#Indian Epic

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Ramayama- the Indian epic some of you know. But did you know of the Ramakien?

It's the Thai national epic which is their version of the Ramayama. It was Thai King Rama VI who traced back the inspirations of the Ramakien to:

Ramayana, the Vishnu Purana, and Hanuman Nataka but how did an Indian epic come to be shaped into a Thai national epic as well?

Simply put? Buddhism.

The more complicated answer? Buddhism but through missionaries after a long history of Indianized states already made it easy to spread parts of Indian culture, stories/myths, and obviously Buddhism.

What is an Indianized state? Well, some were parts of the Indochinese peninsula known as Funan (Phu Nam - Vietnam), Champa, and more (seriously, a lot more).

TLDR, Southeast and Western Asian lands that had heavy Indian influences and or rulers at one time.

Why/how? Well, interestingly, there are Chinese books that have myths/stories of this. The Book of Liang is the most popular source, and some of its stories are reiterated in Indian and Southeast Asian folkore/stories.

They are very beautiful and cool stories but the reality as argued by historians?

Likely Indian merchants seeking wider wealth (migrating through/over the Oceanic silk road routes) into parts of South East Asia who eventually shared stories/treatises and more of Indian political statecraft, eventually leading some merchants into positions of power, rulers marrying across countries to gain/strengthen power, so on. Eventually, voila. Indianized parts of the nearby world bearing Sanskrit inscriptions, Vedic/Hindu statues, and more.

A DNA sample taken from Funan from this time period shows an individual a lot of South Asian DNA admixture approximating 50 percent. The site is what is today known as Cambodia. Note: the sample dates to that time as when the individual lived, not that the sample was collected then. Now, this tradition continued of course over time. Asia was pretty well interconnected.

India and China have a rich tradition (documented) of trade of all sorts including, political craft/statecraft, ruling, censuses, well-being of people, religion/culture, philosophy, arts, and more.

So, dialed up over time, this same Indianization is what's influenced (in part, not wholly) Thailand (as it has a great deal of Chinese influence) as well. But for the purposes of the Ramakien, in the logical sense, this is likely what happened to bring the story of Ramayama, the Buddhist as well as Vedic cultural traditions found there or what evolved from them, such as the worship and reverence of/for Hanuman including him being involved in Muay Thai (note, not credited with/creating it) but he is often depicted in imagery, has a technique named after him, and regarded by many as the ultimate Thai boxer (within the culture) for the traits of the sport he embodies.

Now full circle back to Ramakien. There are some central differences, obviously given that it's more rooted in Buddhism and its tenants than the Vedic epics focused on Dharma (cosmic order/duty) vs. a Buddhist lens of living. Some of the characters are similar (not the same) and serve similar roles with name and slight changes, of course. Not to mention the history and traditions of the Jatka tales spread by Buddhism into the area over time evolved as performed by locals on stage and other venues to be more Thai, feature Thai topography and landmarks and takes.

And this is a light history on the Ramakien's coming to being and some of why there are 300 (yes 300) versions of Ramayama in the world. And, how Indianization happened in parts of the world and its effects. Which all circles back to how stories are traded, evolve and are coopted, adapted, shaped to serve/entertain the cultures they are presented/ended up in.

[shahabart]

An Epic Tale

These are some illustrations for a traditional indian tale.

[theomenmedia]

Vicky Kaushal Turns Into Revered Indian Diety Parshurama For Stree 2 Director's Next

Dive into the divine! Vicky Kaushal transforms into the legendary Parashurama. Witness the myth come to life!

[compassionmattersmost]

Ramayana No. 16: The Birth of Creation: How Compassion and Sorrow Sparked the First Verse of the Ramayana

Inspired by Chapter 1.2 of the DeBroy Translation of the Ramayana We often think of creativity as a product of inspiration, but the creation of the first verse of the Ramayana reminds us that profound art can also emerge from sorrow and compassion. In this ancient tale, the sage Valmiki witnesses a cruel act—the senseless killing of a bird—and from his grief, he unintentionally composes a verse…

[thisisbjoeblog]

Religion 101: Mahabharata Part 4 - Modern Findings & Evidences

The Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as the Gita is a central text of Hindu philosophy and a part of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It is presented as a dialogue between the prince Arjuna and the god Krishna, who serves as his charioteer. This dialogue occurs on the battlefield just before the start of a great war, where Arjuna is in a moral crisis about the violence and death the war will cause.…

[bleh1bleh2]

Doodles and such

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Round One: Epic Animals

Wild Boar vs Indian Gray Mongoose

Arena: Deciduous forest

Remember, it's not a popularity contest- it's a fight to the death!

[h0bg0blin-meat]

Indians in the Greek epic Dionysiaca

1. Astraëis/Aristaeis: Led the first Indian contingent against Dionysos.

2. Cyllaros: Brother of Astraëis

3. Brongos: Father of Astraëis and Cyllaros, and honored by Deriades.

4. Hydaspes: Son of Thaumas and Elektra/Okeanos and Tethys, and (possibly twin) brother of Iris. He had horns for some reason. (River Jhelum)

5. Astris: Lover of Hydaspes, daughter of Helios and Ceto (a Naiad daughter of Okeanos)

6. Ganges: Son of Okeanos and Tethys (River Ganga)

7. Akesines: River Chenub.

8. Deriades: An Indian king, son of Hydaspes, grandson of Phaëthon (apart from Hydaspes' parents). He had horns too, just like his dad.

