita 

(http://ouocblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/pde-ramayana-sita-and-ravana.html)