Sunday 26 January 2014

131. The valiant effort of Jataayu.

               Ravana did not at all like Jataayu's peremptory actions and utterances. At the outset he did not like the old bird perching on his chariot. The sermons of the bird kindled his anger. Ravana's fury reached its pinnacle when the old imprudent bird poised threateningly to stop him physically. The uncontrollable anger made Ravana's eyes red. And he gnashed his teeth in anger which caused his burnished golden ear knobs flicker as if they were fireballs. 
              Ravana found that it was not easy to ward off the old bird. His annoyance grew further when he realized that he had to spent some time and energy to overcome that bird. The physical clash between the rakshash and the bird turned out to be like the one when two gigantic clouds upheaved by the tornadic gusts hard hitting each other tempestuously in the sky. Ravana found that the old Jataayu was fighting better than he imagined and he perforce had to exert much more than he planned. Then the combat turned out to be as startling as that between two gigantic and winged mountains.
             Ravana incessantly stormed Jataayu with arrows that had excruciating and highly dreadful arrowheads, like tubular arrows, iron arrows, and with arrows that had crescentic arrowheads. That mighty eagle Jataayu not only sustained those arrays of Ravana's arrows  but severally made gashes on the body of Ravana with the strong and sturdy claws on his feet. Ravana took up ten deadly arrows that were similar in their shine to the Shafts of the Terminator, released and impaled the eagle with straight shooting arrows on fully stretching the bowstring up to his ear, whose steel-pointed arrowheads were sharp, hurtful, and deadly.
              The agonized and the teary-eyed face of Jaanaki in the chariot made Jataayu lunge towards that rakshash heedless of the arrows that were lunging at him. That unexpected move of Jataayu made Ravana's bow which was decorated with pearls and gemstones, shattered. Ravana convulsed in anger then took up another bow and stormed hundreds and thousands of arrow storms. Nested in the arrows shot by Ravana Jataayu shone forth in that combat like a bird that obtains a readymade nest. On winnowing those arrays of arrows with his wings, Jataayu shattered that bow too with his feet. That lord of birds also blasted off the armour of Ravana with his feet.
               That old but mighty Jataayu also knocked off the ghost-faced mules yoked to the chariot of Ravana. Then that great-chariot which was flourishing with three bamboos from chassis to yoke, and which traversed just by its steersman's wish, and which was crafted fantastically with gem-studded body and stairs, whose wheels were crafted with gold and gemstones, and which in its flare was like a Ritual-fire,  was splintered by Jataayu. Jataayu swiftly collapsed the parasol of Ravana which in shine was mirroring the full moon, along with the regalia of white-royal-fur-fans, together with the rakhashas handling them for fanning Ravana. Jaatayu also pecked off the robust head of the charioteer of Ravana with beak. Now Ravana was without any usable bow and chariot. The horses and the charioteer were killed. Faces glowing like fire, Ravana grabbing Vaidehi by her torso jumped to earth.
                Seeing Ravana floundered on the earth from his crumbled vehicle, all beings like sylvan deities, caaranas, siddhas and suchlike, reverenced Jataayu. 
                Due to his age, Jataayu became quite tired. Ravana was pleased to note that the old bird had become quite tired. He therefore started going away by raising up to the skies taking Seetha with him. He decided to deal with that bird later. But the old bird was quite a persevering one. He (Jataayu), too swiftly rose to sky dashing to forestall Ravana, whose only weapon now was a single sword. Jataayu shouted at Ravana "You mean-minded Ravana, you want to run away to avoid facing her husband Rama who wields arrows that touch off like the Thunderbolt of Indra. This abduction will result in the complete eradication of  the entire race of rakhashas by Rama. If you have adequate bravery wait till Rama comes and take his wife after defeating Rama."
                Ravana was not in a mood to heed anything Jataayu was telling and started moving towards Lanka carrying Seetha. Seeing this Jataayu descended on the hind-side of Ravana, devastatingly. On clasping Ravana with incisive claws Jataayu lacerated deeply and rampantly, as a mahout, an elephant-trainer-controller, sitting astride on it would try to control an uncontrollable elephant that was running amok, with an incisive goad. Armed only with his claws, wings, and beak, Jataayu not only tore the back of Ravana asunder applying his beak and claws, but started to tweeze even his hair which made the lips of Ravana quiver. Ravana became very much exasperated by the continuous harassment of Jataayu. When the persecution became intolerable Ravana staggered on to his right targeting the hovering eagle at his hind-side to fell it down and hit back Jataayu with all the palms he could muster, while firmly clutching Vaidehi onto his left flank.
               But Jataayu, our present hero, outstripped Ravana and ripped off ten left-arms with which Seetha was being held by Ravana, with his beak, so that Seetha would be released from the grip of that rakhash. Hare Ram! Fresh arms started immediately from his body like snakes possessing a series of venomous blazes sprawling out from a snake pit. But this was the last straw for Ravana, who then threw off Seetha, and out of fury he scuffled with the king of eagles with fisticuffs and kicks, by both his feet and fists. Their encounter in this fashion continued for some time between them. Ravana managed to draw his sword and hewed off both the wings, sides, and feet of that old bird. Incapacitated in this fashion the colossal eagle Jataayu immediately fell down to earth completely exhausted.
                   On seeing Jataayu fallen on earth and dampened with blood Vaidehi fell into a fit of weeping and ran towards him as if he was her own close relative. Ravana gazed at that worthily valorous Jataayu, who in his shine was like a blue-black cloud with a whitely white chest and who by now was like a quiescent fire-storm flattened onto the ground.
                 Seetha hugged the eagle Jataayu and wept over uncontrollably incessantly.
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