Epic Observations About Indian...Epics.

It had been 20 generations since it rained. Around The Mountain, next to a mountain stream, the last of humanity clung to life. They grew their food and kept their records and moved along one day at a time. Many of them were barren, and so children were surrounded by great celebration. There was one couple who were blessed with a great many children: eight, to be exact. However, most of their children died. Only two of their boys survived to reach adolescence. Their eighth son, Krishnu, was very respected in their community. When he was young, all the women fawned over him. As he grew and proved himself an excellent farmer and explorer, the men lauded him. He led expeditions further and further into the forgotten world, exploring caves and palaces, looking for remnants of the past, trying to find something their careful historical records may have missed. On one journey, they came across a temple full of scrolls. The men handled them tenderly, looking through to see if there...

Photo: Cat by Jerry Liu One by one the seasons had gone by Oh yay more bow stuff It's a trap! Reunion with parents Princely duties Hey look the Pandavas are back The sun itself was pale Indra's back at the very end Source:  Sister Nivedita, Cradle Tales of Hinduism

Photo: Earthworm by pfly 'Put in prison, eigth child Krishna, cross river on ford following jackal, baby very heavy, give to king of cowherds Baby kills vampire nurse, baby kills other demons, knocks over two trees Young Krishna does cool shit that's still celebrated Krishna and the Alaskan Bull Worm Krishna and the snake with a million heads that poisoned a lake Peacock feather on Krishna's crown Krishna was born to put an end to worship of weather deities, and encourage worship of Narayan, so when he saw the rain sacrifice being prepared, he got angry. He suggested they worship the mountain instead, cause it's their home, and so they did. Indra gets pissed cause he wants his offering, dammit. Indra sent enough rain to kill them, but Krishna lifted up the mountain so they could use it like an umbrella, and they stayed under there for a week, until Indra tuckered himself out and began to worship Krishna, who was greater than he. Source: Sister Nivedit...

Leona was tired. It was hot, and she had been working all day at the local Waffle House. It was hard work, but it fell to her, and she would do it without complaining. The little ones had to be fed. Leona poured another cup of coffee, pushing the image of her father lazing about on the couch while her siblings ran circles around him out of her mind. She smiled at the customers, the only way she was allowed to bare her teeth. When her shift was finally over, she trudged home. It was only two blocks away, but it felt much further when she had been standing for hours upon hours. She could tell, when she stepped through the door, that her mother had gotten home before she had. Her pressed shirt with it's fancy embroidered logo on the chest hung by the door. Her mother had recently gotten a job at a much better restaurant, and she was making great tips, which was great for all of them. A small gaggle of children rushed by her in the hallway on her way to the kitchen, lovingly tug...

Flowers by Christina Rutz If there's an ornery horse, find one that's worse. If you open your mouth to talk about one thing gone, more things will leave. That crane again. If you fight, you get eaten. If you're different, don't talk. (Half Jackal, half lion) Just stay home. Lies will feed you. Female lions are the ones that hunt, dumbass. "Let me tell you a story about a girl who had actual standards and wouldn't just marry the first thing that proposed to her." If you stink, you won't be eaten. The Goblins again. No nose man gives flowers to honest boy. Source: W. H. D. Rouse, The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India

Fairy Cat by Stu Rapely If you have enemies, crush them. Crocodile tears "Tell-tale tit" If someone steals your plough, steal their son. What the fuck does Buddha have against cats? It's that talking turtle again. Don't put monkeys in charge of a garden.  Only a great fool entrusts tasks to the foolish. If no one blesses you when you sneeze, Goblins can gobble you up. Straws will save you from Goblins. Poems are hard. Faeries will fuck you up. Source: W. H. D. Rouse, The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India

The stars twinkled above, but they were blurry through the thick windows that kept them safe from the crush of space. Ami stomped her boots again to get some more of the moon dust off her boots. It clung so horribly to everything, and she didn't want to upset her parents again.  Ami set her boots down with a dull echoing thud by her parents' boots and called out for them. Her mother called back from the kitchen area. "Come here, dear, I'm trying to decide what we should have for dinner." Even though her parents were the king and queen of the colony, they didn't spend much time in the grand palace. Her parents prefered the smaller module attached to the back of the palace, where the echoes of the ancient gods were not so loud and constant. "We should try something new, mother. It could be fun." Ami's mother nodded and pressed a button on the screen. The food producer began to whir, and Ami's mother turned her attention to a smud...

