Starting with the Drabbles round ...
Thank you, Orchid2, dat_INFJ, authorsaahiba, FlauntPessimism, SilverBell, KrishnaSourav, and Minionite, for voting for my entry, Drabble #2. I never expected so many votes for a story that contrasts Rāma's awareness of impermanence with his followers' ambition to mark his janmabhūmi with a monument. What was this story's appeal for you?
Drabble #2
"Lakṣmaṇa, you built this hut?" Śatrughna marvelled. "Convince Rāma to come back to Ayodhyā. We can renovate the palace!"
"Why?" Lakṣmaṇa asked. "Heroes don't cling to their janmabhūmi; they seek glory everywhere. This hut in Citrakūṭa protects honest ṛṣis' dharma from Rākṣasas better than any selfish ornamental palace in Ayodhyā."
Sumitrā spoke up. "I advised Lakṣmaṇa to seek Ayodhyā in the wilderness."
"Rivers meander. Raise your hut on a platform before Mandākinī floods it," Śatrughna suggested.
Bharata morosely repeated Rāma's words: "Every high-rise must collapse."
"We'll leave huts behind wherever we go, these fourteen years," Rāma decided. "Maybe bridges too."
Canon for Drabble #2:
Ayodhyākāṇḍa 35.8
रामं दशरथं विद्धि मां विद्धि जनकात्मजाम् ।
अयोध्याम् अटवीं विद्धि गच्छ तात यथासुखम् ।।
Rāmaṃ Daśarathaṃ viddhi māṃ viddhi Janak'ātmajām
Ayodhyām aṭavīṃ viddhi gaccha tāta yathā-sukham
Ayodhyākāṇḍa 98.16
सर्वे क्षयान्ता निचयाः पतनान्ताः समुच्छ्रयाः ।
संयोगा विप्रयोगान्ता मरणान्तं च जीवितम् ।।
sarve kṣay'āntā nicayāḥ patan'āntāḥ samucchrayāḥ
saṃyogā viprayog'āntā maraṇ'āntaṃ ca jīvitam
Thank you, Chemcart_MJ, firewings_diya, authorsaahiba, NINALOGY, and sumaishu, for voting for my entry, Drabble #7. Why do you think Rāma told Bharata that Daśaratha had promised rājya-śulka when he married Kaikeyī?
Drabble #7.
"Rāma says, when Daśaratha married me, he promised Aśvapati the kingdom!" Kaikeyī exclaimed. "If I had known I didn't need to banish Rāma ..."
"You are too trusting!" Mantharā interrupted. "If Ayodhyā already belonged to Bharata, would Daśaratha not tell you when he begged you: Bharata will rule; let Rāma stay? Honest Daśaratha died of grief, and now who will call Rāma a liar?"
"Why would Rāma lie?" Kaikeyī demanded. "Only to convince Bharata to accept the kingdom without guilt."
"No, to make you imagine you wasted two boons," Mantharā guessed.
"Would relinquishing Bharata's kingdom have made me popular?" Kaikeyī wondered.
