16 - Six....teen Flags
Summary
TLDRIn this episode of 'Stories from India,' host Narad Monei continues the Ramayana saga, highlighting Viswamitra's request to use Dasharath's sons against demons. The journey unveils the magical appearance of celestial weapons and a surprising encounter with Taraka, a demoness. Ram's moral conflict and eventual victory are explored. The episode also delves into the tale of Ramanujan, a self-taught mathematician known for 'taxi cab numbers,' showcasing his genius and untimely demise. The podcast promises a Kashmiri folk tale in the next episode, adding intrigue.
Takeaways
- ๐ต The podcast 'Stories from India' is hosted by Narad Monei, a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of past, present, and future.
- ๐ The podcast continues the story of the Ramayana, focusing on an episode where an angry Rishi named Viswamitra plays a significant role.
- ๐ค Viswamitra, a former king turned Rishi, has superpowers due to his anger and prayers, and he requests King Dasharath to lend him his sons to fight demons.
- ๐ถโโ๏ธ Ram and Lakshman accompany Viswamitra on a journey to the confluence of the Ganga and Sarayu rivers, learning about various mythological sites along the way.
- ๐น Ram demonstrates his divine archery skills by defeating the demoness Taraka, who could become invisible and manipulate boulders.
- ๐ Viswamitra gifts Ram a vast array of celestial weapons, which Ram can summon using a charm, showcasing the concept of divine weaponry in Indian mythology.
- ๐ The Rishis award Ram for the best kill during their encounter with the demons, acknowledging his prowess and divine status.
- ๐ Ram lifts and strings Shiva's heavy bow in a Swayamvara, impressing all and winning the hand of Sita, while his brothers also find their brides.
- ๐ค Ram's character is portrayed as compassionate and conflicted, questioning the morality of killing Taraka despite the necessity of the act.
- ๐ข The character of Ramanujan is introduced, a self-taught mathematician who made significant contributions to number theory, including the concept of 'taxicab numbers'.
- ๐ถ The podcast is concluded with an invitation to listen to the next episode featuring a Kashmiri folk tale and a teaser about a character frozen in stone.
Q & A
What is the podcast 'Stories from India' about?
-The podcast 'Stories from India' is about exploring myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by Narad Monei, a mythological character with eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.
Who is Vishwamitra and what role does he play in the story?
-Vishwamitra is a character in the Ramayana who was initially a king and later became a sage. He is known for his anger and superpowers. In the story, he asks King Dasharath to lend him his sons to fight against demons disturbing him.
Why did Viswamitra need the help of Dasharath's sons?
-Viswamitra needed the help of Dasharath's sons to perform a task against some demons who were disturbing him. He was particularly interested in using them to pull duty against these demons.
What is the significance of the confluence of the Ganga and the Sarayu rivers in the story?
-The confluence of the Ganga and the Sarayu rivers is significant as it is the location where Viswamitra, along with Ram and Lakshman, walk to. It is a strategic location due to the availability of drinking water and various points of interest along the way.
What is the story behind Shiva being wounded by Kamdev?
-Shiva was wounded by Kamdev, the god of love, also known as Cupid. This led to Shiva opening his third eye and vaporizing Kamdev, making him spread himself far and wide without a body.
How does Ram demonstrate his skill in archery against Taraka?
-Ram demonstrates his skill in archery by shooting arrows at Taraka, a demoness who is invisible and can change shape. He shoots off her arms with his arrows and eventually kills her by hitting her with an arrow guided by her heartbeat.
What is the significance of the celestial weapons given to Ram by Viswamitra?
-The celestial weapons given to Ram by Viswamitra are significant as they represent a variety of divine powers. Ram is taught a summoning charm to magically appear these weapons whenever he wants.
What is the challenge set by King Janak for the Swayamvara?
-The challenge set by King Janak for the Swayamvara is for someone to lift Shiva's bow and string it. Many had tried but no one could even budge the bow until Ram stepped up and effortlessly lifted and strung it.
Who is Ramanujan and what is his contribution to mathematics?
-Ramanujan was a self-taught mathematician in British-ruled India. He is famous for his work on taxi cab numbers, a unique mathematical concept. His theorems and proofs were initially dismissed by experts but later recognized by British mathematician GH Hardy, leading to Ramanujan's work being continued in London.
What is the significance of the number 1729 in Ramanujan's work?
-The number 1729 is significant in Ramanujan's work as it is the smallest number that can be expressed as a sum of two cubes in two different ways. This concept, known as taxi cab numbers, is an interesting mathematical challenge.
