Story 4: Makara

Storybook Coverpage Introduction Story1: Ahadyla Story2: Kakooni Story 3: Powerana Story 4: Makara

There is just enough time for one more story until everyone will be rescued by the approaching ship. So far, we have already met Karaman, Ahadyla, Kakooni, and Powerana, but Makara is still a complete stranger to us. He has not spoken a word thus far. It is time that we get to know him better as well. What does he look like and what is his story? Well, he looks rather handsome with his dark hair and large blue eyes. He looks somewhat muscular, yet at the same time, he seems so elegant and graceful. He had come onto this ship because of a prophecy that unless he would travel around the world by sea within 49 days, he would not see the love of his life, Sarita, ever again. (He didn't know where she currently was!) The prophecy also said that he would have to overcome many obstacles on the way. The sinking of the Titanic was yet another one of those obstacles, but Makara has not lost hope yet, or has he? Today is the 30th day for him and his trip around the earth is only half accomplished. His main challenge is not to give up hope that he will reach his goal. At times Maya tries to urge him to give up his travels by creating some seemingly unsurmountable obstacles and sometimes she even tortures him with an illusionary picture of his love Sarita being in bed with another man. Maya had also intended that the sinking of the Titanic would destroy Makara's hope of reaching his goals, but now let us see if Karaman has a story to encourage Makara on his journey.

Karaman began, "This is my last story for you all, and I think it is one of the most beautiful ones, but I will have to shorten it a bit, because we are so close to being rescued. The story is called the Ramayana, which means the journey of Rama. Rama was an extremely virtuous man and he also had the most beautiful and perfect wife one can imagine. Her name was Sita. No matter what their outer circumstances, the two lived together in great bliss and harmony until the day Sita was kidnapped by the demon king Ravana. After a desperate search for her, Rama had almost lost hope of ever finding her again. However, Rama had a very good Karma and so whenever Maya tricked  him into giving up hope, some situation would arise that would encourage him again. Because of his good Karma, there was no obstacle that could keep him from reaching his goal. He did not know it at the time, but it was actually impossible for him to fail. The only thing he could do was to delay reaching his goal by a short time. One of his biggest challenges was the incident when Ravana's son Indrajit created a phantom Sita, which he then killed in front of Hanuman's eyes. When Hanuman brought the message of the slaying of Sita, Rama was sure that he would not be able to survive for more than another day. Of course, it was Maya who had given this "brilliant" idea of trickery to Rama's enemies. However, Rama's good Karma did not desert him and so his ally Vibhishana rushed to Rama to tell him and his friends that the dead Sita was nothing but an illusion. Of course, you guessed the ending. Sita was rescued and reunited with Rama. Also, during the whole time of her captivity, Sita had stayed faithful to Rama and Ravana had been prevented by a curse of death to ever force a woman against her will to go to bed with him. It would have been helpful for Rama if he had known that from the beginning.

Sorry, I had to shorten the story a bit, because they are already waving to us from that ship and they are getting ready to take us aboard. Here, Makara, take this. I have saved a copy of the book, The Ramayana, and I want to give it to you now. (He hands him a really old Ramayana with a beautiful picture of Rama and Sita on the cover. The words "The Ramayana" were written on the back of the book in golden letters along with the words, "This book is for you, Karaman!") Reading it will help you to never lose hope and to reach your goal just like Rama did. You have to read the details of the story yourself, because I don't think there will be any time for more storytelling once we are aboard that ship. The people will want to hear everything about the Titanic and how such a tragic accident could have happened. Let's go now. They are waiting for us to climb up." One could hear several voices saying "Thank you for your stories, Karaman," but I couldn't tell you for sure whether Kakooni's voice was one of them. I am very sure that you could hear the voices of all the others.

Author's note:

One could see this last story in a mystical way as Rama meeting Rama, because both Karaman, the storyteller, and Makara have many similarities with Rama. Also, both have the letters R-A-M-A in their names and both names have almost the same letters. Both symbolize the search for truth, virtue, and enlightenment. Makara has to undergo many challenges to be reunited with his love, just like Rama did. Both grow through their experiences and both recognize at the end that their enlightenment is already within them. Rama is none other than the seventh reincarnation of the god Vishnu; however, as Rama, he does not remember that he is this god Vishnu, and he only realizes it when Ravana tells him so at the end of the Ramayana.

It is not mentioned above, but Makara is able to finish his journey in 48 days and then he is reunited with his love Sarita. The challenges he faced would fill a book that is about equal in size to the Ramayana. But here is what had really helped him the most during his journey. It is the following words of  Karaman's story: "He did not know it at the time, but it was actually impossible for him to fail." These words have helped Makara in many situations that seemed hopeless. He always thought of these words and many times he received help in some miraculous way. Also, the more he read the Ramayana, the more he identified with Rama.

Maybe Makara was another incarnation of Vishnu on another mission? Maybe we are all some mystical incarnations of Rama on some mission. Maybe, we are also on a mission, that we actually can't fail? What do you think?

I made one small change to my story about Rama. In Buck's Ramayana, Vibhishana actually tells Hanuman about the phantom Sita and he dispels the illusion before the message of it comes to Rama. Also, Buck writes that Rama would have died if he had received the message of Sita's death.

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