INDIAN LITERATURES

Parable of Returning Love for Hatred

Gautama Buddha

      Buddha, 5th Century; B.C., a prince of the house Gautama and himself called Siddhartha, was the great religious leader of
northern India and the founder of Buddhism, one of the chief religious faiths of mankind today. He arrived at his beliefs by long
meditation. he held that "suffering is inseparable from existence, which is an evil; that the principal cause of suffering is desire; that
the suppression of suffering can be obtained by suppression of desire, and this in turn by Buddhist discipline."
    The parable given below illustrates the Golden Rule. Find out if you think you could have done what Dighavu did.

1. A king of the Kosales and his queen were robbed of their kingdom and cruelly slain by Brahmadatta, king of the Kasis. At the time
of his death the condemned king looked at his son and gave his last injunction: ["Not by hatred, my dear Dighavu, is hatred appeased.
By love, my dear Dighavu, is hatred appeased."]

2. And the orphan prince wept and wandered in the forest and then took employment as a menial in the royal stables of Brahmadatta.
And one day he sang a song and played on the flute. And the king heard him and was so pleased with him that he engaged the boy as
his attendant, not  knowing who he was.

3. And it so happened that on one occasion the king went out to hunt, taking Dighavu with him. And the king lost his way and felt
tired and lay down. He laid his head on the lap of Dighavu and fell asleep.

4. And Dighavu thought within himself: "This king Brahmadatta of Kasis has done much harm to us. By him we have been robbed of
our troops and vehicles, our realm, our treasures and storehouses. And he has killed my father and mother. Now the time has come to
me to satisfy my hatred."

5.And Dighavu unsheathed his sword, but the dying injunction of his father came to his mind: "Not by hatred, my dear Dighavu, is
hatred appeased." And the prince put up his sword.

6. And the king dreamed a frightful dream, and when he awoke Dighavu told him the whole truth, forgave him the murder of his
parents, and gave him his life. And the king then rendered back to Dighavu his father's kingdom and gave him his daughter to wed.

7. "Now, O monks," concluded the Buddha, "If such is the forbearance and midlness of kings who wield the scepter and bear the
sword, so much more, O monks, must you so let your light shine before the world, that you, having embraced the religious life
according to so well-taught a doctrine and

THE PACHANTARA

The Lion Makers

Four Brahmans lived near one another and were friends in a small town.  Three of them had been scholars their whole lives and had
learned much, but they had no common sense.  The fourth couldn’t be bothered to study from dusty dry books, but he had a great deal
of common sense.

One day they got together to talk and decided that all their accomplishments and learning were pointless if they didn’t go out in the
world to meet people, see places, gain a little political power, and make a little money.  So they decided to travel together.

They hadn’t gone far when the eldest said, “One of us is not smart enough or educated enough, having nothing but common sense.  He
won’t make it very far in the world without scholarship, so let’s not share our money with him.  He should go back home.”

The second said, “That’s true, friend, you should go home.”  But the third said, “No, this is no way to treat our friend who we have
known since we were small children playing together.  He will stay with us and have a share of the money we earn.”

So they agreed and all four continued on together.  Soon they came upon the bones of a dead lion in the forest.  One of them said,
“Here is a chance to show off how intelligent and learned we are.  Let’s bring him back to life through our superior knowledge.”
The first said, “I can assemble the skeleton for I know how it should go.”  The second said, “I can add on the muscles, organs, and
skin.”  The third said, “I can give it life.”

But the fourth, who was the man of no scholarship said, “This is a lion.  If you give it life it will kill every one of us.”

“The scholars replied, “We will not make all our learning pointless.  We must use it at every opportunity.”  So the fourth replied again,
“Then wait a moment while I climb this tree.”

So the man of sense climbed a tree while the other three brought the lion to life.  The lion rose up and killed the three scholars.  But
the man of sense climbed down after the lion had left and went home.

Scholarship is less than sense;

Therefore seek intelligence:

Senseless scholars in their pride

Made a lion, then they died.

The Duel between the Elephant and the Sparrow

In a dense bit of jungle lived a sparrow and his wife, who had built their nest on the branch of a tamal tree, and in course of time a
family appeared.

Now one day a jungle elephant with the spring fever was distressed by the heat, and came beneath that tamal tree in search of shade.
Blinded by his fever, he pulled with the tip of his trunk at the branch where the sparrows had their nest, and broke it. In the process the
sparrows’ eggs were crushed, though the parent-birds further life being predestined barely escaped death.

Then the hen-sparrow lamented, desolate with grief at the death of her chicks. And presently, hearing her lamentation, a woodpecker
bird, a great friend of hers, came grieved at her grief, and said: “My dear friend, why lament in vain? For the Scripture says:

For lost and dead and past

The wise have no laments:

Between the wise and fools

Is just this difference.

“That is good doctrine,” said the hen-sparrow, “but what of it? This elephant curse his spring fever! killed my babies. So if you are my
friend, think of some plan to kill this big elephant. If that were done, I should feel less grief at the death of my children. “Madam,”
said the woodpecker, “your remark is very true. For the proverb says:

A friend in need is a friend indeed,

Although of different caste;

The whole world is your eager friend

So long as riches last.

“Now see what my wit can devise. But you must know that I, too, have a friend, a gnat called Lute-Buzz. I will return with her, so that
this villainous beast of an elephant may be killed.”

So he went with the hen-sparrow, found the gnat, and said: “Dear madam, this is my friend the hensparrow. She is mourning because a
villainous elephant smashed her eggs. So you must lend your assistance while I work out a plan for killing him.”

“My good friend,” said the gnat, “there is only one possible answer. But I also have a very intimate friend, a frog named Cloud-
Messenger. Let us do the right thing by calling him into consultation. For the proverb says:

So all three went together and told Cloud-Messenger the entire story. And the frog said: “How feeble a thing is that wretched elephant
when pitted against a great throng enraged! Gnat, you must go and buzz in his fevered ear, so that he may shut his eyes in delight at
hearing your music. Then the woodpecker’s bill will peck out his eyes. After that I will sit on the edge of a pit and croak. And he,
being thirsty, will hear me, and will approach expecting to find a body of water. When he comes to the pit, he will fall in and perish.”

When they carried out the plan, the fevered elephant shut his eyes in delight at the song of the gnat, was blinded by the woodpecker,
wandered thirst-smitten at noonday, followed the croak of a frog, came to a great pit, fell in, and died.

“And that is why I say:

“Woodpecker and sparrow

With froggy and gnat,

Attacking en masse, laid

The elephant flat.”

Week 1 Activities

IDENTIFICATION

1. Who kill the king of Kosales?

2. Who is the orphan prince?
3. What is the profession of the orphan prince in the later life?
4. What did the orphan prince do when he had the chance to get his revenge?
5. Who wrote the Parable of Returning Love for Hatred?
6. In the story of Lion Makers, what are the four reasons after they talk and decide to travel together?
7. Who among the four Brahmans said the one of them is not smart enough and less educated?
8. What did the less educated Brahman do after the three other decided to resurrect the lion?
9. The fourth Brahman learned his studies from what books?
10. In the story of “The duel between the elephant and the sparrow”, why did the hen-sparrow was so angry towards the
elephant?
11. Who was the friend of hen-sparrow who comfort her?
 12. Who plan everything to defeat the elephant?

ESSAY (WPS, Notes, Notepad, Microsoft Word)

1. Your reflection of PARABLE OF RETURNING LOVE FOR HATRED.

2. Your reflection of THE LION MAKERS.
3. Your reflection of THE DUEL BETWEEN ELEPHANT AND THE SPARROW.

THE STORY OF THE MAHĀBHĀRATA

The innermost narrative kernel of the Mahābhārata tells the story of two sets of paternal first cousins—the five sons of the
deceased king Pāṇḍu [pronounced PAAN-doo] (the five Pāṇḍavas [said as PAAN-da-va-s]) and the one hundred sons of blind King
Dhṛtarāṣṭra [Dhri-ta-RAASH-tra] (the 100 hundred Dhārtarāṣṭras [Dhaar-ta-RAASH-tras])—who became bitter rivals, and opposed
each other in war for possession of the ancestral Bharata [BHAR-a-ta] kingdom with its capital in the "City of the Elephant,"
Hāstinapura [HAAS-ti-na-pu-ra], on the Gaṅgā river in north central India. What is dramatically interesting within this simple
opposition is the large number of individual agendas the many characters pursue, and the numerous personal conflicts, ethical puzzles,
subplots, and plot twists that give the story a strikingly powerful development.

The five sons of Pāṇḍu were actually fathered by five Gods (sex was mortally dangerous for Pāṇḍu, because of a curse) and
these heroes were assisted throughout the story by various Gods, seers, and brahmins, including the seer Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa
[VYAA-sa] (who later became the author of the epic poem telling the whole of this story), who was also their actual grandfather (he
had engendered Pāṇḍu and the blind Dhṛtarāṣṭra upon their nominal father's widows in order to preserve the lineage). The one
hundred Dhārtarāṣṭras, on the other hand, had a grotesque, demonic birth, and are said more than once in the text to be human
incarnations of the demons who are the perpetual enemies of the Gods. The most dramatic figure of the entire Mahābhārata, however,
is Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva of the tribe of Andhaka Vṛṣṇis, located in the city of Dvārakā in the far west, near the ocean. His name is,
thus Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva [Vaa-su-DAY-va]. But he also a human instantiation of the supreme God Vāsudeva-Nārāyaṇa-Viṣṇu descended
to earth in human form to rescue Law, Good Deeds, Right, Virtue and Justice (all of these words refer to different facets
of "dharma," the “firm-holding” between the ethical quality of an action and the quality of its future fruits for the doer). Kṛṣṇa
Vāsudeva was also a cousin to both Bhārata phratries, but he was a friend and advisor to the Pāṇḍavas, became the brother-in-law of
Arjuna [AR-ju-na] Pāṇḍava, and served as Arjuna's mentor and charioteer in the great war. Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva is portrayed several times
as eager to see the purgative war occur, and in many ways the Pāṇḍavas were his human instruments for fulfilling that end.