Outlines
๐ถ Introduction to Stories from India Podcast ๐ถ
The script opens with the host, Narad Moneie, introducing the 'Stories from India' podcast, which narrates Indian myths, legends, and folk tales. Narad, a character from Indian mythology with the gift of eternal life and omniscience, is also a traveling musician and storyteller. The host continues the story of the Ramayana, highlighting the role of the angry sage Viswamitra, who recruits Rama and his brothers for a mission against demons. The episode also humorously references modern pop culture, comparing the magical appearance of weapons to Thor's hammer and the situation to an X-Men scenario. Listeners are encouraged to revisit previous episodes for context, and the script sets the stage for the adventure that unfolds.
๐น Rama's Encounter with Taraka ๐น
In this paragraph, the narrative focuses on Rama's confrontation with Taraka, a demoness who is invisible and can shape-shift. Viswamitra guides Rama and Lakshman through the forest, explaining the nature of Taraka's powers. Rama demonstrates his exceptional skills by shooting arrows that disintegrate Taraka's boulders. Despite the demoness's attempts to evade them, Rama, using his divine senses, locates and kills Taraka, adhering to the principle of not killing women but making an exception due to her malevolent nature. The paragraph concludes with a discussion on the moral implications of Rama's actions, showing his internal conflict and eventual acceptance of the necessity of his deeds.
๐ฎ Viswamitra's Celestial Weapons and Rama's Mastery ๐ฎ
The story proceeds with Viswamitra presenting Rama with a vast array of celestial weapons, each unique and powerful. Rama, however, faces the practical challenge of carrying these weapons without any containers or ships. Viswamitra teaches Rama a summoning charm, 'AIO weapons,' allowing him to call upon the weapons at will. Later, the group reaches a hermitage where a ritual performed by the sages attracts the attention of other demons. Rama uses his newly acquired weapons to defeat the demons, including Subahu and Maricha, showcasing his adeptness with the celestial arsenal. The episode concludes with Rama receiving accolades for his actions, and Viswamitra for his recruitment skills.
๐น Rama's Triumph in the Swayamvara and the Broken Bow ๐น
This paragraph describes a side trip to Mithila, where King Janak has organized a swayamvaraโa competition for his daughter Sita's hand in marriage. The challenge is to string Shiva's massive and heavy bow, which no one has been able to move. Rama effortlessly lifts and strings the bow, impressing the court. In a playful moment, he pretends to need help with his shoelaces, only to reveal it was a jest. However, in an unexpected turn, Rama breaks the bow, causing a mix of gasps and applause. The event leads to a marriage arrangement between Rama and Sita, and their siblings, setting the stage for future events in the narrative.
๐ค The Tale of Ramanujan and the Mystery of Taxi Cab Numbers ๐ค
The final paragraph shifts focus to the mathematician Ramanujan, who made significant contributions to number theory. Despite initial dismissal by his peers, Ramanujan's genius was recognized by the British mathematician GH Hardy, leading to a fruitful collaboration. Ramanujan's work on taxi cab numbers, a concept arising from the number 1729 being expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways, is highlighted. The narrative reflects on the abstract beauty of mathematical concepts, even if they lack immediate practical applications, and concludes with an invitation to listen to the next episode, which will feature a Kashmiri folk tale.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กNarad Munei
๐กRamayana
๐กVishwamitra
๐กShiva
๐กTaraka
๐กJurassic Park
๐กSita
๐กParasurama
๐กTaxicab Numbers
๐กSati
Highlights
Introduction to the podcast 'Stories from India' and the host Narad Monei, a mythological character with eternal life and knowledge.
Continuation of the Ramayana story, focusing on the role of Vishwamitra, an angry Rishi who borrows Dasharath's sons to fight demons.
Vishwamitra's backstory, including his transformation from a greedy king to a powerful Rishi with superpowers.
The journey of Vishwamitra, Ram, and Lakshman to the confluence of the Ganga and Sarayu rivers, highlighting the strategic choice of the route.
Ram and Lakshman's encounter with Shiva, who was wounded by Kamdev (Cupid), leading to Shiva opening his third eye and vaporizing Kamdev.
The humorous comparison of Shiva's third eye to Scott Summers (Cyclops) from the X-Men, highlighting cultural references.
The battle against Taraka, a demoness, where Ram uses his archery skills to disarm her and ultimately kill her, despite his initial reluctance.
Vishwamitra's justification for killing Taraka, emphasizing her destructive nature and the need for intervention.
Ram's receipt of celestial weapons from Vishwamitra, which he can summon magically, adding a fantastical element to the story.
The description of the hermitage as a place of harmony, with nature and wildlife contributing to the daily life of the Rishis.
