Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana Part C

Sampati

Sampati, the flightless vulture (Wikimedia)

What I like about Sampati is that he manages to find hope in a hopeless situation and he stays noble.
He does not become angry at his brother after Sampati shields him from the sun, on the contrary he insists the monkeys carry him to a place where he can properly mourn his brother. I like the brokenness of a bird who has lost his wings. Yet he has been promised that his wings will be returned and that his love of life shall be redoubled when he helps a being more noble than himself.


Plot Summary:

• From a cave, Sampati hears the monkeys talking about his brother Jatayu.
• Sampati asks the monkeys what news they’ve heard of his brother.
• The monkeys tell Sampati how his brother died trying to protect Sita from Ravana.
• Sampati tells the monkeys his foresight has shown him Ravana and Sita residing in Lanka.
• The monkeys inquire about how Sampati ended up unable to fly on the southern tip of India.
• Sampati tells of growing up in the best with Jatayu.
• Sampati and Jatayu where racing across Indra’s world when as a result of the sun Jatayu fainted. Sampati spread his wings between the sun and Jatayu and his wings burned up.
• Sampati fell to the summit of Mt Vindhya and passed out.
• Sampati came too sad he missed out on death.
• Sampati dragged himself to the entrance of Saint Nishkara’s cave to ask why he did not die
• At first, Nishakara walks by him into the cave and ignores him but eventually he admits to seeing the incident and let’s Sampati tell his story
• Nishakara tells Sampati his wings will be returned when he fulfills an opportunity to help a being more noble than himself
• Sampati reasons Rama might be the more noble being 
• Sampati mourns his brother in the waters

Source. The Iliad of the East: The Ramayana, by Frederika Richardson Macdonald (1870).
Source. Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914)