August 30 - Sargas 67 and 68 of Aranya Kanda.
Lakshmana's words calm Sri Rama down. They start searching for Sita again. Then they meet Jatayu, fallen, bleeding, and barely sustaining his breath.
Jataayu narrates how despite his intervention, Ravana took Sita away southward. Assuring Sri Rama that the portent was that he would get Sita back soon, Jataayu brethes his last and is cremated by the brothers reverentially.
***
Reclaiming his composure, Sri Rama starts again to search for Sita along with Lakshmana. The two brothers are very exhausted and deflated. But they go on and soon find a huge bird fallen and bleeding. From a distance, Sri Rama suspects that it must be some rakshasa who has devoured Sita and is now resting. He angrily sets a terrible arrow to his bow and is about to destroy that creature when then discover that it is that ancient bird Jataayu, mortally wounded. Sri Rama realizes that Jataayu has been slain in trying to protect Sita. He cries in dismay:
राज्यं भ्रष्टं वने वासः सीता नष्टा मृतो द्विजः।
ईदृशीयं ममालक्ष्मीर्दहेदपि हि पावकम् ॥
सम्पूर्णमपि चेदद्य प्रतरेयं महोदधिम् ।
सोऽपि नूनं ममालक्ष्म्या विशुष्येत् सरितां पतिः ॥
"Alas! What havoc has the goddess of misfortune wreaked on me! First loss of the kingdom. Then banishment to a life of hardship in the forest. Then the disappearance of Sita. Now the killing of Jataayu. Indeed this deadly misfortune can burn down even fire! I am so wretched in my fate that even if I go to swim in the big ocean, it will dry up to deny me. "
Jataayu is urged to narrate what happened. Between his last few breaths, being cuddled by a grieving Sri Rama, he narrates the battle between him and Ravana and how he was able to bring down the rakshasa after laying low his charioteer, chariot, and horses. Ravana sensed then that the old bird had tired and quickly cut off his wings. No matter, Jataayu is not worried about dying.
Now Jataayu says something significant:
येन याति मुहूर्तेन सीतामादाय रावणः ।
विप्रणष्टं धनं क्षिप्रं तत्स्वामी प्रतिपद्यते ॥
विन्दो नाम मुहूर्तोऽसौ न च काकुत्स्थ सोऽबुधत्।
त्वत्प्रियां जानकीं हृत्वा रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः।
झषवद् बडिशं गृह्य क्षिप्रमेव हनिष्यति ॥
न च त्वया व्यथा कार्या जनकस्य सुतां प्रति ।
वैदेह्या रंस्यसे क्षिप्रं हृत्वा तं रणमूर्धनि ॥
"Dear Rama, the muhurta (astrologocal time) when Ravana abducted Sita bodes great loss of wealth and whatever has been acquired in that time for that person.
"The name of that muhurta is Vinda. Whoever has been robbed then will quickly recover his loss. This was not realized by Ravana. By abducting your dear wife, that lord of rakshasas Ravana has courted disaster like a fish that swallows the bait only to lose his life.
"Therefore grieve not, oh Kakutstha! You should not at all be disheartened about losing Sita. You shall soon destroy Ravana in battle and be happy together with your beloved Sita."
Sri Rama sees Jataayu breathe his last in his lap. He mourns his death very much like the death of his father.
Lakshmana arranges for Sri Rama to ceremonially cremate Jataayu and make the ritualistic offering after bathing in the Godavari.
Sri Rama and Lakshmana then move towards the south, like Vishnu and Indra, searching for Sita.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
