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Who Was Jatayu? Exploring the Legend of the Divine Vulture
“Le pakshi” so heard the wounded bird Jatayu from Sri Rama and these gave it the vigour of life to narrate the events that made it suffer a fatal blow – these divine words are said to have unveiled the name of this place as Lepakshi (a small village in Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh – considered as the place where Jatayu’s wings were clipped by the demon King Ravana in the futile battle the bird fought against Ravana who was carrying away Sita Devi.
Jatayu was seriously wounded. When Sri Rama reached the spot, he saw the helpless bird and said compassionately, “Le pakshi” (‘Rise! O! Bird!’). That “Le pakshi” became “Lepakshi” in due course.
Jatayu (believed to be a demigod with the iconography of an eagle or vulture) a prominent character in the Ramayana, fought fearlessly for righteousness and sacrificed his life to protect Sita Devi from Ravana. Revered as a heroic figure for his valiant efforts to protect Sita Devi, Jatayu’s selfless attempt highlights the importance of putting others’ well-being above personal considerations.
This serves as a reminder of the timeless values of courage, loyalty and selflessness and continues to inspire people to stand up for what is right, even in the face of overwhelming challenges. (There are different narratives related to the birth and life of Jatayu).
Hindu mythology contains scientific truths wrapped in easy-to-remember stories of fascinating characters. Protected by the aura of sanctity, they are passed unchanged down the generations. To the ancients, the meaning of the story was most important, not the literal truth of the details of a certain version of a tale.
The great sages of India, famed for their outstanding knowledge and wisdom, left an indelible mark on the sands of time and history by using familiar examples from day-to-day life and poetically presented abstract philosophical truths in an absorbing manner through tales that work with the people, for the people and always stories work on people.
Though many ancient tales might seem magical, miraculous or fanciful to us, people used to follow them and helped them as worth doing or best avoided. One of the reasons depicting God with a divine form is based on the average human mind, which finds it impossible to meditate upon or develop a personal relationship with a Divine that is formless.
The Birth and Character of Jatayu
Jatayu was born as a divine bird blessed with majestic size, immense strength and wisdom. He was the son of Aruna (the charioteer of the Sun God), and the nephew of Garuda. He was revered by both humans and Gods alike for his noble character and his unwavering devotion to dharma, the righteous path. In the Aranya Kanda of Srimad Ramayana, the legend of Jatayu comes to the forefront.
The majestic role of Jatayu, unravelling his extraordinary powers of determination and physique, arose when Jatayu heard Sita’s cries for help as Ravana was carrying her away in his flying chariot. Filled with righteous anger, Jatayu immediately confronted Ravana and tried to rescue Sita from his clutches. Jatayu’s ‘fighting blood’ of generations of Lordly ancestors who ruled the air and knew not fear, was on fire.
However, Ravana, who possessed immense power, was not easily deterred. He engaged in a fierce battle with Jatayu, using his celestial weapons to attack the mighty bird. Despite his valiant efforts, Jatayu was overpowered by Ravana’s strength and was severely wounded. Nevertheless, he continued to fight bravely, determined to protect Sita at any cost.
Fighting with all his might, he used his sharp talons and beak to counter Ravana’s attacks. However, Ravana overpowered the bird and clipped its wings, causing the bird to plummet to the earth below. Jatayu’s gravely injured body crashed onto the rocky terrain, on the verge of death.
This mindless action of Ravana illustrates that one has to face the consequences and one’s actions in this life may affect future life or the afterlife. The prophecy serves as a warning to Ravana that his act of killing a bird would have repercussions and haunt him for eternity, denying him rest and peace.
The sloka Maanishaad prathistham thavam agamaha shashvathihi samaha tells what happens if one kills a bird, and he/she will find no rest for the long years of Eternity. While it may not be the sole reason for Ravana’s eventual downfall, it was considered one of the many consequences of his immoral actions. It is said that the botheration, the distress or the wrong deeds that one commits is bound to have their after effects in future life.
