On their quest to find Sita and recover her from Ravana,
Rama and Lakshmana came across a dying bird. His name was Jatayu, the vulture
king, and he had fought Ravana in the hopes of rescuing Sita. Jatayu was badly
wounded from his fight with Ravana. His wings were severed from his body and he
was lying in a pool of his own blood. Rama asked the wounded animal who could
have done this to him. Jatayu told them his account of what had happened
that day. Jatayu told them that he could not sit idly by while a cowardly demon
tricked a man and stole his wife. He felt obligated to intervene and defend Sita.
He told Rama that he was sorry he could not save Sita. Rama told the great bird
that he had done more than enough and that he owed Jatayu a debt that he would pay in this life or the next. Jatayu looked at Rama and told him to end his
life quickly so he would not have to die slowly. Rama nodded, then lifted his
bow, aimed at Jatayu’s heart and fired one swift shot. The forest stood silent
after their great protector had passed.
It was a very bleak
day in the forest of Dandaka. Every animal was filled with remorse at the loss
of Jatayu. Every bird in the forest was there that day to pay their respects to the great vulture king. Jatayu was greatly admired by everyone who
had the opportunity to cross paths with him, both man and beast alike. Rama and
his brother began to build a great pyre fit for a king so that they could burn
Jatayu’s body. Lakshmana placed Jatayu’s remains on the pyre while Rama stood
ready to burn his body. Rama held a torch to the great pyre and all the forest
creatures gathered around to see their hero once more. The enormous fire burned
as bright as the sun. Rama said a few words on Jatayu’s behalf. “You could not
find a braver soul in all the forest. It takes true courage to stand up for the
innocent and put your life on the line to defend them. This creature was very
honorable and died a warrior’s death. History will remember his name. He will
be immortal, because his name will never be forgotten. He will forever be
remembered in our hearts and minds.”
Even the gods attended
Jatayu’s funeral. They respected him more than any other animal that roamed the
Earth. They even set aside a place for him in heaven. He would never take his
place in heaven though. He loved the Earth too much to part from it. Rather
than live a life of peace and luxury in heaven, he chose the pain that comes from
this world in order to protect what he loves. Every time he was reborn, he
would return to Earth as a bird to soar in the sky. Forever he will stand watch
over his forest. To protect those that cannot defend themselves. He will always
be the eyes in the sky.
Author’s Note-
Bibliography-Buck, William
(1976). “Hanuman!" Ramayana: King Rama's Way 173-174 182
Scott, while I think that this was a great choice for a story, I would have liked to have more detail included such as what did Jatayu’s funeral look like. Was it colorful or dark? Was it at night or during the day? Who cried? Who was angry? How long did people mourn for? Also, I think some descriptive imagery would also help this story. I liked your story but I felt that it was bare and missing several details.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy how you started the story off as a kind of preface for the funeral that is about to happen before shifting it to the actual funeral. I also really like the words you had Rama speak about Jatayu, because I am quite sure that he would really respect him for protecting his beloved as fiercely as he did. I also enjoyed the last lines and how you took from the Epic how much he loved the sky, and watching over Earth throughout all of his lives.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your story. You did a great job! When I was reading the book I really liked reading about Jatayu, I think he was very important in helping Rama find Sita. You did a good job showing how much he meant to Rama and everyone else. I think you gave him the perfect kind of funeral, because he was a hero. I really liked the end of your story the best, because you described how much earth meant to Jatayu and that he will forever live there.
ReplyDeleteI love Jatayu too! You did a great job making him the admiral character that he is. In your author's note, you should try to give more detail about why you did certain things. Such as, why did you pick that image? Or, are you going to use this in your portfolio? If so, why? These are great questions to answer in your author's note. You should use it as an explanation for everything! I liked the image you used though! You should try to expand on the events of Jatayu's funeral. Such as, did they do any rituals. You could just make some if up to make the story more fun. I really liked how you explained how Rama and Lakshmana found him, but then it felt like you ran out of time. :) When you quote be sure to use some sort of description about who said it. I'm not sure if that matters, but it would make that part more clear.
ReplyDeleteHello Scott! I like Jatayu too. I thought it was very unique of you to write about Jatayu's funeral. He was one of the important character who tried to save Sita. I think adding some dialogues will spice up the story a little bit. Also, some of the sentences were choppy, but other than that, it was a great story!
ReplyDelete