24 - Promises made, hearts broken

Stories From India
25 Feb 202416:57

Summary

TLDRIn this episode of 'Stories from India,' host Narad Muni delves into two pivotal events from the Ramayana that significantly impacted Lord Ram's life. The first event recounts King Dasharath's promise to Kaikeyi, his wife, which would later have profound consequences. The second narrates the tragic tale of Shravan, a devoted son whose death by Dasharath's arrow led to a curse of separation from his son. The episode also introduces Sarma, a wolf who taught humans the benefits of dairy farming. The podcast promises to continue with tales of Hanuman and a character from Emperor Akbar's court in the next episode.

Takeaways

  • ๐ŸŽต The podcast 'Stories from India' explores myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by Narad Muni, a character with eternal life and omniscience.
  • ๐Ÿบ This week's character, Sarma, is a wolf known for tracking down stolen divine cows, which led to the discovery of dairy products by humans.
  • ๐ŸŽ‰ The podcast coincides with Ram Naami, celebrating Lord Ram's birthday, and discusses events that influenced Ram's life, even before his birth.
  • ๐Ÿ”ฎ The first event involves King Dasharath and his wife K, where K's exceptional skills with chariots save Dasharath's life during a battle.
  • ๐Ÿ’Ž K's childhood wish to have a diamond-hard hand is granted by a Rishi, which becomes instrumental during the battle when she uses it as a chariot axle.
  • ๐Ÿค Dasharath makes two unconditional promises to K, which she later uses to humorously assert her position in the kingdom.
  • ๐Ÿ“œ The promises are kept secret, known only to K's nurse, Manthara, who has her own agenda and stores them for future use.
  • ๐Ÿž๏ธ The second event is the tragic story of Shravan, who carries his blind parents on a pilgrimage to purify them for the afterlife.
  • ๐Ÿน King Dasharath accidentally kills Shravan while hunting, leading to a curse from Shravan's parents that he will be separated from his son and die longing for him.
  • ๐ŸŒŠ The curse, initially thought to be irrelevant by Dasharath due to having no sons, becomes a tragic prophecy that impacts the rest of the Ramayana.
  • ๐Ÿ“š The podcast provides links to holy sites for those interested in the pilgrimage practice, which is still relevant today.

Q & A

  • Who is the host of the 'Stories from India' podcast?

    -The host of the 'Stories from India' podcast is Narad Muni, a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.

  • What is the significance of the color orange in the context of the podcast's story about King Dasharath?

    -In the story, wearing a protective orange vest is suggested as a good idea when walking in a hunting zone, possibly to avoid accidents like the one that led to the death of Shravan in the forest.

  • What is the moral lesson from the story of King Dasharath's promise to Kaikeyi?

    -The moral lesson is to be careful with unconditional promises, as they can have unintended consequences. King Dasharath's promise to Kaikeyi led to significant events in the Ramayana.

  • What is the role of the character Sarma in the story?

    -Sarma is a wolf or dog who helped track down stolen divine cows. Her actions are said to have inspired humans to consume cow's milk, leading to the start of the dairy industry.

  • Why did Shravan's parents want to visit holy sites?

    -Shravan's parents, who were old and blind, believed that visiting holy sites would purify them in preparation for the afterlife.

  • What tragic event occurred in the forest that greatly affected King Dasharath?

    -King Dasharath accidentally killed Shravan while hunting in the forest, mistaking him for a deer due to the sound of him drinking water.

  • What was the curse given to King Dasharath by Shravan's parents?

    -Shravan's parents cursed King Dasharath to be separated from his son and to die longing for him after the tragic death of their son at his hands.

  • What is the significance of the character Hanuman in the Ramayana?

    -Hanuman is a significant character in the Ramayana, known for his extraordinary powers and selfless acts. He is compared to Superman in the podcast, highlighting his strength and noble nature.

  • What is the connection between King Dasharath's hunting incident and the events of the Ramayana?

    -The hunting incident and the subsequent curse by Shravan's parents are believed to have greatly influenced Ram's life and are considered a catalyst for the events of the Ramayana.

  • What is the role of the character Kaikeyi in the Ramayana, and how does it relate to the promises made by King Dasharath?

    -Kaikeyi plays a crucial role in the Ramayana, as her demands on the promises made by King Dasharath lead to Ram's exile, which is a pivotal event in the epic.

