Indian Epics

Stretching is good for the body and the soul. ( Source ) I definitely get into the habit of just kind of sitting and melting into the chair/couch/bed as I work. I got up and stretched for a bit, going through my old high school diving stretch routine. It felt really good to get moving again, and the familiarity of the steps and motions was really comforting. I might start doing this regularly, if I have the space/envirenment to do so.

Constraints are super useful. I don't know how to attack an engineering problem without any constraints. Ah. Hero's journey/monomyth again. Interesting. I am the hero. But I suppose we all are the heroes of our own story. I definitely wrot all my fiction in first person for a long time. I've definitely caught myself ignoring one thing that is impossible in our world but getting all up in arms about another thing from that same story just because the first was justified by the laws in the story, whereas the second wasn't. I remember being blown away by the idea of a language that seeks to reduce itself instead of growing. Also being terrified by the idea of policing language to control thoughts. "Kafka's Poseidon is a prisoner of his own ego" "The point of fiction is to cast a spell. A momentary illusion" Fricking zombie nouns. I use them so much because I write lab reports too much. This is a small point, but those are skeletons, not

A forlorn Sita ( Source ) Lakshmi coming out of the milky ocean! I'm kind of digging this art style Oh. Now a very different one. Yeah. That's about how it is with cats. I love the shadow puppet commentary I didn't realize sita had so many names Interesting that the refrain of "I cannot live without you" almost implies that Lakshmi regrets following Rama into exile I'm not like the biggest fan of the wasp-waisted huge-chested wide- hipped thing Interesting discussion of the goodness of ravana I feel called out, abusing the lotus theme. Lol I agree. She coulda just gone with the monkey I feel so bad for the wife. Just rejected like that. :( Bibligraphy: Sita Sings the Blues , By Nina Paley

Draupadi's Infinite Sari ( Source ) Draupadi is rightfully pissed Wait. "As slaves they don't deserve clothes"? Krishna causes Draupadi's sari to go on forever Mash up with Athena and Medusa? Why would they go back and gamble again!?!?! Interesting. Krishna was overcome by emotion and was making impulsive decisiosns Fun aside: the pants the boys are all wearing are called dhoti, and are made of a single rectangular piece of cloth Man boys arguing over whos kill it was. Is it really that important? Did Shiva just not realize it was Arjun? In general there's just so much cultural context I don't understand. like so much of the mahabharata just feels like over-reactions and like if everyone would communicate and not be petty or quick-tempered, (Or sexist or classist) everyone would be so much happier If all the gods are on the side of the pandavas, how did they lose? Alright. Arjun just chills out in heaven instead of doing what he was

The city of Nagaloki. ( Source ) The sun streamed in the door of my hut, making me from my slumber. I stretched and rolled out of bed. I donned my sandals, grabbed a clean outfit, and headed to the lake to take my morning bath in its icy Himalayan waters. I reveled in the sunshine on my face, and the sound of the wind in the sparse trees. I lived a simple life. As a brahmin, I owned only a few plain clothes. I ate whatever I could forage. The land provided for me. My home was but mud brick. Yet I wanted for nothing. I was so incredibly content to live with  the land instead of on top of it. I spent time praying and meditating, growing closer to the gods and to myself. I stripped and entered the water. No matter how many times I did this, the cold always stole my breath for a moment, before I relaxed into the water's embrace. I waded out a bit farther, until the water was to my shoulders and began to wash my hair when I felt an insistent tug at my ankle. I tried to paddle

Draupadi's clothes being torn as she prays. ( Source ) Man Draupadi gets shortchanged. Her husband comes back with a different wife poor girl gets assigned to be a maid to draupadi "She was impressed with her simplicity" heavy foreshadowing about the circle battle technique Wait. What allowed that dude to rejoin and come back to life? But bruh krishna is literally a god Duryodhan gets rekt Dude take a chill pill Kshatriya have to accept all challenges related to gambling? Bruh he just gambled his brother away. Stop! All of this could have been avoided if so many people would have just not been petty, jealous, greedy, etc. Bibliography: The Mahabharata , By Epified