Canon for Drabble #7:
Ayodhyākāṇḍa 8.13-16
भविता राघवो राजा राघवस्य च यः सुतः ।
राजवंशात् तु भरतः कैकेयि परिहास्यते ।।
bhavitā Rāghavo rājā Rāghavasya ca yaḥ sutaḥ
rāja-vaṃśāt tu Bharataḥ Kaikeyi parihāsyate
न हि राज्ञः सुताः सर्वे राज्ये तिष्ठन्ति भामिनि ।
स्थाप्यमानेषु सर्वेषु सुमहान् अनयो भवेत् ।।
na hi rājñaḥ sutāḥ sarve rājye tiṣṭhanti bhāmini
sthāpyamāneṣu sarveṣu sumahān anayo bhavet
तस्माज् ज्येष्ठे हि कैकेयि राज्यतन्त्राणि पार्थिवाः ।
स्थापयन्त्य् अनवद्याङ्गि गुणवत्स्व् इतरेष्व् अपि ।।
tasmāj jyeṣṭhe hi Kaikeyi rājya-tantrāṇi pārthivāḥ
sthāpayanty anavady’āṅgi guṇavatsv itareṣv api
असाव् अत्यन्तनिर्भग्नस् तव पुत्रो भविष्यति ।
अनाथवत् सुखेभ्यश् च राजवंशाच् च वत्सले ।।
asāv atyanta-nirbhagnas tava putro bhaviṣyati
anāthavat sukhebhyaś ca rāja-vaṃśāc ca vatsale
Ayodhyākāṇḍa 99.3-7
पुरा भ्रातः पिता नः स मातरं ते समुद्वहन् ।
मातामहे समाश्रौषीद् राज्यशुल्कम् अनुत्तमम् ।।
purā bhrātaḥ pitā naḥ sa mātaraṃ te samudvahan
mātāmahe samāśrauṣīd rājya-śulkam anuttamam
देवासुरे च संग्रामे जनन्यै तव पार्थिवः ।
संप्रहृष्टो ददौ राजा वरम् आराधितः प्रभुः ।।
Dev’Āsure ca saṃgrāme jananyai tava pārthivaḥ
saṃprahṛṣṭo dadau rājā varam ārādhitaḥ prabhuḥ
ततः सा संप्रतिश्राव्य तव माता यशस्विनी ।
अयाचत नरश्रेष्ठं द्वौ वरौ वरवर्णिनी ।।
tataḥ sā saṃpratiśrāvya tava mātā yaśasvinī
ayācata nara-śreṣṭhaṃ dvau varau vara-varṇinī
तव राज्यं नरव्याघ्र मम प्रव्राजनं तथा ।
तच् च राजा तथा तस्यै नियुक्तः प्रददौ वरम् ।।
tava rājyaṃ nara-vyāghra mama pravrājanaṃ tathā
tac ca rājā tathā tasyai niyuktaḥ pradadau varam
तेन पित्राहम् अप्य् अत्र नियुक्तः पुरुषर्षभ ।
चतुर्दश वने वासं वर्षाणि वरदानिकम् ।।
tena pitrā’ham apy atra niyuktaḥ puruṣa-rṣabha
caturdaśa vane vāsaṃ varṣāṇi vara-dānikam
Thank you, Chemcart_MJ, NINALOGY, and sumaishu, for voting for my entry, Drabble #15. It is based on a canonical verse in which the second occurrence of "parājitya" would androcentrically be assumed to refer to Takṣaka, but I decided that it refers to Takṣaka's wife. Was that the right choice?
Drabble #15.
"I'll incinerate Rāvaṇa with one bite!" Takṣaka fumed.
"Rāvaṇa is immune to Nāgas. Harmless biting will embarrass us," Vāsuki hissed. "We must surrender, or he'll devastate Bhogavatī."
"Leave Rasātala," Sphuṭā told Takṣaka. "Let me handle Rāvaṇa."
"He'll want you for himself. I love you," Takṣaka argued.
"I'm a dṛgviṣā; my glance is poisonous," Sphuṭā reminded him. "I'll keep Rāvaṇa oblivious while the human enemy who can kill him grows stronger."
Takṣaka left. Vāsuki surrendered. When Rāvaṇa barged inside, he found curvaceous Sphuṭā.
"Be mine," Rāvaṇa proposed.
"I'm Takṣaka's wife." Sphuṭā breathed fire.
Rāvaṇa laughed, pushing through the inferno. "Mine now."
Canon for Drabble #15:
Araṇyakāṇḍa 30.13
पुरीं भोगवतीं गत्वा पराजित्य च वासुकिम् ।
तक्षकस्य प्रियां भार्यां पराजित्य जहार यः ।।
purīṃ Bhogavatīṃ gatvā parājitya ca Vāsukim
Takṣakasya priyāṃ bhāryāṃ parājitya jahāra yaḥ
In each of my entries, I tried to tell a familiar story from an unexpected perspective. My least popular entry (other than Drabble #10 that got censored), Drabble #18 was no exception. Thanks to the judges for choosing it.
Drabble #18.
"Huge monkey coming! Camouflage yourselves!" Viśalyakaraṇī whispered to her friends through their mycorrhizal network.
