# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 13 — Jaṭāyu’s offer *Daśaratha’s vulture friend recounts the ancestry of Devas, animals and humankind, identifies his own lineage and offers to guard Sītā* Portion: Ten years in the forest and settlement at Pañcavaṭī · Verses: 36 · Ref format: 3.13. ## Sequence - On the way, the brothers see a huge vulture and initially mistake him for a rākṣasa (13.1–2) - the bird gently identifies himself as their father's friend → Rāma honors him and asks his name and lineage (13.3–5) - the bird begins with the ancient progenitors, ending with Dakṣa, Vivasvat, Ariṣṭanemi, and Kaśyapa (13.6–9) - he recounts that Dakṣa had sixty daughters, eight of whom married Kaśyapa: Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kālakā, Tāmrā, Krodhavaśā, Manu, and Analā (13.10–13). - He traces Aditi's children to the Devas, Diti's to the Daityas, Danu's to Aśvagrīva, and Kālakā's to Naraka and Kālaka (13.14–17) - Tāmrā's daughters give rise to the bird families: Krauñcī to owls, Bhāsī to bhāsa birds, Śyenī to hawks and vultures, and Dhṛtarāṣṭrī to geese and other waterbirds → through Śukī and her daughter Natā comes Vinatā (13.17–20) - Krodhavaśā's daughters become the ancestors of deer, bears, lions, monkeys, tigers, elephants, cattle, horses, and serpents → among these lines, Bhadramadā's daughter Irāvatī bears Airāvata, while Surabhī's daughters Rohiṇī and Gandharvī bear cattle and horses respectively (13.21–28) - Manu bears humankind and Analā the fruit-bearing trees (13.29–31) - Kadrū bears a thousand serpents, while Vinatā bears Garuḍa and Aruṇa (13.32) - the vulture finally identifies himself as Jaṭāyu, the son of Aruṇa and Śyenī and younger brother of Saṃpāti (13.33) - he offers to stay with Rāma and guard Sītā whenever the brothers are away (13.34) - delighted by his recollections of Daśaratha, Rāma embraces and honors him, entrusts Sītā to his protection, and continues toward Pañcavaṭī (13.35–36). ## Verses **3.13.1** atha pañcavaṭīṃ gacchann antarā raghunandanaḥ āsasāda mahākāyaṃ gṛdhraṃ bhīmaparākramam Then, as he was going toward Pañcavaṭī, Rāghava, the delight of Raghu, came upon along the way a huge-bodied vulture of terrible prowess. **3.13.2** taṃ dṛṣṭvā tau mahābhāgau vanasthaṃ rāmalakṣmaṇau menāte rākṣasaṃ pakṣiṃ bruvāṇau ko bhavān iti Seeing him seated in the forest, those two illustrious ones, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, took the bird for a rākṣasa and said, “Who are you?” **3.13.3** sa tau madhurayā vācā saumyayā prīṇayann iva uvāca vatsa māṃ viddhi vayasyaṃ pitur ātmanaḥ He, as if gladdening the two with sweet and gentle speech, said: “My child, know me to be a friend of your own father.” **3.13.4** sa taṃ pitṛsakhaṃ buddhvā pūjayām āsa rāghavaḥ sa tasya kulam avyagram atha papraccha nāma ca Recognizing him to be his father's friend, Rāghava honored him; and then he calmly asked his lineage and his name. **3.13.5** rāmasya vacanaṃ śrutvā kulam ātmānam eva ca ācacakṣe dvijas tasmai sarvabhūtasamudbhavam Hearing Rāma's words, the bird declared to him his lineage and himself, and the origin of all beings. **3.13.6** pūrvakāle mahābāho ye prajāpatayo 'bhavan tān me nigadataḥ sarvān āditaḥ śṛṇu rāghava “In the ancient time, O mighty-armed one, those who were the lords of creatures — hear of them all from me as I relate them from the beginning, O Rāghava. **3.13.7** kardamaḥ prathamas teṣāṃ vikṛtas tadanantaram śeṣaś ca saṃśrayaś caiva bahuputraś ca vīryavān