✍️Submit a Writing Prompt ✍️ - Page 38

Tagging more people for the prompt in the post above.

Fans. How kept asking Sai and the makers to remove that horrible wig and give him better dresses.

So, are you taking the prompt and writing a story in which fans cut Gattu's hair?

I think such a story can't be published on India Forums due to the rule against self-insert fiction. And a story with Sai Ketan Rao, Gul Khan etc. as characters would break the rule against real person fiction.

However, you could write a story in which Gattu meets a huge fan of Chaudhary Sweets, who cuts his hair. This fan could be Ashu or Bulbul or a larger corporate consumer.

Here's one of twenty-one half-prompts based on plotholes - contradictory details - within Mahābhārata or Rāmāyaṇa, from the Plotholes & Prompts fan fiction writing event that just began in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum:

Half-prompt #1

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates how Ambā told Bhīṣma about Śālva (Ādiparvan 96.47-49):

vivāhaṃ kārayiṣyantaṃ Bhīṣmaṃ Kāśi-pateḥ sutā

jyeṣṭhā tāsām idaṃ vākyam abravīd dha satī tadā

To Bhīṣma who was planning the wedding, the Kāśi lord’s daughter, the eldest of them, honest, certainly said this speech at that time:

mayā Saubha-patiḥ pūrvaṃ manasā’bhivṛtaḥ patiḥ

tena c’āsmi vṛtā pūrvam eṣa kāmaś ca me pituḥ

Already in my mind I firmly chose the Saubha lord as my husband, and already I was chosen by him, and this was my father’s desire.

mayā varayitavyo’bhūc Chālvas tasmin svayaṃvare

etad vijñāya dharma-jña tatas tvaṃ dharmam ācara

Śālva was to be chosen by me in that Self-Choice. Learning this, you law-aware man, accordingly act lawfully.

Writers who want to tell Ambā's story, can you guess the plothole? The other half of the prompt will only be revealed in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum, where sign-up for writers to choose from twenty-one half-prompts ends December 1, 2023.

Here's one of twenty-one half-prompts based on plotholes - contradictory details - within Mahābhārata or Rāmāyaṇa, from the Plotholes & Prompts fan fiction writing event that just began in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum:

Half-prompt #2

Kṛpa questions Karṇa at the martial arts exhibition (Ādiparvan 126.30-33):

tāv udyata-mahā-cāpau Kṛpaḥ Śāradvato’bravīt

dvandva-yuddha-samācāre kuśalaḥ sarva-dharma-vit

Kṛpa, Śaradvat’s son, expert in the conduct of duel-battle, who knew all laws, said to those two who brandished their large bows:

ayaṃ Pṛthāyās tanayaḥ kanīyān Pāṇḍu-nandanaḥ

Kauravo bhavatā s’ārdhaṃ dvandva-yuddhaṃ kariṣyati

This is Pṛthā’s younger son, Pāṇḍu’s delight, Kuru’s descendant, who is to do duel-battle together with your lordship.

tvam apy evaṃ mahā-bāho mātaraṃ pitaraṃ kulam

kathayasva nar’endrāṇāṃ yeṣāṃ tvaṃ kula-vardhanaḥ

tato viditvā Pārthas tvāṃ pratiyotsyati vā na vā

You too, large-armed one! Like this, tell about your mother, father, and family of lords of men whose family you augment. From that, Pṛthā’s son will know and either fight against you or not.

evam uktasya Karṇasya vrīḍā’vanatam ānanam

babhau varṣā’mbubhiḥ klinnaṃ padmam āgalitaṃ yathā

Thus spoken to, Karṇa’s face became downcast with embarrassment, resembling a lotus drooping, wet with rainwater.

You have the option to explain in your story why Kṛpa refers to Arjuna as kanīyān - younger of two, and not kaniṣṭhaḥ - youngest of Pṛthā’s three sons.

Writers who want to tell Karṇa's story, can you guess the plothole? The other half of the prompt will only be revealed in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum, where sign-up for writers to choose from twenty-one half-prompts ends December 1, 2023.