The Dhārtarāṣṭra party behaved viciously and brutally toward the Pāṇḍavas in many ways, from the time of their early youth
onward. Their malice displayed itself most dramatically when they took advantage of the eldest Pāṇḍava, Yudhiṣṭhira [Yu-DHISH-
thir-a] (who had by now become the universal ruler of the land) in a game of dice: The Dhārtarāṣṭras 'won' all his brothers, himself,
and even the Pāṇḍavas' common wife Draupadī [DRAO-pa-dee] (who was an incarnation of the richness and productivity of the
Goddess "Earthly-and-Royal Splendor," Śrī [Shree]); they humiliated all the Pāṇḍavas and physically abused Draupadī; they drove the
Pāṇḍava party into the wilderness for twelve years, and the twelve years had to be followed by the Pāṇḍavas' living somewhere in
society, in disguise, without being discovered, for one more year.

The Pāṇḍavas fulfilled their part of that bargain, but the villainous leader of the Dhārtarāṣṭra party, Duryodhana [Dur-
YODH-ana], was unwilling to restore the Pāṇḍavas to their half of the kingdom when the thirteen years had expired. Both sides then
called upon their many allies and two large armies arrayed themselves on 'Kuru's Field' (Kuru was one of the eponymous ancestors of
the clan), eleven divisions in the army of Duryodhana against seven divisions for Yudhiṣṭhira. Much of the action in
the Mahābhārata is accompanied by discussion and debate among various interested parties, and the most famous sermon of all time,
Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva's ethical lecture accompanied by a demonstration of his divinity to his charge Arjuna (the justly famous Bhagavad
Gītā [BHU-gu-vud GEE-taa]) occurred in the Mahābhārata just prior to the commencement of the hostilities of the war. Several of
the important ethical and theological themes of the Mahābhārata are tied together in this sermon, and this "Song of the Blessed One"
has exerted much the same sort of powerful and far-reaching influence in Indian Civilization that the New Testament has in
Christendom. The Pāṇḍavas won the eighteen day battle, but it was a victory that deeply troubled all except those who were able to
understand things on the divine level (chiefly Kṛṣṇa, Vyāsa, and Bhīṣma [BHEESH-ma], the Bharata patriarch who was emblematic
of the virtues of the era now passing away). The Pāṇḍavas' five sons by Draupadī, as well as Bhīmasena [BHEE-ma-SAY-na]
Pāṇḍava's and Arjuna Pāṇḍava's two sons by two other mothers (respectively, the young warriors Ghaṭotkaca [Ghat-OT-ka-cha] and
Abhimanyu [Uh-bhi-MUN-you ("mun" rhymes with "nun")]), were all tragic victims in the war. Worse perhaps, the Pāṇḍava victory
was won by the Pāṇḍavas slaying, in succession, four men who were quasi-fathers to them: Bhīṣma, their teacher Droṇa [DROE-na],
Karṇa [KAR-na] (who was, though none of the Pāṇḍavas knew it, the first born, pre-marital, son of their mother), and their maternal
uncle Śalya (all four of these men were, in succession, 'supreme commander' of Duryodhana's army during the war). Equally troubling
was the fact that the killing of the first three of these 'fathers,' and of some other enemy warriors as well, was accomplished only
through 'crooked stratagems' (jihmopāyas), most of which were suggested by Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva as absolutely required by the
circumstances.

The ethical gaps were not resolved to anyone's satisfaction on the surface of the narrative and the aftermath of the war was
dominated by a sense of horror and malaise. Yudhiṣṭhira alone was terribly troubled, but his sense of the war's wrongfulness persisted
to the end of the text, in spite of the fact that everyone else, from his wife to Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva, told him the war was right and good; in
spite of the fact that the dying patriarch Bhīṣma lectured him at length on all aspects of the Good Law (the Duties and Responsibilities
of Kings, which have rightful violence at their center; the ambiguities of Righteousness in abnormal circumstances; and the absolute
perspective of a beatitude that ultimately transcends the oppositions of good versus bad, right versus wrong, pleasant versus
unpleasant, etc.); in spite of the fact that he performed a grand Horse Sacrifice as expiation for the putative wrong of the war. These
debates and instructions and the account of this Horse Sacrifice are told at some length after the massive and grotesque narrative of the
battle; they form a deliberate tale of pacification (praśamana, śānti) that aims to neutralize the inevitable miasma of the war.

In the years that follow the war Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his queen Gāndhārī [Gaan-DHAAR-ee], and Kuntī [Koon-tee], the mother of
the Pāṇḍavas, lived a life of asceticism in a forest retreat and died with yogic calm in a forest fire. Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva and his always
unruly clan slaughtered each other in a drunken brawl thirty-six years after the war, and Kṛṣṇa's soul dissolved back into the Supreme
God Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa had been born when a part of Nārāyaṇa-Viṣṇu took birth in the womb of Kṛṣṇa's mother). When they learned of
this, the Pāṇḍavas believed it time for them to leave this world too and they embarked upon the 'Great Journey,' which involved
walking north toward the polar mountain, that is toward the heavenly worlds, until one's body dropped dead. One by one Draupadī and
the younger Pāṇḍavas died along the way until Yudhiṣṭhira was left alone with a dog that had followed him all the way. Yudhiṣṭhira
made it to the gate of heaven and there refused the order to drive the dog back, at which point the dog was revealed to be an incarnate
form of the God Dharma (also known as Yama, the Lord of the Dead, the God who was Yudhiṣṭhira's actual, physical father), who
was there to test the quality of Yudhiṣṭhira's virtue before admitting him to heaven. Once in heaven Yudhiṣṭhira faced one final test of
his virtue: He saw only the Dhārtarāṣṭras in heaven, and he was told that his brothers were in hell. He insisted on joining his brothers
in hell, if that be the case. It was then revealed that they were really in heaven, that this illusion had been one final test for him. So
ends the Mahābhārata!

SAVITRI'S LOVE - FROM THE MAHA-BHARATA

Now, there was a king in India, whose name was Aswapati (As-wa-pah-tee), and his people loved him, for he gave help to all in need,
and he served the shining gods in prayer and sacrifice.

But he had no son or daughter in whom his name and line could live on, when the time came for him to die, and his heart was grieved,
and he fasted oft, and said hymns to the shining gods, and burned offerings on their holy altar, and hoped they would grant him the gift
he asked. When sixteen years had thus passed, his prayer was heard. In the red fire of the altar he beheld a Iady of fair Iook and ways,
and she said to him:

"Thy faith hath pleased me, 0 Raja, and if thou wilt say thy desire, it shall be given thee."
"Goddess," replied the king, "my wish is to have a child to live after me."

"The Lord of heaven," she said, "will grant thee what thou hast prayed."

She was gone and the Raja saw only the red flame.

A babe was born a girl, with bright eyes, bright like the lotus lily, as the Indian people say and she was the glory of her mother and
father. She grew to be so sweet a maid that her father made sure that kings would come from far and near to seek her as a wife. But
none came, for she the lotus-eyed had a soul that seemed too great for even kings, and her serious ways and speech kept men in awe.

Now, one day, this maid of grace Savitri (Sah-vee-tree) by name had knelt at the altar of Agni, god of the red flame, and had laid there
an offering of cakes and drink. Then she took up a bunch of flowers in the holy place, and came and gave them to her sire, Aswapati.
He gazed upon her with tender eyes and said:

"Daughter, it is time you should be wed after the manner of high-born Iadies, lest folk should think that I am at fault in not choosing a
husband for you. And since no man comes to pay suit to you I pray you go where you will and choose for yourself."

So she bowed herself before her sire, and took her leave, and rode in a splendid car along with elders and wise men, whom the king
had told to go with her up and down the land. The car passed through forests and along the streets of great towns, and among the
hamlets of the hills, and wherever she went the princess gave alms to the poor and greetings to the high and low, and the people
blessed her.

At last she came back and the Raja was on his

throne, and the wise man, Narad, sat at his side.

"Father," she said, "I have done as you bade, and I have found my choice. It is the Prince Satyavan. Prince he is, yet he dwells not in a
royal house."

"Wherefore," asked the Raja.

"He has no kingdom, and lives in a cottage in the woods with his father and mother. A noble pair are they, but sad is their lot. The old
man is blind, and he and his queen have had their home many years, ever since their son was a babe, in this jungle, for enemies drove
them from their kingdom, and took from the king his rightful throne. My prince is noble, and his name shows what he is, for at his
birth the Brahmans called him Truth lover. Gay and strong is he, and a rider of horses, and his hand has a gift for painting horses in
pictures that are a wonder to see."

"What think you?" asked the king of Narad, the wise.

"Alas!" answered Narad, "ill has she, chosen? The old king indeed is a just man, and the Prince Satyavan is a noble youth, but there is
a dark fate that waits for him, for it has been shown to me by the shining gods that in a year from this very day he shall die."
"Hear you that, my daughter?" cried the king. "0 choose some other, choose some other, for the Lord of Death, even Yama, will come
in a year and claim your husband for his own. Choose some other.

"I can choose none other, father dear," said the maid. "To Satyavan alone is my heart given, and though Death will take him in a year,
yet him only will I wed."

"Let it be so, child," sighed the Raja. "Strange will your bridal be. You will have your home in the wilderness, and in twelve months
be Ieft a mourner."

The king and his courtiers and priests set forth to the woods, carrying with them much treasure, and they found the blind old king
seated on a grass mat beside a sal tree.

Be seated, sir!" said the blind Raja, when he knew that a king had come to see him.

So Aswapati sat on the grass mat, and the blind king offered him water from a jar, for he was poor, and had neither wine nor silver
cups. And the two kings agreed upon the marriage, and soon the prince and the maid were wed in the forest, and when she was made
lady of the little cot among the trees of the jungle, her sire kissed her with many tears, and her friends said farewells, and they
departed. As soon as they were gone, she took off her jewels and sparkling dress, and she put on a plain robe made of bark of trees,
and a cloak of yellow cloth. Her queenhood was not in her jewels or her dress, but in her kind soul and the sweet service she did to the
blind old king and his wife, and in the love she bore to the prince of her choice.