The ritual performed by the Rishis that attracts the attention of demons, leading to a confrontation and the use of Ram's summoned weapons.
Ram's strategic use of the summoned weapons to defeat the demons, showcasing his leadership and tactical skills.
The introduction of the character Ranim, a self-taught mathematician in British-ruled India, who was initially dismissed by experts.
Ranim's collaboration with GH Hardy, a British mathematician, which led to the recognition of his mathematical genius and his work in London.
Ranim's early death at age 33, cutting short his promising mathematical career.
Ranim's contribution to mathematics, particularly the concept of 'taxi cab numbers,' which are numbers that can be expressed as the sum of two cubes in two different ways.
The humorous anecdote about taxi cab number 1729 being the smallest number with this property, highlighting the unexpected beauty in mathematics.
The teaser for the next episode, featuring a Kashmir folk tale about laughing fish and a lady frozen in stone, adding an element of anticipation for future content.
Transcripts
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
hello and welcome to stories from India
a podcast where we talk about myths
Legends and folk tales from India I'm
your host narad monei and I'm a
mythological character myself I have the
gift of eternal life and knowledge of
the past the present and the future by
profession I'm a traveling musician and
a Storyteller so of course I'm
podcasting this week we continue the
story of the ramayan we'll see why it's
useful to have an angry tour guide with
you they'll teach you how to have your
weapons magically appear whenever you
want Thor Had A Hammer that could do
that but this one is a whole arsenal
and your tour guide can also play
matchmaker the character this week is a
real person who's quite a legend he's
responsible for taxi cab numbers but not
the kind you might be thinking
about if this is your first episode I
recommend going back and listening to
episodes 6 7 and
15 but here's the story so
far dasharath the king of aoda badly
needed a AEG
so he recruited the best Rishi or holy
men for the job and ended up with four
sons who were all avatars of Vishnu the
preserver the kids grew up they were
pretty smart and athletic and excellent
Warriors that's when vishwamitra showed
up and asked to borrow the kids to pull
C Duty against some demons who were
disturbing him vishwamitra was one angry
Rishi who had been a king before he was
greedy when he saw a magical wish
fulfilling calf and then became angry a
lot and was then
humiliated and then he prayed got some
superpowers got angry again was again
humiliated and prayed again got some
more powers and finally made friends
with the person who had humiliated him
but he stayed angry and retained all his
superpowers so when he asked dharat to
loan out his sons it was an offer dharat
didn't dare to
refuse we'll pick up the story at this
point but I highly recommend that you
listen to the previous episode if you
haven't
already vishwamitra along with ram and
lakshman walked all the way to the
Confluence of the ganga with the sarayu
river Google Maps will tell you it's a
3-Day Walk with no stops and an 8-hour
drive by the tollfree road
they walked along the river A wise
choice so they had drinking water
available all the time without needing
to carry it given the absence of
Industrial Waste in those days the water
was quite quite safe to drink
vishwamitra showed them various points
of interest along the way here I stubbed
my toe walking once there used to be a
vapa or Burger Joint probably when
bankrupt while I was away praying for
thousands of
years oh yes here Shiva was wounded by
arrows from kamdev the god of love also
known as Cupid oh you should have seen
Cupid after that he stared at the boys
expectantly when they didn't say
anything I guess you kids don't get the
joke no said RAM and
lakshman kamd hit Shiva the Destroyer
with an
arrow why asked lakshman
never mind why I'm sure narad will cover
that in a later episode what matters for
now is that Shiva got angry and opened
his third eye and vaporized
kamdev so kamdev is kind of all over the
place now he doesn't have a body anymore
but he spreads himself far and
wide Shiva has three eyes exclaimed
lakman but that wasn't mentioned in
previous
episodes yeah because the third eye is
usually closed when he opens it it
vaporizes whoever he looks
at whomever corrected dram
automatically lakman was meanwhile that
sounds just like Scott Summers and the
X-Men I never got why they call him
Cyclops I mean cyclops have one eye
Scott Summers had two Shiva has three I
would love to see that third ey closed
definitely
closed Ram spoke up shiva's third eye is
no funny business
lakshman I will have to keep my eye on
you my little
brother lakman replied oh I see what you
did there well we might not see IE to
eye on this but I risked my life for you
coming down here playing pupil to
vishwamitra enough said vishwamitra who
was up to his ey teeth with dad
jokes listen he
said and what are we listening for asked
lakshman taraka a demoness who lives in
this
Forest where is she asked
Ram right in front of us came
vishwamitra reply but I don't see
anything she's
invisible she can change shape
too lakshman who was really good at
biology jumped on that that seems a