9. Orontes: Son-in-law of Deriades. After he threw himself into a river, that river came to be known as the Orontes River.

10. Thureus: Led the second Indian contingent against Dionysos.

11. Morrheus Didnasides: Another son-in-law of Deriades, and brother of Orontes.

12. Didnasos: Father of Morrheus and Orontes.

13. Hyssacos: Morrheus's servant.

14. Orsiboe: Deriades' wife.

15. Cheirobie and Protonoë: daughters of Deriades (Cheirobie, possibly the wife of Morrheus and Protonoë the wife of Orontes)

16. Modaeus: New Governor of India after Deriades' death.

17. Eulaios: Possibly a dead king

18. Agraios and Phlogios: Sons of late Eulaios

19. Palthanor: Leader of the tribe Zabioi, who hated Deriades for some reason and hence sided with Dionysos, who, after the war, took him and made him settle in Thebes.

20. Phringos, Aspetos, Danyclos and Hippuros Horsetail: Leading chieftains (along with Morrheus) of the tribe Uatocoitai, or the Ear-Sleepers, who, as the name suggests, slept lying upon their long ears...

21. Tectaphos: A farshooter, held prisoner by Deriades.

22. Eërië: Tectaphos's daughter, who breastfed him coz he was almost about to die of starvation.

23. Habrathoös: Some guy who got mad coz Deriades chopped off his beautiful hair. Joined Deriades' army unwillingly and secretly fought for Dionysos by sending him Deriades' plans at night.

24. Ginglon, Thyraieus, Hippalmos: Some more leaders, idk.

25. Tarbelos: A javelineer.

26. Thyamis and Holcasos: Sons of Tarbelos, who also led the Cyraioi, a seaside tribe.

27. Pyloites and Billaios: Sons of Hippalmos.

28. Rhigbasos: Another leader of a certain group of men.

29. Aretos: Another dude... (worshipped the Greek Gods)

30. Lycos and Myrsos (twins perhaps), Glaucos, Periphas, and Melaneus (the lateborn): Sons of Aretos. They were born mute but Dionysos, possibly after the war, took pity on them and fixed the issue.

31. Laobië: Wife of Aretos.

32. Corymbasos: Another chief of the Indian army.

[heisen-heimer]

Ok hear me out:

A Mahabharat anime would slap so hard

[theomenmedia]

Parallels Between Singham Again And The Hindu Epic Of Ramayana

Dive into the epic saga where Singham meets Ramayana! A modern retelling that promises to redefine action cinema.

Link to the full story: https://www.theomenmedia.com/post/from-cop-to-avatar-how-singham-again-reinvents-the-epic-ramayana-for-the-silver-screen

[incorrectmahabharatquotes]

Brahma: Lol Ravan, are you scared, bitch? Are you planning to kill a poor defenseless woman, you coward?

Ravan: I'm SO MUCH not a coward, that I'll NEVER look for this woman, who has been prophesied to kill me, EVER.

[thisisbjoeblog]

Religion 101: Mahabharata Part 3 - The Brutal & Decisive Kurukshetra War

The Kurukshetra War, central to the Hindu epic Mahabharata, was a colossal battle fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, two factions of a royal family vying for the throne of Hastinapura. The battle took place at Kurukshetra, Haryana, India, just over 100 km north of New Dehli, on the way to Chandigarh. This war also serves as the backdrop for the sacred Bhagavad Gita, where Lord Krishna…

[azul-nova-24]

Just watched Jai Lava Kusa (2017) and oh man, whoever cooked up the idea of having Jr. NTR play three siblings—each one a distinct flavor of drama—clearly had a wild imagination (probably fueled by some fanfiction and other substances). Seriously, the dynamic between these brothers is like watching a soap opera on steroids. You've got Lava, the noble bank manager, who’s all about duty and honor; Kusa, the lovable goof with a heart of gold and is a thief with plans of going to America to steal in dollars ; and Jai, the deranged and black-cat coded villain with a vendetta against his brothers that could fuel an entire series.

The way these three brothers interact is a total trip. Lava and Kusa are the epitome of brotherly love and loyalty, but then enter Jai, who’s not just a black sheep but a full-blown storm cloud of chaos. The sibling rivalry is so intense, it feels like it’s straight out of a high-stakes melodrama, only turned up to a thousand. Watching them navigate their tangled relationships—Lava’s idealism clashing with Jai’s cruelty and Kusa’s innocent charm being caught in the crossfire—is both gripping and a little bit bonkers. The movie plays with this dynamic in such a dramatic and over-the-top way that it feels like a love letter to every epic family feud in cinematic history, with a healthy dose of self-parody.

[justshahrukhkhan]

Raees entry scene

...for scientific purposes only

release anniversary January 25, 2017

[borgiabeacon]

The Endless Epic: Mahābhārata

Heard of Mahābhārata? This ancient Indian epic is about ten times the length of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey combined.

Meaning: it never ends.

Its longest version consists of over 100,000 śloka or over 200,000 individual verse lines (each śloka is a couplet), and long prose passages. At about 1.8 million words in total, the Mahābhārata is about four times the length of the Rāmāyaṇa, compiled as oral and written stories between 3rd century BCE and the 4th century CE.

It is an ultra-marathon of moral conundrums, philosophical dilemmas, and the classic tussle between team good and team evil, all rolled into an astonishing narrative feast.