So passed the happy year, and only four days more would go by ere the Shadow of Death would glide into the forest kingdom of her
Iord, and take him from her arms. For three days she fasted and she had no sleep, and her heart was in pain at the dread of that which
was to come. But Satyavan, the noble prince, knew naught of the fate that waited for his life.

On the morning of the last day rose Satyavan, in blithe mood, and he took his woodsman's axe for felling trees, and said, smiling:

"Dear wife, I go forth to hew down trees, and at set of sun, I shall be home again."

Her heart smote her at the words, for she knew that the black-robed Yama would lay his thin hand upon her love and take him hence.

"I will go with you this day," she said.

"Nay," he cried, "the ground is rough for your feet, and the way will be long, and you will be faint."

"Let me go, Satyavan," begged the princess in the robe of bark.

He said her nay no more, and they walked to the distant spot where grew the trees he meant to fell, and the wild fruit that she would
gather in her basket.

The hour of noon had passed, and the dusk was creeping upon the great forest. The sound of the axe echoed in the grove. Basket in
hand, Savitri plucked ripe berries from the shrubs, but often and often she paused and she looked at the woodcutter, and she looked
again...
"Oh, wife," he called.

She ran to his side and set her basket down.

"My head, my head! A pang shoots sharp through my brain. Hot is my blood. I must lie down."

She sat beneath a tree and laid his head upon her lap, and fanned his face. His eyes were closed, his pulse was slow, and now it was
still.

The year had flown.

Before her stood a tall shadow that had the shape of a man, and its robe was black, and a red light was in its eyes, and a crown was on
its head.

"Are you one of the holy gods?" she asked in a low voice.

"Lady," it said, " I am Yama, the Lord of Death, and I am come for the prince you love."

He lifted his hand, and in it was a cord, and he flung the cord, and lo!it caught the life of the prince in its noose, and drew it from his
bosom, and Satyavan was dead, and Death turned its face towards the south, for the south (so the Indian fables tell) was its kingdom.

Dark was the jungle.

Strong was Death.

But the woman was brave.

She rose up and followed in the steps of Deatn. Presently the black god, hearing her footsteps, turned and spoke:

"Go back. You have come far from home. Go back, and do those sad rites in which mourners show their sorrow for the dead."

"I must go," she replied, "where my husband goes. That is my duty. The wise men say that to walk seven steps with another makes
them friends. So Iet me walk more than seven steps with you. And the wise men also say that the best road to walk is that of right."

"Well have you convinced me," said the Lord of Death, "and in return for the good words, I promise that, except the soul of Satyavan,
I will give you what you will."

"Then give me a gift for my prince's father, and Iet the eyes of the old king once more behold the light of day, and let his strength be
as the strength of the sun."

"It shall be done," said Death; "but now you must turn back, for you have far to go ; and my way leads only to Doom."

"I shall never be weary of the way that my husband goes. There is no sweeter fruit on earth than the company of those we love."
The black god smiled, for her words were good and precious.

"Once again, I wiII give you a gift, except the soul of Satyavan."

"Thanks again, 0 Death; and now I will ask that the kingdom of the old Raja shall be restored to him, so that he may have his Iand as
well as his sight."

"Lady, it shall happen as you wish. And now go back. The forest is wide, and home is distant."

"Master of Death, hear me once more. What is the goodness of the good man? Is it kindness to all things in earth, air or sea? It is
indeed, and even if the enemy seeks help, the good man will be ready to grant him aid."

"Fair is your saying, princess; and for these blessed words I will promise yet another boon. Speak."

"0 Death, I would be mother to noble children, and teach them to walk in the steps of their dear father, Satyavan. Give me my prince."

Then Yama, King of Death, shook the cord that he held in his hand.

"Lady, your husband shall reign long years with you, and your sons shall reign after you."

The dark shade that wore the crown had floated into the gloom of the jungle.

With quick feet she ran. Breathless, she flew. And when she reached the tree under which the body of Satyavan lay, she knelt, she
placed the head on her lap, she watched; and the eyes opened, and the lips said :

" I have slept a long time. Just as I was falling into slumber, I seemed to see a vision of a shadow that seized my very life in a magic
noose, and bore it away I know not where."

"It was Yama, Lord of Death. But he is not here. Rise, Satyavan, for it is night, and we must go home."

"Ah!" he said, "now I call to mind that a sharp pang shot through my brow.

"Tomorrow let us talk of what has happened today. Let us go.

"The night is dark. We could not find the path."

"Look!" she said, "some way off a fire has been burning today in the forest the work of the blazing sun at midday, perhaps. I will fetch
a brand, and we wiII wave it as we walk, so as to scare away the beasts of the jungle. Or, if you will, let us stay here till your pain is
all gone."

"It has gone, Savitri. I am strong again. My father and mother will grieve at our absence."

As he thought of his blind father (ah! but was he blind now?) the prince's eyes filled with tears.
So he sprang to his feet, and brushed off the dry leaves that clung to his clothes.

"There is your basket of fruit," he cried.

"Fetch it tomorrow, Satyavan. We have enough to do to find our way in the dark. But I will carry the axe."

She carried the axe in her left hand, and her right arm was about his waist; and his left arm was about her neck; and so they wended
their way through the jungle; nor did bear or tiger harm them.

The sky was becoming grey when they reached the hamlet where the old king and queen and their few companions lived. They heard
voices crying eagerly. A shout arose when the prince and princess were seen.

"My children!" cried the king.

"Father!" exclaimed Satyavan. "How is this? You were able to see me?"

"My son, my eyes can see once more. I know not how the marvel came about, but I do know I can see my son. And you, dear Savitri,
for the first time can I now look upon my faithful daughter!"

After he had held them for some moments, and gazed at them both with joy, he asked:

"And where have you been all the night? Tell me, Satyavan, what kept you so long?"

"Father," said Savitri, "he does not know all that took place in the night. Let me tell the tale."

So they sat down king, queen, prince, princess, and their comrades and loyal friends, and the soft voice of Savitri told :

How they wandered in the forest;

How the curse had been foretold by Narad, the sage, and how it must be fulfilled at the end of the year;

How Satyavan died;

How Death came;

And how she had followed Death and what had been said.

Now, while the king and his friends thus listened, and their hearts were moved by the story, a great noise was heard in the forest.
Along the glade they saw a crowd of people approach soldiers, officers, citizens.

"News, good news!" the people cried. "The tyrant who took the throne by unjust means and cruel power has been overthrown. Come
back to us, dear king. Blind though you are, you shall at least know that we gather round you in true service."
"Thanks be to the shining gods, my people," said the old king, " I can see you all; and I will go with you, and see my kingdom once
again."

WEEK 2 ACTIVITIES

IDENTIFICATION

1. What is the capital city of Bharata Kingdom?

2. The capital city was called the city of _________.

3. The name of the deceased king who has five sons.

4. The name of the blind king who has a hundred sons.

5. Who is the seer in the story and later who became the author of this story?

6. Who is the eldest of the five sons?

7. Who is the goddess of the earthly and royal splendor?

8. Who is the leader of the villain party?

9. The war takes ________ day and the Pandavas gained victory.
 10. From what tribe Krsna belongs?

11. In the

ENUMERATION

1. List all the characters in the Mahabharata (refer to reference provided).

2. List all the characters in the Savitri’s Love (refer to reference provided).

ESSAY

1. Reflection of Mahabharata.

2. Reflection of Savitri’s Love.

RAMAYANA

Book 1

The poem begins from the perspective of Valmiki, the author of them poem. Valmiki is a hermit sitting in meditation when he receives
an unexpected visit from Narada, a divine figure. Amazed at the appearance of this holy personage, Valmiki asks him a question he
has long wrestled with: is there any man in the world who possesses all virtues? Narada tells him that there is such a man in these very
times, and his name is Rama. The holy Narada teaches the story of Rama to Valmiki, who commits it to memory and teaches it to two
youths from his asrama, Lava and Kusha. The two youths go forth and recite the Ramayana to kings, rishis, and common people.
The story begins in the city of Ayodhya, located in the land of Kosala. The just and great King Dasaratha rules over this land, but he
has one great sorrow in his life: despite his three wives and his advanced age, he has no children. His guru Vasishta tells him to
perform a horse sacrifice under the guidance of the rishi Rishyashringa, which the king does.
At the same time, the king of the Devas, Indra, begs the great god Brahma to rid the world of the demon Ravana. Ravana's demons
commit terrible violence and pollute holy places, causing great evil on the earth. However, there is a problem. In return for great
tapasya (meditation, ritual, penance) that Ravana performed in his youth, he received two blessings from the gods: great strength from
the god Siva, and Brahma himself granted Ravana protection from death at the hands of any god or supernatural being. However,
Brahma points out that Rama foolishly forgot to ask for protection from human beings, and he will die at the hands of a mortal man.
The gods beg Vishnu, the sustainer of the world, to accept birth as a mortal man in order to slay Ravana. Vishnu accepts this task, and
tells the deities that he will be born as King Dasaratha's son.
Back on earth, Rishyaringa is chanting the final verses of the horse sacrifice. Suddenly, out of the fire a holy messenger appears, and
tells Dasaratha and Rishyaringa to have the queens drink from the vessel he holds. Dasaratha brings the cup to his
queens Kausalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi, who drink from it. The messenger vanishes.
A few months after, the queens announce their pregnancies. Miraculous signs appear on the earth and in the skies when Kausalya
gives birth to Rama, who is the avatar of Vishnu. Shortly after, Kaikeyi gives birth to her son Bharata. The third wife Sumitra gives
birth to a set of twin boys, Lakshmana and Shatrughna, because she drank two sips from the cup of the sacred messenger.
The whole kingdom of Ayodhya is filled with delight at the births of the four boys. They learn the arts of war and ruling; they excel at
everything they attempt, but the greatest among them is Rama. He is very close with his brother Lakshmana, and the two are rarely
parted. But it is his father Dasaratha with whom Rama has the deepest bond. Dasaratha is deeply devoted to Rama, and Rama adores
him as well.

