Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part B


In this episode Sita is being kidnapped by Ravana and is desperately trying to find help from the animals in the forest and the forest itself. Since she and Rama are well loved by the forest for being good virtuous people, she seems to have faith they will side with her instead of Ravana.

Sita asks Jatayu the great vulture to help her, and in response he tries to dissuade Ravana from taking Sita. Rama and Lakshmana's reputation as valiant and skilled warriors has already spread throughout the forest, and Jatayu tells Ravana that Rama will surely kill him in revenge.

Image: Killing of Jatayu
By: Balasaheb Pant Pratinidhi, via Wikimedia Commons

Ravana does not head the vulture's warning, so Jatayu attempts to save Sita by force. While Jatayu successfully destroys Ravana's flying car and two of his bows and injures the rakshasa, Ravana was able to cut off Jatayu's wings. At this point Sita embraces her dying friend who is "motionless and silent like an extiguished forest fire." Which I find to be a very tragic and moving way to describe the defeated bird.

Ravana then takes Sita and they leave Jatayu to die. As they leave Sister Nivedita describes the difference between the evil Ravana and the pure Sita by equating them with heavy clouds and golden lightning or a sable elephant and a gold cloth. It is also made clear that all the animals and the forest support Sita. The whole world wants her to be safe because she is the embodiment of purity and devotion.


Bibliography. Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914).

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