I have actually enjoyed reading the Ramayana very much. I honestly wasn't very sure what I should be expecting with reading this story as I have never read an Indian epic before, but I have been very pleased with the story telling. For some reason, the part of this story that really struck my attention was the part about Sampati and his brother Jatayu. It was cool to hear the story about the two vultures flying too close to the sun and burning their wings. Its very similar to Greek mythology and the story of Icarus, except one of the brothers lives to tell the story. The story then goes on to Sampati telling the story of meeting with Nishakara and begging him to give him death so he does not have to live a life without wings, to which Nishakara replies that life is not about living for one's own pleasure, and that there must be a greater purpose in life for Sampati since he has not yet died. I'm not sure why, but reading that really struck a cord with me and I couldn't help but read it over again. I think that is such a strong message to embed into the story and makes me want to read more about Nishakara.
Picture of Sampati and Jatayu flying too close to the sun
Hi Tucker, the story about Sampati and Jatayu is really great, although I am confused: you need to be taking notes on sections 1-20 this time, which is all about Rama and his family. So, if you skipped ahead, please go back and make sure you read the first part of the epic.
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