Vyasa

Aranyaka Parva›Rama's Exile and the Abduction of Sita

Rama Finds Dying Jatayu and Learns of Ravana

Why "Supporting"?

Causal ReachTop 82%
Character WeightTop 86%
State ChangeTop 98%
Narrative RecallTop 50%

~1 min read

Rama returns after killing the magical deer, rebukes Lakshmana for leaving Sita, and rushes to the hermitage. There he finds the fallen vulture and mistakes him for a rakshasa — until Jatayu speaks, identifying himself as Dasharatha's friend and telling how Ravana killed him for Sita's sake. With his last strength, the vulture nods toward the south and dies. Rama performs his last rites, then heads south with Lakshmana into Dandakaranya.

While Vaidehi was being carried away, Rama had killed the great deer. As he returned, he saw his brother Lakshmana. He rebuked him. "How could you leave Vaidehi in a forest infested with rakshasas?" He thought about being drawn away by a rakshasa in the form of a deer, and of his brother's arrival, and was tormented. Having rebuked him, Rama swiftly approached and said, "O Lakshmana! Is Vaidehi still alive? I might not see her again." Lakshmana reported everything Sita had told him, including the words she had spoken later. With a burning heart, Rama went toward the hermitage. He saw the fallen vulture, like a mountain. Fearing him to be a rakshasa, Kakutstha drew his powerful bow and rushed toward him, together with Lakshmana. The energetic one then spoke to Rama and Lakshmana. "I am the king of the vultures. O fortunate ones! I am a friend of Dasharatha's." On hearing these words, they put aside their bright bows and asked, "Who is this who is mentioning our father by name?" Then they saw that the wings of the bird had been sliced off. The vulture told them how Ravana had killed him, for Sita's sake. Raghava asked the vulture for the direction in which Ravana had gone. Indicating this with a nod of his head, the vulture passed away. Kakutstha understood the sign of the gesture to mean the south. He performed the last rites in honour of his father's friend. They saw the hermitage — its cushions and vessels scattered, its pots broken. The place was deserted and infested with an army of jackals. Overcome with unhappiness and grief at Vaidehi's abduction, the scorchers of enemies headed south, toward Dandakaranya. In that great forest, Rama, together with Soumitri, saw many herds of deer running in different directions. They heard the terrible cries of many creatures, increasingly roaring like a forest fire.

Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 560