Orion Playing with a Feather by Tambako the Jaguar Uttara "Of Lunar Race" Dice always ends badly for someone Went off with the Pandavas God can't decide who to favor  Abhimanyu must tell his wife goodbye, but Uttara says something bad is gonna happen, don't go Helped him dress for battle She plays with dolls and toys, so she's gotta be pretty young? Hopped up on a funeral pyre cause that's what widows do? Sati Learns about Siva Smeared his body with the ashes of the dead? Siva loves Sati very much and she's his life Siva doesn't stand when Sati's dad walks in so he's pissed He let's her go even though it's probably gonna be bad Oh no you abused my husband with your words now you have a goat head and I'll die ...like wow could you not have just left instead of dying? Siva gets pissed and destroys shit so Vishnu has to chop him up in little pieces Source:  Sunity Devee, Nine Ideal Indian Women

Maggie and Yellow Rose by Ann Savitri Visited hermitages and was well educated Soul mates love at first sight  Kind to old people  Princess can't marry exiled beggar but loves him only but doesn't want to disobey her parents bit her parents love her and don't want to force her to obey He's destined to die in a year Woman's destiny is to love? "The year may short, but the happiness will be heavenly to me, and it's memory will live forever! And, if it is written for me to become a widow, I shall be one, no matter whom I marry." They get married and she leaves the palace to help care for his blind father. Yom, Lord of Death She was granted children but she can't have kids without a husband so she got him back? Damayanti "A crumpled leaf lay in his bed of roses" Has a daughter Damayanti who even has 4 gods as her suitors Nal wins her heart with a letter in a bird's beak More blushing Oh good there are tests...

The young woman was wearing the most elaborate sari the old woman had ever seen. The young woman's dark nose was wrinkled in disdain at the scent of incense smoke that wafted through the tent. The old woman lit another stick of incense. "I have told you all I can, child. You should not marry. Wait until an auspicious time." "Could you read the stars again?" the young woman begged. "Child, I have read all the signs and portents. Nothing will change today." The young woman let out a huff and turned, spinning on her heel and rushing out of the tent. The old woman remained seated. She wished for the millionth time in her long life that she had been born in the time of Rama or the Pandava brothers, in a time when her knowledge would've been respected. Those of that time were heeded without question, sought out by the greatest of kings. The only people who sought her out were love-struck women who were called superstitious by their friends. Whe...

Happy tongue Tuesday from Amber! by hehaden "Is it worth all this conflict?" All people can do is fight WHY AM I BEING IGNORED I AM GREAT (Draupadi) [The day is coming. Do not fear.] No, I won't eat at your house; I'm not desperate and I don't like you. Bad omens: Cloudless blood showers, whirlwinds, earthquakes, meteors, jackals howl Sobbing on the floor of his chariot Source:   Narayan, R. K., The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Version of the Indian Epic.

Source "Stop, this pond is mine. Don't touch it until you answer my questions." Nobody listens. Are these the five stupidest boys alive? So many questions from Yama, God of justice Did the Pandavas disappear? They couldn't have! If you hit them with a tree, they'll know it's you. The auspicious hour for a wedding? 17 kinds of foolish men Assured them that their end was coming Source:   Narayan, R. K., The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Version of the Indian Epic.

Enemies by John Finn Agni took fine sons, but not the right ones (they laughed grimly) Gods support them, so ask them back Purification ceremony World ruled by demons until they fought over a girl Agni needs animal fat; forest and animals burned down; pyro given good weapon I read the signs and portents Pandava brothers loose everything gambling--even their wife The miracle of endless saris "Hey, why didn't you dense motherfuckers defend me?" Draupadi goes OFF Source:   Narayan, R. K., The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Version of the Indian Epic.