Week 7: Story Planning: The Riddler Strikes Again

The Riddler

I plan to write story based off of " Riddles at the Lake" . When I read this story I instantly thought of the Riddler from the Batman Comics. The story will be set in Gotham, and I will represent Yaksha with the Riddler. The brothers who drink the water without answering the riddle will be represented by some to be determined characters from the DC universe. From afar Batman will study what happened to his fallen friends, and eventually Batman will approach the Riddle, and solve it. This will lead him to the Riddler, or at least a step closer to finding the Riddler. They will possibly commence in fighting, or maybe the Riddler will escape to place more riddles for the Batman to solve in the future. I think this is going to be a very fun story to delve into.


In the Original Story:
When the twelfth year of exile was nigh to an end, the Pandava brethren bethought them to leave the forest.
They saw a stag that had the antlers to kindle a great fire
The brahmin appealed to Yudhishthira to pursue the animal, and the Pandavas endeavored in vain to kill it or recover the sacred twigs
upon following the stag, several of  brothers came upon some water, and were thirsty. They drank it and fell dead.
At length wise Yudhishthira approached the pond. He beheld his brethren lying dead, and sorrowed over them.
The Voice said, "I am a yaksha. I warned thy brethren not to drink of this water until they had answered what I should ask of them
The Voice said, "Who maketh the sun to rise? Who keepeth him company? Who maketh the sun to go down? In whom is the sun established?"
Yudhishthira answered these riddles and many more
Many such questions did the Voice address to wise Yudhishthira, and he answered each one
 the yaksha revealed himself in the form of Dharma, god of wisdom and justice

Bibliography: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

Reading: Mahabharata Part D

Drona in Command:

Drona takes command of Duryodhana's armies

He vows to make Yudhishthira his prisoner

Arjuna vows to defend his brother even at the cost of his own life.

Death of Drona:

Ashwatthaman the elephant

-As long as Ashwatthaman lived it came to be believed that his father would never be conquered

- Bhima, therefore, being bent on the defeat of Drona, selected an elephant named Ashwatthaman and slew it with his own hands and then threw himself in his might on the Kuru front in the neighborhood of Drona, shouting, "Ashwatthaman is dead! 

-Drona heard the words, and for the first time his stout heart sank.

-He would not believe it unless it was undeniably confirmed by  Yudhishthira

-Making his way to Yudhishthira, Drona asked him for the truth, and Yudhishthira answered yes

-Then Drona, in his despair for the loss of his son, became unable to think of his divine weapons. 

- Dhrishtadyumna, the Pandava general, had seized his sword and leapt to the ground in order to attack Drona in personal combat.

The Night Raid:

When night fell, the dying Duryodhana was visited on the battlefield by Ashwatthaman, son of Drona, and Kripa, and Kritavarman.

Ashwatthaman was given permission to attack  the Pandavas while yet they slumbered

Drona's son went forth in the darkness to glut his hunger for vengeance because that his sire had been slain

At the gate of the Pandava camp an awful figure rose up against the conspirators

Bibliography: Mahabharata, Epic of the Bharatas, by Romesh C. Dutt, Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita, Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

Reading: Mahabharata Part C

Life in the Forest:

The pandavas wandered into the forest

Yudhishthira lamented his fate to the brahmins as he wandered towards the forest.

A brahmin advised the deposed rajah to call upon the sun god.

 Surya appeared before Yudhishthira and gave  him a copper pot which was always filled with food 

They wandered in sunshine and in shade, hey suffered also from tempests and heavy rains

The Himalayas:

The Himalayas

Great sages visited the three brothers in Indra's Celestial City, and from one Yudhishthira obtained skill in dice. 

the sages told them many tales of people who suffered and made self-sacrifices

they underwent long exiles and performed penances so as to attain to great wisdom and win favor from the gods.

after the exiles went northward towards the Himalayas, and at length they beheld afar off the dwelling of Kubera

Kubera walked forth and spake words of wisdom unto Yudhishthira, counselling him to be patient and long-suffering

The exiles wandered on, and one day, when they sighed for Arjuna, they beheld the bright car of Indra,

Arjuna appeared, and he was received with rejoicing, and all the Pandavas returned together to Kamyaka.

Riddles at the Lake:

When the twelfth year of exile was nigh to an end, the Pandava brethren bethought them to leave the forest.

They saw a stag that had the antlers to kindle a great fire

The brahmin appealed to Yudhishthira to pursue the animal, and the Pandavas endeavored in vain to kill it or recover the sacred twigs

upon following the stag, several of  brothers came upon some water, and were thirsty. They drank it and fell dead.

At length wise Yudhishthira approached the pond. He beheld his brethren lying dead, and sorrowed over them. 

The Voice said, "I am a yaksha. I warned thy brethren not to drink of this water until they had answered what I should ask of them

The Voice said, "Who maketh the sun to rise? Who keepeth him company? Who maketh the sun to go down? In whom is the sun established?"

Yudhishthira answered these riddles and many more

Many such questions did the Voice address to wise Yudhishthira, and he answered each one 

 the yaksha revealed himself in the form of Dharma, god of wisdom and justice

Bibliography: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie