Ramayana of valmiki and Kamban-19. Jatayu moksha

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19. Jatayumoksha

 

Ravana took Seetha to Lanka and tried to tempt her with his riches and also tried to convince her of his superiority over Rama and impossibility of Rama arriving there to save her. But seeing Seetha determined and abusive he placed her in asokavana surrounded with rakshasis and gave her twelve months to accept him or else he said he would kill her and eat her.

 

Back in dandakaranya Rama was hurrying with fear that Lakshmana and Seetha would have been misled by the shout of Mareecha and would become worried about him when he saw Lakshmana coming towards him sad and forlorn. Knowing the reason for his leaving Seetha and coming towards him Rama chided him for having disobeyed his command, heeding the words a woman in anger.

 

Then Rama reached the asrama and not finding Seetha there became grief stricken and feared that she was killed and eaten by rakshasas,. They searched everywhere and Seetha was not to be seen. Rama in his desperation asked the trees , the mountain and the animals and river Godavari whether they have seen Seetha. Lakshmana tried to pacify him by saying that men with firm resolve will not lose hope and disheartened in their task however difficult. .uthsaahavantho naraa na loke seedhanthi karmasu athi dhushkareshu.

 

Valmiki says that the river Godavari, out of fear from Ravana thinking about his fierce form and acts, kept quiet not giving information to Rama.

 

RaavaNasya cha thadroopam karmaaNi cha dhuraathmanaH

Dhyaathvaa bhayaath thu vaidheheem saa nadhee na SaSamsa

thaam

 

 

The deer when addressed by Rama to tell him the whereabouts of Seetha, stood up and looking towards the south started to run in that direction. Then Lakshmana understood that they were trying to tell them the direction in which Seetha has gone and told Rama that they could proceed towards south where the rakhsasas were known to inhabit.

 

Going towards south they came across the flowers that fell from the hair of Seetha and the chariot, bow and arrmour on the ground and the mules which were drawing the chariot of Ravana and the charioteer lying dead. They saw the blood stains and Rama became convinced that she was either taken away by the rakshasas or was killed and eaten by them. Rama became angry and vowed that he would destroy all the rakshasas completely. Rama even said that even dharma of Seetha did not protect her and the world and even the devas must have underestimated his valour because of his patience in accepting his fate and coming to the forest. Even one who is able to create the whole world and most valiant is treated with disrespect because of his mercy by all beings, out of ignorance

 

Karthaaram api lokaanaam Sooram karunavedhinam

ajnaanaath avamanyeran sarvabhoothaani lakshmaNa

 

Rama sad that he was going to give up his mercy and would show anger and pulvarize the mountain , dry up the river and destroy all the worlds if devas , gandharvas and others do not show him where Seetha was . But Lakshmana pacified him saying that it was obvious that Seetha was carried away by one man from the evidence of a fight there and it is not proper to destroy the whole world for the wrong done by one man. All beings , he said , including the Sun and the Moon, face difficulties but for the good, they go away quickly. Without knowing definitely what had happened to Seetha it was not advisable to get desperate or angry. In the end Lakshmana said no one was fit enough to advise Rama including the devaguru Brhaspathi and the mind of Rama could not be gauged by anyone. Valmiki implies through the words of Lakshmana . that the mental turbulence of Rama was assumed and nor real who was just enacting his part.

 

Then they came across Jatayu who was in his death bed just struggling to keep alive in order to inform Rama what happened. Rama suspected him at first thinking that he was the rakshasa who had killed and eaten Seetha but Jatayu told him what happened and Rama was filled with pity and grief. Jatayu told him that it was Ravana who had carried Seetha towards south but before he could say where Ravana lived he breathed his last. Rama did his last rites which even Dasaratha was not fortunate to receive from him. Rama told Lakshmana that he was more grieved than losing his own father.

 

Jatayu was blessed by Rama to reach the regions of the meritorious. Jatayu attained moksha because the Lord Himself did his last rites. The words of Rama that he would reach the best of the lokas were only uttered in his role as a human being and not as the Lord. The mere bird was cremated according to the vedic rites performed by brahmanas for the deceased, showing that the devotees of the Lord who do bhagavat kainakrya are above all caste restrictions.

 

In Kamabaramyana there are some differences regarding this episode. Seeing many earrings , (Kundalam) and swords and crowns Rama wondered whether there were many who fought for Seetha. But Lakshmana told him that since there was the flag of marked by Veena, and one chariot, armour and sword etc. it must be Ravana with ten heads who fought.

 

Seeing Jatayu, Rama in Kamban never suspected him but fell on his feet seeing him unconscious thinking that he was dead. Rama lamented that on his account Dasaratha died first and now Jatayu and denounce his own valour that while he was alive jatayu was killed.

 

Jatayu regaining consciousness informed Rama that Ravana carried Seetha off, along with the ground she stood on. It was only then Rama got angry and said that when a helpless woman was being abducted and a mere bird was fighting to save her the whole universe was watching and he would destroy them all including the devas who never interfered. But Jatayu pacified him saying that the whole world including devas were under the control of Ravana and basically it was the fault of Rama in listening to the words of Seetha and going after the deer and of Lakshmana leaving her alone and there is no use the use of blaming the world.

Ambu izai varivil senkai aiyanmeer aayum kaalai

Umpizai enbadhu allal ulagam sei pizaiyum undO

 

Thus Rama got angry not before seeing Jatayu and was pacifird by Lakshmana as in Valmiki but only after seeing the plight of Jatayu.