Week 13 Storytelling: Sikhandini and the Yaksha named Sthuna

I have been bearing something for quite some time now.  I have been hiding something for quite some time now. Something that is a very big burden on me. Something that I can not help my father Shiva had wanted me to be a man my entire life.   I had planned on telling my wife but I just could not find the exact time that fit out life.  Times were so great with us I didn’t want to do anything that would rock the boat.  My life was so happy with me I just knew that telling her that I was truly a woman was really going to upset her and that she would possibly not love me anymore and would more than likely want to leave me. The burden is so hard to bear now days, and it is literally all that I think about. I am going to have to figure out how to tell my wife eventually the truth once and for all. 

“Sweetheart I have to tell you something that you may not love me anymore for, but I have to tell you anyway. I am I fact a woman.” Explained Sikhandini.

Sikhandini’s wife cried and wept with sorrow and disbelief.

“We are going to fix this, I am going to figure out a way to change into a man so we can live happily and be husband and wife forever.” Said Sikhandini.

Sikhandini ended up finding Sthuna who was a yaksha wiling to trade genders with Sikhandini. 

“My Father wanted a boy all of his life and all of my life I felt that I was never good enough for him.  I was depressed for my entire life because I felt that my father didn’t love me for me. I felt that the only way he looked at me was with disgust.” Said Sikhandini. 

“I am willing to help you to see what it is like to be a different gender. I feel deep sympathy for your childhood and want to help you and your wife. I will prepare a spell that will swap our genders.” Said Sthuna.

“Oh how could I ever repay you! I am so grateful for what you are doing for my family!” said Sikhandini.

Once the spell was over Sikhandini’s wife ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him. She told him that she loved him and thanked Sthuna for what he had done.

Yaksha

Bibliography, Buck, William (1973). Mahabharata.
Author's Note- I decided to write about Sikhandini and Sthuna because I thought that it was very interesting reading about the gender changes. I also though it was so sad someone wanting to change genders.  I was also glad that the story ended the way it did because it ended with Sikhandi and his wife living happily. 

Week 12 Storytelling: Savitri & Satyavan

Why can I not find someone to love me for me. I have been alone for so long. I lay in my bed and I long for someone to hold me tight and for someone to kiss me. I have so much love to give but absolutely no one to give it to. I am just waiting for that day that that perfect man comes into my life and I know that he is the one. I don’t want to wait forever, but I know that I am not meant to be alone my entire life. I am meant to have a fulfilling life. I do not think that my life was meant to be lived alone and lonely my entire life. Life is supposed to shared with the ones you love. I am oh so ready, but until then it is just a waiting game.

