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Lord Hanuman in all his forms 

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Week 2 Story: Hanuman and the fruit

The story begins 7000 years ago on the banks of the river Tungabhadra in the kingdom of Kishkinda. The kingdom was that of the vanaras (ape like humans) that thrived there for hundrerds of years. Among them was a brave warrior Kesari, who wandered from place to place meditating and praying to Lord Shiva. Frustrated with his inability to have children, he prayed to Lord Shiva and has a child Hanuman , through his wife Anjana.

Hanuman was no ordinary child. He had extraordinary abilities and a curious mind. He liked to eat fruits and sweets like any other kid. This tempted him to go for the sun one day! Growing in size for Hanuman was no big deal so he tried to get close enough to the sun to swallow it. However, as soon as he got closer, he burnt to ashes. The gods of the heavens couldn't let the happen because Hanuman was a living embodiment of Lord Shiva. Hence, all the gods in the heavens blessed him with a skill. Now he was immune to all the elements on earth and considered immortal. He could increase his strength on will.

Hanuman was still a kid and hence caused a lot of trouble around town . He would use his abilities to cause havoc ( as kids do), but to a larger scale. This annoyed a group of monks and they cursed him to forget his own abilities until someone reminded him. It only happens so in adulthood that Hanuman uses his abilities to help Lord Ram. 

Author's Note

The story is taken from Valmiki's original Ramayana that my grandma recited me. 

I made a few changes to the story but mainly stuck with the structure and characters. A major change is the ending for Hanuman's sun adventure. I made it so that he would turn into ashes because he wasn't immortal yet. The original version of the story includes him fighting Lord Indra ( King of the Heavens) and finally losing to one of his most powerful weapons. Being a Physics major, I had to side with the Sun Lord ( Lord Surya )

Lord Hanuman trying to devour the sun

Reading: Part A

 The story that fascinated me the most from this section of reading is of Parashurama. This deity of Vishnu holds a special place in my heart because of a legend related to his axe. I grew up in the South Canara region of the western coast in India. It is believed that Parashurama threw his battle axe into the ocean for the waters to retract. Hence, this region came to be known as "Parashurama Shristi"- meaning that it is immune from natural disasters. So much so that it is believed to have protected the region from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Parashurama holds a significant yet controversial place in Hindu mythology. Lord Vishnu presumed this avatar to end injustice from the Kshatriyas ( warrior class ). He went on a spree where he defeated every Kshatriya he faced in battle. Throughout his lifetime, he held a grudge against Kshatriyas in general. He went as far as cursing his student Karna, when he found out that the latter had lied about being a Brahmin(priest class). This curse eventually led to Karna's death in the battle of Mahabharata. 

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about Parashurama is him being a Chiranjeevi ( Immortal being). Even though various gods have presumed various avatars across different epics, only seven humans ( or human forms of gods ) are known to be immortal. My grandma taught me a Sanskrit mantra (hymn) as a kid to remember them :

अश्वत्थामाबलिर्व्यासोहनुमांश्च विभीषण:कृपश्चपरशुरामश्च सप्तैतेचिरंजीविन:। 

The above hymn translates to the names of the immortals - Ashwathama , Bali, Vyasa, Hanuman, Vibhishan, Kripacharya and Parashurama. 

Tulu Nadu region

Above is a picture of what is believed to be the region protected by Parashurama's fallen axe. This is a rough geographical area which is in the south west coast of India. It encompasses a region where the 'Tulu' language is spoken.  

Reading Notes: Week 2 Anthology

The Story I picked for the week's reading is of a cunning Jackal. It taunts people that don't give a second thought before helping people. In this story, a poor Brahmin makes the mistake of letting a Tiger out of the cage after it promises to not hurt him. When the Tiger is let out, it threatens to eat the man. He pleads to others around- a tree, a buffalo and the road (odd choice). They tell him not to complain and imply that the world isn't fair to them either. It is a social commentary of sorts. Out of no where in the story, a Jackal appears and turns things around. It acts goofy around the Brahman and the Tiger and pretends to not understand the situation.The Tiger eventually gets frustrated and gets in the cage to demonstrate what had happened. The Jackal closes the cage and has the last laugh. I loved this story because I have seen people get stuck in situations while trying to help. Always remember to cover your bases!

Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs by John D. Batten (1912)

Bengal Tiger in the Western Ghats

*a picture of a wild Bengal Tiger near my hometown in India ( Fun fact: The forests around my hometown have the highest density of Tigers in the wild right now )

Time Strategies

The articles suggested approaches that I have tried before . However, prioritizing my work is something I need to build on this semester. A major challenge this semester is managing stress because of the circumstances around me. I schedule things to work on but do not finish everything I plan due to stressing out about everything that's remaining. It is a challenge jumping into classes after taking a break from normal life. This week has been better and I've incorporated leisure time into my schedule to deal with the stress. It is certainly necessary to recognise that stress drains you out and makes you unproductive. 

While I was in India, I would always drive down to the Jain Temple in my town because it put me in a peaceful state of mind. 

Kere Basadi, the Lake Temple of Varanga

Technology Tools make life easier

 I've blogged before but using blogger for this class feels like a personal diary and I love it. I remember using canvas for online classes before and this is an upgrade. The class can feel overwhelming at first due to the amount of material on the class wiki but it is well structured. The tools incorporated in this online environment, lets me be more expressive. Something I look forward to is using Google Sites. I have used Tumblr before but I want to give this a try.

Below I have included a picture of the sun dial from Jantar Mantar in Rajasthan, India. I remember visiting this place and being flabbergasted as a kid. This was essentially the only tool that kept track of time before mechanical clocks. Thought it would be apt for this blog post

Sundial in Jantar Mantar

Class Assignments

 What assignments are you most intrigued by? How is this like/unlike what you have done in other classes? Are there any extra credit options that grab your attention?

I am intrigued about the storytelling assignments the most in this class. Including the microfictions extra credit assignment. Since I started performing stand-up comedy, I have incorporated lots of storytelling humour into my sets. The Mahabharata has lots and lots of short stories that reflect a very witty kind of humor. I love the amount of freedom this class gives me to explore those stories. I'm also excited to interact with my fellow classmates through blog comments and project feedback. I definitely relate to the wikipedia trail and will keep an eye on that when I'm browsing in my free time!

Hanuman escapes Lanka

I'm hoping that someone gets this meme...

Growth Mindset

 It was interesting to watch the video and learn about the Growth Mindset. I've read about the idea behind the "Growth Mindset" before from people who have preached it. However, looking at it closely gave me a better perspective. I relate to the snake and ladder example from the video and completely agree that effort reflects growth. We all have different skill sets in different areas of study/life but it can be enhanced through practice. Even the most gifted individuals lose their touch. It reminds me of a proverb in Hindi that translates to -"Rusted iron is of no use". I started realizing in high-school that I had an eidetic memory and took it for granted. It hindered my growth until I realised that there is always a way up. No matter where your skill is placed at a particular point in time, you always have the potential to get better. I really enjoy the structure of the class so far and will be looking forward to learn more about the Mahabharata and Ramayana from new perspectives.

Growth starts from belief

Picture credits: @therealCSanni

Introduction to a Stand-up comedian

 Namaste Everyone ! Sorry for the delay in posting on my blog. This pandemic has been difficult to handle being away from home. 

Okay jumping straight in ! I grew up in Mangalore, India. It's a coastal town on the west coast of India that has lots of coconut trees and wonderful seafood. The region is particularly diverse, being a traditional trading route with the Arabs through the Arabian Sea. English is an official language in India and perhaps the most common one along with English. However I speak 3 other distinct languages, all of which are essential for life in my region ( Hindi, Kannada and Tulu).

With that background in mind, I grew up studying about cultures from all over the world. America fascinated me because it serves as the cradle of globalization. You get the taste of almost every corner of the world here. After high school in India, I decided to move here for College. Stand-up comedy always fascinated me and I had already given it a try in India. It helped me get over my insecurities and become more confident. 

This course intrigues me because it highlights an important part of my childhood. My moral compass is built on the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. My grandma read me a story from them, every night before going to bed. It was almost never about god or a religion. Maybe that's why I grew up to be agnostic. However the depth in the stories made me realize what dharma is. Right or Wrong is subjective to the situation. It developed critical thinking within me during tough situations

I am looking forward to listen to the perspectives of my fellow classmates on certain stories. The Mahabharata is the longest poem ever written. So, if any of you have trouble understanding parts of it, you are not alone :)

Ramayana Lanka meme