Outlines

00:00

๐ŸŽต Introduction to Stories from India Podcast ๐ŸŽต

The podcast 'Stories from India' is introduced by the host, Narad Muni, a mythological character with eternal life and omniscience. The podcast delves into Indian myths, legends, and folk tales. The host's profession as a traveling musician and storyteller is highlighted. The episode's focus is on two significant events from the Ramayana involving King Dasharath that influenced Ram's life. The first event is related to a hunting incident where King Dasharath's life is saved by his wife, K, who also teaches humans about the benefits of cows as a source of milk and butter. The second event involves a tragic hunting accident where Dasharath accidentally kills a boy named Shravan, leading to a curse that affects his relationship with his son. The podcast also mentions the celebration of Ram's birthday, Ramnaami, and the chronological placement of these events in relation to previous episodes.

05:00

๐Ÿน King Dasharath's Unconditional Promises ๐Ÿน

In a battle, King Dasharath is saved by his wife, K, who skillfully maneuvers their chariot and even replaces a broken axle with her hand, which was made as hard as diamond by a Rishi. After recovering, Dasharath, in gratitude, makes two unconditional promises to K. She jokingly asks for a hundred more promises and then to be made the queen, but later reassures Dasharath she was only teasing. The promises are written down and kept secret by Kai's nurse, Mantra, setting the stage for future events in the Ramayana.

10:02

๐ŸŒฒ The Tragic Tale of Shravan and the Curse ๐ŸŒฒ

Shravan, a devoted son, embarks on a journey to holy sites with his blind and elderly parents. While fetching water for them, he is mistakenly killed by King Dasharath during a hunting expedition. Dasharath, filled with remorse, brings water to Shravan's parents, who upon learning of their son's death, curse Dasharath to be separated from his son and die longing for him. The parents die shortly after, and Dasharath is left with the burden of their curse, unaware of its future impact on his life.

15:02

๐Ÿบ The Legend of Sarma and the Divine Cows ๐Ÿบ

The character of the week is Sarma, a wolf or dog who is the mother of all dogs and the royal dog-wolf of heaven. Sarma is called upon to track down divine cows stolen by demons. Using her keen sense of smell to follow the scent of the cows' milk, she leads Indra, the king of the gods, to the thieves' hideout. The cows are recovered, and Sarma's actions are said to have inspired humans to consume cow's milk, effectively starting the dairy industry. The podcast concludes with a teaser for the next episode, which will feature Hanuman, a character with extraordinary powers and a selfless nature.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กNarad Muni

Narad Muni is a mythological character in Hindu mythology known for his eternal life and omniscience. In the script, he serves as the host of the podcast, 'Stories from India,' which focuses on Indian myths and legends. His role ties into the theme by providing a bridge between ancient tales and modern storytelling.

๐Ÿ’กRamayan

The Ramayan is one of the major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, which narrates the life of the prince Rama. In the script, the podcast episode delves into two events from the life of King Dasharath, which have significant implications for Rama's life. The Ramayan is central to the episode's theme of exploring the impacts of past actions on the present.

๐Ÿ’กDasharath

Dasharath is the father of Rama and a prominent character in the Ramayan. The script discusses two pivotal incidents from his life that greatly influenced Rama's destiny. Dasharath's actions and the consequences thereof are integral to the episode's exploration of cause and effect in the epic narrative.

๐Ÿ’กKaikeyi

Kaikeyi is the queen of King Dasharath and plays a significant role in the Ramayan. In the script, she is depicted as a skilled charioteer who saves Dasharath's life in battle. Her character is used to illustrate themes of loyalty, bravery, and the unforeseen consequences of promises made in the heat of the moment.

๐Ÿ’กUnconditional Promises

Unconditional promises are commitments made without any conditions attached. In the script, Dasharath makes such promises to Kaikeyi, which later have profound effects on the narrative of the Ramayan. This concept is key to understanding the episode's message about the weight and implications of one's words.

๐Ÿ’กShravan

Shravan is a character in the script who is known for his devotion to his blind and aged parents. His tragic death, caused by King Dasharath's hunting accident, is a central event in the episode. Shravan's story is used to explore themes of filial piety, tragedy, and the moral responsibilities of a ruler.