One day, the commanding Viswamitra appears at the gates of Ayodhya. He was a king who later became a rishi (wandering ascetic,
holy man). Viswamitra is deeply respected for his supernatural powers; he has the ability to see things in other worlds, places, and
times. Dasaratha receives this honored figure with great joy, which is dampened somewhat when Viswamitra explains why he has
come: he wants Rama to kill the rakshasas who are defiling the sacred place where he lives. Dasaratha is terrified that his young and
inexperienced son will come to home when fighting these dangerous demons, but Viswamitra assures him that Rama is the only one
who can succeed in this task, and no harm will come to him. Dasaratha grudgingly allows Rama to leave with Viswamitra, and
Lakshmana insists on accompanying his brother on this quest.
The rishi and the two young princes set off on a long journey through forests and hills. Viswamitra takes them to the cursed forest, a
place where no wind blows and no birds sing. He explains to them that this is the domain of the rakshasi Tataka, who was transformed
into a demon after she tried to seduce a holy man. She drinks the blood of living creatures, and now no being can enter this forest. It is
the duty of Rama and Lakshmana to kill her and purify the forest, and the boys go forth to seek her without fear.
Tataka, caked with blood and grime, appears and attacks the party. Rama Lakshmana shoot her with arrows while she throws rocks
and trees at them. Finally, she is felled by Rama's arrow through her heart. A celestial voice (which comes from Indra) blesses the
boys for this task, and the birds, animals, and forest spirits return to the purified place. To express his gratitude, Viswamitra offers the
two princes supernatural weapons that are proof against both natural and supernatural enemies; these weapons can be summoned
anywhere at anytime with a set of words.

The three continue their journey. Viswamitra tells the story of Vamana, an avatara of Vishnu who took on the form of a dwarf in order
to stop the machinations of King Mahabali, who sought to rule earth, heaven, and the underworld. Viswamitra's asrama is in the holy
place where Vamana vanquished Mahabali, but this place has been infested by demons, and the young princes need to defeat them.

As Viswamitra is performing a ritual, the rakshasas Maricha and Subahu appear, flinging filth to defile the sacrifice. Rama and
Lakshmana jump into action. Rama calls forth one of the supernatural weapons that Viswamitra gave him, shooting an arrow into
Maricha's chest. The arrow carries Maricha hundreds of miles and douses him in the sea, purifying him with water and fire but not
killing him. Rama brings forth the second supernatural weapon that Viswamitra gave him, and reduces Subahu to a pile of cinders.
Viswamitra celebrates this victory with great joy.
As they continue wandering, Viswamitra tells the two princes the story of the great river Ganga, daughter of the mountain spirit
Himavan. She was so beautiful that she was given to the Devas as a wife, and she flowed through the heavens as the river of the Milky
Way. Around the same time, the King Sagara was born, a distant ancestor of Rama. He had sixty thousand sons from one of his wives
and only one from his second wife. The grandson of the second wife, who was named Anshuman, sent forth a horse for a great
sacrifice, but Indra spirited it away before the ritual could be completed. Sagara's sixty thousand sons went in search of the horse, but
Indra killed them for being rude. Anshuman found the horse and his uncles' ashes, but was unable to perform the funeral ritual needed
to bring their souls to peace. A curse was laid on his lineage, until many generations later when one of the kings petitioned Siva to
bring down the heavenly Ganga onto the earth. Siva did so, purifying the remains and creating the earthly Ganga, which is one of the
holiest natural sites in the Hindu religion.
Viswamitra brings Rama and Lakshmana to the outskirts of the city of Mithila, which is ruled by King Janaka. Viswamitra tells the
two princes about the legend of the great sage Maharishi Gautama and his wife Ahalya. Indra the king of the Devas seduced Ahalya
and made love to her on the floor of their hut. Gautama walked in and saw them, and was so aggrieved at his wife's betrayal that he
turned her to dust. However, Gautama took pity on her and tempered the curse: he told her that when Vishnu is born as a prince of the
earth and his feet touch the ground where her dust lies, she will be free. When Rama enters the ancient hut, the spectral image of
Ahalya appears, kissing Rama's feet and then disappearing into the air.

The three enter the kingdom of Mithila, which is ruled over by the great King Janaka. Janaka possesses an incredible object: the bow
of Siva, which no man can lift. The king has decided that only the man who can lift the bow is worthy of marrying his wonderful
daughter Sita, whom he and his wife found in a furrow on sacred ground; the people of the kingdom believe that Sita is the avatara of
the goddess Lakshmi.
Rama walks to the bow and, unlike any other man or supernatural being, is able to lift it and string it. In fact, his power is so great that
he snaps it in two. Dasaratha and Janaka are filled with joy, and negotiate the marriage between their two children, Sita and Rama.
The two youths have already fallen in love with each other from afar. To strengthen the bond between the families, Janaka gives his
daughter Urmila to Lakshmana in marriage, and Janaka's brother Kusadhvaja gives his two daughters Mandavi and Srutakirti to
Dasaratha's other two sons Bharata and Shatrughna.
After the ceremony, the wedding party is confronted by Bhargava, the ax-bearer, another incarnation of Vishnu. Rama is able to
vanquish Bhargava, again proving his divine nature. Varuna, the god of the ocean, suddenly appears and offers Rama the bow of
Vishnu, another powerful supernatural weapon.

Rama and Sita, the perfect couple, celebrate their marriage.

Book 2

Summary:
Over the next twelve years, Rama and Sita live happily in Ayodhya. Rama increases in his virtue and wisdom; he has a deep
understanding of every person he meets, and moves among his people as an equal. He is the master of his anger, and only remembers
the good that others do for him. Rama's relationship with Sita is one of devotion and tenderness.
Their joy is increased when King Dasaratha decides to name Rama as his heir apparent. Dasaratha is growing older, and he wants the
joy of seeing his beloved son ascend the throne. All the ministers and citizens unanimously cheer this decision, and the king begins the
preparations for the ceremony. Rama and Sita begin the ritual purifications, fasting and cleansing themselves.
But at the same time as this joyous occasion is being planned, Queen Kaikeyi's mind is poisoned. The youngest wife of King
Dasaratha, she loves Rama just as everyone else in the kingdom does. However, her old maid Manthara hates Rama, and decides to
convince Kaikeyi that horrible things will happen if Rama is crowned. Manthara says that Rama will advance the interests of his own
mother, Kausalya, and may even kill Kaikeyi and her son Bharata. If Kaikeyi wants to protect her child, she must make sure that
Rama never becomes the heir apparent. Kaikeyi is terrified at the thought, and Manthara takes advantage of her fear by hatching a
plan. Years before, King Dasaratha granted Kaikeyi two wishes after she saved his life during a battle with the Asuras. Manthara tells
Kaikeyi to use these two favors now: one favor will send Rama into the forest for fourteen years, and another will bring Kaikeyi's son
Bharata to the throne in place of Rama. Out of her terror, Kaikeyi agrees to this plan.
When Dasaratha comes to see Kaikeyi, his youngest and favorite wife, he finds her hysterical, weeping and tearing her clothes. When
she explains that he must exile Rama and bring Bharata to the throne, Dasaratha is aghast. He loves Rama and knows that he will die
if he is parted from his son; moreover, the coronation is the next day! He begs Kaikeyi to change her mind, but she refuses to relent
and Dasaratha knows that he cannot break his word, even if it kills him.

The next day, Rama cuts through the crowds of celebrants outside the palace to see his father. Dasaratha is only able to whisper his
son Rama's name and weep uncontrollably, but Kaikeyi coldly explains the situation, telling Rama that he must not only forfeit his
crown, but also go into exile in the wilderness. Rama accepts this news calmly, showing concern only that his father is in such a
terrible state. He agrees to do what Kaikeyi asks of him.

However, even Rama has difficultly bringing this awful news to his mother Kausalya. Her son is her greatest joy; her husband
Dasaratha does not love her, and she was barren for years before giving birth to Rama. His exile from the kingdom will rob her of the
person closest to her. In tears, she begs him not to go, and Lakshmana forcefully declares that Rama should not be punished for a
wicked woman's greed - why, Lakshmana will kill Kaikeyi himself! Rama refuses either violence or grief, and explains that the hand
of fate must be moving Kaikeyi to do this. His mother Kausalya accepts this explanation, and offers him a blessing.
Rama then breaks the news to Sita, who demands to accompany him into the forest. He tells her she should remain here, but she insists
that her rightful place is with her husband, and Rama finally permits her to come. Lakshmana also says he will come with Rama;
Rama tells him he must look after the women in his life, but Lakshmana says that his wife Urmila and his mothers will look after each
other. Lakshmana says he must hunt for Rama in the wilderness and take care of him, and Rama allows Lakshmana to accompany
him.

To the terrible grief of the court, the king, and all the people of Ayodhya, the three head into exile. The people of Ayodhya follow
Rama's coach out of the city, and the young prince and his companions must flee under the cover of night lest the people force Rama
to return to the city. Back in Ayodhya, Dasaratha loses all his strength and collapses in his wife Kausalya's arms. The two become
closer than they have been in years, mourning the loss of Rama.

Guha, king of the hunters, hosts Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana for a night before they head deeper into the wilderness. The forest is a
desolate place, filled with dangerous animals and lacking any protection from the elements. The three companions were only allowed
to bring a few weapons and a single garment each; the forest is a forbidding place at first. Still, they try to make the best of it, settling
down for the night on a bed of leaves. They meet the rishi Bharadvaja, who offers to let them stay at his asrama. However, Rama
explains that they need to find a more desolate place, so that the people of Ayodhya do not drag him back to the city. Bharadvaja
sends them on to an isolated but beautiful place called Chitrakuta. The three settle down in this lovely place and build a shelter.
In Ayodhya, Dasaratha confesses an old curse to Kausalya; he accidentally killed a young rishi one day, and was cursed by the rishi's
parents to suffer the loss of a son. Six days after Rama leaves the palace, Dasaratha dies of a broken heart.

