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Eva De Clercq, Jaina Jatāyus or the story of king Dandaka
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home, Rāma, though wary of possible trickery, goes after it to fetch it for Sītā, instructing Lakşmaņa to stay and protect Sītā (3.41). At a distance, Mārīca imitates Rāma's voice calling Sītā and Laksmana for help and Laksmana reluctantly heads into the forest to help Rāma, leaving Sītā alone and vulnerable to her kidnapper (3.42-43). Disguised as a mendicant, Rāvana wins Sītā's trust, but when he reveals his true identity and offers Sītā to come away with him, she rejects him and Rāvana grabs her (3.44-47). While Rāvana tries to carry her off, Sītā calls for Jatāyus, who was asleep nearby. Jatāyus immediately rushes towards them and rebukes Rāvana for his base intentions (3.48). Enraged, Rāvana attacks him and after a struggle, cuts off his wings, feet and flanks and proceeds with Sītā to Lankā (3.49-50). When Rāma and Laksmana return to their home, they find Jatāyus barely alive and in his last breath he reveals that Rāvana abducted Sītā (3.63). The brothers perform funeral rites for Jatāyus as if he were a relative (3.64). In the parallel Jaina accounts (Paümacariyam 44.29-55, Padmapurāna 44.59-111, Paümacariu 38.1-39.2) Rāvana arrives at the Dandaka forest to reinforce the Rākşasas, who are struggling in battle with Laksmana. As he hovers nearby, he notices Rāma and Sītā and becomes infatuated with Sītā. With the help of his vidyā, he imitates Lakṣmaṇa's voice, calling for Rāma. After reassuring Sītā and explicitely instructing Jațāyin to protect her, Rāma heads towards the battle-field and Rāvana takes his chance to abduct her, striking down Jatāyin. When Rāma returns, he finds Sītā missing and Jațāyin dying and recites the namaskāra-mantra for the bird. To counter the awkward situation of Vālmīki's account, where Laksmana remains with Sītā, while Rāma hunts the deer, in the Jaina texts Rāma stays alone with Sītā, thus completely avoiding Sītā's harsh, insulting speech towards her brother-in-law in the Rāmāyaṇa, where she accuses him of plotting against Rāma and lusting after her (3.44). The motif of the golden deer has been abandoned, since Rāma killing a deer for the pleasure of his wife, would not conform to his so often stressed characterization as an ideal Jaina layman. Like in the Rāmāyana, Jatāyin sacrifices his life attempting to protect Sītā, but since in the Jaina texts he is a simple bird, he cannot reveal to Rāma the identity of her abductor.21
Later events Unique to the Jaina tellings, the character of Jatāyus returns at the very end of the narrative (Paümacariyam 113.1-67; Padmapurāna 118.1-122; Paümacariu 88.1-9). After Laksmana has died, Rāma, in denial, takes his corpse on his shoulder and treats him as if he were alive, washing and feeding him. Hearing of Laksmana's death and Rāma's unstable condition, some enemies prepare to attack Ayodhyā. Jațāyus, who had
21 Rāvana is identified later by a Vidyādhara, who happened to see Rāvana flying by with Sītā and unsuccesfully attempted to free her (Paümacariyam 48.41-44; Padmapurana 48.86-95; Paümacariu 44.7.9-10.2).
