The Ramayana

I finished reading the Ramayana last night, and I have several favorite parts. R.K. Narayan said it best, so I'm just going to copy down my favorite sections of the book.

I love this description of a desert landscape. It reminds me of when I lived in Amarillo.

"The mere expression 'desert' hardly conveys the absolute aridity of this land. Under a relentless sun, all vegetation had dried and turned to dust, stone and rock crumbled into powdery sand, which lay in vast dunes, stretching away to the horizon. Here every inch was scorched and dry and hot beyond imagination. The ground was cracked and split, exposing enormous fissures everywhere. The distinction between dawn, noon, and evening did not exist here, as the sun seemed to stay overhead and burn the earth without moving. Bleached bones lay where animals had perished, including those of monstrous serpents with jaws open in deadly thirst; into these enormous jaws had rushed (says the poet) elephants desperately seeking shade, all dead and fossilized, the serpent and the elephant alike. Heat rose and singed the very heavens."

 

I particularly like this next setting, and the meta awareness of an author's ability to recreate all creation within the story, like it doesn't matter if the country is near the sea at all, if it suits the mood.

"The sun set beyond the sea, so says the poet -- and when a poet mentions a sea, we have to accept it. No harm in letting a poet describe his vision, no need to question his geography. The cry of birds settling down for the night and sound of waves on the seashore became clearer as the evening advanced into dusk and night. A cool breeze blew from the sea, but none of it comforted Sita. This hour sharpened the agony of love, and agitated her heart with hopeless longings." 

My next favorite passage tells of waking an individual who is famously difficult to awaken. I face this challenge daily when I am trying to wake up certain members of my family, so I love the way it is described.

"He ordered that his brother Kumbakarna, famous for his deep sleep, should be awakened. He could depend on him, and only on him now. It was a mighty task to wake up Kumbakarna. A small army had to be engaged. They sounded trumpets and drums at his ears and were ready with enormous quantities of food and drink for him, for when Kumbakarna awoke from sleep, his hunger was phenomenal and he made a meal of whomever he could grab at his bedside. They cudgelled, belaboured, pushed, pulled, and shook him, with the help of elephants; at last he opened his eyes and swept his arms about and crushed quite a number among those who had stirred him up. When he had eaten and drunk, he was approached by Ravana's chief minister and told, 'My lord, the battle is going badly for us.'

'Which battle?' he asked, not yet fully awake."