Reading Notes Nala Damayanti - Short Stories from Mahabharata - Animated Stories for Children by Geethanjali - Cartoons for Kids

Nala Damayanti - Short Stories from Mahabharata - Animated Stories for Children by Geethanjali - Cartoons for Kids

***This story is way different. Geared towards kids, so a lot is cut out. However, the beginning is useful and I might change intro of my storybook to include the once upon a time portion about a great kingdom Hastinapur and how Yudi and Draupadi come across Vyasa. I enjoyed this a lot though. 

The story begins with very basic info of Pandavas and Kauravas, starting King Pandu. Talk about Dury’s jealousy and game of dice challenge. They walk in exile and suffer hardship, state that Yudi was depressed, and a sage crosses their path. He notices sadness. Yudi tells him that he blames himself for all their suffering, and so the sage offers a story of a King who lost his kingdom to a dice game also, but overcame the loss through sheer determination.

Possible Book that animated short was based off
Source:Facebook

Nala from Nishada and Damayanti from Vidarbha(heard of Nala and decided to marry him) Her dad arranged the swayamvara, but didn’t invite the ruler of planet Saturn, Lord Shani. Shani was mad and wanted to teach him a lesson. He changed all men to look like Nala. Damayanti prayed to Shiva and closed her eyes, picking out Nala.

Shani got mad. Hindu mythology period of Saturn is 7.5 years and all humans undergo great trauma during this time. Shani was going to create this phase in Nala. Once Nala didn’t clean the back side of his feet Shani took hold there. Nala tells Damayanti that he is going to visit Pushkara in his kingdom even though he was his enemy. They played dice and Pushkara let him win all games. Then they began betting, and he still allowed him to win. They bet their kingdoms even though Nala doesn’t really want to. Pushkara wins this time. Nala and Damayanti are booted out of the kingdom to the forest.

Damayanti tied her saree to his shawl. Under Shani’s control Nala cut the material while she was sleeping and left. Nala couldn’t forget about his kingdom or wife. Shani took the form of serpent Karkotaka and bit Nala. Nala changed form. Damayanti woke up scared. She worked as a maid in another kingdom. She prayed to Lord Shiva for 7.5 years while Nala cooked in another kingdom.

Lord Shiva tells Shani that his time is up and he is to leave Nala. Shani admits that he could never get Nala to forget about his kingdom or wife or misbehave. Lord Shiva comes to Nala in a dream with instructions. In Tirunellar he got in the holy waters to be rid of the form that Shani had inflicted upon him and Damayanti brought there by Shiva found him.

They went back and regained Nala’s kingdom. All gods blessed them. Shiva explained that Nala succeeded because he never veered from the path of righteousness and his wife is an example to all women. It was due to Damayanti that he got back safely.

Return to Yudi and gang who promise to stop worrying about a little bit of trouble in life.

Bibliography

Geethanjali - Cartoons for Kids

Image Source: Geethanjali - Cartoons for Kids FaceBook Page

Reading Notes Nala and Damayanti and Other Poems by Henry Hart Milman: Books I-V

Another Damayanti Swayamvara
Source:Revolvy

Book I

Nala is described in detail as a king of greatness. A mighty(I assume strong) son, gifted with every virtue(high moral), handsome, good with taming horses(important in later story). He is given title of the head of all the kings of mortals, like the monarch(boss) of the gods. He is well-read in the Vedas which is required of the kings in India. He is the best representation of the human race.

Damayanti was the pearl of maidens. She was beautiful, brilliant, bright, and graceful. How these are interpreted in the poem I am not certain. She is not rivaled in her beauty among gods, yakshas, or mortal men.

Both being of such good virtues and beauty, were pictured as a couple and praised around the other even though they had not met. Antsy Nala tried to catch a glimpse and instead caught a hamsa who made a deal to talk with Damayanti. The hamsa tells her their children would be perfect and their union would be blessed. They were meant to be together. She asked the bird to speak the same of her to Nala, thus beginning their courtship.

Book II

Damayanti became love sick and so her father ordered her swayamvara.

A meeting was happening in the sky with Indra, Varuna, Yama, and Agni but only two were in attendance. When they found out it was because everyone was going to try to win the hand of Damyanti; they decided to try to win her hand also. As the gods descended the sky they came across Nala. They thought he was equal in looks to the god of love. They called him by name and asked him to do their bidding.