wasteful evolutionary trait why have
overlapping advantages from two
different features that's not how
Evolution
works that's how taraka Works shouted
vishwamitra he pointed out a boulder
lifting off the ground as if by Magic it
went to about a height of probably 50 ft
and suddenly launched at them as if it
had been hurled
the boulder made straight for them but
didn't make
it within a few feet of smashing into
the three of them it broke up into
pieces hit by an arrow from Ram lakshman
gasped wo that's way faster than Legolas
and Robin Hood and later interrupted Ram
as he spotted another Boulder being
picked up he was calculating furiously
to get a lock on Tara
but taraka spotted what he was going to
do sensing that the poised Boulder was
giving away her position she dropped it
real quick and dashed
away she needn't have worried though Ram
had no intention of killing her you know
shivalry and all
that instead he did
worse Guided by her sound alone like the
superhero Daredevil he placed arrows in
his bow took a deep breath and shot off
her arms with his arrows that didn't
help though because taraka had magic
remember she could psycho kinetically
make more Boulders
fall which makes you wonder why she was
lifting and throwing them in the first
place vishwamitra said yeah I know our
Traditions say don't kill a woman and
all that but in this case you should
definitely make an an
exception otherwise we're going to be
smashed to bits by these
Boulders having received this go ahead
from a Brahma Rishi was good enough for
Ram he closed his eyes listened
carefully for Tara's
heartbeat he could hear it through all
the boulder crushing noise because he's
a
God he shot the arrow and it immediately
hit its Target killing
taraka lakshman and vishwamitra were
doing cartwheels around him with joy but
Ram wasn't exactly on
Cloud9 hold on time out yes I was only
protecting us but at what
cost wasn't taraka a person who had a
life of her own maybe she had a family
maybe she was just protecting her home
from us
three vishwamitra said my boy I can see
how you conflicted but don't worry
dispel the
notion taraka merely killed for pleasure
and this isn't her home she was
encroaching this is my home my amusement
park
boys welcome to Jurassic
Park Jurassic said lakman oh I see
you're millions of years old judging by
all the time you spent praying in the
Himalayas are you still conflicted my
boy vishwamitra asked Ram not anymore
let's carry on with the cartwheel shall
we actually let's just go rest it's been
a long walk and I think my Jurassic body
is
tired so they
rested and the next morning vishwamitra
had a gift for Ram if you remember the
last episode vishwamitra had knowledge
of all kinds of celestial
weapons why would someone need weapons
when he's friends with everyone in the
world tough question anyway he made them
appear at least one of each kind and
presented them to
rah rah looked at the mountain of
weapons before him if he squinted he
could just barely see the
top thank you for these very generous
gifts but I don't really have a way to
carry these with me unless you have a
few containers a few cargo
ships haha all that won't be necessary
said
vishwamitra do you think other gods
carry all their weapons all the time no
they use a summoning
charm now repeat after me AIO
weapons AIO weapons repeated Ram nicely
enunciated but you don't have to wave a
stick like it's a wand do you think your
Harry Potter or something they reached
the Hermitage soon after other Ries
welcomed them they were dear prancing
around birds singing sweetly and just
like in a typical classic Disney movie
The Woodland creatures helped out with
household chores they had to Whistle
Along to whatever song was being sung
and got absolutely nothing back in
return about a week later all the Ries
in the Hermitage began a ritual
involving pouring a lot of common
household condiments into a big fire
while saying a lot of
words this attracted the attention of
the other demons in the forest they were
led by subahu and maricha maricha was
actually Tara's son and that means
vishwamitra had not been entirely
transparent Ram immediately summoned his
weapons he picked one at random
ooh
flamethrower he aimed it at subahu and
poof subahu was gone
inated he picked another it said
jaggernaut he aimed that one at maricha
maricha didn't know what hit him he only
realized that it transported him
hundreds of miles away deep in the
middle of the Southern Indian Ocean in
famously known for
MH370
the rest of the Demons would have
attacked but RAM used the multiplier
next it replicated in midair each one
finding its
Target I could get used to this Ram said
as he surveyed his handiwork rituals
concluded they awarded medals all around
among the
Ries best chanting best ingredient best
fire
stoer but the best kill award went to
Ram of course course and vishwamitra got
the best recruiter award the next
morning RAM and lakshman were expecting
to return but vishwamitra had
plans we need to make a side trip we
need to go to
mytha what's in Milla asked the
brothers janah was the answer still not
ringing any
bells he's the guy with shiva's bow ah
said the brothers for they knew about
Shiva the destroyer's bow who didn't it
was a huge and heavy bow that was now a
hand me down Shiva had used it in a
fight once and the string had broken
