Thursday 23 January 2014

130. Jatayu tries to infuse good sense into the heads of Ravana.

                Jataayu who was having his customary siesta was startled hearing the shrieking voice of Seetha. He opened his eyes and saw Ravana taking away Seetha. Guessing correctly what must have happened, he perched himself on the chariot and told Ravana "Oh, brother Dashagriiva (this is one of the original names of Ravana meaning 'ten-headed one'), what you are doing is highly deplorable. I am one of those who abide by perpetual probity and avowed to truthfulness. Such as I am  I am the mightiest king of eagles known by the name Jataayu.
              "Rama, the son of Dasharatha, is the master of all the worlds, one similar to Mahendra and Varuna, and the one who is connected with the well-being of all the worlds.
              "Whom you are now abducting is Seetha who is the legitimate wife of that preserver of all the worlds, namely Rama. How a king adhering to probity can lay his hands on the wives of others? If it is a king's wife, oh, great-mighty Ravana, she is to be particularly safeguarded. Reverse your filthy course, or else you will perish with your race.  A sagacious person does not undertake any deed by which others deplore him. As with the protection of one's own wife from somebody laying hands on her, other person's wife is also to be protected in that way.
               "Oh, the scion of Pulastya, you know very well that the subjects of a king would tend to follow the monarch. Ipso facto if you stoop to such a low level of kidnapping the wife of someone else, then one of your powerful subjects may do the same to you with impunity and justify his action.
Comment.
Ravana was the son of Vishravasa who was the son of Pulastya, the brainchild of Brahma. As such all the ancestors of Ravana are well-read scholars in all scriptures and sciences. Hence, Jataayu was addressing Ravana as the 'scion of Paulastya' to remind him of his illustrious tradition in the hope that it may make him see good sense.
End Comment.       
                "You know very well that the subjects will ape the king.
                 "I guess that you must have come to know as to how Rama completely wiped out your force at Janasthaana including the chief Khara who transgressed for the sake of Shuurpanakha. Like that it would not be hard for him to wipe out the entire race of rakshashas including you, of course. Be sensible and return Seetha to Rama and apologize to him.
             "I have dedicated myself to the kingdom of my fathers and forefathers according to tradition, and sixty thousand years have elapsed since I was born. You are youngish whereas I am oldish, you are an armoured archer darting arrows from an air-chariot, whereas I am a pensile bird in the open sky. Nevertheless I cannot and will not keep quite seeing you go away with Seetha.
              "Oh, Ravana, if you are valiant enough wait for Rama to come here searching for Seetha and you can combat with Rama and take Seetha after killing him, if you can. In case you are afraid of meeting Rama, then I will forestall you till Rama and his brother Lakshmana come."
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