Ramayana - Lesson 8
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Last updated 11 months ago
6 questions
Note from the author:
from “Undying Demon”
from Ramayana: Divine Loophole
by Sanjay Patel
[I]nstead of dying, the demon simply grew more heads. Rama began to panic, shooting off several more heads, but they all quickly grew back. Hanuman did his best to dodge Ravana’s attacks while the blue prince gathered himself. Over the demon’s fiendish (1) laughter, Rama heard the voice of Agastya, the sage (2) he had encountered in the forest. The sage spoke in the prince’s mind and reminded Rama that Ravana’s heads could never be defeated, for they were an extension of his ego (3), which had no limits. Ravana had but one weakness, his belly button, which held the nectar (4) of his power. Agastya suggested the prince quickly take aim at this vulnerable spot, for the demon grew stronger as each new head regenerated.
Rama summoned up the brahmastra (5) once again and charged the arrow with its power. The prince took careful aim and waited for the moment the demon was aligned with the sun before releasing the blazing missile. The arrow of light burned through the sky until it found its mark, striking Ravana directly in the belly button.
1 fiendish: Evil
2 sage: Wise person
3 ego: Belief in one’s own importance
4 nectar: The food or drink of a god
5 brahmastra: A magic weapon, used to shoot a powerful arrow
Patel, Sanjay. Ramayana: Divine Loophole. Chronicle Books, 2010, pp. 110–112
from “Undying Demon”
from Ramayana: Divine Loophole
by Sanjay Patel
[I]nstead of dying, the demon simply grew more heads. Rama began to panic, shooting off several more heads, but they all quickly grew back. Hanuman did his best to dodge Ravana’s attacks while the blue prince gathered himself. Over the demon’s fiendish (1) laughter, Rama heard the voice of Agastya, the sage (2) he had encountered in the forest. The sage spoke in the prince’s mind and reminded Rama that Ravana’s heads could never be defeated, for they were an extension of his ego (3), which had no limits. Ravana had but one weakness, his belly button, which held the nectar (4) of his power. Agastya suggested the prince quickly take aim at this vulnerable spot, for the demon grew stronger as each new head regenerated.
Rama summoned up the brahmastra (5) once again and charged the arrow with its power. The prince took careful aim and waited for the moment the demon was aligned with the sun before releasing the blazing missile. The arrow of light burned through the sky until it found its mark, striking Ravana directly in the belly button.
1 fiendish: Evil
2 sage: Wise person
3 ego: Belief in one’s own importance
4 nectar: The food or drink of a god
5 brahmastra: A magic weapon, used to shoot a powerful arrow
Patel, Sanjay. Ramayana: Divine Loophole. Chronicle Books, 2010, pp. 110–112
1
Read this sentence from the passage.
“Agastya suggested the prince quickly take aim at this vulnerable spot, for the demon grew stronger as each new head regenerated.”
What does regenerated mean in this context?
Read this sentence from the passage.
“Agastya suggested the prince quickly take aim at this vulnerable spot, for the demon grew stronger as each new head regenerated.”
What does regenerated mean in this context?
1
Which character panicked and acted thoughtlessly?
Which character panicked and acted thoughtlessly?
1
Which character spoke to Rama and gave advice?
Which character spoke to Rama and gave advice?
1
Which character avoided attacks and hoped for a solution?
Which character avoided attacks and hoped for a solution?
1
Which character laughed and attacked the warriors?
Which character laughed and attacked the warriors?
1
How do Rama’s actions change by the end of the passage?
How do Rama’s actions change by the end of the passage?