๐Ÿ’กCurse

In the context of the script, a curse is a solemn utterance or imprecation that invokes a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone. The curse by Shravan's parents upon Dasharath is a pivotal moment that foreshadows future events in the Ramayan and underscores the theme of retribution and the consequences of one's actions.

๐Ÿ’กSarma

Sarma is a character mentioned in the script as the mother of all dogs or wolves and is associated with the recovery of divine cows in Hindu mythology. Her story is used to illustrate the origins of the dairy industry and the keen sense of smell of canines, adding a mythological perspective to everyday practices.

๐Ÿ’กHanuman

Hanuman is a central figure in the Ramayan, known for his extraordinary powers and selfless service. In the script, the upcoming episode is teased to cover tales from Hanuman's life, highlighting his role as a heroic figure with a fascinating origin story, which parallels the theme of extraordinary beings in mythology.

๐Ÿ’กPodcast

A podcast is a digital audio program available for download or streaming. In the script, the podcast 'Stories from India' serves as the medium through which the mythological tales are narrated. The podcast format is essential to the episode's delivery and accessibility, allowing for an engaging and modern retelling of ancient stories.

Highlights

Introduction of the podcast 'Stories from India' with host Narad Muni, a mythological character with eternal life and knowledge of past, present, and future.

Discussion on two significant events from King Dasharath's life that impacted Ram's life.

The importance of wearing protective orange in hunting zones as a safety measure.

The cautionary tale about making unconditional promises and the potential listeners.

Introduction of the character 'Sarma', a wolf who helped humans discover the benefits of cow's milk and butter.

The celebration of Ram Naami, Ram's birthday, and its connection to the events discussed.

The story of King Dasharath's first incident on the battlefield with K, his wife, and her exceptional skills.

K's miraculous hand strength granted by a Rishi, which saved her and Dasharath during a chariot battle.

Dasharath's unconditional promises to K and the humorous request for 100 more promises.

The secret about the promises known only to Mantra, Kai's nurse, and her hidden agenda.

The second incident involving Dasharath's accidental killing of Shravan, a devoted son.

The tragic curse by Shravan's parents that Dasharath would be separated from his son and die longing for him.

The practice of visiting holy sites for purification before the afterlife, still prevalent today.

The story of Sarma's role in recovering divine cows and inspiring the dairy industry.

Upcoming episode preview featuring tales from the life of Hanuman, the 'Superman' of Indian mythology.

Introduction of a character from Emperor Akbar's court who outwitted both Akbar and Birbal.

Invitation for listeners to comment, review, and subscribe for the next episode.

Transcripts

play00:01

[Music]

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[Applause]

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[Music]

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[Applause]

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hello and welcome to stories from India

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a podcast where we talk about myths

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Legends and folk tales from

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India I am your host narad money and I'm

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a mythological character

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myself I have the gift of eternal life

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and knowledge of the past the present

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and the future by profession I'm a

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traveling musician and a

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Storyteller so naturally I'm

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podcasting this week we are back into

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the ramayan we'll talk about two events

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King dasharath was involved in that had

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a big impact on Ram's

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Life we'll see why it's a good idea to

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wear a protective orange West when

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walking in a hunting Zone we'll also see

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that if you're making unconditional

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promises to someone you should be

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careful to see who else is listening

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in the character this week is a wolf who

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is excellent at tracking down stolen

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cows and she taught humans that cows can

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be a good source of milk and

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butter so we are back again in the

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ramayan very appropri rately so since

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this Thursday we'll be celebrating Ram

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naami which is Ram's birthday these two

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events which happened to Ram's father

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King dharat happened much before Ram was

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born but greatly influenced his

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life chronologically they happened

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before episode 8 Kingdom by

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horse but they fit in right after

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episode 16 16 Flags

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you know to avoid spoilers and

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stuff the first incident in Dash's life

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was on the

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battlefield dashar was accompanied by K

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to whom he had recently been

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married and by that I mean they hadn't

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even had the chance to remove the Just

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Married sticker from their

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Chariot and they weren't really sitting

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together in the Chariot as a couple on

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their honeymoon should

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instead the bride was driving the

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Chariot now all this was by

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Design K was a princess who had grown up

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with lots of Chariots and horses in her

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playtime she'd outperform Her Seven

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Brothers pretty much all the

