Part D of The Ramayana begins with a storyline that once again
brings me back to the parallels between this Indian epic and the Bible. The Bridge reads “The earth and the sea were immediately convulsed, and darkness
covered the heavens; lightning flashed and thunder bellowed aloud; the
mountains began to break in pieces.” This scene is so powerful due to the
intense imagery provided by the author – this in depth description is so
beneficial to the reader. Next, an incredible bridge is built to allow the
armies to cross the ocean. This story is so similar to that of Moses’ parting
of the red sea. In both of these stories, it is the divine as well as the trust in the
divine, which enables the miracles.
Crossing of the Red Sea. Source: DeviantArt
I thought that the introduction of the “magic
herb” in Indrajit was sort of abrupt in that nothing like it had been present
in the Ramayana up to this point, at least that I had noticed. It is again mentioned in Hanuman and the Mountain as the "four medicinal herbs.". For this reason,
I would like to follow the given links to research the Milky Ocean as well as
the Wind-God in order to find out the role that such herbs play in Indian
culture and Indian literature. The idea of Kumbhakarna being summoned to sleep
for six month period and being allotted only one day to awake and feast reminds me of the sleeping giant character in fairytales – what a curse! I wish that his humorous character
had lasted longer.
