Aranya Kanda, Sarga 51

Meaning

When challenged in the aforesaid words, Rāvaṇa, the ruler of ogres, who was adorned with ear-rings of refined gold, indignantly rushed towards Jaṭāyu, the king of winged creatures, his eyes red with anger. (1)

Meaning

The sustained exchange of blows which ensued between the two warriors (viz., Jaṭāyu and Rāvaṇa) in that great conflict was tumultuous like a clash between two clouds impelled by a blast in the sky. (2)

Meaning

The said conflict between a vulture (Jaṭāyu) and an ogre (Rāvaṇa) at that time was astounding like the encounter of the two large mountains known by the name of Mālyavān (one situated in the Daṇḍakāraṇya near Kiṣkindhā and the other near Mount Meru) and endowed with wings. (3)

Meaning

Thereupon Rāvaṇa assailed the king of vultures, who was possessed of great might, with most terrible Nālīkas, Nārācas and sharp-pointed Vikarṇis (three particular varieties of arrows). (4)

Meaning

In the encounter the celebrated vulture, Jaṭāyu, the king of winged creatures, put up with those volleys of arrows discharged by Rāvaṇa. (5)

Meaning

With his feet endowed with sharp talons, Jaṭāyu (the foremost of birds), for his part, who was possessed of great might, inflicted many wounds on the person of Rāvaṇa. (6)

Meaning

With intent to compass the death of his adversary, Rāvaṇa (the ten-headed monster) presently seized in anger ten dread arrows resembling the rod of Death. (7)

Meaning

Rāvaṇa, who was possessed of extraordinary prowess, pierced the vulture with those straight-going, sharp and terrible barbed arrows whetted on a stone and discharged with full force. (8)

Meaning

Beholding Sītā (daughter of Janaka) in the ogre’s chariot with tears in her eyes, and not minding those arrows, Jaṭāyu darted towards the ogre. (9)

Meaning

Then Jaṭāyu (the foremost of birds), who was possessed of great energy, broke with his talons the bow, fitted with an arrow, of Rāvaṇa, artistically decked with pearls. (10)

Meaning

Thereupon, seizing another bow, Rāvaṇa, who was beside himself with anger, rained showers of arrows in hundreds and thousands. (11)

Meaning

Enclosed by the arrows of Rāvaṇa on the field of battle at that time, Jaṭāyu (the king of birds) looked like a bird having found shelter in a nest. (12)

Meaning

Having shaken off that network of arrows with his wings, Jaṭāyu (who was endowed with great energy) for his part snapped the mighty bow of Rāvaṇa with his feet. (13)

Meaning

The king of birds, who was endowed with great energy, also broke his coat of mail, blazing like fire. (14)

Meaning

The mighty bird further killed in the course of the encounter the celebrated swift-going heavenly mules of Rāvaṇa, endowed with the heads of fiends and protected by breast-plates of gold. (15)

Meaning

Jaṭāyu presently smashed the huge chariot as well (of Rāvaṇa) provided with a pole to which the yoke is fixed and flaming like fire, which could go wherever one liked and whose frame looked charming with its steps of gems. (16)

Meaning

Jaṭāyu also knocked down with vehemence the canopy (over the seat of Rāvaṇa) shining as the full moon, alongwith the whisks as also the ogres holding them. (17)

Meaning

Nay, the glorious Jaṭāyu (the king of birds), who was possessed of great might, then vehemently struck off with his bill the big head of the charioteer of Rāvaṇa. (18)

Meaning

Clasping in his arms Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory), Rāvaṇa, whose bow had been broken, nay, who was left without a chariot and whose horses and charioteer had been killed—fell to the ground. (19)

Meaning

Seeing Rāvaṇa dashed to the ground, his chariot smashed, all beings applauded the king of vultures in the words “Well done, bravo !” (20)

Meaning

Clasping the princess of Mithilā, Rāvaṇa, for his part—who felt rejoiced to see Jaṭāyu, the ruler of the feathered kingdom, exhausted due to age—rose once more to the heavens. (21)

