Portfolio Guide

Viradha: How did he get that curse?
The story about how Prince Roger got his curse.
(Editing complete)


Mew and the Gods
The story about where the Legendary Pokemon Mew came from.
(Editing complete)


The Jewel of Power(Part 1)
The story of how Ashwathama got his Jewel.
(Editing complete)


The Jewel of Power(Part 2)
The story of how Ashwathama got his Jewel.
(Editing complete)

Week 14 Storytelling: The Jewel of Power (Part 3)

Author's Note: This is part three to my story about how Ashwatthaman got the jewel in his head. In part one Ashwatthaman was found unconscious against a tree after being gone for two months with a mysterious stone in his head. He had no memory of anything but after time it came back. In part two Ashwatthaman has all his memories back and tells his father what happened. Basically what happened is he was lured to a mysterious cave and someone or something placed the stone in his head. The purpose of this part three is to highlight some of Ashwatthaman's strange encounters in the cave where he was trapped for two months.

It seems that I have been in this cave forever. I am confident that I have checked every inch of this cave but there is just no way out. There seems to be something special about this stone in my head. The only food I've had since I've been trapped in here is a few bugs that I found scurrying across the floor. Yet for some reason I no longer desire food or water. When I first got trapped in this Hell I worried that I would die after a few days, but here I am alive and well.

If anything I feel as if I am in a dream. Things keep happening to me that logically do not make any sense. In the world I came from and remember, flesh isn't tougher than rocks. But in here, if I trip and fall on a pointy rock my body just crushes it under me. I cannot die. I do not not hunger and do not feel pain. Is this the doing of the man who stuck the stone in my head? Is there some sort of magical property about this stone that turns whoever has it immortal? If not I can't explain anything that has happened to me while stuck in this cave. I don't remember anyone lasting as long as I have without any nourishment. I do not remember anyone whose flesh was stronger than rocks that come up from the ground like swords waiting to pierce an unexpected visitor.

The longer I live in this cave the more I believe I am actually in Hell. I am surrounded by earth on all sides. There is no way out. If it wasn't for the lava pit illuminating the cave I would have already gone insane from the sheer darkness. Each time I wake up I have new thoughts about the lava pit. New terrible thoughts that are corrupting my soul. This morning when I awoke I made my decision that this would be my last day in this here cave. I have been in here far to long. Is this a dream? If it is then I will wake up from this nightmare once I put my plan into effect.

I have made up my mind and there is nothing that will change my mind. I am going to try one last time to escape this place but if I have no luck then I am getting out of here no matter what. Even if it means potentially taking my own life. There is a perfectly good lava pit waiting for me to jump into it. Out of everywhere in this cave the lava pit is the one place I have yet to explore. I do not know if the lave will actually kill me or if my flesh is strong enough. There is only one way to find out.

It has been long enough. I am getting out of this cave one way or another. I pray to the creators that I will survive the plunge into the lava pit. If not then maybe I will discover the reason why I was placed in this prison in the next live. Goodbye world, my only regret is not spending more time with my father. I trained day and night to please him. I knew Arjuna was his favorite but that is what motivated me to train so hard.

Ashwatthaman shut his eyes and fell into the lava pit. It is still unknown what really happened to him because the next time he opened his eyes he was back home surrounded by people he didn't recognize. He was laying against a tree near his house with the stone still in his head. Meaning everything that happened in that cave really happened to him and he wasn't in a dream. His father found him and woke him up to find out that his son had no memories of anything. Ashwatthaman was terrified and couldn't even recognize his own father.

Author's note: This is the final installment of the Ashwatthaman stories. I didn't have much time this week to write this story so there might be typos/no pics. If anyone comes to this story before Friday I would like to apologize. I need to spend my time working on a project due that day and studying for my last midterm. I hope you enjoy the story!

Bibliography - Online Mahabharata, Story titled "Ashwatthaman's Jewel"
Author: Donald A. Mackenzie

Reading Notes: Devdutt Pattanaik Videos, Part F: Vishnu's Secret

Cows are the most sacred animal in the hindu faith. They are not allowed to eat beef. Some wonder if cows produce milk for humans or for their calf's. People must treat cows with respect because they provide so much for humans. Vishnu is known as the preserver and everyone is expected to respect cows because Vishnu does.

