LinnieHammonds at 08:46, 6 February 2026

2026-02-06T08:46:53Z

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{{short description|Ramayana character}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2016}}
{{Infobox deity
| image = Jatayu Attacks Ravana to Save Sita and Shatters his Chariot - early 18th-century.jpg
| alt = Jatayu
| caption = A painting of Jatayu attacking [[Ravana]] to save [[Sita]] and shattering his Chariot, early 18th century
| type = Hindu
| texts = [[Ramayana]] and [[Versions of Ramayana|its other versions]]
| father = [[Aruna (Hinduism)|Aruna]]
| siblings = [[Sampati]]
| mother = Shyeni
}}
'''Jatayu''' ({{langx|sa|जटायु}}, {{IAST3|Jaṭāyu}}) is a demigod in the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] epic ''[[Ramayana]]'', who has the form of a [[Indian vulture|vulture]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gopinath |first=Mohan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rFTlEAAAQBAJ&pg=PR46 |title=Tracing the Literary and Symbolic Significance of the Messenger through History |date=2023-11-20 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-5275-5613-3 |pages=46 |language=en}}</ref> He was the younger son of [[Aruṇa]] and his wife Shyeni the brother of [[Sampati]], as well as the nephew of [[Garuda]]. He was also an old friend of King [[Dasharatha]], [[Rama]]'s father.

==Legend==
[[File:Rama Laxmana meets jatayu on death bed.jpg|thumb|left|Rama and Lakshmana meet a dying Jatayu.]]
[[File:Ravi Varma-Ravana Sita Jathayu.jpg|thumb|[[Ravana]] cuts off Jatayu's wing while abducting [[Sita]], by [[Raja Ravi Varma]]]]

=== Flight towards the Sun ===
During their youth, Jatayu and his elder brother, Sampati, under a wager, flew towards [[Surya]], the solar deity. Jatayu, careless due to his youthfulness, outflew his brother, and entered the Sūryamaṇḍala, the orbit of the Sun, during noon. Due to the blazing heat of Surya, his wings started to get scorched. In a desperate bid to rescue his brother, Sampati flew ahead of him, spreading his wings wide open to shield him. As a consequence, it was Sampati who had his wings burnt, descending towards the Vindhya mountains. Incapacitated, he spent the rest of his life under the protection of a sage named Nishakara, who performed a penance in the mountains. Jatayu never met his brother again.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mani |first=Vettam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mvXsDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA351 |title=Puranic Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Work with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature |date=2015-01-01 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0597-2 |pages=351 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Battle against Ravana ===
The ''[[Araṇya-Kāṇḍa]]'' of the ''[[Ramayana]]'' mentions that Jatayu is the "King of Vultures"(''gṛdhrarāja'').<ref>''daśagrīvasthito dharme purāṇe satyasaṃśrayaḥ jaṭāyur nāma nāmnāhaṃ gṛdhrarājo mahābalaḥ'' — Ramayana 3.048.003</ref> According to the epic, the [[rakshasa]] [[Ravana]] was abducting the avatar of [[Lakshmi]], [[Sita]], when Jatayu tried to rescue her. Jatayu fought valiantly with Ravana, but as Jatayu was very old, Ravana soon defeated him, clipping his wings, and Jatayu descended upon the earth. [[Rama]] and [[Lakshmana]], while searching 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. Jatayu then died of his wounds and Rama performed his final funeral rites.<ref name="epic">{{cite book|title=Indian Epic Values: Rāmāyaṇa and Its Impact: Proceedings of the 8th International Rāmāyaạ Conference|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EVnK3q48dL0C&dq=veeraraghava+perumal+temple&pg=PA86|publisher=Peeters Publishers|year=1995|last1=K.V.|first1=Raman|last2=T.|first2=Padmaja|isbn=9789068317015|ref=K.V.|page=86}}</ref><ref name="census">{{cite book|title=Temples of Tamil Nadu Kancheepuram District|publisher= Directorate of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu|year=2003|last=C.|first=Chandramouli}}</ref>