Meaning

Springing up on his wings, the king of vultures rushed towards Rāvaṇa, who was now on his move, highly rejoiced, clasping the daughter of Janaka in his arms, the sword alone being left with him, all his other implements of war destroyed. Intercepting Rāvaṇa, Jaṭāyu (who was—endowed with great energy) spoke as follows to Rāvaṇa : (22-23)

Meaning

“Surely it is for the destruction of ogres that you are carrying away this spouse of Śrī Rāma, whose arrows impinge on the body like the thunderbolt, O Rāvaṇa of meagre understanding ! (24)

Meaning

“With your near and dear ones, ministers, army and retinue you are drinking this beverage mixed with poison (in the shape of princess Sītā) as a thirsty man would drink water. (25)

Meaning

“Not foreseeing the result of their evil acts, unwise men perish very soon as you are going to perish. (26)

Meaning

“Caught as you are in the noose of Death, where can you hope to be delivered from it, like the fish which has swallowed a hook alongwith the bait? (27)

Meaning

“Nay, Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, the two scions of Raghu, for their part, who are descended from the stock of Kakutstha, and are hard to overcome, will never on any account brook the violation of the sanctity of their hermitage. (28)

Meaning

“The way in which an act denounced by the world has been perpetrated by you, a coward that you are, is the path trodden by thieves; it is not the path followed by heroes. (29)

Meaning

“Fight with me, if you are a hero and pause awhile, O Rāvaṇa ! Struck dead by me, you will lie on the ground in the same way as did your brother Khara. (30)

Meaning

“For your own destruction you have adopted such an unrighteous conduct as a man does at the hour of death. (31)

Meaning

“What man on earth, be he even Lord Brahmā (the self-born) and the ruler of all the worlds, would undertake an action that results invariably in sin?” (32)

Meaning

Uttering these wholesome words, the powerful Jaṭāyu swooped on the back of that ten-headed ogre. (33)

Meaning

Catching hold of the latter, he tore the ogre all over with his sharp talons as the rider of an elephant, mounted on it, would prick the elephant with his goad. (34)

Meaning

Plunging his beak into the ogre’s back, Jaṭāyu (who had claws, wings and a bill for his weapons) tore him and pulled his hair with his talons. (35)

Meaning

Nay, being tormented again and again by the king of vultures as aforesaid, the said ogre trembled with rage, his lips throbbing through indignation. (36)

Meaning

Pressing Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory) tightly in his left lap, the afflicted Rāvaṇa, who was beside himself with rage, struck Jaṭāyu with the palm of his hand. (37)

Meaning

Dodging that blow, Jaṭāyu, the king of birds, the chastiser of his foes, presently tore off his ten left arms with his beak. (38)

Meaning

Even though his ten arms had been severed, fresh arms sprang up all of a sudden even like serpents issuing from an ant-hill and emitting sprouts of poison. (39)

Meaning

Thereupon, letting alone Sītā, the powerful Rāvaṇa (the ten-headed monster) angrily struck the king of vultures with his fists and feet. (40)

Meaning

Then, for an hour or so, a duel ensued between the two warriors of incomparable prowess, Rāvaṇa, the foremost of ogres, and Jaṭāyu, the chief of vultures. (41)

Meaning

Again, unsheathing his sword, the said Rāvaṇa lopped off the wings, the feet and the flanks too of Jaṭāyu, who was contending in the cause of Śrī Rāma. (42)

Meaning

With his wings sundered all at once by the ogre of fierce deeds, the great vulture, whose life was now of short duration, dropped down on the ground. (43)

Meaning

Distressed to see Jaṭāyu fallen on the ground drenched with blood, Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, rushed towards him as towards one of her own kin. (44)

Meaning

The said Rāvaṇa (the sovereign ruler of Laṅkā) beheld the celebrated Jaṭāyu of exalted prowess—who approached the splendour of a dark-blue cloud and was marked with a white breast—lying on the ground like an extinguished forest fire. (45)

Meaning

Then, embracing the aforesaid bird, who had been fatally injured by the vehemence of Rāvaṇa and thrown on the ground, Sītā, daughter of Janaka, for her part, whose countenance shone like the moon, cried once more on that occasion. (46)