Hindu mythology, Vedic and Purānic . use Jatayus was there to guard his wife. WhenRavana seized Sita, she cried out to Jatayus— Oh see, the king who rules the raceOf giants, cruel, fierce, and base !Kavan, the spoiler, bears me helpless prey of violence, f Jatayus first tries by reasoning to lead Ravana torestore Sita to her home, and warned him that deathwould result from his act of violence. When, however,neither advice nor threats availed, he prepared t©fight. With clash and din and furious blowsOf murderous battle met the foes :* * * * Then fierce the dreadful combat raged>As
Hindu mythology, Vedic and Purānic . use Jatayus was there to guard his wife. WhenRavana seized Sita, she cried out to Jatayus— Oh see, the king who rules the raceOf giants, cruel, fierce, and base !Kavan, the spoiler, bears me helpless prey of violence, f Jatayus first tries by reasoning to lead Ravana torestore Sita to her home, and warned him that deathwould result from his act of violence. When, however,neither advice nor threats availed, he prepared t©fight. With clash and din and furious blowsOf murderous battle met the foes :* * * * Then fierce the dreadful combat raged>As fiend and bird in war engaged,As if two winged mountains spedTo dire encounter overhead.\ * Griffithss Ramayana, iii, 68. f Ibid., 230. X Ibid., 236. 472 THE INFERIOR DEITIES. Jatayus succeeded in breaking Ravanas bow. but— A second bow soon armed his hand,Whence pointed arrows swift and trueIn hundreds, yea, in thouands flew.* The giants arrows wounded the vulture ; the vulturein return threw darts which injured Ravana, struck. JATAYUS. the steeds of the chariot, and broke the chariot itself ;whilst with his beak and claws he tore the coachman * Gritnthss Ramayana, iii, 237. J A TA YUS AND SAM PA 77. 473 to pieces. Ravana descended from his chariot andfought on foot ; but gradually the strength ofJatayus, who was weak with age, gave way. Ravana,therefore, re-ascends the chariot, and is about to flythrough the air, when the vulture a second time in-tercepts his flight, and— Swooped down upon the giants back :Down to the bone the talons went ;With many a wound the flesh was rent.* Jatayus was able to tear off the ten left arms ofRavana, but unfortunately others grew to replacethem. At length Ravana seizes his sword, and,after giving the vulture a mortal blow, hurries offwith Sita to Lanka. When Rama and Lakshman commence their searchfor Sita, they come upon the dying bird, and, seeingthe marks of blood upon him, at first think that he hasbeen guilty of carrying off the l
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