Jatayu fights Rahwana

Title	Jatayu fights Rahwana
Artist	I Wayan Pande Sumantra
Date	1996
Size	42 x 35 cm
Material	Natural pigments on cotton cloth
Remarks	Painted in the traditional Kamasan style, it depicts puppet-like figures with faces in three-quarter profile. The painting lacks perspective and the background is covered with filler motifs including teardrop and winged horse-shoe motifs ('awan-awan' and 'daun daunan').
Signature
Published	Accession No. 1996-00664
Collection	Collection of Asian Civilisations Museum, Kamasan Village, Bali, Indonesia

Kamasan painting - Jatayu fights Rahwana - Ramayana

Jatayu: King of Eagles fights to save Sita…! Posted on August 11, 2020 Episode#39

Without wasting a single moment Ravana grabbed Sita, put her over his shoulder and climbed his chariot – Pushpak-Viman. She screamed, tried to resist but of no use against the power and strength of Ravana.

Ravana laughed loudly and said, “Do you know who I am?” And continued, “I am Ravana, king of Lanka, brother of Surpankha; your husband mutilated her in forest, and the leaders Khara and Dushana who are killed by your husband, long back I missed you in your Swayamwara, now I am not letting you go, your husband cannot find you they will search in the forest for years, thinking some wild animals had eaten you away and then return back to Ayodhya where he shall marry another woman.”

Sita was not interested in his introduction, she cried aloud, “O my Lord! Where are you, my Rama? O Lakshmana, most faithful of friends, why did I with obstinate folly, drive you away?” Sita addressed the trees and plants down below and begged them to tell Rama of her fate.

It happened that old Jatayu, half asleep upon a tree, saw the chariot flying past. Starlet by a woman’s cry of distress he was wide awake in a moment and recognised Sita. Jatayu blood fire by the sight, he threw himself in the way of the aerial car crying: “Hold, hold! What is all this?” “The king of Lanka is carrying me away by force” wailed Sita. Jatayu ancestor who ruled the air, he cared not Ravana’s and his might. He only saw a princess in distress, he thought of his friend Dasaratha and his promise to Rama and he was resolved that this outrage should not occur while he lived to prevent it. Jatayu now addressed Ravana directly: “Oh king, I am Jatayu, king of the eagles, a king like you. Listen to me , brother king! Forbearance from this wicked act. Is it not the rule of kings to protect the honour of women? And Sita is the princess. I warn you, you shall perish unless you leave her and go. Her very look will reduce you to ashes. You are carrying a venomous Cobra in your bosom. Get down from your car, and fight if you are not coward!” Ravana flared up in a rage. He attacked Jatayu. It was like a clash between a mighty wind and a massive rain-cloud. The battle raged in the sky above the forest. Jatayu fought like a winged mountain. Ravana aimed deadly darts at him. But the eagle intercepted them all and with his talons tore Ravana’s flesh. He then despatched sharp, serpent-like missiles against the bird. The bird-hero was badly wounded, but fought on undaunted while Sita watched the unequal combat with beating heart and tearful eyes. He attacked the chariot and killed the demon faced mules and the chariot and smashed the vehicle into a thousand pieces. Ravana fell on the ground, still clutching Sita. The gallant old bird swooped down on Ravana’s back and tore great chunk of flesh off it, then Ravana let go Sita and unsheathing his sword cut off the bird’s wings and talons. The old bird was now helpless and fell on the ground unable to move. Sita ran and embraced Jatayu and cried: “O my father! You have given away your life for my sake. You are a second father to my Lord!” Than Ravana turned towards her to take her up again. Helplessly she ran hither and thither, crying. The Rakshasa at last caught her and rose in the air. Thus was Sita carried away by the Rakshasa.

They went over mountains and rivers and Sita saw some people below standing on a hilltop. She took off her sash and tying up her jewels in it threw the bundle down. She did this hoping that the ornaments thus dropped may be seen by Rama and give him a clue of the direction in which she was carried away. Crossing Pampa and then the sea, Ravana entered the city of Lanka.

The mythical bird Jatayu plays an important role in the Ramayana story. Jatayu is a good friend of Rama’s father Dasaratha, the King of Ayodhya. When demonic king Rawana abducted goddess Sita, the bird Jatayu hears her cries as she is being carried away in Rawana’s flying chariot. Jatayu, who was living in the forests of Panchavati, heard Sita’s cries for help as Ravana was carrying her away in his flying chariot. Filled with righteous anger, Jatayu immediately confronted Ravana and tried to rescue Sita from his clutches. The bird attacks Rawana, destroying the chariot and rescuing Sita. However Jatayu has difficulty flying, so Rawana strikes back and cuts off one of his wings.

However, Ravana, who possessed immense power, was not easily deterred. He engaged in a fierce battle with Jatayu, using his celestial weapons to attack the mighty bird. Despite his valiant efforts, Jatayu was overpowered by Ravana’s strength and was severely wounded. Nevertheless, he continued to fight bravely, determined to protect Sita at any cost.