Kardama was the first of them, Vikṛta next after that, and Śeṣa, and Saṃśraya, and the valiant Bahuputra; **3.13.8** sthāṇur marīcir atriś ca kratuś caiva mahābalaḥ pulastyaś cāṅgirāś caiva pracetāḥ pulahas tathā Sthāṇu, Marīci, and Atri, and the mighty Kratu, and Pulastya, and Aṅgiras, Pracetas, and Pulaha likewise; **3.13.9** dakṣo vivasvān aparo 'riṣṭanemiś ca rāghava kaśyapaś ca mahātejās teṣām āsīc ca paścimaḥ Dakṣa, then another, Vivasvat, and Ariṣṭanemi, O Rāghava, and the greatly splendid Kaśyapa was the last of them. **3.13.10** prajāpates tu dakṣasya babhūvur iti naḥ śrutam ṣaṣṭir duhitaro rāma yaśasvinyo mahāyaśaḥ Now to Dakṣa, lord of creatures, there were born — thus we have heard — sixty daughters, illustrious ones, O Rāma of great renown. **3.13.11** kaśyapaḥ pratijagrāha tāsām aṣṭau sumadhyamāḥ aditiṃ ca ditiṃ caiva danūm api ca kālakām Of these, Kaśyapa took in marriage eight fair-waisted ones: Aditi, and Diti, and Danu, and also Kālakā, **3.13.12** tāmrāṃ krodhavaśāṃ caiva manuṃ cāpy analām api tās tu kanyās tataḥ prītaḥ kaśyapaḥ punar abravīt Tāmrā, and Krodhavaśā, and Manu, and also Analā; then Kaśyapa, pleased, spoke again to those maidens: **3.13.13** putrāṃs trailokyabhartṝn vai janayiṣyatha mat samān aditis tan manā rāma ditiś ca danur eva ca “You shall bring forth sons, sustainers of the three worlds, equal to me.” Aditi was intent on that, O Rāma, and Diti, and Danu as well, **3.13.14** kālakā ca mahābāho śeṣās tv amanaso 'bhavan adityāṃ jajñire devās trayastriṃśad ariṃdama and Kālakā, O mighty-armed one; but the rest were unwilling. From Aditi were born the gods, thirty-three of them, O subduer of foes: **3.13.15** ādityā vasavo rudrā aśvinau ca paraṃtapa ditis tv ajanayat putrān daityāṃs tāta yaśasvinaḥ the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, and the two Aśvins, O scorcher of foes; but Diti brought forth sons, the illustrious Daityas, my child. **3.13.16** teṣām iyaṃ vasumatī purāsīt savanārṇavā danus tv ajanayat putram aśvagrīvam ariṃdama Theirs was this earth of old, with its forests and oceans; but Danu brought forth a son, Aśvagrīva, O subduer of foes. **3.13.17** narakaṃ kālakaṃ caiva kālakāpi vyajāyata krauñcīṃ bhāsīṃ tathā śyenīṃ dhṛtarāṣṭrīṃ tathā śukīm And Kālakā too gave birth to Naraka and Kālaka; and Tāmrā to Krauñcī, Bhāsī, and Śyenī, Dhṛtarāṣṭrī, and Śukī. **3.13.18** tāmrāpi suṣuve kanyāḥ pañcaitā lokaviśrutāḥ ulūkāñ janayat krauñcī bhāsī bhāsān vyajāyata Tāmrā too bore these five daughters, renowned throughout the world. Krauñcī gave birth to owls, Bhāsī brought forth the bhāsa birds, **3.13.19** śyenī śyenāṃś ca gṛdhrāṃś ca vyajāyata sutejasaḥ dhṛtarāṣṭrī tu haṃsāṃś ca kalahaṃsāṃś ca sarvaśaḥ and Śyenī brought forth hawks and vultures of great vigor; and Dhṛtarāṣṭrī bore geese and all the kalahaṃsa waterfowl, **3.13.20** cakravākāṃś ca bhadraṃ te vijajñe sāpi bhāminī śukī natāṃ vijajñe tu natāyā vinatā sutā and cakravāka geese too — blessings on you! — that lovely one also bore; and Śukī gave birth to Natā, and Natā's daughter was Vinatā. **3.13.21** daśakrodhavaśā rāma vijajñe 'py ātmasaṃbhavāḥ mṛgīṃ ca mṛgamandāṃ ca harīṃ bhadramadām api And Krodhavaśā, O Rāma, bore ten daughters sprung from herself: Mṛgī, and Mṛgamandā, and Harī, and Bhadramadā, **3.13.22** mātaṅgīm atha śārdūlīṃ śvetāṃ ca surabhīṃ tathā sarvalakṣaṇasaṃpannāṃ surasāṃ kadrukām api then Mātaṅgī, and Śārdūlī, and Śvetā, and Surabhī likewise, and Surasā endowed with every auspicious mark, and Kadrū