Week 3 Story: Sita's Birth
King Janaka loved treasure. He had many servants and ordered them to go to the Laksh Cave. It is said that that cave was a labyrinth that held a multitude of priceless treasures. The servants traveled to the cave to bring back the treasure for King Janaka. They reached the cave and found that there was a rock guardian blocking the entrance. The guardian said, "Only those who are faithful to the King may pass, otherwise, you will turn into a puddle and become one with the earth. Only half of the king's servants passed as they knew they were faithful, so they pursued on.
The labyrinth was a very elaborate and intricate place. After multiple attempts of maneuvering through the maze, the servants found themselves that the center of the labyrinth. On the floor were mounds of gold coins, jewels, and priceless artifacts; however, at the center was a pillar, and upon it stood a doll. The doll was made of fine silk and cloth. While the other servants were gathering the gold coins, jewels, and artifacts, a servant name Rishi picked up the doll believing it had significant value to it. The servants and Rishi gathered everything for King Janaka and started their journey back to the palace.
As soon as they arrived, the servants, one by one, began gifting the King the treasures that they found in Laksh's Cave. Next, it was Rishi's turn to present the treasure he had found. Rishi showed King Janaka the doll he found. King Janaka said, "What is this that you have brought me? Show it to me." As soon as the doll touched King Janaka's skin, it turned into a tiny, beautiful baby girl. "Oh my! The gods have blessed me with a daughter," Janaka exclaimed, "I will proudly accept her as my daughter and name her Sita." And that is the story of how Sita was born.
Author's Note: I really liked the multiple versions of Sita being born, so for the plot, I tried to come up with something entirely new. I incorporated the labyrinth from Greek mythology into this story because I thought it would be exciting to mix two mythologies together. I changed the setting from Sita being found in a farmer's field to her being a doll in the labyrinth who later comes alive in King Janaka's palace. The characters are relatively the same. I also wanted Sita to be portrayed as a priceless treasure because in this story King Janaka loves treasure.
Bibliography: Tiny Tales from the Ramayana, Laura Gibbs
I liked this version of Sita's birth, because it feels somewhat like an adventure story. The addition of the labyrinth adds somewhat of a mystery and the inclusion of the trial in which only those loyal to the king could pass was a really fun inclusion. It reminds me somewhat of a treasure hunting movie/story where the protagonist has to do some trials in order to get the treasure.
ReplyDeleteHi Krishna!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your twist of Sita's birth. For some reason I really got Maze Runner vibes and I really enjoyed that movie, so this was very interesting to me. I also really like how you mixed Greek and Indian mythology. I find that to be a cool way to incorporate both, but sometimes it can get a little confusing so be careful with that. Overall, great job!