Book III

Nala promised to help before asking what. He tries to decline their request since he was also trying to win her love. The gods were not happy and transported him to her room. Those in the room recognize his beauty and Damayanti asks for his name, purpose, and how he got there. He does tell her his name, but that he is the messenger of the gods which is how he could get in to the room, divine intervention. He tells her that they desire to marry her.

Book IV

Damayanti tells him she has already fallen in love with him and there is no changing her mind even though he lists off several examples/reasons to pick a god. He also explains he cannot plead for his case because of his mission, so she finds a way to work around this without getting him in trouble. She also instructs him to tell the gods that she has already picked him as her suitor.

He gives this information to the gods and tells them that she welcomes them to the swayamvara proclaiming the judgement is left in their hands.

Book V

More descriptive section of her entering the room and finding the gods and Nala all looking the same. The dialogue she uses includes words with the Hamsa(swan), how she already pledged to love Nala, she asks the gods to show themselves.

In this the gods hear her sadness but also true resolve to find the real Nala, decide to reveal their traits thus making her able to figure out whom to choose. Nala pledges his love to her since she chose him in front of gods among other reasons.

The gods are truly happy and give Nala a total of eight gifts and returned to the heavens. It also describes how he continues to be a good person and that they had a son and daughter.  

Bibliography

Nala and Damayanti and Other Poems

Image Source

Week 8 Review

My favorite post for Week 8 was on Thursday, March 9^th. I loved watching the Grammar Rock videos, but Conjunction Junction was my favorite. “What’s your function” is currently stuck in my head. I need to thoroughly review their functions though because I know I am lacking in proper grammar at times.

http://ouclassannouncements.blogspot.com/2017/03/thursday-march-9.html

On a side note, I am horrible at backing up my work. I always save a local copy on my computer, but just pray that I don’t ever have to worry about my work being “lost.” So, it was weird to think that I needed to back up what was already published online. So, now I have more local copies to hope I won’t lose. I really should just invest in a portable hard drive but for now, I will continue to test my luck and cross my fingers.

Tech Tip: Sidebar Box

Hey. everyone.

I have added a quick introduction to the characters "talking" and being mentioned in my Storybook introduction as a sidebar widget. It can be read on any page of my blog, including my comment wall. The main characters of the storybook are not those used in the introduction which is why I have and will not include more background information. If anyone else has burning questions from their readers, I highly recommend using this option as a way to answer all.

Week 8 Growth Mindset

Growth mindset - Maybe I can take flight
Source: Maria Mar(Shaman and Spiritual Teacher)

My growth strengths are that I am willing to try new things, take a long-term view, and I am willing to learn from mistakes. My weaknesses are that I want to get things right the first time, wait until the last minute, and sometimes choose what’s easy.

As stated in my introduction, completing my degree has been a long process. During this time is how I learned my best strengths. This class will help me in both learning new things and the learning portion. I am in an Information Studies degree program, so I have no career need for creative writing or the Indian Epics and Indian culture. However, writing is required in all of my classes. This will be a way to improve upon that facet. Also, I had not created a blog or Google site until this class, which could be applicable to my degree program and field once I graduate, so this is good practice.

I love that on our storybooks we have a revising week, and that we receive peer reviews. This will help me loosen my grip on always trying to get it right the first time, especially since I wait till the last minute to do things. Sometimes I choose what is easy by sticking to what I know, such as always writing in first person. This class and the topics allow me to stretch myself, which is what I am trying to do with the storybook. Plus, I am not really an imaginative person. Maybe I was when I was young, but for sure, I am not one now. So, maybe all this reading stories and retelling in my own words is reigniting something long lost.

Image Source: Maria Mar Artspiration No 59

Week 8 Reflections

A student thinking about reflective feedback

In regards to the reading assignments, there hasn’t been much of a choice in my opinion. However, I preferred the Mahabharata over the Ramayana when it was not during the war. The Ramayana was better at holding my interest throughout the whole story, but the Mahabharata has so many different side quests which make it more interesting.

My notes are not written as suggested, but not like I am prepping for a test either. I have to understand things certain ways, but when something seems like it might be interesting to play with I bring attention to it and question myself why. I “react” to it in my notes, which is the best reminder for me to draw a story from and this has been working well thus far.

I will be reading a few Freebookapalooza books which include rewrites of Nala and Damayanti to get different perspectives for my storybook. I also hope to look through more of the Epified TV options though too!

