Reading Notes: Ramayana Part B

Jatayu is a bird who watches over the exiles in the forest and he fight Ravana who is taking Sita the wife of Rama.  I like his character, he will come to save anyone who needs help and would not hesitate to fight them.

After Rama got married and came home, his father Dasharatha exile him for twenty years and he left without hesitation.  Rama and Sita was going and Lakshmana also said he is going to go and the three of them went to forest for twenty years.  When staying in the forest Ravana comes and sent one his man to take form of Deer and Sita saw that deer and said to Rama "I want that deer" and Rama goes to catch him and Sita got worried and told Lakshmana to go behind him.  Lakshmana puts a barrier where Sita cannot go outside until one of them is back and nobody can come inside the barrier.  Ravana takes form of a Sage and try to get food from Sita and Sage said "would please give to me I cannot come inside this line."  Sita came outside and Ravana transform back to his orginal form and picks her up and take away.  While they were going in the car of Ravana, Sita was asking for help and Jatayu the might bird saw that and came to help.

Jatayu was a brave and he said "as long as I am alive, you cannot take Sita away."  They both started fighting and unfortunately Jatayu was not strong as Ravana and he was defeated.  The character of the Jatayu was side role but the purpose of his character to fight for justice and help the people.  It was also considering as a side character who was there to fight Ravana and die after that fight.  He should also stay alive until Rama comes and let him know who took his wife Sita away from him.  If he didn't die and was just injured, he could have help Rama to get Sita much faster because Jatayu was a bird he can fly.  It took some time for Rama to meet with Hanuman who can also fly because he is son of wind god name Pavan.

The story starts with the introducing how mighty bird Jatayu is able to fight with mighty rakshasa Ravana.  He was putting his all energy to fight the Ravana and it was nice to know that there are warriors who can fight Ravana and not sacred of him.  Whereas at the ending of story Jatayu died as mighty warrior who didn't back down even he had to fight Ravana and stayed alive until Rama came there ask him what happen.  I never like the story with the ending of someone who dies, and he also help people and evil person is powerful enough to kill the good person.  I like it when the evil person dies at the end of the story.

Ravana kills Jatayu. Source

The author is Laura Gibbs, PDE Ramayana: Jatayu and Ravana, Source