“Look Raman~ he said, “These deer are trying to tell us something. I think she must have been taken away in a southerly direction. Let us also go that way”.
Thus saying, he encouraged his brother and the two of them slowly walked towards the south, examining the ground as they went. Rama spied the faded lotus flowers and petals and exclaimed, “Look Lakshmana! I recognise these flowers. I had plucked them from the river and decorated her hair, just this morning. 0 Sita! My lovely wife! Where are you”! So saying, he took the petals in his hands and kissed them, while tears streamed from his eyes. Then suddenly his sorrow turned to rage. With eyes wild with anger, he shouted at the mountain, “I will crush you to powder. I will burn up the waters of this river with my wrath. I will destroy the entire world if you do not tell me where my princess”.
Lakshmana feared for his brother’s reason and going forward a little he pointed out to Rama the large furrows made on the soft ground by Ravana’s huge feet and the dainty footprints of Sita as she ran here and there trying to elude his grasp. Rama could not contain himself at these sights but Lakshmana went further and showed him the broken bow and the quiver and again the crushed chariot.
Rama cried out her name again and again and said, “0 Lakshmana Look! These are some of her jewels and these are her flowers which have been stamped into the ground. Who could be the owner, of such a magnificent bow? Here is the white umbrella, the insignia of a king Which king would have dared to commit such a crime. Here are two donkeys lying dead. The charioteer must have been a rakshasa. If their intention was to avenge the annihilation of their army, they have not than succeeded, for I can never live without her. Lakshmana you were right. Do you remember what you told me when Kaikeyi ordered me to go the forest. You said that I was too soft and that my kindnes; and devotion to dharma would be mistaken for cowardice. You were perfectly right. Keeping my senses under strict control, I have accepter this role of a mendicant for the good of humanity – to set an example of unflinching adherence to dharma—- but even the gods seem to have misunderstood me. But beware Lakshmana! From today I will be a changed man. My kindliness and compassion will be cast aside and I will be a most unforgiving and terrible opponent. I will make the three worlds empty of all creatures. Even fire and air will be burnt up in the holocaust of my anger and the gods will have to stand by and watch helplessly”.
Thus saying he took an arrow out of his quiver and fixed it on the bow. Lakshmana fell at his feet and begged him to desist from a universal destruction.
“Rama, -my beloved brother. You have always had only the good of the world in your mind. How can you give way to anger like this? The charm of the moon, the radiance of the sun, and the patience of mother earth, have all combined to make up the perfection of your personality. How can you allow your anger to get the better of you? Sita and you are both images of dharma. Evil can never befall you. Dharma must triumph in the end. Obviously there was some sort of scuffle here. It is your duty to find out who the miscreant was and to punish him for it and not to punish the whole of creation, which is guiltless.
Let us try to find out where Sita has been taken? Let us search the three worlds and if she cannot be found, then you can go about destroying the worlds but not till then. 0 tiger among men! You bore the trials and tribulations of a banishment on the eve of your coronation without a single word. How can you give way to your emotions now? You are to set an example to others. If you give into grief like this, how can an ordinary man control himself! Who is it who has never had any troubles? Even the history of our race shows that many of the kings had difficulties which they overcame with fortitude. No one can escape his karma. But you should not allow sorrow to gain supremacy over your mind. You have always been a god to me. Now the god in you seems to be sleeping, due to sorrow. Control your emotions and let your intellect rule your mind. Search for the one who has done you this grievous wrong and punish him. That is the duty of a Kshatriya”.
Rama heard him out in silence and unstrung his bow and returned the arrow to its quiver, “You are right, 0 Lakshmana! You must tell me what to do. I will follow your advice. My mind refuses to function. You should think for both of us”.
They went forward and soon came to the mighty, fallen figure of Jatayu. At first they thought he must be the rakshasa but on going closer they discovered that it was their dear friend, Jatayu, who was hanging on to his life in the hope of seeing Rama before drawing his last breath.
Jatayu was dying and spitting blood. Making a tremendous effort he said, “Rama do not waste your time here. My life as well as your wife have been taken by the rakshasa king, Ravana. I tried to stop him and almost succeeded but he cut me with his sword, and sped away to the south with Sita in his arms. Go to his kingdom and you will surely find her”.
Rama was overcome with sorrow to know that he was the unwitting cause of his friend’s death. He had fought valiantly but had to succumb to Ravana’s superior strength. Rama knelt on the ground beside Jatayu and bugged him and wept.
Laksnmana , he said. “We have lost Sita and now our poor friend is also gone. I am sure there is no one in the whole world who is ~ as unfortunate as I. If I were to touch the waters of the ocean, I am sure they would dry up due to my misfortune. Fate has pushed me into this deep pit of pain and I know not how to get out of it”. Rama sat beside the dying eagle stroking him with his loving hands. Life was ebbing fast from his body.
Once more Rama asked him, “Tell me if you can, how this has happened. Why has Ravana done this to me? I have not harmed him in any way. What prompted him to commit such a heinous act? What does he look like? Where does he live”?
Rama scarcely expected the dying bird to reply. He was speaking from the depths of his own sorrow, but the bird seeing Rama’s unhappiness made a tremendous effort and whispered, “Child, my life is fast ebbing away. All I can say is that he was carrying her away like a whirlwind towards the south. But take heart, for the time that he abducted her is called vijaya and it is certain that anything lost during that time, will be found again. Though he is a master of astronomy, Ravana seems to have misjudged the time. You will surely find Sita and kill Ravana, so please do not give in to grief. Now I beg of you to hold me in your arms, for my last moment has come and I will surely find release from this bondage of samsara if I am held in your holy hands’. He could speak no more and died in Rama’s arms, with his eyes looking tenderly into his and giving him salvation.
Rama was heartbroken and recalled to mind all the happy times they had spent with Jatayu. He told Lakshmana, “0 Lakshmana! Jatayu was like a father to us. We must give him a fitting funeral. Collect some firewood. He died for my sake and I shall cremate him with my own hands”
