pique:

to excite or arouse especially by provocation, challenge or rejection

pique:

to excite or arouse especially by provocation, challenge or rejection

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  When Sita asked Hanuman how he as a small monkey would be able to carry her across the ocean, he felt piqued at having his strength questioned. Mahabharata:  The news of Kichaka‘s death piqued Duryodhana’s curiosity, for he suspected that it might be the work of Bhima who was hiding incognito.  Bhagavad-gita: 

calumny:

a misrepresentation intended to harm another’s reputation

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  Lakshman urged Rama to severely punish those who were uttering calumnies against Sita by accusing her of unchastity. Mahabharata:  Wanting to undermine the Pandavas’ claim to the kingdom, Duryodhana discreetly propagated calumnies that their birth was questionable, maybe even illegitimate. Bhagavad-gita:  Krishna warned Arjuna that if he left the battlefield, he would

discretion:

the quality of having good judgment

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  Due to her poor discretion, Kaikeyi believed Manthara’s twisted version of events and ended up drowning Ayodhya in an ocean of devastation. Mahabharata:  Duryodhana’s lack of discretion led to his foolishly challenging the Gandharvas, a challenge that ended in his humiliating arrest by them. Bhagavad-gita:  If we study the Gita regularly and

mull:

to consider at length, wonder

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  After Ravana rejected his advice, Vibhishana mulled over his options: stay on with Ravana, retire to the Himalayas or go over to Rama’s side and help him bring Ravana to justice.  Mahabharata:  The Pandavas mulled over the challenge of staying incognito for one full year, knowing that Duryodhana would make vigorous efforts

scant:

insufficient, meager

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  Given Ravana’s scant regard for morality, Jatyu’s warning about the immorality of abducting another man’s wife had no effect on the demon. Mahabharata:  As details were scant in the report of the fire that had apparently killed the Pandavas, the citizens started suspecting foul play and blaming the Kauravas. Bhagavad-gita:  Only those

elite:

a group or class of people enjoying superior intellectual, social or economic status

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  When Ravana heard that his entire battalion of elite warriors had been wiped out by a single monkey, he was stunned. Mahabharata:  Karna’s craving to be included in the elite class of warriors made him vulnerable to manipulation by Duryodhana who had granted him entry into that class. Bhagavad-gita:  The Gita states

capper:

climax, finale, clincher

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  Among all of Hanuman’s exploits in Lanka, the capper was his setting half Ravana’s capital on fire with the very tail that Ravana had set on fire. Mahabharata:  For Arjuna, the period of exile was filled with extraordinary adventures, the capper being his single-handed victory over the entire Kaurava army. Bhagavad-gita:  If

emblematic:

serving as a visible symbol for something abstract

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  Ravana’s abduction of Sita was emblematic of the demon’s vicious lustiness with which he had terrorized the whole universe. Mahabharata:  Duryodhana’s refusal to give the Pandavas enough land to put the tip of a needle through is emblematic of his arrogant obstinacy that made the war inevitable. Bhagavad-gita:  The Gita’s battlefield setting

dichotomy:

a division into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or entities

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  The dichotomy of good and evil is demonstrated in the Ramayana through Rama’s unfailing adherence to virtue and Ravana’s indiscriminate indulgence in vice. Mahabharata:  Although the dichotomy of good and evil underlies the Mahabharata’s storyline, the presence of several good characters on the side of evil infuses the story with fascinating moral

adherence:

steady or faithful attachment

Example Sentences: Ramayana:  Due to Sita’s adherence to virtue despite Ravana’s repeated threats and temptations, she is celebrated as a model woman in the Indian tradition. Mahabharata: Bhishma’s adherence to the Kauravas is difficult to understand if we don’t first understand the importance of the word of honor for warriors in those times. Bhagavad-gita:  We