JATAYU’S SENSE OF JUSTICE

While Sita was being abducted by Ravana, her cries had been heard by Jatayu, the king of eagles. He observed that she was like a cow who fell in the hands of a butcher. He said, ‘Daughter!Sita! don’t be afraid. I will kill this devil.” He attacked Ravana as a thunderbolt attacked a mountain. He chided Ravana to stop. Ravana mused, “Is it Mainaka mountain? is it Garutmanta? He and his lord Vishnu knew my strength.” On recognizing Jatayu, Ravana said, “this is old Jatayu. It has come to die in tirtha called my hands.” Jatayu warned him to leave Sita or suffer the destruction of his dynasty in the hands of Rama. He came, threw Ravana down from his chariot holding him by his hair. He made Sita sit in a corner, came back and made Ravana swoon by attacking him by his beak. After a while Ravana came to his senses, felt shame and anger and cut the wings of Jatayu. Though Jatayu who showed exemplary courage later died after revealing how Ravana took Sita away, Jatayu stands for sense of justice. In the case of Sakuntala also birds took care of her as a baby. This shows that sense of justice is not peculiar to humans alone and in fact birds are better than humans who violate sense of justice in their own interests and glorify war for more natural resources and maintain more luxurious life style. we don't know whether there are such stories in western literature but in India one could observe unity among humans, apes,birds and even tiny creatures such as squirrels in the cause of justice.