Bharata, the new king, is summoned from his maternal grandfather's kingdom. He returns to Ayodhya along with his
brother Shatrughna, but puzzles at the desolation and silence in the city. When his mother Kaikeyi explains that she has banished
Rama and made sure that he will be crowned prince, he explodes with rage. He never wanted to rule, and he never wanted to betray
his brother in this way. Moreover, he is stricken with guilt at the death of his father. He sets out with the court into the wilderness to
find Rama, so that he can accept the throne from Bharata and perform the necessary funeral rites for his father.
Guha meets Bharata's army with suspicion, but relents when Bharata explains that he wants to give the kingdom back to his brother
Rama. Guha marvels at the loyalty of the brothers, and sends them on after Rama's party. Bharata's great company arrives at
Chitrakuta; Lakshmana prepares to fight, but Rama assures him that their brother Bharata would never harm them, and goes forth to
meet the group.

Bharata explains the state of things in Ayodhya, and Rama breaks down weeping upon hearing of the death of Dasaratha. He performs
the necessary funeral ritual for his father in a nearby stream. After this, Bharata begs his brother to come back to Ayodhya and rule.
This is what the people what; this is what their father wanted before his death; this is the rightful role of the oldest son; this is the best
situation for their mothers. Rama explains that it is both his duty and his fate to carry out his father's last command; as terrible as it
may seem, he is certain that his exile in the wilderness will ultimately have beneficial effects. He points out that this is fate, and no one
can stand against one's fate. Rama tells Bharata that he must rule Ayodhya, at least until Rama returns from the wilderness in fourteen
years. His guru Vasishta also tries to convince Rama to return, citing his authority as spiritual teacher. Rama replies that Vasishta is
wise, and so he must understand that Rama cannot break the word he gave his father. Vasishta falls silent.
Seeing that his cause is lost, Bharata begs Rama to bless a pair of shoes; Bharata places these shoes on the throne of Ayodhya, so that
it will be as if Rama is ruling there. Bharata refuses to sit on this then and lives in a small village like an ascetic, but performs the
duties of a king, insuring the prosperity of Ayodhya until the return of Rama.

Book 3

Summary:
The three companions - Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana - leave Chitrakuta, haunted by the memory of the visitors from Ayodhya. On their
journeys, they visit a number of holy men and women (such as the yogini Anasuya and the magnificent rishi Sharabhanga) and slay
many wicked rakshasas (such as the terrible Viradha, who was an elf-like being cursed to live as a rakshasa). For ten years the
companions move through the forest, visiting asramas. They are welcomed by rishis and establish a happy life for themselves even in
the darkest jungle.
When only three years are left of his exile, a rishi named Sutheekshna tells Rama that he must seek out the great sage Agastya and
obtain his blessing. Agastya is renowned as a slayer of rakshasas; he managed to defeat two powerful ones that made a habit of eating
rishis.
Agastya offers the two princely brothers a number of magical, supernatural weapons, including the powerful bow of Vishnu and armor
that cannot be pierced by any weapon. He tells the brothers that they must go to the south to eliminate the rakshasa menace, and sends
them to a place called Panchavati. Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana follow his orders, heading to this lovely place. They meet Jatayu on the
way, a magnificent eagle that can speak in the voice of a human being. He was loyal to Dasaratha, and pledges his service to Rama as
well.
Panchavati is a lovely place, but it is only a short while before the travelers are harassed by the rakshasi Surpanakha, the sister
of Ravana. She attempts to seduce first Rama, then Lakshmana, and attempts to kill Sita when they rebuff her advances. The princely
brothers defeat her easily, chopping off her nose and ears. She flees back to her cousins Khara and Dushana, rakshasa lords who
preside over vast armies, and persuades them to go to war over the terrible insult she has received.
Seeing the advancing rakshasa army, Rama sends Lakshmana away with Sita, and faces the army of fourteen thousand rakshasas
alone. He defeats them using his magical weapons.

But one of the rakshasas, named Akampana, escapes and brings the news to the court of Ravana on Lanka. Ravana is a terrifying
rakshasa with ten heads, and he is thousands of years old. He is a great scholar, irresistible to women, and an undefeated warrior who
has been blessed by the gods Brahma and Siva. He is shocked and infuriated by the news that Akampana brings, of a single man who
defeated fourteen thousand rakshasas, including his cousin Khara. Akampana suggests that Rama's greatest weakness is his wife Sita;
if she were abducted, he would die of a broken heart.
Ravana consults with his uncle Maricha about how best to defeat Rama. Rama defeated Maricha when Rama was only a youth; one of
Rama's magical weapons plunged Maricha thousands of miles into the sea. Maricha tells Ravana that Rama will be his doom, but
Ravana is determined to seek revenge against the prince.
Ravana's wrath is increased by the appearance of his sister Surpanakha, who had been mutilated by Rama and Lakshmana for
attacking Sita. She tells Ravana about the incomparable beauty of Sita, kindling his lust as well as his fury. He cajoles and threatens
Maricha until the other raskhasa agrees to assist him, and hatches a wicked plan.

Ravana and Maricha travel to Panchavati, and Maricha transforms himself into a beautiful golden stag. Sita, who loves animals, is
utterly enchanted by him as soon as she seems him, and she asks Rama to capture the deer for her. Rama chases after the deer, who
leads him deep into the forest. Slowly, Rama realizes that this is no true creature of the forest, but a rakshasa. He shoots the stag with
an arrow, and Maricha takes on his rakshasa appearance once again. Before he dies, Maricha calls out for Lakshmana and Sita in a
perfect imitation of Rama's voice.
Hearing this terrible cry, Lakshmana plunges into the forest to help his brother, leaving Sita alone in the hut. Ravana takes on the form
of a wandering ascetic and approaches her. As soon as he sees Sita, he falls madly in love with her. When he has gained her trust and
been invited into the hut, he reveals his true self and demands that she be his queen. Sita refuses, saying that she loves Rama far too
much to ever leave him. Ravana grabs Sita and takes her away in his sky chariot, ignoring her screams of protest.

Jatayu the golden eagle sees the princess being captured, and attacks Ravana to try to save her. He injures the rakshasa, but Ravana
cuts off his wings and leaves him for dead. Sita takes advantage of this momentary confusion to take off her jewelry and drop it to the
earth, leaving a trail for Rama to follow.

Ravana brings Sita far away to his kingdom in Lanka. He demands that she submits to him and become his queen, but she refuses once
again. He tells her that she has a one year to consider his love, after which he will kill her and eat her alive. Sita weeps in terror, but
refuses to give in.

In Panchavati, Rama and Lakshmana realize that they have been deceived. When they find the hut empty, they realize that Sita has
been kidnapped, and they follow the trail south. They find the dying Jatayu, who tells them that Ravana has kidnapped Sita. The two
brothers perform funeral rites for Jatayu, and then continue their search for Ravana and Sita.

On the way, the brothers meet a terrible demon named Kabandha, who has the form of a body with no legs or head, only arms and a
gaping mouth. After they dispatch him, he explains that Indra transformed him into this ugly shape; formerly, he was a celestial
archer. Thankful to be liberated from this terrible punishment, he tells the brothers that they will find victory against Ravana if they
seek Sugriva, the prince of vanaras (a magical race of monkeys) who lives in Rishyalooka.
On their way to the monkey king, the brothers meet the female mystic Shabari, who has refused to die until she meets the holy Rama.
She offers them her blessings and departs for heaven. Rama weeps for Sita, but Lakshmana consoles him and urges him forward in
their quest.

Book 4

Summary:
From his perch on a mountaintop, Sugriva sees the approach of Rama and Lakshmana. He is terrified that they are warriors sent by his
brother Vali to kill him, but his advisor Hanuman reassures him and goes down to ascertain the identity of the two men.
Appearing before Rama and Lakshmana as a brahmana (a member of the priestly class), Hanuman inquires why they have come to
this isolated place. The brothers explain the story of their exile from Ayodhya and Sita's abduction. Hanuman tells them that his king
was also exiled and his wife abducted.
Hanuman takes the brothers to Sugriva, who explains his miserable exile at the hands of his duplicitous brother Vali; though the
mountain of Rishyamooka is safe from Vali due to a rishi's curse, Sugriva still fears that his brother will find a way to kill him. The
human princes and the monkeys swear their eternal friendship over a sacred fire. Sugriva proclaims that fate has caused their paths to
cross, and brings out the bundle of ornaments that Sita dropped in the forest when Ravana kidnapped her; Rama weeps and thanks him
for this sign, vowing to kill Vali and restore Sugriva to his throne and his wife.
Sugriva explains the cause of his estrangement from his brother. Once, his brother fought with an Asura and the two disappeared into
a cave. Sugriva heard agonized screams from his brother and saw blood leaking out of the cave. Certain that Vali is dead and that the
Asura is looking for a new victim, Sugriva rolls a stone in front of the cave's mouth and performs funeral rites for his brother. The
ministers crown him king in his brother's absence, and he rules justly.

That is, until Vali's unexpected return. Vali believes that his brother betrayed him and attempted to trap him in the cave when he was
still weak from his battle with the Asura. He dethrones Sugriva and attempts to kill him, but Sugriva escapes to the mountain
sanctuary of Rishyamooka.

Rama and Sugriva go forth to take back the monkey kingdom of Kishkinda. Sugriva engages in hand-to-hand combat with his brother,
expecting Rama to shoot Vali with an arrow; however, the two look so similar that Rama is unable to tell them apart, and Sugriva is
forced to retreat. He angrily berates Rama, who calmly explains the situation to him. The two return to Kishkinda, and Sugriva and
Vali fight each other once more. Just as it looks as though Sugriva will lose, Rama sends an arrow through Vali's heart.