"Shame on you!" Saṃdhānī whispered back. "You want moribund heroes to succumb? Healing is our dharma."
Sauvarṇakaraṇī and Varṇaprasādanī trembled. "When he rips out your roots to identify you, you'll understand how stupidly destructive monkeys are."
Māṃsavivardhanī drooped despairingly. "Remember poor Madhuvana!"
"His father breathes prāṇa into dead bodies for you, Mṛtasaṃjīvanī. Ask your friend Śvasana to decide," Vraṇasaṃrohaṇī suggested.
Mṛtasaṃjīvanī listened to the Wind's chuckle and relayed it. Reaching consensus, the magical herbs disappeared, ensuring that Hanumat would transport them intact, embedded in their mountain.
Canon for Drabble #18:
Yuddhakāṇḍa 40.30
हरयस् तु विजानन्ति पार्वती ते महौषधी ।
संजीवकरणीं दिव्यां विशल्यां देवनिर्मिताम् ।।
harayas tu vijānanti pārvatī te mah'auṣadhī
saṃjīva-karaṇīṃ divyāṃ viśalyāṃ deva-nirmitām
Yuddhakāṇḍa 61.32-33
तस्य वानरशार्दूल चतस्रो मूर्ध्निसंभवाः ।
द्रक्ष्यस्य् ओषधयो दीप्ता दीपयन्त्यो दिशो दश ।।
tasya vānara-śārdūla catasro mūrdhni-saṃbhavāḥ
drakṣyasy oṣadhayo dīptā dīpayantyo diśo daśa
मृतसंजीवनीं चैव विशल्यकरणीम् अपि ।
सौवर्णकरणीं चैव संधानीं च महौषधीम् ।।
mṛta-saṃjīvanīṃ c'aiva viśalya-karaṇīm api
sauvarṇa-karaṇīṃ c'aiva saṃdhānīṃ ca mah'auṣadhīm
Yuddhakāṇḍa 61.58
महौषध्यस् तु ताः सर्वास् तस्मिन् पर्वतसत्तमे ।
विज्ञायार्थिनम् आयान्तं ततो जग्मुर् अदर्शनम् ।।
mah'auṣadhyas tu tāḥ sarvās tasmin parvata-sattame
vijñāy'ārthinam āyāntaṃ tato jagmur adarśanam
Yuddhakāṇḍa 89.15-16
दक्षिणे शिखरे तस्य जाताम् ओषधिम् आनय ।
विशल्यकरणीं नाम विशल्यकरणीं शुभाम् ।।
dakṣiṇe śikhare tasya jātām oṣadhim ānaya
Viśalya-karaṇīṃ nāma viśalya-karaṇīṃ śubhām
सौवर्णकरणीं चापि तथा संजीवनीम् अपि ।
संधानकरणीं चापि गत्वा शीघ्रम् इहानय ।
संजीवनार्थं वीरस्य लक्ष्मणस्य महात्मनः ।।
sauvarṇa-karaṇīṃ c'āpi tathā saṃjīvanīm api
saṃdhāna-karaṇīṃ c'āpi gatvā śīghram ih'ānaya
saṃjīvan'ārthaṃ vīrasya Lakṣmaṇasya mah'ātmanaḥ
Thank you, DreamOfEndless, for voting for my entry, Drabble #21. What did you like about it?
Drabble #6.
"You're only seventeen?" Sītā frowned.
"Says who?" Rāma demanded.
"Āryā Kausalyā. Don't tell me she wouldn't know. She gave birth to you!"
"I never contradicted her."
"When I asked your age, you told me ..."
"Gods appear twenty-five years old forever!"
"Like a God, you tricked me!"
"Seventeen or twenty-five, why do you care?"
"Because ... I'm ... eighteen!"
"Are you sure? You were born underground, possibly in Kṛtayuga!"
"And yesterday you dropped from the sky!"
"Isn't our Land older than her husband, the King, Viṣṇu incarnate? Why not you and I?"
"You said twenty-five. For me, that's your truth. Never mind mine."
