Jatyu was the son of Syeni who was a daughter of Daksha. The sage Kashyapa was his father. He succeeded to the kingship of the birds from his elder half-brother Sampati, when Sampati's wings were burnt away by the sun while trying to shield Jatayu.
He tried to stop Ravana from kidnapping Sita the wife of Rama. (This episode is narrated in Ramayana). Ravana cut off his wing and left him close to death. He held on to his life till Rama came by, and then died. Rama accepted him as his elder brother and performed the funeral rites for this great bird. 1) In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Jatayu is the son of Aruṇa and nephew of Garuda. A demi-god who has the form of a vulture, he was an old friend of Dasharatha (Rama's father). He tries to rescue Sita from Ravana when Ravana is on his way to Lanka after kidnapping Sita. Jatayu fought valiantly with Ravana, but as Jatayu was very old Ravana soon got the better of him. As Rama and Lakshmana chanced upon the stricken and dying Jatayu in their search for Sita, he informs them of the fight between him and Ravana and the direction in which Ravana had gone (i.e., south). 2) Jatāyū (जटायू): Jatāyū was king of all the eagles-tribes, the son of Aruna and nephew of Garuda. A demi-god who has the form of an (eagle), he tries to rescue Sita from Ravana, when Ravana is on his way to Lanka after kidnapping Sita. His brother was Sampatī II Story of Jaṭāyus Chapter V - The kidnapping of Sītā One day two flying ascetics, Trigupta and Sugupta, came through the air at dinnertime. They approached to break their fast, after fasting for two months, and the three—Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa—paid homage to them devotedly. Sītā entertained them with suitable food and drink and then the gods made showers of rain and jewels. Then Ratnajaṭin, lord of the Vidyādharas of Kambudvīpa, and two gods came there and, delighted, gave Rāma a chariot with horses. A bird, named Gandha, came there because of the fragrance of the shower of perfume, having come down from a tree, which he inhabited, ill. At the mere sight of the muni, memory of his births was produced and he fell on the ground in a swoon, and Sītā sprinkled him with water. When he had regained consciousness, he fell at the sādhu’s feet and was cured instantly by the magic art, the healing herb of touch,[1] of the sādhu. His wings became golden; his bill resembled coral; his feet were like rubies; and his body had the color of various jewels; his top-knots on his head resembled rows of pearls; and from that time the bird’s name was Jaṭāyus. Rāma asked the sages: “The vulture is evil-minded from flesh. Why did he become quiet at your feet? Blessed Ones, formerly his body was very lusterless. Why now was the color of a heap of gold and jewels produced instantly?” Sugupta related: “Formerly there was a city, Kumbhakārakaṭa, and its king, Daṇḍaka. At that time in Śrāvastī there was King Jitaśatru; his wife was Dhāriṇī, and their son was Skandaka. They had a daughter, Purandarayaśas, and Daṇḍaka, the lord of Kumbhakārakaṭa, married her. One day Daṇḍaka sent a messenger, a Brāhman named Pālaka, to King Jitaśatru, on some business. At that time Jitaśatru was devoted to the fellowship of the Arhats’ religion, but Pālaka, evil-minded, began to corrupt his religion. He, possessing false belief, hard-hearted, was silenced by Prince Skandaka by reasoning harmonizing with truth. At that time he was laughed at by the councilors and became angry at Skandaka. One day, dismissed by the king, he went to Kumbhakārakaṭa. One day, Skandaka, disgusted with existence, together with five hundred rājputs took the vow under Munisuvrata. Saying, ‘I shall go to Kumbhakārakaṭa to enlighten Purandarayaśas and the people,’ he took leave of the Lord. The Lord said, ‘If you go there, an attack ending in death will be made on you and your retinue.’ ‘Shall we attain emancipation or not?’ Skandaka again asked Svāmin Munisuvrata. The Blessed One explained, ‘All except you will attain emancipation.’ Saying, ‘All this is accomplished,’ Skandaka set forth. In course of time, Skandakācārya, accompanied by five hundred mumis, reached the city Kumbhakārakaṭa. Seeing him, cruel Pālaka, recalling his defeat, had weapons implanted in the ground in the gardens suitable for the sādhus. Skandakācārya stopped in one of, the gardens and Daṇḍaka came with his attendants to honor him. Skandaka delivered a sermon and many people rejoiced. At the end of the sermon King Daṇḍaka, delighted, went to his own house. Pālaka, evil-minded, went to the king secretly: ‘Master, Skandaka is certainly a hypocritical heretic. A great rogue, he has come here with a thousand soldiers in the guise of monks to kill you and take your kingdom. Let the king believe. this, when he has seen the weapons hidden secretly by the soldiers disguised as monks in the garden here, his own place.’ Then the king had the dwelling places of the monks dug up everywhere. He saw various weapons and was in deep despair. Without reflection the king instructed Pālaka: ‘You were well-informed, minister. I am furnished with eyes by you. You yourself know what is suitable to do to this scoundrel. Do that. Do not ask me again, noble sir.’ So instructed, Pālaka had a machine made quickly and crushed the sādhus one by one before Skandaka. Even while they were being crushed Skandaka himself had them perform the right emancipation-rites accompanied by a sermon. When the youngest muni in the retinue was led to the machine, from compassion Skandakācārya said to Pālaka, ‘Crush me first. Do this request of mine, that I may not see the young muni being crushed.’ Knowing that Skandaka would suffer from his crushing, Pālaka had the boy-muni crushed to pain him. All became omniscient and attained an eternal abode. But Skandaka rejected that and made a nidāna: ‘May I be the means of destroying Daṇḍaka and Pālaka and their families and kingdoms, if there is fruit of penance.’ Having made this nidāna, he was crushed by Pālaka, and he became a god, a Vahnikumāra, like the fire at the end of the world for their destruction. A bird seized his broom[2] which was made from the thread of a choice blanket given by Purandarayaśas and which was soaked with blood. Though it had been seized really with an effort with the idea that it was an arm, it fell by chance in front of Queen Purandarayaśas. Then she knew the destruction of her brother, the great sage. ‘What crime have you committed, wretch?’ she reviled Daṇḍaka. The messenger-deity lifted her up, while she was immersed in grief, and took her to Munisuvrata; and she became a mendicant. The Agnikumāra, Skandaka, knowing his former birth by clairvoyance, burned King Daṇḍaka with Pālaka and the people of the city. From that time this cruel, uninhabited forest has been known over the earth as ‘Daṇḍakāraṇya’ from the name of Daṇḍaka. After Daṇḍaka had wandered in existence in birth-nuclei which were mines of pain, he became the bird, Gandha, very ill because of his karma. Memory of his former births was produced by seeing us and the diseases were destroyed by our magic art, ‘the healing herb of touch.’” Hearing that story, the bird, delighted, fell again at the muni’s feet, listened to dharma, and became a layman. The great muni, knowing his desire, made for him the vow to cease destroying life, eating flesh, and eating at night. The muni said to Rāma: “He is your co-religionist. Devotion to a co-religionist is described by the Jinas as conducive to happiness.” “He is our dearest brother,” Rāghava said and, after he had praised the munis, they flew up in the air and went elsewhere. Jānakī, Rāma, and Lakṣmaṇa mounted their divine chariot and wandered elsewhere for sport, accompanied by Jaṭāyus. III Jaṭāyu Genealogy. Descended from Viṣṇu as follows, Brahmā—Marīci—Kaśyapa—Aruṇa—Jaṭāyu. Birth. Two sons called Sampāti and Jaṭāyu were born to Aruṇa. Their mother, a bird, was Śyenī. Śyenī, wife of Aruṇa, delivered two children, Sampāti and the great Jaṭāyu (Ādi Parva, Chapter 66, Verse 71). "Know that I am the son of Aruṇa and Sampāti is my elder brother. My name is Jaṭāyu, and I am the son of Śyenī." (Vālmīki Rāmāyana, Canto 14, Verse 32). But, according to Kamba Rāmāyaṇa, the name of the mother of Sampāti and Jaṭāyu was Mahāśvetā. (Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa). Perhaps, Śyenī was also known as Mahāśvetā. Jaṭāyu flies towards Sūrya. Sampāti and Jaṭāyu, once under a bet flew up towards the sun. Jaṭāyu outflew Sampāti, and in the exuberance of youth entered Sūrya’s orbit at noon time with the result that, due to the excessive heat his wings were scorched. At this Sampāti, to save his brother, flew up higher than Jaṭāyu and spread out his wings like an umbrella over Jaṭāyu with the result that Sampāti’s wings were burnt, and he fell down somewhere on the Vindhya mountains. He spent the rest of his life under the protection of a sage called Niśākara who was performing penance on the mountains. After their tragic meeting in Sūryamaṇḍala Sampāti and Jaṭāyu never again met in their life. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapter 58; Kamba Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa). Fought with Rāvaṇa. Jaṭāyu clashed with Rāvaṇa, who was carrying away Sītādevī in his vimāna, and in the fierce fight that they fought in the air, Rāvaṇa cut off Jaṭāyu’s wings and thus felled him on the earth, almost dead. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Araṇya Kāṇḍa, Chapter 51). Death. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa during their search in the forest for Sītā came upon Jaṭāyu lying without wings almost dead and reciting Rāma’s name. Jaṭāyu described to Rāma how Rāvaṇa had carried away Sītā and how he had tried to stop him and fought with him. After giving this account he died. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa lit a fire and cremated Jaṭāyu. The great bird’s soul attained salvation. (Kamba Rāmāyaṇa). IV They first thought he must be some powerful monster. Shri Rama sees Jatayu. atha pancavatim gacchannantararaghunandanah | asasada mahakayam gridhram bhimaparakramam || The body of Jatayu was so big that it covered the entire banyan tree on which it was sitting. Thinking that it might be a giant or monster, Rama asked the creature he saw, “Who are you?” Encouraging them, he replied in a sweet voice showing respect and love, vatsamam viddhi vayasyam pituratmanah “Son, know that I am a friend of your father.” When Rama heard that he was a friend of his father, he felt respect and reverence for the new acquaintance and wanted to know more details about him. Then the Noble Bird talked not only about himself and about his genesis, but also about all the creatures on earth and about the genesis of man itself. All those things are not described here. Let us only look at the genesis of Jatayu. “In the ancient times, as we all know, there are many kings. One of the most renowned of them was prajapati Kashyapa. Before him there was the Daksha prajapati who had sixty daughters. Of these sixty, Prajapati Kashyapa took eight as his wives. From these eight wives came all the birds and animals seen in this world. Human beings and serpents came from one of those women. Vinata was my grandmother. She had two sons named Garuda and Aruna. I was born from Aruna. My elder brother is Sampati. I am called Jatayu and Shyeniputra. This forest is full of wild animals and more cruel giants and you are not safe. If you agree, I will stay with Sita and protect her. When you brothers go out for some important work, Sita will need protection, isn’t it?” Sri Rama was happy. He embraced the earlier friend of his father. He made Jatayu explain in details his love and friendship with his father Dasharatha. But somehow Valmiki does not give details of what Jatayu said about these things. However, the friendship, company and protection offered by Jatayu was not refused by Sri Rama. They continued their journey to Pancavati together. He also entrusted the protection of Sita, the Janakarajaputri, to Jatayu. They entered Pancavati. They found out a place for their quiet life. When they started building the “parnashala”, Jatayu was not seen. Then we hear about him as one fighting with Ravana who had abducted Sita. Sita was forcefully taken away by Ravana and as she was in the pushpakavimana she was extremely sad and afraid. She was lamenting and was calling all the trees, creepers, birds and animals of the forest and requesting them to inform Shri Rama about her sad plight. amantraye janasthane karnikaran supushpitan | kshipram ramayashamsadhvam sitam harati ravanah || malyavantam shikharinam vande prasravanam girim | sarvani sharanam yami mrigapakshigananapi || hriyamanam priyam bharttuh pranebhye api gariyasim| As she was crying, she looked down from the vimana and saw Jatayu sitting on a tree. “vanaspatigatam gridhrama dadarshayatalocana”. Then she screamed at the top of her voice: “Noble Jatayu, look at this immoral monster taking me away forcefully. As he is terrible and well-armed, you may not be able to face him alone. So please inform Sri Rama about the way I am abducted by this monster.” At that time Jatayuwas sleeping soundly. He heard the lament and the complaint and suddenly got up from his sleep and looked. He saw the vimana, Ravana and Sita in it. The noble bird who was strong and powerful, sitting on the tree said like this: “Ravana, you tenheaded monster, I am Jatayuand an enemy of immoral people. I am a lover of truth and a believer in the true faith. ShriRama is the king of the world and the lady whom you have abducted is his wife. How can you abduct the wife of another person? This is highly immoral, condemnable, and destructive. Shri Rama has never committed a mistake in his life. Just because of your sister Shurpanakha’s pride and stubbornness, if you decide to go to war with Shri Rama you and your army will be killed. So immediately release and send Sita home. Or else you will be blasted like Vritrasura who was burned by the Vajrayudha of Indra. Jatayu made this long sermon. The speech which contained many moral principles, justice, and things appropriate to good behaviour proved to be a futile cry in the wilderness. When Jatayurealized that his words were not taken seriously by Ravana, he prepared himself for battle. “I will not let you go unpunished till there is life in me” was the challenge of Jatayu as he flew to attack Ravana. Ravana was an emperor of monsters and he was flying in his Pushpakavimana. How will he tolerate the impudence of a mere bird who wanted to advise him and threaten him? Ravana’s eyes were sparking with anger and he rushed towards Jatayu in the most monstrous