(Vishnu.

Source: Web)

Dharma is what creates a stable society by domesticating the animal within man. Vishnu also represents organization. The mission of life is to survive through strength or cunning. 

Vishnu is called the lord of maya meaning measurement. He judges whether what you do is good or bad. What is good is love, caring, and affection for others. While what is bad is everything else.

Rama is the most revered avatar of Vishnu. He is a king that leads by example and follows the laws set before him. Ravana is the complete opposite of Rama. He believes in using power to take what he wants while Rama follows laws even though he has power.
Krishna is another popular avatar of Vishnu.

Bibliography: Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art: Part F (Vishnu's Secret)
Author/From: Devdutt Pattanaik
Link: http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2015/11/featured-video-devis-secret-desire-and.html

Reading Notes: Devdutt Pattanaik Videos, Part E: Devi's Secret

Kanyakumari wanted to marry Shiva. When Shiva was on his way to marry this goddess the sun rose so he went back home. Kanyakumari was upset that Shiva didn't show up so she cried and it is believed that the sands in the southern area of India are multicolored because this is where she cried(She cried with makeup on).

Lakshmi is the embodiment of the earths wealth and bounty. She is depicted in a pot because back then people use to put valuable things in pots.

Kama is the god of desire.

These Devdutt Pattanaik videos are getting really confusing, This part is titled Devi's secret but I have yet to figure out who this Devi person is or what it means. What I do know though is that this video mainly focused on the idea of desire. It is believed that desire is the reason we are all alive to this day. The creator had a desire to create us.

Bibliography: Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art: Part E (Devi's Secret)
Author/From: Devdutt Pattanaik
Link: http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2015/11/guide-pattanaiks-calendar-art-part-d.html

Reading Notes: Devdutt Pattanaik Videos, Part D: Shiva's Secret

Shiva is known as the destroyer. He is calm and and composed yet does not really seem like a destroyer. Shiva destroys the one who provokes desire. Shiva's trident represents the self.
The way Shiva destroys is by closing his eyes and not observing what's going on around him. Shiva keeps his eyes shut because he doesn't care about the material world.

Shiva cares for Sati and only acts irrationally when she is in trouble.
Parvati is the one who is married to Shiva.
Shiva is the source of all potency.
The left side is the material world while the right is the spiritual world.

Bibliography: Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art: Part D (Shiva's Secret)
Author/From: Devdutt Pattanaik
Link: http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2015/11/featured-video-ardhanaris-secret-god-is.html

Week 13 Story Planning: What're the rules to the famous "Dice Game"

The gambling match with dice is about to start and it will be interesting to see how different it is in a film rather than in text. The text didn't really explain how the game was played but now I will get to see how the game is actually played.

All of the sons of Dhritarashtra enter the room where the dice game will be held. It seems like a very formal occasion for all to be entertained by. Yudhishthira is getting in over his head and gambling everything he owns. He knows this man is a known cheater but he still plays. Why would his brothers sit by and let him do all this gambling?

After the dice game it is still unsure how this game is played and what the rules are.

(A dice with odd symbols.

Source: Web)

The above are some of the notes I took while watching a film the professor suggested me to watch about the Mahabharata. I'm doing a story planning post because I just do not enough time to write a good story. But for my story next week I want to do something involving the dice game in the Mahabharata. The story I'm thinking of would involve the a few Gods sitting down bored out of their minds and creating the rules for this game. The reason I would like to do this is because in the film version and the book version you never really know what the rules are to the dice game. You just know that Yudhishthira loses everything in seemingly 7 rolls of the a die(is that singular for dice?).

Reading Notes: The Mahabharata Movie: Part E

With the battle in full swing Duryodana is trying to blame Bhishma for their woes. He thinks Bhishma is going easy on Arjuna and Karna even comes up to say he will lead the battle. Bhishma is famed to be a great master of battle for he is a stranger to death.

Amba is finally fulfilling her role in killing Bhishma. But it ended up being Arjuna's arrow that pierced his flesh. Bhishma gave his life to that the pandu brothers would have a better chance against him since he couldn't die.