All of the men that have presented to me have not loved me or they have not been good to me. I know that nothing is wrong with me. Maybe if I go search for the right man that I will find him in places that I haven’t been before.

~~~~~

Savitri ended up falling in love with Satyavan. Satyavan was a wonderful man but he only had on more year to live. Even though Savitri knew this she knew that she wanted to marry him because she had fallen in love with him. Satyavan was her one true love that she had been longing and yearning for. She had finally found the one man that was going to take care of her. She was also going to do her best to take care of him as well. No matter if she had a short amount of time with him she was going to take advantage and love every second she had with him. 

After one year Satyavan the time was up and Savitri was truly sad and depressed. However, she was very thankful for the time that she had. She had been longing and wanting to find her soul mate for so long and she did in fact find her soul mate in Satyavan. Even though it was for just a short amount of time it was the best year of her life. She felt as if she lived the most during that one year and she wouldn’t change it for the world.

Savitri & Satyavan

Bibliography: Narayan, R.J. (1978). The Mahabharata

Author's Note: I decided to write about Savitri and Satyavan but as the beginning it was so saddening because Savitri was so sad and had been longing so long for a husband. I thought that it was great story that true love really conquered all. It was truly sad that she only got one year with Satyavan , however she made the most of that one year and that is what matters. 

Week 11 Storytelling: Ganesha's Head

Parvati had just gotten home from a long day so she decided to take a bath. She deserved one because she had been working hard lately. She decided she needed some time for relaxation so she went into the bathroom. However, she decided she didn’t want anyone to bother her so she asked Nandi to watch the door to make sure that not a soul would enter to mess with her quiet time. Nandi obeyed and watched the doors while Parvati took her nice relaxing bath. 

All of a sudden, Shiva saw Nandi watching the bathroom door and he asked Nandi to move so he could get into the bathroom. Nandi didn’t want to move at first and he explained that Parvati didn’t want any interruptions she went in the bathroom to simply relax and relieve some stress.

“You can not go in there.” Nandi explained.

Shiva went ahead and pushed through Nandi and went through the bathroom door.

Parvati screamed, “Do not enter I wish to be alone and for no one to enter! Leave me be and turn around this instant!”

Shiva was bumfuzzled why Parvati was acting in such a way he had no clue why she would be wanting to be left alone. 

All of a sudden Parvati was enraged, “Can I not ever get any time to myself?! I am always with someone I never ever have time to myself, and when I ask to be left alone that wish can not be granted”!

Parvati’s feelings were hurt so he ended up closing the door and let Parvati rant by herself. He hoped that she would get over herself and she would be back to normal soon.

 Parvati ended up creating Ganesha because she wanted someone who would only be loyal to her. She had no one who was loyal to her so she knew she had to create as on that was always going to stay true and loyal. 

The next time she went to bathe she asked Ganesha to stand and watch for no one to interrupt her. She knew that this time someone would be loyal to her. Just like clockwork Shiva came home and saw someone strange standing guard next to his wife’s bathroom door.

Ganesha explained, “I am Ganesha, Parvati’s son.”

No, no, no how could this be I am her husband! YOU ARE AN INTRUDER, yelled Shiva screamed.

Out of no where Shiva pulled out an axe and cut Ganesha’s sons head off which instantly killed him.

Parvati heard the ruckus and rushed out of the bathroom with soap still on her body and she began to scream a blood-curdling scream.  

“How could you do this! He is our son, OUR SON! You have got to go find a head to put on our sons body.”

Ganesha 

Bibliography: Narayan, R.J. (1978). The Mahabharata

Author's Note: I thought that the story of how Ganesha lost his head was very interesting. Who would have ever thought of a story about a Mother creating a son to later be killed by his father and then who who would end up having an elephants head. I though this was a very interesting story and it was very out there. However, even though it was very out there it was very enjoyable. 

Week 10 Storytelling: Drona's Son's Death

Before I got the news, I would have never thought that something so horrific would happen to me. You never really think about hearing bad news but when you hear it, unfortunately it hits you like a ton of bricks. When I was told that my son was dead, I dropped to the ground and I began to weep. I knew that my son could die in the war, but I never expected it to be my beloved son.  Losing loved ones is a part of  life sooner or later but honestly no one should ever have to endure it. Losing a son is one of the hardest experiences that I have ever had to endure.

I thought back about all of the wonderful memories I had with my son and I began to weep harder. All of the memories and the memories to come were stolen from me within seconds. Thinking about all of the memories, I began to ask myself if I had taken life with my son for granted. I began to wonder if my son truly knew that I loved him with every fiber of my being, because I truly did love him with everything in me. I would do absolutely anything for my son. I would die for my son and I hope that he knew that before he was gone.  I truly hope that my son knew that I cherished and loved every single moment that I got with him. Nothing was greater than the time that I had with my son. All I could think about was why this had to happen to me. I don’t understand why my son had to be taken from me. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was karma catching up to me. Was all of this karma punishing me for something that I had done? I couldn’t imagine what I had done so bad that I would have to lose my son over it.

Why am I even alive if I don’t have my beloved son? My son was my world and my everything. Oh, what I would do to get one more chance to tell my son that I love him so much and that I was proud of everything that he had accomplished. My son was a wonderful warrior and he knew everything there was to know about weapons, and I was so proud of that. Surely my son knew but I have no way of letting him know that he was my everything. I don’t really know what there is to do now that my son is gone.

I knew exactly what I was going to do. I knew that I was going to take my life. My life was nothing without my son. He made life worth living. Tears began to roll down my eyes because I know what I was going to do. I got a spear that was big enough to do the deed. I had to do this myself. I couldn’t let anyone else to this. I knew that I had to end my suffering and the devastation on my own. Without hesitation I pierced the spear into my heart. Nothing was left of me without my son so this too had to be done.

Drona 

Bibliography: Narayan, R.J. (1978). The Mahabharata

Author's Note- I decided to write my story from the way that Drona was feeling.  I think that during any time of sorrow anyone needs to have a voice and needs to be heard. The best way to grieve is to talk about feelings and let others know what is going on during rough and emotional times. The real tragedy of the story was that Drona's son was actually not dead. In fact, the death of Aswatthaman was a trick by the Pandavas. They had to do this to stop Drona's fighting. The Pandavas wanted to put an end to Drona because he could fight until there wasn’t anyone left in the their army. The trick ended up being that Bhima smashed the skull of an elephant which was also named Aswatthaman and  Bhima ended up calling out that he had killed Aswatthaman to where Drona could hear. I really went overboard on how depressed Drona was feeling because I wanted to show how this story is more of a double tragedy since he took his life because of trickery.  The more I elaborated with Drona’s thoughts within the story, the more it gave an understanding why someone could understand why Drona would even think of taking his own life. In the original story, Dhrishtadyumna ended up cutting off Drona's head freeing him from his humiliation that his father faced years ago. In my story, I wanted him to feel like taking his own life was something he had to do for inner peace and closure, if there was any to come from such a terrible double tragedy.