==Veneration==
[[File:Jatayu Earth Centre.jpg|thumb|Jaṭayu sculpture at [[Jatayu Nature Park|Jaṭāyū Nature Park]]]]
*According to local [[Folklore|lore]] of Kerala, it is believed that Jatayu fell on the rocks in [[Chadayamangalam]] in the [[Kollam district]] of [[Kerala]] after his wings were clipped off by [[Ravana]]. The name "Chadayamangalam" is said to be derived from "Jatayu-mangalam".{{cn|date=June 2021}} [[Jatayu Earth's Center Nature Park]] in Chadayamangalam features a {{convert|61|m|ft}} wide statue of Jatayu, which is credited as the world's largest bird sculpture.<ref name= quint>{{cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/hotwire-text/kerala-tourism-to-unveil-world-s-largest-bird-sculpture |title=Kerala tourism to unveil world's largest bird sculpture |publisher=The Quint |date=23 May 2018 |access-date=25 May 2018}}</ref>
*[[Lepakshi]] in [[Andhra Pradesh]] is also attributed as the place where Jatayu fell after being wounded by Ravana. Rama is said to have commanded the bird to rise, saying ''Le Pakshi'' (literally: "Get up, Bird" in [[Telugu language|Telugu]]), hence the name for the village.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lepakshi: Where Jatayu fell |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/igatpuri-a-serene-getaway/articleshow/22038400.cms |website=Bangalore Mirror |access-date=1 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lepakshitemple.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=27 |title=Lepakshi Temple - Lepakshi:: The Treasure House of Art and Sculpture |access-date=3 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328103155/http://www.lepakshitemple.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=27 |archive-date=28 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Vijayaraghava Perumal temple]] in [[Thiruputkuzhi|Thiruputkuli]], [[Tamil Nadu]] is associated with Jatayu because the presiding deity, Vijayaraghava Perumal (a form of Rama), is believed to have performed the last rites of Jataya at this place. The water body where Jatayu fell is called Jatayu Tirtham.<ref name="epic">{{cite book|title=Indian Epic Values: Rāmāyaṇa and Its Impact: Proceedings of the 8th International Rāmāyaạ Conference|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EVnK3q48dL0C&dq=veeraraghava+perumal+temple&pg=PA86|publisher=Peeters Publishers|year=1995|last1=K.V.|first1=Raman|last2=T.|first2=Padmaja|isbn=9789068317015|ref=K.V.|page=86}}</ref><ref name=census>{{cite book|title=Temples of Tamil Nadu Kancheepuram District|publisher= Directorate of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu|year=2003|last=C.|first=Chandramouli}}</ref>
*[[Thirupullabhoothangudi Temple]] in Pullabhoothangudi, Tamil Nadu is also claimed as the location of Jatayu's last rites.<ref name=R>{{cite book|title=An introduction to religion and Philosophy - Tévarám and Tivviyappirapantam|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.jZY9lup2kZl6TuXGlZQdjZY2lZpy.TVA_BOK_0006115|last=R.|first=Dr. Vijayalakshmy|publisher=International Institute of Tamil Studies| location=Chennai|year=2001|edition=1st|ref=R.|pages=530–1}}</ref>
*
==Depictions==
<gallery>
File:Ravana fighting with Jatayu.jpg|A painting of Ravana fighting Jatayu
File:Jatayu fights Ravana.jpg|A painting of Jatayu fighting Ravana (c.1605)
File:Ramayana Ballet - Jatayu fighting Ravana, Pentas Ramajana, p20.jpg|[[Ramayana Ballet]] - Jatayu fighting Ravana ([[Yogyakarta]], [[Indonesia]])
File:Jatayu Confronting Ravana to Save Sita.jpg|A painting of Jatayu confronting Ravana to save Sita (c.1740-50)
File:TARA-BHAGWAN ravana kill jatayu.jpg|Ravana kills Jatayu
</gallery>
==See also==
* [[Garuda]]
* [[Sampati]]
* [[Jatayu Nature Park]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* ''Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend'' ({{ISBN|0-500-51088-1}}) by Anna Dhallapiccola
* ''Ramayana'' ({{ISBN|0-89744-930-4}}) by C. Rajagopalachari

==External links==
* The Hindu. ''[http://www.thehindu.com/society/faith/ramas-paratva/article19872446.ece Rama’s paratva]''.

{{Ramayana}}
{{HinduMythology}}

[[Category:Characters in the Ramayana]]
[[Category:Legendary creatures in Hindu mythology]]
[[Category:Jatayu| ]]
[[Category:Mythological birds of prey]]

Jatayu - Revision history

LinnieHammonds at 08:46, 6 February 2026