Jatayu: The Bird Who Fought Ravana

Who he is

Jatayu was a king of the vultures, son of Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun, and younger brother of Sampati. He had been a friend of Dasharatha. When Ram, Sita and Lakshmana came to live at Panchavati, the old bird introduced himself and promised to watch over Sita whenever the brothers were away.

His last fight

He kept the promise. When Ravana rose into the sky with Sita, Jatayu, dozing on a tree, heard her cry. He first tried reason, telling Ravana that a king must not touch another's wife. Then he attacked. By the Ramayana's own account he was sixty thousand years old, and his opponent was the most feared warrior alive. Jatayu killed Ravana's mules, smashed his chariot, broke his bow and tore at him with beak and claws. Ravana at last drew his sword and cut off the bird's wings.

Jatayu held on to life until Ram found him. He told Ram who had taken Sita and in which direction, and died with his head in Ram's lap. Ram, weeping, said he grieved more for Jatayu than for the loss of Sita, built the pyre with his own hands and performed the full funeral rites. He had been unable to do this for his father; he did it for a bird. The story is in the Aranya Kanda.

Later Jatayu's brother Sampati, wingless from an old sacrifice of his own, was the one who told the search party that Sita was in Lanka.

What he stands for

Jatayu knew he could not win. He fought because the alternative was to watch a wrong and do nothing. The Ramayana treats that as victory. He is the answer to everyone who says, "What difference can I make?" His few minutes of resistance gave Ram the one piece of information on which everything afterwards depended.

His story also carries a rule for bystanders: when someone is being harmed in front of you, your age, your odds and the other person's power are not reasons to stay silent.

Read Equality and compassion and Courage and patience in adversity. Next: Shabari.