3.50. jaTAyu dares rAvaNa

Hari Om.

Let us begin the fiftieth sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.

It all happened exactly as rAvaNa planned. The golden deer, the luring of sItA, her insistence on owning it, rAma agreeing to her wish in spite of lakshmaNa’s warning, lakshmaNa following rAma to rescue him based on the insistence and insinuations of sItA, she being alone in the hermitage…. it all fell in place with great precision. So what if mAricha had to die, he was but a pawn in the scheme of rAvaNa.

However, the insistence of sItA for the deer, sending lakshmaNa away, the unerring archer rAma’s sparing of mAricha twice before, rAma’s strange attraction towards the deer… makes one wonder as to whose scheme it really was! Was it the scheme of rAvaNa to abduct sItA or the grand plan of the gods to vanquish the demons? We shall see.

Presently, as the ten-headed demon abducted sItA and soared to the skies in his aerial chariot even as she screamed for help. There just was no one who would dare to come to her rescue. Or, did no one? Onwards…

The screams of sItA woke jaTAyu up and he took notice of rAvaNa carrying sItA away. The sharp beaked giant bird then perched on top of a tree and spoke appropriate words –

“O ten-headed one! I am jaTAyu, the mighty king of vultures and eternal follower of dharma and truth. rAma, the son of the daSaratha equal in prowess to indra and varuNa is the king of the entire world and ever engaged in the welfare of every being. The illustrious beauty sItA is the consort of that lord of the world. How can a righteous king violate the wife of another in place of protecting them? Especially a king’s wife should be protected by all means. Desist from this vile act of violating another’s wife. A wise man ought not indulge in such condemnable act and should protect others’ wives just as he protects his. In matters of righteousness, means and desires, king is considered the exemplar for the subjects and his acts are imitated even if they are not in conjunction with the scriptures. The king is considered the repository of dharma, artha and kAma and therefore good or bad is committed as per the conduct of the king.

You sinner, fickle-minded, how did you amass all this wealth including this aerial chariot? The one who indulges in passion and is not able to overcome it, in such evil minded people’s house wealth doesn’t stick around forever.

कामं स्वभावो यो यस्य न शक्यः परिमार्जितुम्।।3.50.11।।

न हि दुष्टात्मनामार्यमावसत्यालये चिरम्।

The righteous rAma has committed no offence either in your matter or against your kingdom. Then why do you comiit this offence against him. If for the sake of SUrpaNakhA, khara went to rAma and committed excesses and as a result got killed by rAma, tell me what exactly is rAma’s fault in this for which you are abducting his wife? Give up vaidEhI at once, lest her death stare turns you into ashes just like the thunderbolt of indra burnt down the demon vRtra. You are not realizing this act is a snake ties to your clothes, it is a noose around your neck. O rAvaNa, one should carry only that much weight what one can bear and eat only so much that can be digested and doesn’t lead to disease.

स भारस्सौम्य भर्तव्यो यो नरं नावसादयेत्।।3.50.17।।

तदन्नमपि भोक्तव्यं जीर्यते यदनामयम्।

Who will indulge in an act that is neither righteous nor leads to fame in the world and only causes extinction of the body? O rAvaNa, I am sixty thousand years old and have ruled over the kingdom of my ancestors, you are young, well armed with bow, arrow and on chariot but even so, you will not be allowed by me to carry her away comfortably.

Just logicians’ reasoning cannot render the vEdas void, you cannot abduct sItA by force in front of my eyes.

न शक्तस्त्वं बलाद्धर्तुं वैदेहीं मम पश्यतः।।3.50.21।।

हेतुभिर्न्यायसंसिद्धैद्धृवां वेदश्रुतीमिव।

If you are valorous, stop for moment and fight me and you shall soon bite the dust like your brother khara. The bark-clad rAma has more than once vanquished demons in combat and your turn will come soon. I may not be able to do much since the two mighty princes are far away but you will soon perish out of their fear. As long as I am alive, you cannot take this auspicious consort of rAma away. Even at the cost of my very life, I will protect what belongs rAma and daSaratha.

तिष्ठ तिष्ठ दशग्रीव मुहूर्तं पश्य रावण।।3.50.27।।

युद्धातिथ्यं प्रदास्यामि यथाप्राणं निशाचर।

वृन्तादिव फलं त्वां तु पातयेयं रथोत्तमात्।।3.50.28।।

Hey ten-headed fellow, just stay there for a moment and behold, I shall bestow the hospitality of war upon you and you shall be plucked down from your aerial chariot like a ripe fruit.