Canon for Drabble #6:
Ayodhyākāṇḍa 17.26
दश सप्त च वर्षाणि तव जातस्य राघव ।
अतीतानि प्रकाङ्क्षन्त्या मया दुःखपरिक्षयम् ।।
daśa sapta ca varṣāṇi tava jātasya Rāghava
atītāni prakāṅkṣantyā mayā duḥkha-parikṣayam
Araṇyakāṇḍa 4.13-14
उरोदेशेषु सर्वेषां हारा ज्वलनसंनिभाः ।
रूपं बिभ्रति सौमित्रे पञ्चविंशतिवार्षिकम् ।।
uro-deśeṣu sarveṣāṃ hārā jvalana-saṃnibhāḥ
rūpaṃ bibhrati Saumitre pañcaviṃśati-vārṣikam
एतद् धि किल देवानां वयो भवति नित्यदा ।
यथेमे पुरुषव्याघ्रा दृश्यन्ते प्रियदर्शनाः ।।
etad dhi kila devānāṃ vayo bhavati nityadā
yathe'me puruṣa-vyāghrā dṛśyante priya-darśanāḥ
Araṇyakāṇḍa 45.10
मम भर्ता महातेजा वयसा पञ्चविंशकः ।
mama bhartā mahā-tejā vayasā pañcaviṃśakaḥ
Some manuscripts add:
अष्टादश हि वर्षाणि मम जन्मनि गण्यते ।।
aṣṭādaśa hi varṣāṇi mama janmani gaṇyate
Drabble #8
The beauty of the evenings at Panchavati always uplifted Mata Sita’s mood. The birds, squirrels, deer and Jatayu always ensured that their Mata was never alone. One evening, Sita asked Jatayu, “Tell me, how beautiful does the Panchavati look, when seen from above?” Immediately, the giant-bird made her sit on its back, took her high above the clouds. They kept flying over rivers, hills, forests. Sita’s eyes were gleaming with happiness. On descending, Jatayu promised that next time it would take her to flight above the oceans. Next time, Sita flew across the oceans, but that flight was an unforgettable-nightmare.
Out of my five votes, Drabble #13 was my favourite for its vivid characterization.
Drabble #13
"Prabhu, you should've seen me. I was not even flying, I just took one big jump. The feeling was amazing"
Ram smiled, adoring his best friend/soul brother who's jumping from one tree to another trying to describe his whole journey in one breath.
He shook his head and chuckled seeing Lakshman looking at Hanuman with a big sad pout, clearly feeling bad for not witnessing his best friend in his full Glory.
His eyes turned mist, his soulmate, his better half is not here to witness their extended family's beautiful moments.
"Soon" , he promised himself.
The clever double meaning of Drabble #14 got my vote.
Drabble #14
Ram and Lakshman in the gardens of Janakpuri Mithila. Lakshman looked at the reflection of Sita and Urmila in the pond. “Brother, look at these beautiful lotuses. Don't they possess a charm that exceeds the heaven-dwellers?”
Ram, looking at the actual lotuses. “They are absolutely exquisite. May we pluck them and offer them to the almighty Shiva?”
“I don't think, the royal flowers…” Lakshman thought out loud, “But even if we smell a flower or two, it's not like Janakraj would fight us. At most he would challenge us for a Shastrartha.”
“For plucking flowers?”
I voted for the unique perspective and depth of feeling in Drabble #32 by oh_nakhrewaali.
Drabble #32
The dry soil around her broke Queen Sunaina's heart. Her people were facing the wrath of God Indra for no fault of theirs, and the queen knew she had to fix it. She had to be a mother, even though the Gods had denied her that blessing, but she knew she had to be a mother to the people of Mithila. When King Janak hit the ground with the spade, the echoes of a baby's cry filled the city of Mithila, and with that, the Gods finally blessed the city and its mother.
Edited by BrhannadaArmour - 28 days ago
Behavior Caution
Please refrain from giving any negative comments on other people's work. We conducted this contest so that everyone would enjoy the process. We have removed references where other entries were criticized.
, and once again a huge thanks to everyone who participated in this writing contest! 
comment:
p_commentcount