Chapter 67 - Rama encounters Jatayu

At these apposite words, full of wisdom, uttered by his younger brother Lakshmana, Raghava, regaining possession of himself, rallied his courage anew. Controlling his wrath, the long-armed Rama, leaning on his marvellous bow, said to Lakshmana:—“O My Friend, what should be done? Whither shall we go, O Lakshmana? How shall we find Sita again? Let us consider these things carefully.”

To these anxious enquiries, Lakshmana answered:—“It is for you to search Janasthana which is inhabited by innumerable titans and covered with trees and.creepers of every kind. There, inaccessible cliffs, chasms and caves are to be found and dark caverns inhabited by herds of wild beasts, the retreat of Kinneras and the resort of Gandharvas; with me explore these places. As the mountains are not affected by tempest, neither can adversity daunt the wise such as you, O Lion among Men.”

Thus speaking, Lakshmana began to scour the forest, and Rama, still chafing under adversity, advanced holding his bow on which was strung a formidable steel-pointed shaft, when suddenly he beheld Jatayu, that excellent King of Birds, resembling a mountain peak, lying on the earth covered with blood. Seeing that great vulture, like unto the crest of a mountain, Rama said to Lakshmana:—

“Without doubt, here is the titan, who, ranging the forest under the guise of a vulture, has destroyed Sita, the Princess of Videha! Having satisfied himself by devouring that largeeyed princess, he is resting at ease; I shall pierce him with my dread and fiery shafts that fly straight to their target.”

Speaking thus, Rama, fixing a sharp arrow on his bow, ran towards him and in his ire it seemed he would destroy the earth, whose boundaries are the sea.

Vomiting blood, that bird then addressed Rama the son of Dasaratha, in the mournful accents of one about to die, saying:—

“O You of long life, that divinity whom you seeks in the great forest, as one does a healing herb,¹ has been borne away by Ravana, as has my life also.

“O Raghava, in the absence of Lakshmana and thyself, that princess was seen by me, being dragged away by the allpowerful Ravana. Flying to the aid of Sita, O Lord, Ravana was thrown to the earth by me in the struggle that ensued, and his chariot and canopy shattered. With a stroke of my wing, I slew the charioteer, but being at the end of my strength, my two wings were severed by Ravana’s sword, and he, seizing hold of Sita, the Princess of Videha, escaped into the air. That titan has left me here to die; do not slay me, O Prince.”

Receiving these precious tidings concerning Sita, Rama, dropping his great bow, embraced the King of the Vultures, and then, despite his resolve, fell to the ground overcome with grief and began to lament with Lakshmana. Seeing Jatayu alone in that perilous and isolated pathvay, moaning unceasingly, Rama, overwhelmed with pity, said to Saumitri:—“The loss of my kingdom, exile to the forest, the abduction of Sita and the death of this Twice-born, renders my fate such that it would consume fire itself. Even were the sea filled to the brim and I to enter it this day, that Lord of the Rivers would dry up on account of my misfortunes.

“Such is the adversity that encompasses me that there is none in all the worlds amongst animate and inanimate beings who is so wretched as I! On account of mine evil karma, this childhood friend of my sire, the mighty King of the Vultures, lies dying on the earth!”

Repeating these words again and again to Lakshmana who accompanied him, Rama began to caress Jatayu, passing his hand lovingly over the body of his father’s friend. Thereafter taking the King of the Vultures, whose wings were severed and who was bathed in blood, in his arms, he said:—

“Where has Maithili gone, who is dearer to me than life?” and having spoken thus, Raghava sank down on the earth.