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| Image by Gemini AI |
Jatayu is a vulture in Valmiki Ramayana. The choice of
a vulture for a very noble mission on behalf of Rama is powerful poetic and
moral decision. Vultures are scavengers, associated with death and decay. Yet
Valmiki assigns to it one of the noblest tasks of sacrificing itself in defence of
Sita. Your true worth lies in what you do, in your character, and not in your
caste or even species. [In some versions, Jatayu is an eagle.]
Jatayu is given a noble funeral after
his death. Rama treats Jatayu like a noble kshatriya who sacrificed his life
fighting for dharma against an evil force like Ravana. “You are blessed, O
Jatayu!” Rama tells the dying bird. “Even in your last moments, you upheld
dharma. You fought to save a woman in distress. Your sacrifice will not go in
vain.”
Jatayu sacrificed himself to save
Sita from Ravana. He flew up into the clouds to stop Ravana’s flight with Sita.
Jatayu was a friend of Dasharatha, Rama’s father. Now Rama calls him equal to
his father: “Pitrusamah mama.” Rama calls him his kin, his elder
brother, and a martyr for dharma.
When Jatayu is dead, Rama personally
performs his cremation, saying: “Let your soul rise to the highest realms, O
noble one. You are free of this world, and you have earned a place among the
righteous.” Later, in the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira says, “Birth does
not determine a person’s caste; it is by actions (karma) that one’s true status
is known.” Jatayu may be a bird of an inferior category; but by karma he has
achieved nobility.
Jatayu’s fight with Ravana takes
place in the sky. His wings are cut off by Ravana and he plummets to the earth.
He clings on to life painfully for Rama’s arrival just to tell him where to
look for Sita. He breathes his last lying in the lap of Rama, a divine incarnation,
with a sense of fulfilment. His mission is accomplished; his life has acquired
a new dimension. He is no more a mean vulture.
On the other hand, Ravana is Brahmin
by birth. Learned and powerful too. Jatayu is not even fit to be anywhere near
the Varna system by birth. But his karma makes him far nobler than the Brahmin
Ravana. Your actions determine whether you are really a Brahmin or a rakshasa.
You can be a royal Kshatriya like
Kaikeyi, but by karma be nothing more than an ignoble manipulator driven by
fear, ambition, and egotism. Unlike Ravana, however, Kaikeyi redeems herself
later.
Jatayu might have said: Janma na
jayate shreshtah, karma hi paramam phalam: It is not by birth that one
becomes noble; it is by righteous action.
Characters such as Jatayu and Hanuman make me wonder whether Valmiki was subverting the caste system of the time.
PS. I’m
participating in #BlogchatterA2Z. This
series looks at the Ramayana from various angles.
Tomorrow: Karma versus Fatalism
Previous Posts in this series:
Loved the story and your insightful thoughts on Jatayu👍
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteAbsolutely! It is by a person's deeds their caliber as human beings is determined! Not by any system of caste or creed. And possibly Valmiki was trying to disrupt th
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed very true that it is by their deeds a person's caliber is determined. Not by some imagined caste system. Fight for what is right in the face of impossible odds. And as you say Valmiki might have been trying to disrupt the prevalent Varna system of those days
DeleteBoth these comments - the anonymous one and my friend Jai's - remind me of O V Vijayan, renowned Malayalam novelist. In 'Generations' (novel),Vijayan explored the worth of Brahminhood by making a low caste person learn Sanskrit and scriptures and do whatever a Brahmin could do. The Ezhava character became a Brahmin by knowledge. But he remained discontented. He learnt that it is not Brahminhood that makes life worthwhile. It is one's qualities.
DeleteSuch a beautiful post, almost an ode to the brave Jatayu! Mayuri
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteOh yes, dear Jatayu... I can never read this (or watch it played) without a tear. One of my favourite characters. For all the brief time he is in the tale, we come to love the mighty bird for his deeds and the lesson of actions speaking loudest. YAM xx
Indeed, tragedy as well as heroic self-sacrifice.
Delete"Jatayu was a friend of Dasharatha, Rama’s father. Now Rama calls him equal to his father: “Pitrusamah mama.” I didn't know this fact. The way you gave this beautiful ode to Jatayu, it's incredible. May more people know about Jatayu and his great sacrifices. - Swarnali Nath
ReplyDeleteOur epics have characters that move across time. Some of the characters from Ramayana appear in Mahabharata too.
DeleteThose on top have a vested interest in staying on top, no matter how ignoble they are. Birth does not determine worth, yet most cultures have some version of holding onto the opposite.
ReplyDeleteYes, aristocracy is often assigned to birth.
DeleteI wish people gave more emphasis on one's Karma rather than the caste system or religion divisions . The world would be a much better place. Once again, your reflective post about Jatayu makes us think as to what exactly keeps us away from striving to do better deeds. The usage of the Sanskrit verse adds more depth to it. Kudos to you, Sir for making the effort to learn a new language!
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of words common to Sanskrit and Malayalam. So it's not all that hard for a Malayali to learn Sanskrit.
DeleteThat's interesting. I haven't thought about that. It seems like Jatayu achieved moksha. Elders say even uttering Rama on deathbed gives you Moksha, the Jatayu migth have been fortunate.
ReplyDeleteGood Karma gives one the final deliverance. So, of course, Jatayu must have got his moksha.
DeleteJatayu is a character who captures the interest of everyone, including children. Such expressions of love are found throughout our literature. You mentioned Hanuman already—there’s also Guha’s devotion to Rama, Kannappan’s to Shiva, Meera's to Krishna, and Andal’s to Rangamannar. Please keep up your wonderful writing, Sir. All the best!
ReplyDeleteThanks, friend, for accompanying me on this epic journey.
Delete