Chapter 51 - The Combat between Jatayu and Ravana

While Jatayu, the King of Birds, was speaking thus, Ravana, that Indra among Men, wearing golden earrings, his eyes red with anger, fell upon him and a terrible struggle ensued in the sky, resembling clouds impelled by the force of the wind; in that conflict Jatayu, King of Vultures, and Ravana, the Lord of the Titans, resembled two vast winged mountains.

Then Ravana began to shower innumerable steel-pointed shafts on the mighty King of the Vultures, but he, the chief of those whose wings are their chariot, received them unmoved and with his feet and sharp talons that foremost of birds inflicted countless wounds on the titan. Thereupon Dashagriva, filled with fury, anxious to destroy his adversary, taking out formidable shafts, equal to the God of Death, drew his bow up to his ear and pierced the vulture with those arrows, which, flying straight at their target, penetrated it with their steely points.

Seeing the daughter of Janaka, her eyes bathed in tears, in the titan’s car, Jatayu, disregarding those shafts, hurled himself at his opponent and, with his claws that valiant prince of the feathered tribe broke that bow decorated with pearls and gems and the arrows also.

Thereupon Ravana, transported with anger, seized another bow and covered him with a hail of hundreds and thousands of arrows. Buried beneath those shafts, Jatayu resembled a bird in its nest, but flapping his wings, he broke through that cloud of arrows and with his sharp claws snapped that mighty bow; with a stroke of his wings he shattered Ravana’s blazing shield, that resembled fire, and brushed aside the flaming darts that encompassed him.

Then Jatayu, in that conflict, slew the swift-coursing mules with demons’ heads, harnessed with gold, and demolished the chariot of Ravana, furnished with a triple standard of bamboo staves, which was driven by thought alone, bright as fire, its steps studded with precious gems. With a single movement of his wings, Jatayu struck down the canopy, like unto a full moon, with the chowries and the titans who wielded them.

His bow shattered, bereft of his chariot, horses and charioteer, Ravana sprang to the ground, clasping Sita to his breast. Seeing Ravana descend, his car destroyed, all beings voiced their delight and praised the King of the Vultures again and again, paying obeisance to him.

Ravana, however, perceiving that winged hero to be failing through exhaustion and age, greatly encouraged, rose high into the air, clasping the daughter of Janaka to him. Though without a bow, his other weapons being broken in combat, possessing his sword alone, he clasped Janaki passionately to his breast. Then the King of the Vultures darted towards him, barring his passage, and said to him:—

“O Insensate One, you are carrying away the beloved consort of Rama, radiant as lightning; it is to your perdition that you have brought about her abduction. Like thirsty men drinking water, you are swallowing poison, with your friends, kinsfolk, ministers, army and people. Those who through want of discrimination fail to foresee the consequences of their acts soon perish, as you too shalt meet thine end. Caught in the noose of death, whither will you flee? You are like unto the fish that swallows the hook as well as the bait. Assuredly those two invincible heroes, Offspring of the House of Raghu, will not brook the violation of their domicile. The deed that you have basely committed will be denounced by the world, as the path frequented by brigands is eschewed by honest people. If you are not a coward, fight, O Ravana, or pause an instant and you shalt lie dead on the earth, as did your brother Khara. Truly you are engaged in that which will prove your destruction, as one on the brink of death commits an impious deed. Those actions leading to evil are not undertaken even by the Lord of Creation, Svyambhu Himself.”

Uttering these harsh words, the valiant Jatayu swooped on the ten-headed demon and, seizing him in his claws, tore his flesh like the rider of a restive elephant. Inflicting deep wounds, he plunged his beak into his back and tore his hair with his talons. Thus assailed by the Vulture King, the titan, trembling with rage, pressing Vaidehi to his left side, foaming with anger, struck Jatayu with the palm of his hand, whereupon the mighty vulture Jatayu, the Destroyer of his Foes, hurled himself on Dashagriva and with his beak tore off his ten left arms. His arms being severed, in an instant as many others sprang up again, like serpents issuing from an ant heap, spitting forth poison.

Then, in his anger, the mighty Dashagriva released Sita in order to beat off the King of the Vultures with his fists and feet, and a mighty struggle arose between those two intrepid combatants, the Chief of the Titans and the Foremost of Birds, until Ravana, drawing his sword, cut off the wings and feet of Jatayu, piercing the side of that champion of Rama. The Ranger of the Skies having sundered the two wings of that King of Vultures, Jatayu fell to the earth, at the point of death, and seeing him on the ground, bathed in blood, Vaidehi, exceedingly distressed, darted towards him, as to one of her own kin.

Then the Lord of Lanka beheld that noble bird of exceeding prowess, with his yellow breast and plumage resembling a dark cloud, lying on the earth, like an extinguished torch, whereupon the weeping Sita, daughter of Janaka, whose countenance was like unto the full moon, pressed that winged creature, victim of the wanton Ravana, to her breast.