With his dying breath, Vali asks why the noble Rama has engaged in such a duplicitous act; he killed another living being in a sneaky
and unfair manner, and moreover, he murdered Vali despite the fact that the monkey king had done him no wrong. Vali tells Rama
that he understands his vow to Sugriva, but Vali would have been happy to help Rama find his lost wife and he would have done so
even more quickly than Sugriva. Vali asks Rama to make sure that his son Angada is well cared-for. Rama replies that he has
performed this action out of dharma, and he holds Vali as he dies.
Sugriva assumes the throne. The four-month rainy season has arrived which makes it is impossible to travel, so Rama and Lakshmana
take shelter in a cave. They plan to go in search of Sita with Sugriva's help after the rains end, but fairer weather finds Sugriva holed
up in his harem, focusing more on drinking and women than on justness and ruling. Hanuman reminds Sugriva of his duty to Rama
and Lakshmana, and Sugriva sends out a summons for all vanaras to return to the kingdom to launch the search for Sita. Still, the
monkey king continues to lounge around rather than assisting Rama and Lakshmana.

Rama grieves terribly for his lost wife, and finally Lakshmana goes to confront Sugriva about his broken promise. Lakshmana's
terrifying appearance startles Sugriva out of his drunkenness, and he assembles four different search parties to find Sita, sending one
out in each direction. Sugriva at last proves to be a valuable ally; he has a strong understanding of the lay of the land due to his long
wanderings.

A party including Hanuman and the crown prince Angada (son of Vali) heads towards the south, where they encounter many strange
sights, such as vicious rakshasas and magical cities. At last they find themselves on the seashore; still, there is no sign of Sita.
Suddenly the eagle Sampati, brother of Jatayu, appears. Though he is old and has singed wings (he flew too close to the sun when he
was young), he has sharp eyesight. Hanuman asks him to look for Sita, and Sampati peers over the ocean - and sees Sita crying in a
garden! But this island is hundreds of miles away; the monkeys debate how they will get there. Jambavan the king of the bears
reminds Hanuman of his parentage: his father is the god of the wind. Hanuman doubts himself, but Jambavan urges him to remember
who he truly is. With renewed faith in himself, Hanuman grows extremely tall, and after launching himself from nearby mountains, he
flies through the air to the island of Lanka, where Ravana is keeping Sita prisoner.

Book 5

With the help of his father, the wind god Vayu, Hanuman flies through the air to Lanka. He overcomes many obstacles to get there:
flying over magical mountains, tricky a serpent goddess, and killing an evil rakshasi.
Finally, he arrives in Lanka. He shrinks to a tiny size to avoid detection and sneaks into the city at night. Lanka is a beautiful place
with a high wall and gorgeous gardens, but its people are wicked and corrupt. Hanuman witnesses a number of orgies and other sinful
behavior.

He desperately searches for Sita in Ravana's vast palace. He wanders through Ravana's harem, where he sees beautiful women of all
races sleeping in their beds. He comes to the bedroom of Ravana himself, but only Ravana and his queen are asleep there. Hanuman is
about to give up hope when he catches sight of a white temple in a garden. There is Sita, weeping and surrounded by rakshasis. She is
thin and wan from months of being terrorized by Ravana and his people, but she is still more beautiful than any other woman in the
world.
As dawn comes, Hanuman watches as Ravana comes out of his palace to confront Sita. He tells her how much he loves her, how rich
and powerful he could make her, but she cites her continuing love for Rama and demands once more than Ravana return her to her
husband before it is too late. In a rage, Ravana tells her that she has one more month to give into him - then he will kill her and eat her.
After Ravana leaves, the rakshasis around her attempt to convince her to give into Ravana: they tell her about his virility and
generosity, and the terrible fate that will befall her if she does not accept his love. Despite these torments, Sita remains steadfast in her
devotion to Rama.
Hanuman puzzles over how to catch Sita's attention without alarming her or alerting her rakshasi guards. As Sita stands alone under a
tree, Hanuman approaches her in the form of a tiny monkey and recites the story of Rama, beginning with his birth in Ayodhya and
ending with his alliance with Sugriva, identifying himself as an ally of the king. Hanuman shows Sita the ring of Rama to prove that
he is a truthful messenger. Sita is incredulous at first, then delighted to hear news of Rama. Hanuman assures her that Rama is on his
way to save her, and offers to bring her back from Lanka himself. Sita refuses, saying that it is dharma for Rama to come slay Ravana
and rescue her himself; she adds that she is too chaste to cling to a male other than Rama, which she would have to do if Hanuman
brought her across the sea. She gives a piece of her jewelry to Hanuman to show Rama that she is still alive. The two bid each other
farewell.
Hanuman decides to cause a little mayhem before heading back to Rama and the vanara army. He changes size to grow extremely tall,
and smashes the manicured royal gardens, crying out all along that he is one of Rama's servants. Ravana hears about this and sends out
a number of powerful rakshasa warriors to quell Hanuman, but the monkey easily defeats them all. At last Ravana's
son Indrajit appears with his magical ropes, and Hanuman allows himself to be captured in order to confront Rama.
When he is taken before the rakshasa king, Hanuman tells him that a great vanara company led by Rama will invade Lanka if Ravana
does not release Sita. Ravana might have protection from gods and other supernatural beings, but he never asked for protection from
men and monkeys; he will suffer defeat in this conflict.

Ravana is enraged, and orders Hanuman's death. His brother Vibheeshana steps in, saying that it is against dharma to kill a messenger.
Ravana relents, and instead decides to light Hanuman's tail on fire and parade him around the city. Hanuman is protected from the pain
of his burning tail by the fire god Agni; instead, Hanuman uses this as an opportunity to analyze the layout of the city.
When Hanuman has seen the city, he decides to cause even more mischief. He escapes from his captors and runs through the city,
using his burning tail to light buildings on fire. His loving father Vayu fans the flames, causing a conflagration in the city of Lanka.
The royal palace and the city burn, but Sita is protected from the flames by her purity.
After roaring Rama's name as a battle cry, Hanuman leaps away from the damaged city, flying back to the shores of India. He tells his
companions that he has found Sita, and they head back to the vanara capital of Kishkinda, stopping at the king's vineyards to drink his
wine. Though the royal brewers are enraged, Sugriva wisely understands that this means they come with good news. Angada and
Hanuman tell Rama, Lakshmana, and the vanara court that they have found Sita in Lanka, offering her golden ornament as proof of
this encounter. Rama weeps for joy, and the army begins to plan the invasion of Lanka.

Book 6

Summary:
On the coast of India, Rama and his vanara army try to think of a way that they can cross the distant ocean. This seems like an
impossible task until a vanara named Nala builds a bridge across the ocean; Rama assures their safe passage over the water by
securing the blessing of the ocean god Varuna.
Back on Lanka, Ravana calls together two councils to advise him on the coming war. The first is composed of his counselors; they
assure him that he is invincible and should welcome the coming confrontation with Rama. The sole dissenting voice is that of the
king’s brother Vibheeshana, who warns him that he is treading the path of adharma (injustice) that will only lead to ruin; Ravana
should give Sita back to Rama and be done with it. In the second council, composed of the king’s subjects, Vibheeshana again raises
this objection. Ravana is furious about this insult to his authority and banishes Vibheeshana, who serenely accepts this punishment and
flies through the air to join Rama’s army. Some of Rama’s allies are suspicious at first, but after Hanuman endorses Vibheeshana as a
good and honest rakshasa, they accept him as one of their own.
Seeing the army at his gate, Ravana tries to break Sita’s will by telling her that Rama is dead and creating a fake severed head that
resembles the prince’s. Sita is horrified at first, but quickly sees through this illusion with the help of one of her compassionate
rakshasi guards. Ravana stalks off in a fury.

Rama’s army is prepared to fight, but he makes one last attempt to sue for peace. He sends Angada to Ravana’s palace to give the
rakshasa king one last opportunity to release Sita. Ravana refuses violently and nearly kills Angada, who manages to escape
unharmed. The war begins.
The rakshasas fight with heavy armor, but they are unprepared for the unconventional fighting methods of the vanaras, who use trees,
rocks, and their own teeth to fight. There are heavy casualties on both sides, but the vanaras seem to gain ground. But the, Indrajit uses
a serpentine weapon to bind Rama and Lakshmana, trapping them in snake’s coils and plunging them into a deep sleep.
The vanara army loses heart. Suddenly Garuda, the god of eagles, appears before them and chases away the evil serpents that bind
Rama and Lakshmana, freeing them to fight again.

The princely brothers dispatch many of Ravana’s most seasoned warriors, including several of his sons. In fury and desperation, the
rakshasa king himself steps onto the battlefield. Rama destroys Ravana’s chariot and knocks his crown from his head. He has the
demon king at his mercy, but rather than killing him, he tells Ravana to go rest so that he is better prepared to fight Rama again

Desperate, Ravana rouses his brother Kumbhakarna, a giant who slumbers for six months at a time and wakes with a voracious
appetite. Kumbhakarna warns his brother that he should surrender Sita to Rama, but he agrees to fight out of love for his brother.
Kumbhakarna lumbers onto the battlefield and strikes terror into the vanara army by eating the monkeys alive. All of the heroes
struggle to defeat him: Hanuman is wounded, Lakshmana’s weapons have no effect against him, and even Rama fears that he will not
be able to stop this giant. Only when Rama uses a weapon from the wind god is he able to slay this terrible monster.
Ravana is horrified that his once-invincible brother is dead. He calls on the greatest warrior in his kingdom: his son Indrajit, who once
captured the god Indra. Indrajit makes himself invisible to attack Rama’s army, causing many deaths. One of Indrajit’s arrows hits
Lakshmana, and Rama fears he is dead. A physician says that he can be healed with herbs from the distant mountain of
Oshadhiparvata, and orders Hanuman to fly and gather them. The faithful Hanuman brings the entire mountain, and Lakshmana is
healed.

Indrajit resorts to deception. Using magic, he creates an illusion of Sita; he brings her before Rama’s army, taunting them, and then
beheads her. Rama wails in grief, but Vibheeshana wisely warns him that he knows his nephew’s tricks, and this is only another
illusion.

Indrajit starts to perform a religious ceremony that will make him invincible in battle, but Rama’s forces interrupt before he can finish
it. Lakshmana attacks Indrajit and finally kills him.