Jatayu’s Sacrifice for Dharma The battle between Jatayu and Ravana raged on for hours, with the divine bird putting up a valiant fight. He fought with all his might, using his sharp talons and beak to counter Ravana’s attacks. Despite the injuries he sustained, Jatayu refused to give up, driven by his unwavering commitment to upholding dharma and protecting Sita.

In a moment of desperation, Jatayu managed to seize Ravana’s chariot with his beak, trying to bring it down to the ground. But Ravana, in his fury, cut off one of Jatayu’s wings, causing the bird to plummet to the earth below. Dewi Sita couldn’t look at the sight of Jatayu being dismembered and covered her eyes in fright. Jatayu’s enormous body crashed onto the rocky terrain in Chadayamangalam in the south of India (Jatayumangalam), and he lay there, gravely injured and on the verge of death. As Lord Rama and his brother, Lakshmana, searched for Sita Devi in the forest, they came across the dying Jatayu. The noble bird, with his last breath, narrated the sequence of events and informed Lord Rama about Sita Devi’s abduction by Ravana.

Touched by Jatayu’s sacrifice and bravery, Lord Rama performed the last rites for the fallen bird and bestowed upon him the honor of being treated like a noble warrior.

Jatayu’s Legacy Jatayu’s selfless sacrifice for dharma and his valiant efforts to protect Sita have made him a revered figure in Hindu Dharma. He is often hailed as a symbol of courage, loyalty, and selflessness. Jatayu Vadh’s story is often cited as an example of the importance of upholding righteousness and protecting the weak, regardless of the obstacles or personal sacrifices involved.

Rama then discovers the broken wing and fallen chariot in the forest. Nearby lies badly wounded Jatayu. Before he dies he tells Rama what happened. Jatayu is cremated by Rama and his brother Laksmana.

Upon killing the deer, Rama discovers that it was the demon Mareecha in disguise, and quickly proceeds towards their dwelling, fearing the worst. The artist uses variations in scale to delineate the individual scenes of the continuous narrative that unfold the events. On the top left, Rama gesticulates his surprise upon encountering his brother Lakshmana who was tasked to protect Sita in his absence. Despite using a smaller scale to depict the figures, the expressions on their faces and gestures articulate their surprise and confusion. In the middle foreground an anxious Rama peeks into the little hut looking for Sita. Upon seeing the empty hut, a distraught Rama frantically searches for Sita, and according to the Ramayana asks every plant, tree and animal her whereabouts. In a frenzied search for Sita, Rama runs from "tree to shrub, from hill to hillock, from river to rivulet", and restlessly roves "around woods, rivers, hills, mountain-rapids and thicketed forests". He is depicted in the folio on the lower right asking a deer what happened to "that fawn-eyed" Sita, while Lakshmana looks for her near the meandering brook at streams past their cottage on the bottom right.

In the middle foreground behind a hillock, the two brothers spot Jatayu, who lies bleeding, his wings and claws hacked, near a convoluted heap of Ravana's destroyed chariot. Breathing his last, he informs Rama about the abduction of Sita. Upon Jatayu's death, Rama ritually cremates Jatayu in a funeral fire, performing the prescribed rites, and the artist depicts the two brothers as diminutive figures at the top right near the rivulet performing the rites, while swirling flames envelop the dead Jatayu. The wisps of smoke blow left towards the celestial figure hovering in his golden chariot in the sky, depicted on the top, who waits to take Jatayu to his heavenly abode.

An undulating mass of smoothly-rolling mountains and hills dominate the composition and structure of the visual narrative. The solid mass of the hillocks are balanced by delicate, leafy trees and blossom sprigs, and shrubs and grass that dot its valleys and crevices, and the charming hut nestles amidst the thicket of trees in the centre. An exquisite intricacy of detail marks every part of the folio- the curling spirals and waves of the stream, the wisps of smoke, finely rendered feathers of Jatayu and the delicate foliage that embroiders the landscape.

As the two brothers continued searching for Sita, they encountered a Rakshasa named Kabandha, whose strength lay in his arms. After a brief fight, Rama cut off the arms of the Rakshasa. Kabandha then revealed that he was previously a Gandharva and had been cursed into Rakshasa life as he had made fun of sage Ashtavakra, whose body was bent in eight places. Now that Rama and Lakshmana were killing Kabandha, he would be able to return to his Gandharva life. Regaining his Gandharva form, Kabandha proposed that Rama and Lakshmana form a pact and ally with Sugriva, a leader of the monkeys. Vali, his elder brother, had exiled Sugriva. If Rama helped Sugriva regain his kingdom, he would become obliged to assist Rama in finding Sita. Kabandha also informed Rama that Sugriva could be found near the site of sage Matanga's hermitage on Lake Pampa.

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Rama and Lakshmana while on the search for Sita, chanced upon the stricken and dying Jatayu, who informed them of the battle with Ravana and told them that Ravana had headed South.