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time so naturally when dharat announced

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that he had to go on a work trip

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traveling by horr Chariot she was eager

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to jump into the saddle and go

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along and it's a fortunate thing for

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dash that she did

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because it turned out dharat wasn't

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winning this

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battle his army was pretty quickly

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overwhelmed by the rain of arrows from

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the

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enemy one of the arrows even hit

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dharat and that was before the Chariot

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axle

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broke K The Horse Whisperer whispered a

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command to the

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horses and they instantly obeyed her

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speeding up and dodging enemy

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chariots with a chariot on autopilot

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like that K leaned out the side and used

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her hand as an axle

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replacement

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ordinarily that would have had quite a

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gruesome

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outcome but during her childhood a

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visiting Rishi had granted Kai's wish of

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having a hand as hard as d

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Diamond kind of like Colossus from the

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X-Men movies and

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Comics but just with her hand not her

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whole body Ki escaped with dharat back

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to his

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Palace she nursed him back to

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health when he did recover his first

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reaction was one of

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thanks K had saved his life and nursed

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him back to health surely that deserved

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something

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I'm going to make two very unconditional

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promises right now ask for anything K it

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shall be

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yours geez she said you make it sound

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like saving your life and nursing you

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back to health are on

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par saving your life should count for

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more than just having to take care of

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you while you got

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better I hope you're not just making

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unconditional promises to your doctors

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and nurses

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too too late

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I already spoke the words I'm on aound

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now Das

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said okay fine she said if you insist

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I'll redeem my first wish right

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now I wish for a 100 more unconditional

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promises ooh ah mumbled Dash shuffling

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his

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feet she said okay then just make me the

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queen of the land abdicate in my

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favor o oh uh but started

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dharat relax I'm just pulling your leg

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she said you can keep the administrative

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work yourself I'm happy to live in the

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palace and ride chariots now and then

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dashurat breathed a sigh of

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relief he did write her a couple of IUS

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though only one other person knew about

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those

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promises and that was

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Mantra she was was Kai's nurse back from

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when Kai was born and she had an agenda

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of her

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own Ki kept the IUS in her safe and

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there they lay forgotten for

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decades that's the first

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incident those IUS may seem harmless

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right now but they are a bit like Czech

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hov's

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gun they are going to appear on the

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scene at a later date to a much more

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dramatic effect

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effectively as Catalyst for the rest of

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the

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ramayan the second incident happened in

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a forest near

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aoda shran was just a regular boy who

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lived in a village nearby he was the

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sole bread winner in his family his

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parents were both old and

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blind shran was utterly devoted to them

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and would take care of their slightest

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wish when his parents sense that they

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had not long to live they decided that

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it was about time for them to go on a

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road

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trip but wait a pleasure trip isn't what

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they had in

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mind they believed that a trip to all

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the holy sites around the country would

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purify them in preparation for the

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afterlife when they mentioned this to

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Shan he was more than happy to take them

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on the

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trip quite literally as it happens

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Shan's parents couldn't

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walk and shran could not afford a

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cart so he did the next best thing he

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made a shoulder sling for himself with a

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woven basket at each

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end he helped his mom and dad into a

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basket each and carried

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them as I'm sure you can imagine it was

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hard work in the hot Indian

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summer but Shin kept going and pretty

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soon they entered the

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forest his parents had both gone thirsty

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then and they asked Shan for some

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water seeing as Shan had been carrying

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two

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adults he hadn't the capacity to also

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carry water for the

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journey he would have to find water here

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somewhere that shouldn't be hard he

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thought the suru river is quite near and

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I can even hear it he asked his parents

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to hold on it didn't make sense to carry

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them to the river and back

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again instead he would go quickly and

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fetch water for

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them his parents

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waited but it was going to be one long

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wait Shan made his way through the

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forest to the

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river of course he was thirsty from all

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the heavy lifting

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he stopped to drink water

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himself meanwhile in the forest

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dasharath was

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hunting dashar had the remarkable

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ability to fire an arrow Guided by sound

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alone he didn't have to see the target

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he could simply hear it and hit

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it just like Rah did in episode

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16 so that's what dashar did as he

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scanned the a area around him he

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suddenly heard a deer or something

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drinking from the

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river was it Reckless to fire an arrow

