Who Is Jatayu?
The bird king who gave his life for Sita
Jatayu is an old, giant vulture king in the Ramayana. He was a friend of Rama's father, King Dasharatha, and the younger brother of Sampati.
When Ravana flew across the sky with the kidnapped Sita, her screams woke Jatayu. First he tried to talk Ravana out of it. When he saw that Ravana would not listen, he challenged him to fight alone in the sky, old as he was. With beak and claws he wrecked Ravana's chariot and killed the driver and the donkeys, but in the end Ravana cut off his wings and he fell to the ground.
When Rama arrived, Jatayu told him that Ravana had taken Sita, and then he died. Rama gave him a heartfelt funeral as his father's friend. Jatayu is still remembered as a loyal bird who gave his life to protect the helpless.
