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Jatayu and Sampati were two characters in the great Indian epic Ramayana responsible for helping in the unfolding of events in the great war between Ravana and Lord Rama.
Jatayu and Sampati were the sons of Aruna, and nephew of Garuda. Aruna is said to be the personification of the reddish glow of the rising sun. Garuda is the vehicle, or vahana of Lord Vishnu. Aruna is sometimes said to be the charioteer of Surya, the sun god. It is said that the reddish glow of the sun, which is personified by Aruna, has spiritual powers.
Jatayu, the king of vultures, was the youngest son of Aruna. He was a demi-god and close friend of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. He had the body of a vulture. Jatayu and his elder brother Sampati had many adventures when they were young. Once when both the brothers were having a competition to determine who could fly higher? Jatayu flew so high that he was about to be burned by the flames of the brilliance of the sun. But Sampati saved his brother’s life by spreading across his wings and shielding Jatayu in the process. But Sampati lost his wings and have to remain wingless for the rest of his life.
When Ravana was forcibly trying to take Sita to Lanka after kidnapping her, Jatayu was present nearby and he saw what was happening. He tried his best to stop Ravana from taking away Sita, and even managed to injure him in the process. He tried to tear away Ravana with his huge sharp talons, but he proved to be no match for the king of Lanka. Even though he had managed to injure Ravana at various places with his sharp beak and talons, Ravana sliced his wings off with his sword and fatally wounded him.
While searching frantically for Sita, Ram and Lakshman found a bloodied Jatayu lying on the ground. Initially they thought that the giant bird was a demon, and just as they were going to attack it, Jatayu told them that he was a friend of King Dasharatha and did not mean any harm.He told them the entire incident and also told them about the direction in which Ravana had taken Sita.
Pleased with his devotion, Ram decided for Jatayu to attain moksha. Ram called out the seven sacred rivers by hitting the ground with his arrow. The water from six of the rivers arrived, but one of the rivers did not obey Lord Ram’s command. Lord Ram forced the river Gaya to arrive at the spot, and Jatayu was given a proper funeral with rites.
It is said, that the place where Jatayu fell after his fight with Ravana was Lepakshi in Andra Pradesh. The place where his last rites were performed is at Ramarkal Mettu. The town got its name when Ram wished for the bird to rise, and said the words Le Pakshi.
Sampati also played a major role in Ramayana. He was instrumental in helping Ram and his army of monkeys know the location of Sita. Hanuman, Angad and Jambavan, tired and exhausted from the search, reach the southernmost end of the land with their battalion of monkeys. With no energy left to move, they collapse on the ground with thirst. There they encounter a huge vulture slowly moving towards them, saying that he would enjoy the feast lying in front of him.
Hearing this, Jambavan says that there is this vulture who wishes to may prey of tired helpless beings with good intentions, and there was the vulture Jatayu, who sacrificed his life for Sita by fighting with Ravana. Hearing Jatayu’s name, the vulture stops. He gets very worried and asks Jambavan about his brother. Jambavan tells him the story of Jatayu and his bravery, how he fought against the mighty Ravana, in his attempt to save Sita.
After hearing the story, Sampati, with moist eyes, tells them that he was Jatayu’s elder brother, and was very thankful to them for telling him about Jatayu. In return, he tells them that he knew where Sita was, and would help them show the direction towards Ravana’s kingdom.
Everyone listens with utmost concentration, as Sampati tells them that a few days ago, he had seen Ravana forcibly carry a beautiful young lady in his flying chariot Pushpak Viman to Lanka, which was 100 Yojans from the place they were at. As a reward, Sampati got his wings back.
The search party went back and told Ram about the incident, and plans were made to travel to Lanka. Ram and his army of moneys would go on to fight against the army of Ravan and his demons, and Ram would prevail over Ravana, thus winning back his wife Sita from him.
Sampati and Jatayu are known for their bravery and selflessness, and they help in moving the story forward by fighting against Ravana and telling the location of Sita.