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at a Target he couldn't see

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maybe but then he could collect the deer

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and go back home in time for

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lunch he fired the arrow without

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thinking too

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much and he was sure it hit the target

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because there was a

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sound un fortunately it was not the

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sound of a

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deer dashar rushed to the river to

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discover his Arrow had exactly hit the

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source perfect

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Marksmanship but it wasn't a deer it was

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Shin dashar quickly held the boy and

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tried to see what he could do to make

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him

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better he screamed for help but it was

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too late

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it was a mortal wound there was no hope

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for Shan

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now dashar asked the dying boy if there

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was anything he could do for

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him yes gasped shran pointing into the

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woods my parents over there are thirsty

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please take them some

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water and that's the last thing he ever

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said dying is last past thoughts had

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still been focused on his parents'

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Comfort dharat was extremely

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remorseful he had committed a huge

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crime his job as King was to protect his

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people and yet he was responsible for

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the death of this

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boy how was he going to face the parents

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of this boy he had just

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killed he had to do his duty

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though he collected some water from the

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river and took it to Shan's

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parents the parents though blind could

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instantly sense that something was

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wrong shravan had taken far too long and

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these weren't his footsteps that they

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were

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hearing dashar delivered the bad news

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right

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away he was honest with them about his

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role in the the boy's tragic

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death he had killed their boy

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accidentally the parents were both

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devastated dashar tried to console them

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and offer them the water

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again but they weren't having

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it what was the point of water when they

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had lost the one person who cared about

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them there was no point in going on from

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then on they had absolutely nothing to

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look forward

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to they did one thing though they cursed

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dasharath he would be separated from his

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son and he would die longing for

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him still remorseful for his

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action dashara did what he could to help

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them but Shan's

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parents did not survive very long

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without their

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son dashar thought of the curse for long

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after he certainly regretted his

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actions but as he had no Sons at the

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time he could not help but wonder that

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the curse would not really apply to

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him little did he

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know that's all I have for

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now K has a big role to play in what

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happens

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next in one version of the Shan story

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Shan's mother is related to

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dharat but that narrative doesn't really

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work with the rest of the

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story the road trip that Shan's parents

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wanted to go on it's really a thing it's

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practice to this day there are lots of

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those sites that people go to and I have

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some links on the website check them

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out the character this week is a wolf

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who is excellent at tracking down stolen

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cows and who taught humans that cows can

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be a good source of milk and

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butter Sarma is a wolf or maybe a

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dog thousands of years ago there wasn't

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much to distinguish between the two

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anyway Sarma was the mother of all

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dogs she was the royal dogwolf of

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heaven so when some demons stole the

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Divine cows she was called into action

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to track down the

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cows because as everyone knows dogs and

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wolves have a keen sense of

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smell she tracked the cows by the smell

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of their

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milk why the demons bothered to Milk The

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Cows as they were transporting them

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wasn't very

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clear maybe it was because functioning

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cows are in deep distress if they aren't

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milked

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but at any rate this helped Sarma track

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down the

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cows she quickly LED Indra the king of

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the gods to the cave where the demons

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were

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hidden Indra made quick work of the

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demons and the cows were

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restored the fact that surma followed

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the scent of the cow's milk is supposed

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to have inspired humans to try consuming

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cow's

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milk and just like that the dairy

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industry was

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born that's it for this week if you have

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comments or suggestions please leave a

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comment or a review on the site SFI

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podcast.com or tweet at SFI podcast you

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can also find me on Instagram and

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Facebook be sure to subscribe to the

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show to get notified

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automatically thanks to all your

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listeners for your continued

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support the music is from purp

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planet.com that's

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purple-planet.com

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next week we'll cover a couple of tales

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from the life of yet another ramayan

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character and that is

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Hanuman Hanuman is the equivalent of

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Superman he's got extraordinary powers

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with a more interesting origin story

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than his Kryptonian comic book

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equivalent and yet he helps others

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selflessly and at Great risk to

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himself the character next week is a

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person from the court of Emperor

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abar this person sometimes got the

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better of both akar and

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beerbo

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surprised tune in next week to find

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[Music]

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out

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Related Tags
Indian MythsRamayan TalesKing DasharathCultural PodcastMythological CharactersEternal LifeUnconditional PromisesProtective OrangeHunting ZoneStoryteller