Karna is one of the most understood characters in the entire Mahabharata.  In the readings he seemd like a tough man who was ready to conquer to world. While in this film you can see the emotion that he experiences with each passing scene. You can tell he is truely hurting that he has to fight against his mother and brothers. His only excuse is that duryodanha was there for him when his mother gave him away. All he ever wanted was to have a loving mother but his upbringing filled him with such hatred. And finding out about his true heritage has complicated his life even more. He wants to return to his family but since he vowed to kill Arjuna he wants to take him out first.



Bibliography: Peter Brook, The Mahabharata
Link: http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2014/06/film-brook-mahabharata.html

Reading Notes: The Mahabharata Movie: Part D

Watching this 5 hour film has helped me to better understand the Mahabharata. Right now in the film the 5 brothers are spending their last year in exile and have to disguise themselves as people who will never be recognized. Yudishthira is now a master at dice, Bhima is a master of pots, while Arjuna is seemingly a female in a mans body. I get the twins confused but one is disguised as a great musician. One of Duryodanas generals comes to the camp where the brothers are hiding and they give them suggestions where to find the pandava brothers. The general has suspicions they are the pandu brothers but when he learns Yudishthira doesn't lose at dice he knows its not them.

The general wants draupadi to come visit him and he tries to rape her. She immediately runs to Bhima in fear. Bhima lays under a cover and the general thinks it's her. He ends up easily killing him by crushing him with his arms.

The 13 year exile is over and the true game of thrones is about to begin. Yudishthira is going to get an army ready to battle for what is his.

Arjuna and Duryodanha seek out Krishna to help with their side of the army. Arjuna gets the first choice. He can either have a massive fully equipped army or Krishna himself who won't fight. Arjuna chooses Krishna to drive his chariot.

Krishna seeks peace one last time but Durodana tries to kill him anyways.
Krishna tells Karna that he is the son of Kunti. He doesn't care and vows to kill Arjuna anyways.

(Krishna in this film.

Source: Web)

I didn't realize how big of a role krishna played in this story. He is a huge peace keeper but everyone seems to want to fight regardless of all the knowledge he keeps preaching.

Bibliography: Peter Brook, The Mahabharata
Link: http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2014/06/film-brook-mahabharata.html

Reading Notes: The Mahabharata Movie: Part C

Exile in the forest
Amba seeks out Bhima to kill Bhishma. Bhima declines and Amba proceeds on her way.

Arjuna leaves his brothers and heads into the forest to go find weapons. He is now on his own journey. At the same time Duryodana is back in the kingdom plotting ways he can get away with killing the Pandava brothers.

While Bhishma is on duty for the night watch he encounters a rakshisa named Hidimbi. She instantly falls in love with him and takes on a human form. She wants to marry him and is confused why his current wife has 5 husbands. While the two are talking Hidimbi's brother attacks and a fairly epic battle ensues. It was surprisingly good and I am ready for the war to come towards the end of the film.

Hidimbi ends up getting her way and Bhima is allowed to be her husband. The two have a son seemingly out of nowhere. Hidimbi is flying Bhima around and suddenly the son just randomly appears.

When Hidimbi and the son flees, Duryodana and his goons sneak up on them with sword. Vyasa seems to be some some great god or something. He randomly appears when the pandu brothers are in trouble and need help.

While Arjuna is out in the mountains he runs into Shiva. Before he finds out who he is though he fires about 4 arrows at him. Shiva grants one request to Arjuna and he asks for the weapon Shiva wields.

(Arjuna taking aim at Shiva.

Source: web)

The last few scenes have been really confusing and I have no clue what is going on.

Bibliography: Peter Brook, The Mahabharata
Link: http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2014/06/film-brook-mahabharata.html

Reading Notes: The Mahabharata Movie: Part B

It being about 5 days since I have watched this film I have kind of forgotten some of the characters. But the game of thrones theme is starting. All the sons seem to want to be on the throne. Dhritarashtra wants to stay loyal to his brother who let him be king by letting his brothers children take the throne. But as the sons of the king Duryodana is trying to plot to get the kingdom.

(Dice game.

Source: ice breaker ideas)

The gambling match with dice is about to start and it will be interesting to see how different it is in a film rather than in text. The text didn't really explain how the game was played but now I will get to see how the game is actually played.