Here's one of twenty-one half-prompts based on plotholes - contradictory details - within Mahābhārata or Rāmāyaṇa, from the Plotholes & Prompts fan fiction writing event that just began in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum:

Half-prompt #3

Daughters-in-law join the family (Bālakāṇḍa 76.8-12):

Kausalyā ca Sumitrā ca Kaikeyī ca sumadhyamā

vadhū-pratigrahe yuktā yāś c’ānyā rāja-yoṣitaḥ

Kausalyā and Sumitrā and fine-waisted Kaikeyī were busy receiving the brides, as were others who were the King’s women.

tataḥ Sītāṃ mahābhāgām Ūrmilāṃ ca yaśasvinīm

Kuśadhvaja-sute c’obhe jagṛhur nṛ-pa-patnayaḥ

Then greatly fortunate Sītā, and Ūrmilā the successful, and Kuśadhvaja’s daughters both were taken by the wives of the leader of men.

maṅgal’ālāpanaiś c’aiva śobhitāḥ kṣauma-vāsasaḥ

devatā’yatanāny āśu sarvās tāḥ pratyapūjayan

And with auspicious songs, really, beautified, linen-clothed, all of them soon worshipped the deities’ shrines.

abhivādy’ābhivādyāṃś ca sarvā rāja-sutās tadā

remire muditāḥ sarvā bhartṛbhiḥ sahitā rahaḥ

And after saluting those who were to be saluted, all of the King’s daughters then took pleasure delightedly, all of them accompanied by their husbands in privacy.

kṛta-dārāḥ kṛt’āstrāś ca sa-dhanāḥ sa-suhṛj-janāḥ

śuśrūṣamāṇāḥ pitaraṃ vartayanti nara-rṣabhāḥ

Fulfilled with wives and fulfilled with missiles, with their property, with their well-wisher persons, taking care of their father, the bulls of men went about their business.

Writers who want to tell this Rāmāyaṇa story, can you guess the plothole? The other half of the prompt will only be revealed in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum, where sign-up for writers to choose from twenty-one half-prompts ends December 1, 2023.

Here's one of twenty-one half-prompts based on plotholes - contradictory details - within Mahābhārata or Rāmāyaṇa, from the Plotholes & Prompts fan fiction writing event that just began in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum:

Half-prompt #4

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates the burning house escape to Janamejaya (Ādiparvan 136.17-19):

Bhīmasenas tu rāj’endra bhīma-vega-parākramaḥ

jagāma bhrātṝn ādāya sarvān mātaram eva ca

Bhīmasena, though, had exploits of fearsome speed, lord of kings! He went, carrying all of his brothers and his mother, really.

skandham āropya jananīṃ yamāv aṅkena vīryavān

Pārthau gṛhītvā pāṇibhyāṃ bhrātarau sumahābalau

The valiant one, lifting his mother onto his shoulder, the twins by his lap, taking with his two hands Pṛthā’s two sons, his two brothers of very great strength,

tarasā pādapān bhañjan mahīṃ padbhyāṃ vidārayan

sa jagām’āśu tejasvī vāta-raṃhā Vṛkodaraḥ

His speed breaking trees that drink from their roots, his two feet cracking the large earth, he went quickly, the energetic, wind-swift Wolf-Belly.

Writers who want to tell Bhīmasena's story, can you guess the plothole? The other half of the prompt will only be revealed in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum, where sign-up for writers to choose from twenty-one half-prompts ends December 1, 2023.

Here's one of twenty-one half-prompts based on plotholes - contradictory details - within Mahābhārata or Rāmāyaṇa, from the Plotholes & Prompts fan fiction writing event that just began in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum:

Half-prompt #5

Mantharā explains royal succession to Kaikeyī (Ayodhyākāṇḍa 8.13-16):

bhavitā Rāghavo rājā Rāghavasya ca yaḥ sutaḥ

rāja-vaṃśāt tu Bharataḥ Kaikeyi parihāsyate

Raghu’s descendant is to be King, and whoever is Raghu’s descendant’s son. From the royal dynasty, though, Bharata will be excluded, woman of Kekaya!

na hi rājñaḥ sutāḥ sarve rājye tiṣṭhanti bhāmini

sthāpyamāneṣu sarveṣu sumahān anayo bhavet

A king’s sons don’t all remain in royalty at all, radiant woman! If all were established, it would be a very big failure of policy.

tasmāj jyeṣṭhe hi Kaikeyi rājya-tantrāṇi pārthivāḥ

sthāpayanty anavady’āṅgi guṇavatsv itareṣv api

Therefore, only for the eldest, woman of Kekaya! do owners of broad land establish royal tenets, woman of unblemished limbs! even when the others are qualified.

asāv atyanta-nirbhagnas tava putro bhaviṣyati

anāthavat sukhebhyaś ca rāja-vaṃśāc ca vatsale

This son of yours will be extremely excluded, like an orphan, from comforts and from the royal dynasty, affectionate one!

