reading notes: ramayana part A

The Ramayana by R. K. Narayan (no link because the book is physical), pages 1-54

• description of landscape is very detailed and has lots of imagery
• King Dasaratha is a loving king but has no children
• Gods need somone who can defeat Ravanna, who is protected against the acts of gods
• God Vishnu reincarnates as a son of King
• King advised to perform a sacrifice using a sage
• Kausalya birthed Rama, Kaikeyi birthed Bharatha, Sumithra birthed Lakshmana and Sathrugna
• Vishvamitra, a sage that was once a king, came came to visit the king
• Sage wants King to let Rama protect him on his journey and King doesn't want to permit his son to go
• King allowed both Rama and Lakshmana to escort the sage
• Sage and 2 sons travel over a dessert region where Thataka, a demon, lives and Rama kills Thataka
• Thantaka's sons try to fight Rama for revenge over their mother and Rama kills them
• Sage tells Rama story - King Sakara wanted to perform a horse sacrifice to expand his kingdom but the gods prevented this by having God Indra steal the horse and hide it behind sage Kapila
• Sakara's son found the horse and tried to take revenge on Kapila, who burned them all to death
• Bhagiratha, grandson, survived and brough river Ganga down to Earth
• Ahalya is a beuatiful women who was imprisioned in stone and released by Rama when he stepped on the stone
• Ahalya was the wife of sage Guatama but Indra wanted to sleep with her so he disguised himself as her husband
• the husband found Indra with his wife and turned her into stone and covered Indra with eyes
• Rama and Sita fall in love at first sight, which makes sense because Rama is Vishnu and Sita is Vishnu's consort
• Rama lifts, bends and strings the bow of god Shiva to marry Sita

In this photo, the King is in distress over Rama's exile. Picture Source.