Eye of the Parrot
Author's Note: This story combines the principles taught with Drona's test in The Mahabharata with the story of Rama and Sita in The Ramayana. I have heard Drona's test called "Eye of the Parrot" and the principles outlined in that story are really the most important part of this interpretation of the tragic romance Rama and Sita have. This story also incorporates Kamadeva, the Hindu god of love (much like the Roman's Cupid), who acts as Rama's Drona in guiding him back to Sita.
 |
| Ravana Kidnapping Sita (Web Source) |
*Our story begins with Ravana kidnapping Sita and riding off to Lanka, just as Rama and Lakshmana return to find Jatayu taking labored breaths as he dies.*
"Jatayu, what has happened here? Who did this to you? Where is Sita?" Rama stared at the desperate scene, looking for clues as to the source of the commotion.
"Ra...van...a..." Jatayu exhaled painfully. "...hasSi...ta..." With each syllable seeming more arduous than the last, Jatayu took his last few breaths, leaving Rama and Lakshmana with almost no clues as to the events that had just transpired.
Unsure of how to proceed, Rama and Lakshmana began to wander aimlessly through the forest. Rama, distraught with the thought of his love, Sita, being tormented by the perversions that Ravana was well known for, was unable to eat or sleep. Lakshmana, concerned for the safety of Sita and now the health of Rama, began scouring the forest for anyone who could help them.
After searching for hours, Lakshmana stopped at a river to quench his thirst. Kamadeva emerged from behind a mango tree and peered back at Lakshmana, who could hardly believe that he had found anyone else in that forest, let alone Kamadeva himself.
 |
| Kamadeva (Web Source) |
"Please, help me find Sita. Surely you know of her and her unrivaled beauty? I am afraid that Rama will perish if I am unable to find Sita and bring her back to him soon." Kamadeva gave Lakshmana a long hard stare, as if he were turning over each word in his mind, carefully contemplating its weight.
Once he had evaluated Lakshmana's plea, he agreed to help. "However, I am not the one who can find Sita. Rama must find Sita."
Lakshmana, puzzled and increasingly more annoyed, began to question Kamadeva's methods. Kamadeva assured him that he would guide Rama to Sita, as long as Rama was willing to do anything necessary to find his love.
Lakshmana, puzzled and increasingly more annoyed, began to question Kamadeva's methods. Kamadeva assured him that he would guide Rama to Sita, as long as Rama was willing to do anything necessary to find his love.
~ ~ ~
Rama was laying in the dirt when Lakshmana and Kamadeva arrived. The two looked at one another and back at Rama, and Lakshmana grew angrier by the second as he stared at the pitiful sight. "Rama!!!" he boomed. "Get up! Right this instant! I have brought someone to help us find Sita."
Rama barely looked in Lakshmana's direction, only slightly acknowledging his presence as the last word fell upon his ears. Rama's blank stare seemed to be fixated just behind Kamadeva. Following the path of Rama's gaze, Kamadeva noticed a lotus, not far off in the distance. The god hovered above Rama's ear, gently prodding him for some form of words that might elucidate the great meaning of this flower.
"What are you staring so intently at?" Kamadeva asked.
"I'm not sure..." Rama answered. "Nothing seems to be in focus. But I cannot seem to tear my eyes away..."
"Start with a color that you see. Keep it in mind clearly and focus on only that color. Once you find that the color is sharp, begin to outline the shape that defines that color until you have an image clearly planted in your mind."
Rama struggled with the task for a few minutes, finding a color only to lose its sharpness moments later or run into other colors once the shape was defined and lose the overall image. Finally, he settled on a golden yellow that grew longer as it grew sharper and finally transformed itself into the pistil of the lotus in the distance.
"Now what do you see?" Kamadeva could sense the epiphany within Rama waiting to strike.
After several moments of deliberation, Rama's eyes widened. "Sita."
"Go and bring her back. Her love for you is strong. She has been clever enough to elude all of Ravana's tricks. Only the magnitude of her loyalty to you could rival her beauty. Focus on only her as you complete your journey. You will find what you must."
And with that, Kamadeva disappeared back into the forest and Rama and Lakshmana set out on their quest to find Sita. Before sunset that same day, Rama had slain Ravana and his various guards, finding Sita waiting for him patiently.
Bibliography:
Narayan's Ramayana Guide (Web Source)
Narayan's Mahabharata Guide (Web Source)
Kamadeva Wikipedia Article (Web Source)
Hi Christen! It's super interesting that you mixed a principle from the Mahabharata to tell a story about the Ramayana. Your choice was excellent; We never really question Rama's singular devotion to his wife because it seems natural, but I think that this story does a great job of providing a backstory even for that. The line about Sita's beauty being rivaled only by her loyalty was also a nice touch and reassuring when you consider later events.
ReplyDeleteVery clever approach to this story. Combining the two epics was a brilliant idea. I liked how I could literally feel the sadness and desperation of Rama. You did an excellent job of portraying this emotions. Your story was very clear and straight to the point but not lacking in detail whatsoever. That can be a tricky combination to pull off!
ReplyDeleteI really like your concept for this story. Using multiple sources to create the one piece of work is really creative. I can tell that you did research to write this story and put in a lot of extra effort and I applaud you for that! I like that Sita was quickly found, and not waiting forever for Rama to come and get her. Your approach is very intriguing and something that I might like to try.
ReplyDeleteHey Christen! Your story was very creative and different from what I have read so far. You took the concept of what actually happened and combined it with another story. You gave us an inside on the characters so we were quickly able to figure out what they were like and Sita was found quickly, which is always a plus.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy that this story focuses on something that Rama can do, with help, to assist Sita. So many of these epics seem to just give Rama the answer for whatever he needs, but in this, he, at least, is required to focus on something and employ some degree of mental fortitude to find Sita. Thanks for sharing your story!
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to hear a story about how strong the bond is between Rama and Sita. Despite great dangers, Rama continues to search for Sita. I like how you brought in one of the more obscure gods (Kamadeva) in order to help the protagonist. You make it easy to imagine just how distraught Rama was at the loss of Sita.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool story and interpretation! I'm not exactly familiar with Drona's test as it appears it wasn't in the version that I read, but it sounds very interesting! I really like how you showcased how much Rama loved Sita and the way he was finally able to focus back on her was beautiful! Great story, I absolutely loved it!
ReplyDelete