Ravana has no more great warriors left, and though he knows that he cannot win this war, he heads into battle for a second time. Rama
and Ravana face each other at least, and engage in an epic confrontation. At last, Rama summons a weapon from Brahma, the creator
of all things, and kills Ravana.

Ravana’s wives come to weep for him. Rama allows Vibheeshana to perform funeral rites for his brother and give him a proper burial.
After he has finished this task, Rama crowns Vibheeshana the new king of Lanka.
Hanuman goes to Sita and tells her that she is free now. After adorning herself, she appears before Rama and his people, lovely as ever
despite her long captivity. Rama receives her coldly; he tells her that her name is a stain on the family, and no man can take back a
woman who has lived for so long in another man’s house. Sita is hurt, shocked, and furious – she has suffered much to maintain her
chastity. She demands that Lakshmana kindle a fire, and then she steps into it herself. Miraculously, the flames do not harm her
because of her purity, and the god Agni himself emerges to vouch for Sita’s goodness.

Seeing this proof of her loyalty, Rama takes her back, embracing her lovingly. This day also marks the end of his exile in the forest,
and he is able to return to Ayodhya. Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana ride Ravana’s sky chariot back to the city.

Wisely, Rama realizes that his brother Bharata may not want to surrender the throne after so long. He sends Hanuman to give his
brother the news of his return, with special order to note how his brother reacts. Bharata weeps with joy and kisses Hanuman for
bringing him such news; he is happy to yield the throne to his brother. Rama is crowned king in Ayodhya with Sita at his side, and
they rule justly for many years.

Book 7

Summary:
(The seventh book is not included in all versions of the Ramayana; it is believed to be a later addition to the text. It is circulated
primarily in the north of India.)
Agastya, the great sage, comes to visit the court of Rama and bless the king. He marvels at how Rama was able to defeat Ravana and
his evil court, and proceeds to tell him more about the rakshasa king.
After an ancient battle between rakshasas and gods on Lanka, Ravana's father Vaisravana wandered lost through the worlds. The
young woman Kaikasi approaches him at an unlucky time while he is meditating, and he curses her, saying that she will have awful
demons for sons. However, he relents and says that her third son will be a man of dharma. She gives birth to a child she names
Dasagriva, a dreadful infant with a mouth full of fangs. Then Kumbhakarna is born, an enormous baby. After him comes Surpanakha,
a hideous daughter. The youngest is a serene and handsome infant named Vibheeshana.
Dasagriva slaughtered animals in the forest and raped women, but he also studied the Vedas (holy texts of Hinduism). He undertook a
great tapasya (penance) in which he went without food for ten thousand years, and cut off one of his ten heads every thousand years.
Amazed at his discipline, the gods come down and bless him with great strength and protection from death at the hands of any god,
demigod, or demon. Dasagriva decides that he will take back Lanka for the rakshasas. He is victorious in this endeavor, striking so
much fear into the hearts of the gods that Siva decides to rename him Ravana.
Shortly after this victory, Rama comes upon Vedavati meditating in the woods. She is a powerful holy woman who was determined to
marry no man other than Vishnu. Ravana rapes her and she kills herself, vowing revenge. Sita is a reincarnation of Vedavati, and
fulfills Vedavati's curse; she is the woman who brings Ravana his death.
In another story told by Agastya, Ravana faces Death himself in battle and emerges victorious.

Agastya also tells tales of the vanaras that Rama has known. Once, Ravana and Vali met in battle; Vali moved so swiftly that even the
great Ravana was unable to hurt him, and the two declared a truce. Agastya reminds Rama that he has vanquished both of these once-
invincible warriors. Another time, the infant Hanuman thought that the sun was a ripe red fruit. Using the powers of his wind god
father Vayu, he vaulted up in the air and nearly grasped the sun, but Indra knocked him down to earth, breaking his jaw. Hanuman's
divine father Vayu is infuriated at this injury to his son, so the gods come around and bless Hanuman: Varuna the ocean god promises
that he will never die in water, Indra promises that Hanuman will be invincible to all weapons except thunderbolts, and so on. Rama
invites the vanaras to a great feast; they rejoice for many days. Shortly afterwards, Sita tells him she is pregnant.
Unfortunately, Rama receives dark news from one of his advisors: the people of his kingdom think Sita is an impure woman after
staying so long in Ravana's palace, and they mock Rama for taking back a tainted woman. Rama's people are afraid that their own
wives will start being unfaithful to them.

Rama weeps and convenes with his closest advisors. They all saw Sita pass through fire on Lanka, and they know her purity.
However, the stability of his kingdom is at stake here. Rama reaches a terrible decision: he will exile Sita, despite her pregnancy. She
will live with the rishis on the banks of the Ganga.
With much weeping, Lakshmana leaves her at the asrama on the Ganga. The sage Valmiki finds her and takes her under his wing. Sita
lives there, well cared-for but deeply lonely, and gives birth to Rama's twin sons, Lava and Kusa. Rama continues to rule his kingdom
with justice and strength.
Many years later, Rama holds a horse sacrifice, inviting people from all lands to attend. Two young singers come to Rama's court and
recite a very familiar story: the life of Rama himself, the Ramayana! The sage Valmiki has taught the poem to Rama's sons Lava and
Kusa. Stunned, Rama orders his servant to find Sita; if she is pure and will swear by oath that these are his sons, he will accept her
back into his life.
Sita arrives, a gaunt but beautiful figure. Valmiki steps up outraged, proclaiming to Rama that it is obvious that these are his sons, and
that Sita is the very model of purity. Rama replies that he banished her out of fear of what people were saying about her, because his
first duty as a king is toward his people. He claims Lava and Kusa as his sons, and begs Sita to forgive him for this cruel treatment.

Sita speaks. She says she has always loved Rama, and has always been loyal to him. She calls upon her mother Bhumi Devi, the earth,
to receive her now, because she does not wish to live anymore. The earth opens and the shining goddess appears on her throne. She
draws Sita to her gently, and then vanishes back into the ground.

Rama weeps furiously. He fashions a golden image of Sita, and rules for many more years with it by his throne. He completes
thousands of sacrifices to expiate what he sees as an unforgivable sin (banishing his loyal wife), and he never remarries. At the end of
his life, after he has accomplished everything he was born for, Rama prepares to leave the world. Surgiva and other loyal companions
join him, and together they walk to the river Surayu. Rama wades into the river, and is drawn up into the light of the gods. Sita is
waiting there for him.

Week 3-4

Create your own analytical analysis of Ramayana. (put it on a small booklet or small drawing book).

HEBREW’s LITERATURES

THE STORY OF JOSEPH

Joseph—The Beloved Son

Joseph was born in the Mesopotamian town of Haran, to his parents Jacob and Rachel. At the age of six, he left Haran along with his

family and journeyed to the land of Canaan, eventually settling in Hebron.

Jacob displayed extra affection to Joseph, who was born to his father’s old age, presenting him with a specially-crafted garment. This

prompted feelings of jealousy within his brothers, especially the sons of Jacob’s other wife, Leah. These ill feelings exacerbated when

Joseph repeated two of his dreams to them, in which he was portrayed as ruling over his brethren. In the first, the brothers were

gathering wheat in the field, and the brothers’ bundles bowed to Joseph’s bundle. In the second, Joseph envisioned the sun, the moon,

and eleven stars (symbolizing his parents and brothers) bowing to him.

Soon enough, when Joseph was seventeen, the tension came to a head.

Sold by His Brothers

One day, Jacob instructed Joseph to visit his brothers in Shechem, where they were tending their sheep. Little did he know that this

would be the last time he would see his dear son, until their reunion a long twenty-two years later.

Seizing their chance, the brothers threw the unsuspecting Joseph into a pit. A short while later they spotted an Arab caravan passing

the scene, and the brothers sold Joseph to the traders. He was eventually brought to
Egypt, where he was sold to Potiphar, one of King Pharaoh’s ministers.

Steadfast Morality

For a while, things started to look up for young Joseph. Divine success enabled him to find favor in his master’s eyes, and he was

appointed head of Potiphar’s estate. However, this would not last for long.

Attracted by his handsome looks, Potiphar’s wife desired to be intimate with him. To her consternation, Joseph continuously refused.

One day, when no one was home other than the two of them, the mistress grasped Joseph’s garment, demanding that he consent.

Thinking quickly, Joseph slid out of his cloak and ran outside. This self-control earned him the appellation, “Joseph the righteous.”

But Potiphar’s wife turned the tables on Joseph, telling her husband that it was Joseph who had tried to entice her. The angry master

reacted by placing his trustworthy assistant in prison.

Joseph—Interpreter and Viceroy

Joseph’s charisma followed him to prison as well, and the warden soon appointed him as his right-hand man. In time, his unique

qualities expressed themselves in an additional area: when the king’s royal cupbearer and baker were imprisoned, Joseph successfully

interpreted their dreams, correctly predicting that the cupbearer would be released and the baker, hanged.

Two years later, King Pharaoh himself envisioned two dreams, which none of his advisors were able to explain. Remembering the

Hebrew youth from his prison days, the cupbearer suggested that Joseph be summoned. Joseph, then thirty, interpreted Pharaoh’s

dreams as being a Divine prediction for seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, and advised Pharaoh to prepare by

storing grain during the first seven years. Impressed by Joseph’s wisdom, Pharaoh appointed him as his viceroy, second only to the

king himself, and tasked him with readying the nation for the years of famine.

Climactic Reunion

Meanwhile, the effects of the famine were felt in nearby Canaan. Hearing that there was grain in Egypt, Joseph’s brothers journeyed

there to buy precious food from the viceroy, not realizing that he was their very own brother.

Joseph decided to utilize this opportunity to observe whether his brothers truly regretted having sold him. Using a succession of

dramatic maneuvers, Joseph tested his brothers’ determination to save their youngest brother Benjamin—Joseph’s only maternal

brother—from the plot he set up for him. Once he saw their devotion toward Benjamin, Joseph finally revealed his identity to his

astonished siblings.
Following this heartfelt reunion, Jacob and his family settled in the Goshen section of Egypt. This series of events served as the

backdrop for Israel’s ultimate enslavement in Egypt and the subsequent Exodus.

