Thursday, September 21, 2017

Week 5 Story: Rama Battles the Ocean

After three days of praying to the Ocean Lord, Rama was woken by his anger. The only thing that stood between him and Sita was this wretched ocean...and Ravana, his army, and all that. But for now, the focus was on getting across this ocean!

Rama approached the coast and shouted at the water, "Let my army pass or feel my arrow!"  At this moment, Lakshamana, Hanuman, and Sugriva rushed to Rama and begged him to relent. "Dear brother," Lakshmana said, "even you, as mighty as you are, cannot defeat the ocean. It is vast and endless, your arrows will do it no damage." Hanuman and Sugriva reiterated what Lakshmana had said.

Rama paid them no mind and began shooting his arrows at the sea. Suddenly, large serpents rose from the water. Rama struck them down as soon as they appeared. All of the ocean god's minions came to the surface from the deepest, darkest depths . Vile, massive creatures who have never seen the light of day started making their way to the shore. Rama struck them down immediately. Hanuman was speechless. Lakshmana immediately began to pray. Sugriva casually backed himself away from the water and surrounded himself with his warriors.

As Rama slaughtered the last of the sea monsters, something else began to emerge from the water. Rama, in no mood for questioning, started firing arrows at the unknown object. Instantly, Rama regretted his actions. He had just killed the Ocean Lord!

Upon his death, all the oceans in the world began to run dry. While this is kind of a big deal, it did make it a lot easier to get to Sita. After thinking about it for a minute, Rama shot an arrow at a cloud in the sky. The cloud burst open and it started to rain. While Rama and his army rescued Sita, it continued to rain. When Rama reclaimed his throne in Ayodhya, it was still raining. That single cloud over the ocean produced rain for many years until the ocean was finally replenished.

Rama and the Ocean Lord
Image Author: Raja Ravi Varma
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Author's Note:
In the original story, Rama, angry with the ocean, shot arrows into the sea, causing serpents to appear and a meteors shower before the Ocean Lord tells Rama how to cross. In my story, Rama, blinded by his anger, accidentally kills the Ocean Lord and dries up the ocean. He replenishes the ocean by shooting a cloud above, causing it to rain for years.
Bibliography. Rama and the Monkeys by Geraldine Hodgson, translated by W. H. Robinson. Web Source.




8 comments:

  1. Hello Jeremy, I like your story because you stay true to the theme of the original story.Rama has always been a very strong character and you showed that in you story when he killed the Ocean Lord. I would like to see what happens after the rain continues to pour down.

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  2. Hi Jeremy. I liked how you stayed true to the original story while still making it your own. Rama is a strong amazing character and you really displayed that with your story. I enjoyed reading your story very much. Good luck with the rest of your stories!

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  3. Hi Jeremy!
    This was a fun story. It had a tinge of humor (like Sugriva backing away slowly) and was a fun sort of...second origin story, I guess? It could be a story about why the ocean doesn't have huge crazy monsters (that we know of) or something like that. I think it really showcase Rama's rashness though. Very cool!

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  4. Jeremy,

    I really enjoyed this story. I loved the subtlety of the humor you used and appreciated your good sense of humor in your writing. I also liked how you made sure to show how masculine Rama is how he uses his strength as a warrior. Keep up the great work and I can't wait to read more of your stories as the semester goes along. Have a great semester!

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  5. Jeremy,

    I'm so glad the randomizer gave me the opportunity to read more of your stories this week! I love the themes you add to the stories that aren't in the originals. I think it was super creative to add more to the part of the story with the sea monsters. Great job!

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  6. I think this story is one of my favorites that I've read so far. Your twist works really well, and sounds like something we'd read in one of the epics! I love the touches of humor and the what you did with the ending. You're very talented at making a story your own, and you have a good grasp on how to write.

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  7. Jeremy,

    When I first read this title I was really excited to read the story, and it did not disappoint. I like how you took the original and made it your own. You did a good job of making the story easy to read and enjoyable. Looks like you are off to a great start on your stories and I look forward to reading more later on in the semester.

    Brooks

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  8. Hi Jeremy!

    I liked how this was still really similar to the original. But you were definitely able to put your own flair on it and make it yours! I think you portrayed Rama in an excellent light to make him seem even cooler. I also enjoyed the little bits of humor you threw in there. That always makes a story more pleasant to read. Nice job!

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