fashion. The duel between Jatayu and Ravana taking place in the air was terrible. It was like two huge clouds colliding, or to use another simile, it was like the fight between two flying mountains. Jatayuwas able to inflict wounds on Ravana in many places, using his beak, claws and wings. Because of the flapping of the mighty wings of Jatayu, the crown and other ornaments of Ravana were displaced. Ravana fought bitterly against the noble bird, sending powerful arrows at him. The bird was getting exhausted. But he did not care for his life and continued to fight with the monster most valiantly. Many parts of the vimana and its decorations were broken into pieces because of the flapping of the mighty wings of Jatayu. The bow of Ravana was broken. His chariot was broken into pieces. Then the horses took Ravana, who was utterly exhausted, and leapt on to the earth. sabhagnadhanva viratho hatashvo hatasarathi | ankenadaya vaidehim papata bhuvi ravanah || Once again Jatayugave a moral sermon to Ravana: vajrasamsparsha bhanasya bharya ramasya ravana alpabhuddhe harasyenam vadhaya khalu rakshasam “You thief, if you have courage you face Rama straight. If you do that you will have the same experience as that of Khara. You pretend to be courageous but you behave like a coward.” The battle raged. Ravana sustained many injuries. Enraged, Ravana cut off the wings of Jatayu. pakshau parshau ca padau ca khadgamudhritya socchinat Jatayu then fell down almost dead. Sita, seeing the sad plight of Jatayu, leaving Ravana, rushed to him as if he were her father. Caressing the noble bird affectionately, Sita cried. “This noble bird came to rescue me. But he has fallen. I am most unlucky.” Sita was embracing Jatayu and crying bitterly. She then was like a golden creeper covering a big tree. Ravana rushed to her and said to her, “Leave him, leave him!” He then dragged her away from the bird. The entire atmosphere was now at a standstill. The air did not move. The creepers did not move. The birds did not chirp. It was as if everything went mute. Ravana took Sita and climbed into the sky. Sita was wearing a yellow dress which was flying in the wind. The dress covered Ravana and he was shining like a mountain on fire. Ravana then rushed to Lanka with Sita. Thus he escaped into his own kingdom. He was greatly worried until he reached his country. The Malayalam phrase “pambakadannu” comes from this situation where Ravana reached safely home after crossing the sea. Realizing that Sita was lost, Rama and Lakshmana were terribly upset and they were looking for her in all possible places. Then they came to the area in the forest where Jatayuwas lying with his wings cut off and legs wounded, and his body covered with blood. When Rama saw the bird lying in this state, he suddenly thought he must be a monster who has caught and eaten Sita and is now rolling on the ground. Thus he misunderstood the wounded bird. He was going to send an arrow to kill it. But the dying bird recognized Rama and Lakshmana. Rolling in pain he told them, “The person you are looking for and my life are taken away by Ravana. I happened to see Ravana abducting Sita devi. I tried to save her. I fought with Ravana. But he cut off my wings. The chariot which is damaged, the protective armour lying there and the dead guard belong to Ravana. Since I am already killed by the monster, there is no need to kill me again.” When Rama heard what Jatayu said and saw his condition and the things he pointed out, he felt great sorrow and shame. He caressed Jatayu and lay near him and told Lakshmana: rajyadbhramsho vane vasah sita nashtadvijo hatah idrishiyam mamalakshmirnnirddahedapi pavakam “I am so unlucky that if I fall into a river that is full of water it will immediately go dry. Look at this old noble bird who is a friend of my father. Just because of my misfortune even he is lying here mortally wounded.” Saying like this, Rama gently caressed the wounded body of Jatayu. With the divine touch of Rama, Jatayu died and went into eternal bliss. Although he was dying, with great difficulty, Jatayu had said to Rama: “Ravana is carrying Sita through the air. After cutting my wings off, he went in the southern direction. He did this at a very inauspicious time. He is like a fish that has swallowed a hook. He is on the way to destruction. You should not worry at all. You will be able to kill him in battle and retrieve Sita Devi.” Soon Jatayu’s soul left him. Shri Rama cried bitterly at the death of Jatayu. He lamented saying: “This Jatayu had lived in this forest enjoying such a good life. It is a pity that his end came this way. He had gone to help my wife and he was killed so tragically. Even among animals there are creatures who are so good and moral that they are willing to help the needy. I feel greater sorrow at the death of this noble bird than at the loss of my wife. I feel so upset when I think of his cruel