Jatayu
Vadham :
RavanA ws intent on kidnapping Sita by deceit and hence commanded
mAricha to take the form of a beautiful deer
and to prance in front of Sita's parNasAlaa at Panchavati . Sita
dEvi was charmed by the golden deer and begged
her husband to catch it and present it to her for use as a pet .Rama
followed the " deer "
Maricha gets killed by the arrow of Sri Rama. While Rama was away
on pursuit of Maricha , the golden deer ,
RavaNa arrives at the parNasala of Rama in the guise of an ascetic.
Sita invites him to accept her hospitality. She tells the visitor
about Her husband and the reason for their visit to the forest .
RavaNa now takes his real formand expresses his desire to make Sita
his chief queen in Lankhaa. Sita is shocked by the audacity of the
insolent and deceitful Visitor . She reproaches RavaNa for his unrighteous
thought .
RavaNa gets angry at her harsh words and forcibly kidnaps her and
places her in his celestial car and begins
his travel to his kingdom . The heart broken Sita wails and calls
all the animals and plants of the forest to tell her consort
that she is being borne away by the evil RavaNa and for him to come
to her rescue. As she was being carried away , Sita catches sight
of
the eagle king Jataayu perched on a tree. She addresses JatAyu and
begs him to report her abduction by RavaNa and to ask her husband
to hurry and rescue her. Jataayu , the friend of Dasaratha engages
RavaNa in a fierce battle to deter him form taking Sita away.
JatAyu is mortally wounded in that ferocious battle and lies half
dead on ground. Soon, Rama searching for his missing consort
arrives on the scene and learns from JatAyu about the events that
transpired . JatAyu had hung to his life until he could see
Rama and brief him on the terrible events that happened. At the
end of his narration, JatAyu dies. Rama was overcome with inconsolable
sorrow over the heroic fight of JatAyu . He performed the final
rites to the dead eagle king |