also. **3.13.23** apatyaṃ tu mṛgāḥ sarve mṛgyā naravarottama ṛṣkāś ca mṛgamandāyāḥ sṛmarāś camarās tathā The offspring of Mṛgī were all the deer, O best of the best of men, and of Mṛgamandā the bears, and the sṛmaras and the camara-deer likewise. **3.13.24** tatas tv irāvatīṃ nāma jajñe bhadramadā sutām tasyās tv airāvataḥ putro lokanātho mahāgajaḥ Then Bhadramadā bore a daughter named Irāvatī, and her son was Airāvata, the great elephant, guardian of the world. **3.13.25** haryāś ca harayo 'patyaṃ vānarāś ca tapasvinaḥ golāṅgūlāṃś ca śārdūlī vyāghrāṃś cājanayat sutān The offspring of Harī were the tawny lions and the monkeys, ascetics; and Śārdūlī bore for sons the langurs and the tigers. **3.13.26** mātaṅgyās tv atha mātaṅgā apatyaṃ manujarṣabha diśāgajaṃ tu śvetākṣaṃ śvetā vyajanayat sutam The offspring of Mātaṅgī were the elephants, O bull among men; and Śvetā brought forth for a son the white-eyed elephant of the quarter, guardian of a direction. **3.13.27** tato duhitarau rāma surabhir devy ajāyata rohiṇīṃ nāma bhadraṃ te gandharvīṃ ca yaśasvinīm Then, O Rāma, the goddess Surabhī gave birth to two daughters — blessings on you! — one named Rohiṇī and the illustrious Gandharvī. **3.13.28** rohiṇy ajanayad gā vai gandharvī vājinaḥ sutān surasājanayan nāgān rāma kadrūś ca pannagān Rohiṇī brought forth the cattle, and Gandharvī brought forth for sons the horses; Surasā gave birth to the nāgas, O Rāma, and Kadrū to the serpents. **3.13.29** manur manuṣyāñ janayat kaśyapasya mahātmanaḥ brāhmaṇān kṣatriyān vaiśyāñ śūdrāṃś ca manujarṣabha Manu, wife of the great-souled Kaśyapa, brought forth the human beings — brahmins, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras, O bull among men. **3.13.30** mukhato brāhmaṇā jātā urasaḥ kṣatriyās tathā ūrubhyāṃ jajñire vaiśyāḥ padbhyāṃ śūdrā iti śrutiḥ From the mouth the brahmins were born, from the chest likewise the kṣatriyas, from the thighs the vaiśyas came forth, and from the feet the śūdras — so says the sacred tradition. **3.13.31** sarvān puṇyaphalān vṛkṣān analāpi vyajāyata vinatā ca śukī pautrī kadrūś ca surasā svasā Analā too brought forth all the trees bearing holy fruit. Vinatā and Śukī were granddaughters, and Kadrū and Surasā were sisters. **3.13.32** kadrūr nāgasahaskraṃ tu vijajñe dharaṇīdharam dvau putrau vinatāyās tu garuḍo 'ruṇa eva ca Kadrū brought forth a thousand serpents that bear up the earth; but Vinatā had two sons, Garuḍa and Aruṇa. **3.13.33** tasmāj jāto 'ham aruṇāt saṃpātiś ca mamāgrajaḥ jaṭāyur iti māṃ viddhi śyenīputram ariṃdama From that Aruṇa I was born, and Saṃpāti my elder brother. Know me as Jaṭāyu, son of Śyenī, O subduer of foes. **3.13.34** so 'haṃ vāsasahāyas te bhaviṣyāmi yadīcchasi sītāṃ ca tāta rakṣiṣye tvayi yāte salakṣmaṇe So I shall become a companion in your dwelling, if you wish it; and I will guard Sītā, dear one, when you go off with Lakṣmaṇa. **3.13.35** jaṭāyuṣaṃ tu pratipūjya rāghavo mudā pariṣvajya ca saṃnato 'bhavat pitur hi śuśrāva sakhitvam ātmavāñ jaṭāyuṣā saṃkathitaṃ punaḥ punaḥ Then Rāghava, honoring Jaṭāyu and embracing him with joy, bowed low; for the self-possessed one heard of his father's friendship, told again and again by Jaṭāyu. **3.13.36** sa tatra sītāṃ paridāya maithilīṃ sahaiva tenātibalena pakṣiṇā jagāma tāṃ pañcavaṭīṃ salakṣmaṇo ripūn didhakṣañ śalabhān ivānalaḥ There, entrusting Sītā of Mithilā to that mighty bird, he went, together with Lakṣmaṇa, toward that Pañcavaṭī, eager to burn up his foes as fire burns up locusts.