All of the sons of Dhritarashtra enter the room where the dice game will be held. It seems like a very formal occasion for all to be entertained by. Yudhishthira is getting in over his head and gambling everything he owns. He knows this man is a known cheater but he still plays. Why would his brothers sit by and let him do all this gambling?

After the dice game it is still unsure how this game is played and what the rules are.

Draupadi is given two requests and she wants all her husbands to be freed. Upon their departure they are told to come back and try to play one last game. Yudhishthira plays saying that it is their salvation, and vishnu will punish them if they are truly cheating. He ends up losing again and is banished for 12 years and an additional 1 year in disguise.

Bibliography: Peter Brook, The Mahabharata
Link: http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2014/06/film-brook-mahabharata.html

Week 11 Storytelling: The Jewel of Power (Part 2)

Author's Note:This is part two to how Ashwatthaman got the jewel in his head. The jewel that is embedded in his head pretty much makes him immortal. It gives him power, makes him invulnerable to weapons, and he can live without food and water. In part one Ashwatthaman is found sleeping against a tree after being gone for two moon cycles (two months). When he is found he has no memory of what happened and spends the next years of his life having nightmares of his dreadful time in the cave. This story starts three years after he remembers everything and tells his dad what happened to him in the cave.


I begin my story. "On the night of my disappearance you know how I was training with Arjuna all day until nightfall? Well... we ventured off near the forbidden forest and ran into a rakshasa. He wasn't trying to attack us. Instead he was motioning us to come closer. We proceeded carefully but he gained our trust quickly. He was an old rakshasa and told us about a god stuck in some well that would reward whoever came to rescue him with eternal life. Arjuna being the heroic man he is asked more about this god and where to find the well."

(Arjuna.

Source: Web)

At this point in the story I can already see confusion in my father face. I pause for a moment and let him speak. "You're saying Arjuna was with you that night at the edge of the forbidden forest and didn't tell anybody?"

I reply, "Well, he actually went into the forest with me. We followed the rakshasa to where the well was. I was a bit surprised that there was actually a well out in the middle of the forest. Arjuna asked what we had to do to save the god and get the reward. The rakshasa told us that many have tried to save the god but none have been successful. Arjuna came up with a plan to save the god. His plan was to unstring our bows at one end and tie the strings together to make a fairly long makeshift rope. He would hold onto his end of the bow on the surface and lower me down into the well while I'm holding my end."

My father interrupts me, "Why on earth would you ever let Arjuna talk you into going into that well? Why the hell did he not tell me anything about this?"

I try to ease my father's frustration, "Father, let me finish my story and then you can ask all your questions."

I continue the story, "As Arjuna was lowering me down into the well the rakshasa we were with interfered and did something to Arjuna. I'm not sure what happened but the next thing I know I'm at the bottom of well and Arjuna is nowhere to be found. This must have been a very old well because there was no water in it, only dry dirt and some rocks. The rakshasa peeked over the side of the well and said he sent my brother home and he wouldn't remember any of this night. Next he placed a cover over the well so that no light was present in the well. I was scared and didn't know what to do. I trembled in fear and go no rest that night."

(The well in the story.

Source: Web)

"The next morning something must have blown or pushed the cover over the well off. When I was finally able to see my surroundings I noticed a hole in the side of the well. At first I wasn't small enough to go through the hole but I was able to make the entrance bigger so I could  fit. I had to crawl on my hands and knees through this hole but when I finally got to the other side it opened into an enormous cave. There were thousands of pointy rocks hanging from the ceiling and coming up from the ground. This large cave was very illuminated, for there was a huge open lava pit in the middle of this cavern."

"I must have been lost in a sense of awe at the sight of this cave because once I finally gathered myself I noticed a man standing right next to me. He had a magnificent looking stone in his hand. This is where things are still fuzzy to me though. I believe he was the great God Shiva and he sent that man to lure me to this cave so he could give me this stone. The reason my memory is still a little fuzzy at this part is because he jammed the stone right into my head and I flinched. As he took his hand off my head he said, "You are now reborn, my son. You will have the power to conquer all. If you so choose so you can even destroy the world.""

