Jatayu

Gallery | Links:

Part 2

Realizing what his stubbornness had cost him, Jatayu went into full remorse. He flew around the world looking for Sampati, never being able to find him. After years of searching he gave up in despair. The pain of living at the cost of his brother ate away at him. In order to find the strength to go on, he made a pact with himself to commit his wings to the service of someone else’s well-being, just as Sampati had done.

It wasn’t long until Jatayu got the opportunity to vindicate his inner conflict. On a bright day as he was flying over a patch of forest, he witnesses a fearsome rakshasa kidnapping a woman. He was getting away on his chariot.

She was screaming “राम!” (Ram) at the top of her lungs, desperately hoping for someone to hear her. Without a moment’s hesitation, Jatayu knew his time had come.

Many legends have been written about what happens next. With all the existential resolve possible, Jatayu attacks his foe with immense ferocity. He destroys the chariot and even kills the charioteer and the horses. The fight was epic to say the least.

But this was no ordinary rakshasa; it was the mighty king Ravan. Ravan had never tasted defeat before so the damage he sustained made him well up with rage. His ego wouldn’t allow him to lose to a bird. After a fight that seemed to last forever, Ravan finally ended the assault by landing a fatal attack. He sliced a wing off Jatayu forcing him to crash some distance away.

Despite going down, Jatayu persists in being useful by repeating the name he heard the girl scream over and over; “राम!” (Ram). He believed that if he could just hang on long enough to help her, Sampati’s sacrifice could mean something. Fortunately his efforts weren’t in vain. A man he presumes is राम finds and comforts him in his last moments. After relaying what happened to the man’s wife, Jatayu dies, finally feeling worthy enough to be king of birds.