vulture demigod of Hindu mythology
Jatayu
Jatayu is a vulture-shaped demigod in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He was the younger son of Aruna, nephew of Garuda, and an old friend of King Dasharatha, father of Rama.
The myth
According to the myth, as youths Jatayu and his elder brother Sampati raced towards Surya, the sun god. Overconfident, Jatayu flew ahead and entered the solar orbit at noon, where the heat scorched his wings. Sampati flew above him and spread his wings to shield him, but his own wings were burnt, and he fell to the Vindhya mountains, where he spent the rest of his life under the protection of a sage called Nishakara. Jatayu never saw his brother again.
Years later, the rakshasa Ravana was abducting Sita, the wife of Rama, when Jatayu tried to save her. Though he fought bravely, he was very old; Ravana clipped his wings and he fell to the earth. Rama and Lakshmana, searching for Sita, found him dying. He told them what had happened and that Ravana had headed south. He died soon after, and Rama performed his funeral rites.
Worship and religion
In Kerala, local lore places his fall at Chadayamangalam, a name said to derive from Jatayu-mangalam. A park there holds a statue considered the world's largest bird sculpture. In Andhra Pradesh, the village of Lepakshi is said to take its name from the Telugu words Le Pakshi, 'Get up, bird', spoken by Rama. In Tamil Nadu, a temple and a pool called Jatayu Tirtham link him to Rama's funeral rites.
Legacy
Jatayu's battle with Ravana is a frequent subject in painting and dance, from old illustrated Ramayanas to the Ramayana Ballet staged in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Ancient sources: The Aranya Kanda of the Ramayana calls him 'King of Vultures' (gridhrarāja).