Writers who want to tell Kaikeyī's story, can you guess the plothole? The other half of the prompt will only be revealed in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum, where sign-up for writers to choose from twenty-one half-prompts ends December 1, 2023.

Here's one of twenty-one half-prompts based on plotholes - contradictory details - within Mahābhārata or Rāmāyaṇa, from the Plotholes & Prompts fan fiction writing event that just began in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum:

Half-prompt #6

Vyāsa makes Saṃjaya an all-knowing mind-reader (Bhīṣmaparvan 2.9-12):

eṣa te Saṃjayo rājan yuddham etad vadiṣyati

etasya sarvaṃ saṃgrāme naparokṣaṃ bhaviṣyati

King! This Saṃjaya will narrate this war to you. Everything in the conflict will be a non-mystery to him.

cakṣuṣā Saṃjayo rājan divyen’aiṣa samanvitaḥ

kathayiṣyati te yuddhaṃ sarva-jñaś ca bhaviṣyati

King! This Saṃjaya equipped with divine sight will recount the war to you and will be all-knowing.

prakāśaṃ vā rahasyaṃ vā rātrau vā yadi vā divā

manasā cintitam api sarvaṃ vetsyati Saṃjayaḥ

Overt or covert, by night or by day, even what is pondered by mind, Saṃjaya will understand all.

n’ainaṃ śastrāṇi bhetsyanti n’ainaṃ bādhiṣyate śramaḥ

Gāvalgaṇir ayaṃ jīvan yuddhād asmād vimokṣyate

Weapons won’t pierce him. Fatigue won’t bother him. Gavalgaṇa's son here will escape this war alive.

Writers who want to tell Saṃjaya's story, can you guess the plothole? The other half of the prompt will only be revealed in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum, where sign-up for writers to choose from twenty-one half-prompts ends December 1, 2023.

Here's one of twenty-one half-prompts based on plotholes - contradictory details - within Mahābhārata or Rāmāyaṇa, from the Plotholes & Prompts fan fiction writing event that just began in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum:

Half-prompt #7

The narrator introduces Rāvaṇa when Śūrpaṇakhā meets him (Araṇyakāṇḍa 30.12-16):

ucchettāraṃ ca dharmāṇāṃ para-dār’ābhimarśanam

sarva-divy’āstra-yoktāraṃ yajña-vighna-karaṃ sadā

He was the chopper-up of morals, the violator of others’ wives, the engager of all divine missiles, always a troublemaker for yajña.

purīṃ Bhogavatīṃ gatvā parājitya ca Vāsukim

Takṣakasya priyāṃ bhāryāṃ parājitya jahāra yaḥ

Going to the city Bhogavatī, and defeating Vāsuki, he abducted Takṣaka’s dear wife after defeating (her or him).

Kailāsaṃ parvataṃ gatvā vijitya Nara-vāhanam

vimānaṃ Puṣpakaṃ tasya kāma-gaṃ vai jahāra yaḥ

Going to the mountain Kailāsa, conquering Kubera of the man-vehicle, he took away his wish-propelled airplane Puṣpaka.

vanaṃ Caitrarathaṃ divyaṃ Nalinīṃ Nandanaṃ vanam

vināśayati yaḥ krodhād Dev’odyānāni vīryavān

Heroic, he would spoil in anger the Devas’ parks: Citraratha's divine wood, Nalinī, and the Nandana wood.

candra-sūryau mahā-bhāgāv uttiṣṭhantau paraṃ-tapau

nivārayati bāhubhyāṃ yaḥ śaila-śikhar’opamaḥ

Moon and Sun, both greatly fortunate, both standing up to scorch their opponents, he who resembled a mountain peak would block with two arms.

Writers who want to tell Rāvaṇa's story, can you guess the plothole? The other half of the prompt will only be revealed in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum, where sign-up for writers to choose from twenty-one half-prompts ends December 1, 2023.