I am pleased with the stories I have written in class. I definitely see that I prefer to write in first person perspective, it is much easier for me. I am stretching myself for the storybook with the dialogue and third-person narrative/descriptions. Since each page will be about the overall story I am not certain if the same style will have to remain, or if it can be just one person talking. That is going to be hard for me. I also found, which I kind of knew, that I do not write dialogue. I like to read to my kids and know the importance of the different action beats and dialogue tags so they can feel immersed in the characters of the book, but my mind doesn’t easily think like that. We will see how well I can make the wheels turn in the second half of the semester.

Several students in our class are very fluent in writing dialogue, whether or not it is correct with punctuation I haven’t paid much attention. It is just that they are able to make a pretend conversation between characters sound realistic, which is admirable and something I hope to accomplish at some point this semester. I often see basic words being repeated, a lack of imagination on other word choices. I do worry that I am too direct with feedback. Coming from a corporate world it is the best way to decide what you believe and what you want to work on, or what you disagree with and want to throw out the window. That is all it is, feedback, and without it, you never know what others think about your work. I think that as there are more stories to read in the storybooks I will have the opportunity to provide better feedback. 

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Week 7 Storytelling: Which Spice is Nice?

Cardamom: Black and Green
Spicy or Sweet?

It has been months since I have spoken with my sisters but it feels like it has been years. We used to be so close, the troublesome trio, that is what everyone called us. Trina was the youngest, followed by Trista, and I am Trixie. I am the oldest, but only by a year and my youngest sister is a year younger than that. Our parents really got to town when they decided they wanted to start having children!

We had a lot of fun growing up as little girls. Playing hide and go seek was one of our favorite games, especially when it was time for the handmaidens to wash and get us ready for bed! The palace had so many hiding spots, we could stay up past their bedtime for at least an hour. We never, ever hid separately, though. The thought of being apart was too horrifying…and now that’s what we were, apart.

Yes, we are adults but it doesn’t change the pain inside. I love my sisters dearly. When we were tweens’ we would talk about boys. When Trina was 13 she had the biggest crush on a cattle herding boy. He was a nice boy and always very respectful. Often he would bring her flowers from the field. It was all it could be though and we swore to keep it a secret. Our father would have punished her greatly if he knew she was allowing someone of such lowly status to court her.

Trista’s first love was with a boy entering his manhood, about 14 years of age. He was training with a Sage warrior. He was handsome, with dark hair that would fall over his eyes when he practiced his archery skills. She would gaze out the window of our room down into the courtyard and he would always return the attention with a wink or kiss blown on the wind; of course only when Father wasn’t watching. While he wasn’t a cattle herder, he wasn’t of royal blood so he was not worthy of a princess. Father would not have allowed it.

I, on the other hand, hadn’t found anyone to crush on at that time. I was the oldest and felt that I should set an example. It’s not that I didn’t find any boys that were handsome, I didn’t dare look. If our father would never allow it, why even tempt me? Instead, I encouraged us to be ornery. One day we would have to be noble, obedient queens, so why not have a little fun beforehand? We would swap our parents undergarments from his to hers and hers to his or change the green cardamom with the black cardamom spice making a dish very spicy instead of sweet. We always knew not to eat that night! Father would get angry, but then he would laugh. We had joy in our home. Now I lived in a hut in the forest.

My love came around the time I was 19, just a year ago. I fell in love with King Shallow and my sisters wanted to experience the same feeling. We talked our father into holding our swayamvara, but I didn’t tell him I was secretly in love with someone already. There was no need to, my sisters and I got to choose for ourselves. I knew who I was going to pick, it was just a matter of allowing the show to go on as it must, or so I thought. The day of the event my sisters and I were elated! Then disaster struck. That old ass Bee’s Moss stole us from our ceremony, staking his claim on us for his Kingdom! Well, my father knew of Bee’s Moss so he approved of the theft of us. My sisters were excited because Bichi, Bee’s Moss’ half-brother wasn’t awful to look at and he was a King, but I was distraught.

I decided that I should tell Bee’s Moss that I was already in love with another. He understood and provided me with transportation to King Shallow’s land. That jerk said that he wouldn’t marry me because Bee’s Moss had claimed me, he dared to imply I was no longer worthy. He told me that my best solution so that I didn’t end without anywhere was to go marry Bee’s, Moss. When I asked Bee’s to marry me he told me of his “terrible oath”. I told him it didn’t matter, I needed to belong somewhere and because of him, I didn’t so it was his place to correct it. However, he was steadfast and said that he would not change his mind. My sisters pleaded also, but he would not budge. Trina and Trista begged me to marry Bichi instead, but I just couldn’t. I was offered a place in their palace, but I was utterly pissed. I decided to move on and accept that I didn’t belong anywhere.

During this time away from my sisters I have tried to find someone who will kill Bee’s for ruining my life and isolating me from my family, but no one is up to the challenge. I received word that my sisters have been trying to have a baby with Bichi but neither has been successful. They might hate me forever, but I know what I must do. I am going to secretly visit and play the old trick of swapping spices. They know I am a jokester and not to eat dinner. I know they’ll believe me when I say it’s my way of welcoming myself into the palace but in reality, it is so I can poison Bichi. Then there will be no heir to the throne. Bee’s Moss’ efforts will have been in vain and he will either be left to a Kingdom which will be conquered or to break his terrible oath and father children. If I cannot find a way to physically kill him, this will emotionally tear him apart. Either way, I win.



Author’s Note: Ok, so this one is my longest story, so I apologize to whoever reads it if you don’t like it. I had fun writing it and that’s why it is the longest, I think. I think it’s different from my previous styles although it is still in first-person. Pretty sure most of my stories are. I tried to write in third-person, but halfway through accidentally changed, so I had to change the whole thing. Anyway, this is based on Amba’s story in the Mahabharata. It has a twist at the end so hopefully, you read all the way. I decided on the twist because of watching the Epified TV version since it went into a little more detail about what Amba did to get back at Bheesm(as they named him). Also that he gets the wives because he knows the Vichitraveerya is not well, implying he needs to have a son. The epified version also goes into how much Bheesm argues about breaking his oath and I think it would be cool to continue this story from the other sisters sides when they meet Vyas.

Bibliography:

The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution by Epified TV(India)

Image Source

Reading Notes: The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution Epified TV (India) Part A

Every event is karma – King Shantanu fell in love with Ganga and because of this love caused the events to happen.

I love the drawing You tube videos and wish I could make one.

AHA!!! 16 years later is when King Shantanu meets his eighth son Devavrat and had been taught war by Sage Parshuran and knowledge of shastras by Vashishthra.

He brought him to the Kingdom and they were all happy with the prince who would be king, but Dad fell in love with a woman who wouldn’t marry him because of the Prince’s claim on Kingship

Devavrat decides to take matters into his hands, not at the request of his dad or by his dad saying he was sad

Interesting that Devavrat was “the kind” and turned into “Bhishma – he of terrible oath” and that he then took off with Satyavati

*OHHHH, Dad realized that it was a bad deal that Bhishma had chosen to give up the Kingdom for his Dad’s happiness so he gave him a boon, which was that he could pick the moment of his death.

I love how Bhishma has aged in the illustrations!

He always storms off with the ladies! Noticing that half-bro VIchitraveerya is not well he gets him a wife.

Amba went to King Shalva whom she loved but he said since Bhishma took her that is who she belonged to, and the best advice would be to marry him. She went back and begged so that she didn’t end up not belonging anywhere. She got pissed and told him she would be his end since he ruined her life by taking her from her swayamvara.

****Woah! His old teacher Parshuran challenged him in a fight to the death because he wouldn’t marry Amba. 23 days went by and no winner

Vyas is introduced, a son born to Bheesm step-mom prior to her marriage to his Dad. He was a son, became man in moments and great poet named Vyas that must be kept secret but would come if he was summoned. That time was now.

The widows of Vichi were scared because Vyas was not pretty and their fears were the future.

Ambika covered her eyes because of Vyas’ looks, Vyas knew that the child would be born blind and told the Queen mother.

Since Satyavati knew this ahead of time, she instructed Ambalika not to close her eyes. She didn’t but turned pale. Vyas told the Queen mother and she said for him to visit her a second time…Um, you can’t get pregnant again if you are already pregnant. Weird.

Instead Ambalika sends in the servant girl and she accepted him no issues.

Three boys were born, Dhrit – the blind one, Pandu (weak and pale), and Vidura(smart and wise, possible avatar of Yama, but of a servant girl so no claim to throne)

***There was a rivalry that Bhisma didn’t see

Dhrit came of age and took throne, but all knew even the ministers that Pandu ran the kingdom with council from Vidura.

***Bhisma hid the fact that Dhrit was blind when he went to the King of Gandhar for the princess. Princess Gandhari of Gandhar blindfolded herself for life and married Dhrit saying she knew her husband would be blind.

Secretly her brother Shakuni, decided to avenge this injustice someday.

Queen Gandhari blinding herself for life

Bibliography:

The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution by Epified TV(India)

Image Source:

Wikimedia