Week 2 Reading Overview

I have decided to do the public domain edition of the Ramayana. The main contributing factor was the ease of access to the stories, as this edition is free. However, I also like the idea of hearing stories from various authors. Hearing stories from various authors will introduce more writing styles, which I like. I will also get more graphics, which I will enjoy.

The first comic book I read over was titled "Dasharatha: The Story of Rama's Father". I chose this comic book because hunting interests me, both in sports aspects and the effects of hunting as a conservational measure for certain species. After reading through the reading guide, the story really fascinated me. I found it interesting that the Dasharatha was cursed and the curse didn't appear again until the end of the story.

I've chosen to include this image from Professor Gibbs's blog
 as it depicts Dasharatha's sacrifice to get a son, which is mentioned
 in the previous comic. I found this story interesting and wanted
to find a picture to help me better visualize the sacrifice.

The second comic book I read over was titled "Hanuman to the Rescue". I chose this story as I am interested in geology and wanted to find out why and how Hanuman carried a mountain according to Indian mythology. The story ended up being interesting, but not related to geology. However, I would be more interested in learning more about stories like this.

The first video I listened to was titled "Ancient Technology - Atlantas and India". I initially chose this video because I, as an engineer, am very interested in all things technology. Technology constantly changes and is a major factor in many world events. I take a special interest in structural engineering and wartime technologies of ancient civilizations. For example, the Romans had concrete mixes so advanced that the technology was not rediscovered for hundreds of years. The video discussed technologies that the stories in the Indian Epics may be alluding to; these technologies included flight, weaponry, genetic research, and more.

The second video I listened to was titled "Ganga - The Goddess and the River". I chose this video because I am very fascinated by nature, especially waterways. Civilization is always focused around waterways, waterways are hubs for recreation, and waterways create scenic landscapes. Not only that, but waterways have massive amounts of power and shape the land. Water classes are some of the most interesting classes I have taken at OU. The video explains how the Ganga River (better known as the Ganges River) was created according to Indian mythology.