Ulupi and Arjun ( Source ) Theme of lifting bow/stringing it as a test for suitorship Draupadi you jerk. Calling Karna unworthy just because of his birth Arjun actually becomes her husband Pandavas and Draupadi get attacked 7 times while trying to return home Just share the wife you just brought home so you don't fight Are given a kingdom of barren wasteland. Let Indra burn all the rashaksas away. Krishna has Vishnakarna build them a beautiful city. "Flip this house" That sucks : Win a wife fair and square, have to share her with your brothers, each brother gets one year, exiled for 12 Just like... ask your brother to give the bow to you instead of getting it yourself. Unless no one else can lift bow. Why isn't it on your chambers anyway? Oh come on. They told you to stay. Why leave? Neat daughter of nagas in the underwater snake city First person story Gets with snake lady, marries king's daughter. Isn't he still Draupadi's husba

Big Strong Bhim ( Source ) Identifying himself would shame his parents? This dude killed all Kshatriya 21 times over? Why teach brahmin the ways of Kshatriya? Oooh. The king is egging on this fight Drupad alone bore the consequences of his actions - karma I feel like building a highly flammable palace would kind of hint at foul play They didn't find any bodies though Lol. The image of Bhim just hulking his whole family through the forest Death by having every bone in your body broken. Metal. I want Draupadi to be badass Bibliography: The Mahabharata , By Epified.

The goddess Padmavati, shrouded in red lotus. ( Source ) Bhrigu tasked with finding most supreme of the trinity Shiva was consorting with his consort Brahma didn't answer. thinking Bhrigu was after his son Vishnu was fast asleep She was laying on his chest, and also got part of the kick Not "In his chest because she was in his heart" Lakshmi was pissed at his arrogance and left Vishnu couldn't bear to be without her, left heaven, and wandered earth Worshipped Lakshmi's image in a temple He was told to go do penance for 12 years worshipping Lakshmi, then she'd forgive him and reunite with him Bibliography:  Goddess Padmavathi

The Royal Elephant ( Source ) This is a tale of friendship, loss, and insight. You see, the king had a prized war Elephant, which he kept in a grand stable. However, no matter how often the straw on the floor was replaced, mice always seemed to make their home in it. This terrified the poor Elephant, who was deathly afraid of mice. He was always on edge.  Then, one day, a Cat wandered by and saw the mice. He decided that this would be an excellent place to stay, so long as he stayed away from the huge beast that lived there. Now this Cat was one of the best mice-catchers in the realm, and soon the mouse population began to drop. The Elephant noticed this drop. One day, he heard the squeal of a mouse in the other stall as the Cat claimed another victim.   He called out, "You there! Is it you that has been killing the mice in this stable?" The Cat cautiously peeked around the wall between the stalls, and addressed the Elephant through the bars of the gate, &

The Elephant, Missing His Friend The Dog. ( Source ) How the Monkey Saved His Troop True Leadership, Giving your all to protect those you care about The Hawks and Their Friends "Friends in need are friends indeed." Its always good to have friends you can count on. Would be better if the Hawks returned the favor The Brave Little Bowman Don't forget those who helped you get where you are Don't get too big for your britches The Foolhardy Wolf Similar to brave little bowman, but less of a happy ending The Stolen Plow Tit for tat Got himself into a pickle, to get his way is to admit guilt The Lion in Bad Company Listen to your elders The Wolf got all the reward and faced none of the consequences The Wise Goat and the Wolf I definitely thought the first wolf was going to attack the other wolf, assuming the goat would be walking in front Prince Wicked and the Grateful Animals Pride is his downfall Beauty and Brownie Again, List

The Lion. ( Source ) Monkey and the pearls Why a girl monkey? Would the monkey know to hide the pearls? Clever trick "You are the right man in the right place" Three Fishes I relate to putting off something you know you should be doing, but can't bring yourself to do. Again, clever The Tricky Wolf and the Rat It seems the Jataka tales focus on wit and cleverness and trickery A rat killing a wolf? Alright. The Woodpecker, Deer, and Turtle The power of friendship The Golden Goose I like the instant karma. Greed leaves them with less than they would have had had they not been greedy. The Stupid Monkeys Or rather, a stupid gardner also. This one I have mixed feelings about. Like, he wasn't greedy. But also, he did trust monkeys to do a job. The Cunning Wolf Was it necessary to explain that a dead man wouldn't have pulled back on the club? By throwing the club, he lost any chance he had of killing another animal. The Penny-Wis