RLG205H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Puranas, Vessantara Jataka, Sita
Document Summary
The ramayana story: it"s well known, retold hunderds of times, valmiki- author of the story, rama, sensitive person, see a hunter kill one of the cranes that wer in the act of love. He is confused cuz curse was in song. God tells him hes bee blessed with the ramanyana: first literary poem, dasaratha-king-ramas dad, rama is born- wives eat some of the porridge created by a sacrifice. Cuz of porridge wives have babies: rama is prince, heir to throne, rama marrys sita. She is able to choose her own groom thru a test. Rama is the only one who can stiring this bow. Ravana: the abduction of sita: ravana is engrage for rama cutting his sisters nose, he abducts sita. Date of the ramanyaya: theory one: late vedic- ramanay never mentions budhism. Has to be very old: theory two: post mauryan. Talks about ideal king, therefore, it must have come after the ideal of kingship in the world.