Joseph’s Family

After appointing Joseph as viceroy, Pharaoh gave him as a wife Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Midrashic sources

identify Potiphera as none other than Potiphar, Joseph’s previous master.

Joseph and Asenath had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, both born during the seven years of plenty. Before Jacob’s death, he gave

Joseph a gift: his children would be the only ones from among Jacob’s grandsons to be treated as independent tribes. 5 Indeed,

throughout the Jews’ journey in the desert, the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim received equal status to the other tribes, and they

inherited individual portions of the Land of Israel.

Passing and Burial

Joseph ruled Egypt for a total of eighty years, until his death at the age of 110. Before his passing, he made his brothers promise to

take his coffin along with them when they would eventually leave Egypt for the Promised Land. After his death, he was embalmed

and laid to rest in Egypt. Indeed, when the Jews left Egypt many years later, Moses made sure to locate Joseph’s tomb and carry his

remains to the Land of Israel.

Joseph was subsequently buried in Shechem (known today as Nablus), and his resting place is visited until today.

Behind the Name

Joseph was born to Rachel after many years of infertility. She named her son Joseph, Yosef in Hebrew, which means “increase,”

expressing her wish that G-d grant her an additional son. (Her prayers were indeed fulfilled, as she later begot Benjamin.)

Additionally, Yosef is similar to asaf, to “bring in” and “conceal,” for with his birth, Rachel’s shame in being childless was obscured.

In one place in scripture, Joseph’s name appears with an added letter, spelling Yehosef. He merited the additional letter hei, which

together with the preceding yud stands for G-d, due to having sanctified G-d’s name when refusing to lie with Potiphar's wife.

Upon his appointment as viceroy, Pharaoh named Joseph Tzafnat Paaneach, meaning “one who clarifies secrets.”

A Lesson in Forgiveness

Joseph’s story highlights the proper attitude toward difficulty and misfortune. Upon discovering Joseph’s identity, his brothers were

sure he would utilize his imperial powers to exact revenge against them for their evil conduct. However, the sentiments expressed by
Joseph were quite the opposite: “But now do not be sad, and let it not trouble you that you sold me here, for it was to preserve life that

G-d sent me before you... You did not send me here, but G-d.”

Joseph recognized that all the travails he had undergone were ordained by G-d to ensure the survival of Egypt and the surrounding

countries. Keeping this in mind enabled him to forgive his brothers and repay animosity with benevolence.

Integrity in Egypt

Scripture states that when Joseph’s brothers first stood before him in Egypt, “Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not

recognize him.” The commentators explain that when Joseph left his brothers he had not yet grown a beard, and that is why they did

not recognize their now-bearded brother.

There is a deeper meaning to this passage. In the eyes of Joseph’s brothers, involvement in material pursuits could not be reconciled

with achieving spiritual heights, which they felt could only be attained through withdrawal from society. They could not imagine their

brother as remaining righteous in a land as corrupt as Egypt. Joseph, however, demonstrated the ability to retain his integrity despite

being in a leadership position.

1. Where did the name “Joseph” come from?

2. Whose dream did Joseph interpret?
3. What was the meaning of the dream?
4. The name of Joseph’s parents.
5. After he interpreted the dream, what were his rewards?
6. How old was Joseph when he died?
7. Who bought Joseph when he was being sold into slavery?
8. Why he was sold into slavery?
9. Who tempted Joseph to do immoral acts?
10. What were the results after he was tempted?

THE STORY OF RUTH

Ruth was a Moabite princess of very fine character, who became the great-grandmother of King David. She was dissatisfied with

the idol-worship of her own people, and when the opportunity arose, she gladly gave up the privileges of royalty in her land and

accepted a life of poverty among people she admired.

Here is how it all came about:

It was in the days when the Judges ruled in Israel. The children of Israel had become lax in their observances of the Torah, and had

called G-d’s punishment down upon themselves. A great famine reigned in the Land of Israel.
There was a certain man in Judah named Elimelech. He was a wealthy merchant who was not used to hunger and poverty, and so he

thought he could escape from the misery by moving elsewhere. He therefore took his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, and went to

live in Moab.

Ruth became friendly with this Jewish family. She learned to admire their laws and customs. The dissatisfaction which she had

already felt at the meaningless idol-worship of her own people now turned to positive objection. And so, when one of the sons asked

her to marry him, she was happy and proud to accept. She did not feel any pangs of regret at what she was giving up: her life of luxury

at the palace, her royal title, her prospects of wealth and honor in the future. All she saw was the selfishness and mercilessness of her

own people, and the difference of the Jews to whom she now had attached herself.

Elimelech and his two sons died, and Naomi was left, a poor widow, not knowing what to do or whither to turn. She therefore said to

Ruth and to her other daughter-in-law, Orpah (also a Moabite):

“My daughters, I must go away, and I have decided to return to my hometown, to Beth-Lechem. Things cannot be too good there, and

there is no reason why you should suffer too. Take my advice, therefore, and go back to your parents’ homes. Your husbands are dead,

and perhaps if you remain in your own country, you may find other men to marry you. I have lost my sons forever, but you are young;

you can get other husbands.”

Orpah looked sad, kissed her mother-in-law, and bade her goodbye. But Ruth clung tearfully to Naomi and begged her to allow her to

go with her. With these touching words she implored her, saying:

“Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will

lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy G-d my G-d; where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried; the L-rd do so to me,

and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.”

Ruth knew full well what she was doing. Naomi had reminded her of the difficulties which confronted the Jew at all times, yet Ruth

was adamant in her determination to follow her mother-in-law, and to cling to the faith of her adoption, which had become so dear to

her.

The future was to prove that Ruth would be justly rewarded for her high resolve; but even in her poverty, Ruth had no regrets.

It was harvest time as Ruth and Naomi came to the land of Judah. They were both worn out from their journey, and Ruth prevailed

upon Naomi to rest, while she herself would go out into the fields of Beth-Lechem and see what she could find to sustain them from

hunger.
Ruth entered a field where many men were busy cutting barley, others were binding it into sheaves, while others were piling them

onto wagons and carting them away.

A little hesitatingly, but spurred on by her hunger and by the thought that she must get something for her dear mother-in-law, Ruth

went into the field and sat down for a while to rest and to see what luck she might have here.

Suddenly she was startled to hear a voice saying to her, kindly and gently: “G-d be with you, stranger! Come along into the field. Do

not be bashful. Gather some ears of corn, and satisfy your hunger!”

It was Boaz himself, the owner of the field, who thus addressed Ruth.

Ruth thanked him and plucked some ears of grain. She then was going to depart, when the same kind voice urged her to stay awhile

and gather pe’ah.

“What is pe’ah?” asked Ruth.

“Our Torah tells us that when the owner of a field has his grain cut, he is not to cut the corners of the field, but to leave them for the

poor, the needy and the stranger to come and reap for themselves,” answered Boaz.

“How wonderful!” exclaimed Ruth. And so she stayed and cut the corn from a corner of the field, and was then again about to go

away.

“You do not need to go yet,” urged Boaz. “Why not stay and benefit from leket (gleanings)?”

“What does leket mean?” again asked Ruth.

“According to our law, if a reaper misses some grain with his scythe, or drops some, he is not allowed to go back to gather that grain,

and this must be left for the poor and the stranger,” explained Boaz patiently to Ruth. He was finding her more and more attractive,

and thought he had never seen such a noble-looking lady.

Ruth said nothing, but saw no reason for refusing to take advantage of the laws of the Torah, which she herself had so gladly

embraced.

When she gathered a whole basketful, she went up to Boaz, thanked him very sincerely for his kindness, and got ready to depart.

“There is no need for you to go yet,” coaxed Boaz. “There is still shikchah (forgotten sheaves) which you can take.”

“The Torah is indeed limitless in its care of the less fortunate ones,” said Ruth. “Now please tell me, what is shikchah?”
“When the owner of a field is taking his load of grain to his granaries, it is possible that he may have forgotten some sheaves in the

field. Well the Torah forbids him to go back and get them; he must leave these forgotten sheaves for the poor, the widow, the orphan

and the stranger.”

Ruth was so happy with her good fortune. She had gathered almost more than she could carry. She and Naomi were now well

provided for some time. She again thanked Boaz, who made her promise to come again. In the meantime Boaz had made enquiries

about the attractive stranger who had captured his heart, and he discovered that she was the widowed daughter-in-law of Naomi.

Ruth was full of excitement as she hastened to her mother-in-law and related all that had happened to her in the fields of Boaz. Naomi

was happy that Ruth had been so successful and had found favor in the eyes of Boaz, the wealthy landowner. And so, when Boaz

asked her to marry him, Naomi urged her to do so.

Now Ruth was unexpectedly rewarded with wealth and happiness. She and Boaz were blessed with children who became famous in

history. She lived long enough to see her great-grandson David, who became the L-rd’s anointed and beloved king of all the Jewish

people.

For Ruth and Boaz had a son named Obed, who became the father of Jesse. And David, as you know, was the youngest son of Jesse.

1. Who was the first husband of Ruth?

2. Who was her second husband?

3. Ruth was a princess of ________________.

4. She was the woman who gave up her privileges of royalty and accepted the life of poverty with the people she admired.

5. Ruth’s in-laws.

6. Where did Ruth and Naomi go after they left the land of Moab?

7. Who was the wife of Elimelech?

8. He was a wealthy merchant who was not used to hunger and poverty.

9. Who was the son of Ruth and eventually became the father of king David?

10. The kingdom that was ruled by Ruth’s grandson.

THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

Matthew 25:14-30

14  ¶For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his
goods.
15  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and
straightway took his journey.

16  Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

17  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

18  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

19  After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

20  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents:
behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler
over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

22  He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other
talents beside them.

23  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not
sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

25  And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

26  His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather
where I have not strawed:

27  Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with
usury.

28  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that
which he hath.

30  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

WEEK 5