39. A SECOND FATHER DIES :

39. A SECOND FATHER DIES :


THE two brothers searched every
mountain, forest and riverbank calling
Sita's name aloud. But all in vain, and
they did not so much as find a clue
anywhere. Baffled and grief-stricken,
Rama cried out against the river Godavari,
against the gods and against the five
elements.


The poet sage ascribes the silence of
the rivers and the gods and elements to
their fear of the powerful Rakshasa king.
A herd of deer, however, moving
southwards seemed to indicate to Rama
and Lakshmana that they too should travel
in the same direction. They did so and,
after a time, found some flowers scattered
on the way.


Rama at once recognised the flowers
and cried excitedly: "These are the very
flowers I gave her. They must have fallen
from her hair."


His grief and anxiety grew greater and
he sobbed aloud fearing the worst for Sita.
They searched the forest all around the
spot where they found the flowers. They
noticed the marks of a Rakshasa's big feet
and little footprints that they knew were
Sita's.


They found some gold beads spilt from
Sita's jewels. Rama cried again: "Look!
The Rakshasa has been chasing her like a
beast of prey to tear her tender flesh!"
Then they saw several fragments of a
chariot and great clots of blood, as also
royal headgear and jewels scattered on the
ground. They wondered what these things
could mean.


Soon they came upon a large bow
broken, flag torn and armor crushed. A
little later they saw the dead bodies of a
charioteer and of mules. It was clear that a
vehement battle had been fought on that
spot.


"Two powerful Rakshasas must have
struggled here," groaned Rama, "each
claiming the sole right to eat Sita."
Conjecturing and lamenting in this
way, Rama went on: "Dharma could not
save Sita! No god came to her rescue! It
will be right to destroy this wicked
world." Rama was beside himself and
talked wildly.


Lakshmana did his best to calm the
distracted Rama. "Great sorrow
unbalances all minds, even the strongest,"
he said. "Else why should you thus lose
self-control? Why should you hate and
curse the whole world for the evil deed of
one person? How often have you, my
brother, calmed my anger and led me on
the right path! But now a great grief has
upset your mind and it is the turn of the
younger brother to give courage and
counsel patience to the elder and restore
him to his natural heroism. Let us find out
who our enemy is and deal with him."
With such loving words Lakshmana
sought to give courage and consolation
and both walked on. They had not
proceeded far when they came on Jatayu,
bloody and mutilated, unrecognisable,
lying on the ground.


At first Rama thought it was some
Rakshasa disguising himself to deceive
them and, wild with anger, cried: "Look!
Here is a Rakshasa who has eaten Sita!"
and rushed towards him, bow in hand.


Then raising his ruffled and gory head
with great pain, Jatayu spoke in a feeble
voice that seemed struggling with death.


"Do not kill me, dear Rama, who has but a
few moments more to live! The dear
princess you are searching for has been
carried off by Ravana and he could do so
only by first robbing me of my life!
Seeing Sita in his flying chariot in the air,
I intercepted it and gave him battle. I
struck down his bow and smashed his
chariot. His charioteer I slew. The marks
of my last great fight you can see all
round this place. I did my best. How I
wish it were better for your sake! At last
as, weary with toil, I was still waging a
hopeless combat. Age against youth, beak
and talons against keen weapons and
panoply of steel, he cut off my wings and
legs. And as I fell wounded to death, he
lifted Sita and flew with her into the sky
in a southern direction. Though racked
with the pangs of death, I have clung to
life for love of you to tell you what I
know. Now that I have done this, bless me
and let me die." Tears flowed from
Rama's eyes as he listened to Jatayu's tale.


He flung aside his bow and embraced the
bird. The princes' sorrow knew no bounds.
They lamented loudly, rolling on the
ground.


"I am the most unhappy man alive,
Lakshmana," said Rama. "Giving up the
kingdom, I came to the forest, and here I
have lost my Sita. This Jatayu, who was a
second father to us, has, laid down his life
for my sake. Why, if I fell into the fire, I
fear my bad luck will put even the fire
out. If I fell into the sea, I fear it would
dry up. What a terrible sinner I am,
Lakshmana! Who knows, one day I might
lose you too, Lakshmana."


Embracing Jatayu, he said: "O, my
father! Really, did you see Sita?" But
Jatayu lay speechless on the ground.


After a few moments Jatayu spoke
again in a low voice: "Be not afraid,
Rama. You will surely find Sita. No harm
will come to her. Regaining the treasure
you have lost, you will greatly rejoice."
With these words, he spat out blood and
gave up life.


They were foolish and committed
errors of omission and commission and
lost Sita. Trying to save Sita from the
calamity that their carelessness had
brought upon her, Jatayu, old, unarmed,
had fought with wing and beak and talon
and given up his life. When their father
died in Ayodhya, his obsequies were
performed by Bharata and Satrughna.


Rama and Lakshmana. were denied
this privilege because they were away in
the forest. They regarded Jatayu as their
own father and in performing his
obsequies derived some consolation for
not being by Dasaratha's side and
performing the last offices to him. What
other help or honor could they accord to
heroic Jatayu?


The bhaktas worship Jatayu as the best
of bhaktas. Exercising our imagination,
we should behold with Sita's eyes the poor
old bird's hard struggle against the
Rakshasa king. Then we would realise the
love and gratitude and sorrow that must
have surged in her heart as she watched
his sufferings. Thus we shall be purified
by the grace of the Mother. What wonder
is there in the rank assigned to Jatayu
among the bhaktas?


Later, when Rama fights and is
victorious in Lanka, Sita does not see it;
she is a prisoner in the Asoka forest. She
has to be content with listening to reports
of the battle and of the prowess of her
lord. But Jatayu's devotion and heroism
Sita saw with her own eyes in the
Dandaka forest. Unarmed, he opposed the
Rakshasa who had all his weapons and
armor, and humbled his pride at the cost
of his own life.


Jatayu's battle with Ravana is more
important than the battles in Lanka. Hence
the pious revere Jatayu along with Bharata
and look upon him as an Alvar, a guide in
the spritual path.


"Lakshmana," said Rama, "gather dry
faggots. I shall churn the fire. We failed to
perform our father's obsequies, let us do it
for the eagle-father who gave up his life
for us."


The princes chanted holy invocations
as they poured libations to the departed
spirit: "O king of birds, may you enjoy all
the bliss of the virtuous who perform great
sacrifices! May you enjoy the bliss of
Vanaprasthas who have performed great
penance! May you enjoy the bliss of those
who have made great gifts of land! May
you enjoy the bliss of those who fight
heroically in the field of battle! May the
bliss of all good people be yours!" After
the ceremony Rama became steadier and
stronger in mind.


To millions of men, women and
children in India, the Ramayana is not a
mere tale. It has more truth and meaning
than the events in one's own life. Just as
plants grow under the influence of
sunlight, the people of India grow in
mental strength and culture by absorbing
the glowing inspiration of the Ramayana.


When we see any helpless person in
danger or difficulty, let us think of Jatayu
and with firm mind try to help regardless
of circumstance.


Rama's losing health and lamenting in
sorrow may be compared to the behavior
of another incarnation honored by another
faith. It is said in the Bible that Jesus,
nailed to the cross and about to give up his
ghost, cried with a loud voice: "Eloi! Eloi!
lama sabachthani!" which is Hebrew for
"My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?"


The mystery of incarnations is ever the
same. They are weighed with the dust and
tears of the body they have taken and
suffer and grieve like mortals.


Next :- 40. LEFT EYELIDS THROB :


Continues....