Reading Notes: Ramayana Part A

I'm going to try something different for these reading notes than I did for the first one, simply because there were so many elements from this part of the Ramayana that could be spun into a new story. Let's begin!

Reading Notes from The Ramayana by R.K. Narayan

Sage Viswatmithra's complete mastery over his body and its needs, which makes him impervious to the effects of heat, cold, hunger, fatigue, and old age.

    -A story about Viswatmithra's journey to obtain his mastery over bodily needs

    -A story about a different character who obtains a similar skill and their travels

Thataka's story, specifically the very last line: "Just as the presence of a little loba (meanness) dries up and disfigures a whole human personality, so does the presence of this monster turn into desert a region which was once fertile."

    -A story from Thataka's side of things, perhaps turning her into a tragic heroine?

    -A story to illustrate the adage about a little meanness disfiguring one's personality

Ahalya's story made me sad, because she was punished for Indra's deception. If I choose to write a story based on this part of the Ramayana, I want to write the reunion of Ahalya with her husband Gautama. I want him to realize how his harsh punishment was unfair to his wife, who was tricked just like he was.

Kooni's manipulation of Kaikeyi, how she was turned from being happy for Rama's coronation to being jealous and conniving. 

    -What was Kooni's motivation for being so worried? Perhaps she had committed some wrong that would be discovered if Rama became king?

Looking back over these ideas, I really want to write a happy ending for Ahalya and Gautama and perhaps help Indra see the error of his ways too. What if Gautama felt remorse for his harsh judgement of Ahalya and visited her while she was a piece of granite. During his visits, he realized that Ahalya was tricked by Indra just as much as he was and laments that two men defiled her that day: Indra and himself for not protecting her. Perhaps Indra can see this exchange, realize that his infatuation for Ahalya has caused a loving couple to be divided, and present himself to Gautama and beg his forgiveness. Gautama could turn his curse into a thousand eyes in response to Indra's apology. Once Ahalya is restored to her true form, she could run to Gautama and tell him how she heard his laments while she was granite and wishes to live as husband and wife once more, unburdened by the past.

(Rama's transformation of Ahalya from granite, Wikimedia Commons)