loose so Shiva gave it to a fan of his
it changed hands a few times collectors
auction houses attics and ultimately
King januk realized what it was and
built a museum around it he had to
because the bow was so heavy you'd need
a forklift to move
it and as you probably know those didn't
exist 3,000 years ago so King januk also
had a daughter actually he had four
daughters the eldest was Sia who was
adopted several years ago she had been
found in a
field and the king and queen decided she
was the new
princess the king and queen had now
organized a little
contest it was a swam for
satha a swam is an event where the girl
chooses whom to
marry she chooses to marry whoever
completes a
challenge that the King has set true her
father got to set the challenge but it's
not like the girl is forced to marry
whoever completes it think about it as
as a filtering
mechanism the challenge in this case was
for someone to lift shiva's bow and to
string it many had tried but no one came
close to even budging the bow when Ram
stepped up though he casually lifted the
bow as if it were light as a
feather gasps all over the
court he began stringing it with
practiced ease whistling as he did
so he said to lakshman oh my shoelaces
are undone here hold this bow for a
second while I do them up sure oh wait a
minute said lakman as RAM started
laughing got you he finished ringing the
bow he held it up and bent it and
further and further until with a loud
crack the bow broken
two gasps all around again and then
Applause SAA was
thrilled she had been secretly hoping
that this Ram guy who was the Talk of
the Town would complete the challenge
and he
had as King janak and King dharat got to
know each other and as januk had four
daughters they kind of decided to make
this a four for one deal so sitha
married Ram Ura her sister married
lakman and mandovi and Shak kirti
married parat and shatrugna the wedding
was going well but just then there was a
war
cry it was pararam pararam was an avatar
of Vishnu as well he had a major war
going with the Kings and
warriors he was also a devotee of Shiva
he had heard of shiva's bow being broken
by a prince no less and that made him
really
angry he was here to challenge RAM to a
duel but when the two avatars of Vishnu
looked at each other and piram realized
he shouldn't have been Hasty in issuing
the challenge he quickly toned it
down here's vishnu's own
bow string it without breaking and I'll
let you go fair enough said the other
aatar of Vishnu Ram did effortlessly of
course the bow had a fingerprint lock on
it and RAM had no problems of course
because he was Vishnu
too piram said all
right you are no ordinary human Prince I
will let this light this time but no
more breaking shiva's pose got it wink
wink why not began Ram oh I mean of
course yeah no more breaking shiva's bow
wink wink pararam headed off into his
Fortress of Solitude in the Himalayas
again Rah and his sibling and sitha and
her sibling lived happily in
aoda until their lives were turned
upside down but that's for a future
episode we'll leave it off
here the character this week is
ranim ranim was a mathematician in
British ruled India he was self-taught
and clearly a genius
and just like most Geniuses he was
dismissed by other so-called experts who
actually did not understand some of his
theorems and
proofs this changed when ramanam got to
penp Pal GH Hardy a British
mathematician recognized ramanu Jam's
ability to solve problems that he and
his colleagues thought
unsolvable he had ranim continue his
work in London unfortunately for ranim
and for the rest of the
world he was in poor health and passed
away at the young age of 33 ranim is
famous for taxi cab
numbers and by that I don't mean the
idea of numbering taxis but a rather
unique mathematical concept that came
about when Hardy was visiting the sikra
manoy in hospital Hardy remarked that he
had ridden in taxi cab number 1729 and
that it seemed a rather dull
number now personally you and I would
have agreed right away but not
ranim that's not Dull at all he
said it's the smallest number that is
expressed as a sum of two cubes in two
different ways huh thought the Doctor
Who was listening in but Hardy seemed to
get
it mathematicians muttered the doctor as
he walked out
1729 is one of six known taxi cab
numbers today does it have any practical
value probably not but then you can say
that about a lot of mathematical
Concepts it's an interesting concept
though and poses yet another challenge
for people to solve like the digits of
pi that's it for
now though I have complete and absolute
knowledge my memory isn't perfect if you
see any errors in my podcast I'd
appreciate it if you could Point them
out to me if you have any comments or
suggestions you can leave a comment or a
review on the site SFI podcast.com or
tweet at SFI
podcast I'm also available on Instagram
and
Facebook the music is from purple
planet.com that's
purple-planet.com
I'm very excited about next week I'll be
telling you you a Kashmir folk tale
about laughing fish and metaphors gone
wild the character next week is a lady
Frozen in
stone she can only be set free if a
specific person kicks her with his
Barefoot what are the chances of that
happening by
accident I'll see you next
[Music]
week
oh
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)