The wounded Jatayu, lying helplessly, was breathing his last moments. He was determined to inform Sri Rama of the whereabouts of Sita Devi. With all his strength left, he kept calling Sri Rama’s name. When the grief-stricken Sri Rama and Lakshman, who came in search of her, arrived and met Jatayu, the Lord is said to have taken him in His divine hands and encouraged the wounded bird, saying “Le Pakshi”.
Jatayu’s Final Act: Revealing Sita’s Abduction
Jatayu remembered his friendship with King Dasaratha and addressed them as his children. He shared all the details of the abduction of Sita Devi by Ravana giving the vital information about the direction he had taken her, and passed away in the divine hands of Sri Rama. This selfless act of Jatayu brought Sri Rama out of darkness, only now he knew that Sita Devi was alive and taken away by a demon named Ravana.
When the divine brothers learned that the noble bird had put up a valiant battle single-handedly and unarmed against Ravana’s might, they were moved to tears. Sri Rama remembered that His father King Dasaratha and Jatayu became friends after the King was helped by Jatayu in his efforts to bring water to Ayodhya during the time of a drought.
Moved by the gallantry and courage of the aged Jatayu,/ the deeply touched Lord Sri Rama performed the bird its last rites as though the bird was his father. He blessed Jatayu and gave him Moksha.
Among the various forms of bhakti, this is deemed to be the highest and is extolled as ‘Atma samarpana’.
Through the legend of Jatayu, the Ramayana throws up many important facts that will help all. It shows that “Real power is not about physical strength but about the deep desire to help.” A “suhrida” is a well-wisher who does not expect anything in return from us, but is intent on doing actions that benefit us. Such people are rare.
Great minds of the past years often compare the life and times of two legendary souls of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana – the great Bhishma Pitamah and the great Jatayu, respectively.
It is said that all anger is not bad and we cannot forgive everyone every time. Parents are angry when their children neglect their studies or misbehave. It is the fear of this anger that motivates children to behave better in future.
Bhishma and Jatayu – Two Paths, Two Endings
According to the scriptures, both Bhishma Pitamah and Jatayu were blessed with the choice of the time of their death. Jatayu died in the lap of Sri Rama, and Bhishma Pitamah died on a bed of arrows. It is said that King Bhishma could not protect Princess Draupadi, sitting with her head bowed, when the Kauravas were humiliating her.
It is said that the result of this was that even after getting the blessing of death, the bed of arrows was reserved for him. Jatayu respected the woman, sacrificed his life, and while dying, he got the bed of the lap of Lord Rama.
King Bhishma could not do anything at the right moment, when Princess Draupadi was being humiliated, while Jatayu, known for his virtues, turned it into a blessing when it was done for the cause of ethics and morality. On the other hand, tolerance may turn into a sin when it cannot safeguard ethics and morality. Those who turn a blind eye to seeing wrong with others could have a fate like King Bhishma. One who struggles for others despite knowing the result will have glory like Jatayu.
Effort, Luck, and the Path to Success: Lessons from Jatayu
One can reach one’s goal only with constant effort and luck along with it. Effort and luck are the two wheels of the chariot of success. Success cannot be achieved by just one person. Jatayu’s life shows us never to hide ourselves and courageously face every problem that comes our way, and not to stay silent or turn a blind eye to injustice and cruelty.
Always stand up for what’s right, fearlessly. His valiant effort to protect ‘dharma’ and uphold righteousness serves as a timeless symbol of selflessness.
The tale of Jatayu illustrates how unwavering dedication to what is right can rise above individual constraints, underscoring the timeless influence of bravery, integrity, and faithfulness. This teaches us that one must always stand up for the weak-whether we have the capability or not, standing up for what is right is something we should be able to do fearlessly.
On witnessing injustice in society, we should stand up to at least try and make things right and not just stand by as a meek spectator.
The Ramayana is not only about Lord Sri Rama, the morally upright Sita Devi, the dutiful Sri Lakshmana, the great Bhakta Sri Hanuman, the fearless Jatayu and the devilish Ravana, it is as much a philosophical discourse on moral issues of an epic battle between good and evil.