fate. We should bury him properly and do the necessary rituals.” After that they built a funeral pyre on the bank of Godavari. There they cremated the body of Jatayu. Sri Rama carried out the usual funeral rituals and made the necessary sacrifices, He prayed for the eternal bliss of Jatayu. He did all that should be done for the eternal rest of the departed soul. The soul of Jatayu entered eternal bliss. Jatayu-sangama As Rama was walking during his stay in the forest, he met the gigantic Jatayu, the youngest son of Arunaa. Rama thought Jatayu to be a monster or giant and asked him, “Who are you?” But Jatayu recognized Rama and talked sweetly to him and introduced himself as a friend of Rama’s father, Dashratha. When Rama came to know that Jatayuwas a friend of his father, he properly greeted him and offered him hospitality. When Rama asked him about his “Kula” and tribe, Jatayu answered this way: acacaksedvijastasmaikulamatmanamevaca JatayuritamamviddhishyeniputRamarindama[2] He said his name and his place. He said, “I am Jatayu. Please know that I am the son of Shyeni. If you want I can help you during your stay in the forest. When you go out I will protect Sita Devi.” Jatayu was the king of vultures. In the Itihasa called Ramayana, words have meanings that are legendary. It is in the 14th Sargam in the Aranyakanda that Jatayu reveals his genealogy. When he says that he is the son of Aruna, who was the son of Vinata, it means he is a king belonging to the Surya dynasty. Vulture may be a symbol of a dynasty. In the Itihasa Puranas we see that Kite, Lion, Garuda, Snake, and Bear were the flag symbols of many dynasties. Kings were known as Garudadhvaja, Kapidhvaja etc. indicating the dynasties they belonged to. Human beings cannot have diplomatic relations, administrative consultations or war alliances with animals. Such relations can exist only between human beings. So it should be understood that monkey kings mean those who made monkey their flag symbols and vulture kings mean those who made vulture the symbol of their flags. It is in Bhasa’s Abhishekanataka that Bali is presented both as a monkey and a bear. Bali is there referred to as Riksharaja Bali. Bali’s father is Indra. When it is said that Jatayu is the friend of Dasharatha, it should be considered how friendship can exist between a bird and a human being. The convention is that friendship develops between persons of the same nature, habits or addictions. The language of a vulture can never be soft and sweet. It will be harsh and piercing. In the 68thSarga of Aaraynakanda, the vulture is qualified as ‘dvija’. Shrirama asks Jatayu this question: “sitayakanicoktanitasminkatedvijottama?” It means, “Dvijottama, what did Sita say to you, Jatayu, when you saw Sita being kidnapped by Ravana? Since a bird is fist born as an egg and then hatches into a bird, the term dvija is quite appropriate for it. Still what kind of libation and burning culture does a bird have? Nobody burns a bird or libation offered for it. But we Rama conducted the funeral of Jatayu in the same way he did with the body of his father. A bird can never be addressed as “Arya”. But at the time of the kidnapping of Sita, she says to Jatayu thus: “jatayopashyamam aryahriyamanamanathavat.” It means “Hey Arya Jatayu, don’t you see that I am being kidnapped like an orphan?” V Kidnapping of mother Sita There are many stories and pastimes of Lord Ram in the Ramayan, all captivating and deep. One such story is of Jatayu, a vulture with special powers. He was a true devotee of the Supreme Lord, which was proven when he sacrificed his life to become part of Lord Ram's pastimes. When Ravana kidnapped Mother Sita, Lord Ram's wife, and took her to Lanka (modern-day Sri Lanka), Jatayu heard her cries and flew into the sky to stop Ravana. Though old and weak, he fought Ravana but was unsuccessful in saving Sita. However, the fight resulted in something extraordinary. A bird's fighting spirit Jatayu informed Lord Ram about Sita’s kidnapping, giving crucial information and directions. He then died. According to Vedic custom, birds are considered inferior to humans, and nothing is usually done for their last rites. But Lord Ram, moved by Jatayu’s sacrifice, awarded him the highest honour by holding him in His lap as he died. What a glorious moment! The Supreme Lord, difficult to attain even by yogis performing penances for thousands of years, was touched by the love of His devotee. Lord Ram didn’t stop there; He personally performed Jatayu's last rites with all Vedic rituals, setting an example that those who become His devotees deserve the highest respect. As the Supreme Creator and Maintainer, Lord Ram acted in the highest possible way for Jatayu, who, in turn, set an example of how to serve the master. K Rajaram IRS 4225 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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