(Pointy rocks hanging from the ceiling.

Source: Web)

"When I opened my eyes he was gone. The entrance to the cave was gone. I was stuck in this cave and had to find my own way out. This stone is definitely the reason I survived though. I was never tired or hungry. There were times the lighting in the cave was really dim so I fell onto the pointy rocks on the ground. Instead of ripping right through my body, my body crushed them. It felt like I was in there forever wandering around trying to find my way out."

"After countless days and nights being trapped in this cave I was desperate to escape. The thought of ending it all and jumping in the lava pit became more appealing the more I thought about it. On the evening where I woke up next to the tree was the same night I jumped into the lava pit. I don't know how but I remember jumping into the lava but when my eyes opened again I was leaning against the tree with you and your pupils surrounding me. I have no clue what happened but it seems that maybe when I jumped into the lava is when my memory was taken from me. There's parts that are still fuzzy and I'm still trying to figure out what happened. At least everything isn't a mystery now."

Author's note: I found a source that said Ashwatthaman got his jewel from Shiva when he was born. So in my story he encountered a man he thought was Shiva and he heard him say, "You are now reborn, my son." This is how I follow the actual story of Ashwatthaman gaining his jewel while at the same time having a crazy story behind it.


Bibliography - Online Mahabharata, Story titled "Ashwatthaman's Jewel"
Author: Donald A. Mackenzie

Reading Notes: The Mahabharata Movie: Part A

This film starts out with a young boy walking around a temple and he ends up running into a man called Vyasa. Vyasa asks if the boy knows how to write and if he could write a poem that he has composed in his head. He claims that the poem is about the boys history and by the end of it he will be different. Ganesha comes in and he ends up being the person to write the poem for Vyasa and the poem ends up being the Mahabharata story.

(Vyasa, Ganesha, and the young boy.

Source: Web)

In this story prince Bhishma is depicted as a black man and the Gods reward him by choosing the time of his death. Bhishma participates in a tournament and is rewarded with three brides. One of them named Amba was upset and claimed to Bhishma that she is bound by love to another man. Bhishma allows her to leave to marry the man she chooses to. Sadly the man she loves, Salva, does not want her anymore. He is scared of Bhishma and doesn't want anything to do with the prize of another man.

Amba comes back to Bhishma and wants him to take her back. Amba claims that Bhishma is responsible for her misery. She vows to be responsible for his death.

King Pandu gets cursed, he can no longer enjoy the pleasures of life and have a son as a result. King Pandu takes his two wives to the top of the Himalayas. But the two wives can tell that he is upset that he cannot have a son with either of the women. Kunti summons the sun god and has a son named Karna with him but remained a virgin. Karna was a strong man but he was somewhat evil because he doesn't know who he really is.

Kunti admits to King Pandu about her mantra to summon any god to impregnate her. She thought King Pandu would be upset but he ends up making her summon a god so that the two can have a child together. I assume he would just raise it as his own. The god that was summoned was Dharma and the child would be named Yudhishthira. Then King Pandu told her to do it again but call upon Vayu, the wind god. The son was named Bhima. Then she does it one more time and call upon Indra and that son is called Arjuna. Kunti tells Madri her mantra and she calls upon Ashwins and ends up having two children named Nakula and Sahadeva.

Duryodana is born and is thought to destroy the Pandava people.
Meanwhile King Pandu is trying to have sex with one of his wives but she knows that he will die if it happens. She said he will have to take her by force but did not put up much of a struggle. She lets him take her and King Pabdu ends up dying before he is even able to kiss her. Madri feels responsible for the kings death and tells Kunti that her sons now belong to her.  Madri follows King pandu into the other world.

This film follows an order. This whole movie is about the young boy, Vyasa, and Genasha writing the poem. When he starts to tell another part of his story it shows the actual scene.

The movie goes forward 20 years and all the children of Bhishma and King pandu are now adults. Drona comes into the scene when they are all fighting and says he will train them all.

Arjuna finally meets Karna. Karna claims to be every bit as good as Karna and even better. Arjuna says he will one day kill Arjuna.

Bibliography: Peter Brook, The Mahabharata
Link: http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2014/06/film-brook-mahabharata.html