Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana, Part C

(Sampati and the Monkeys from Wiki Commons)

Hi there! 

I am going to go over one of my favorite stories I read in this part of the readings, Sampati and Jatayu.

Characters

Jatayu: Sampati's younger brother. A divine bird (vulture). Wings clipped of by Ravana.

Sampati: Jatayu's older brother. A demi god. Wings burned. 

Indra: King of highest heaven. God of Lightning, Thunder, Rains and River flows King of Heaven

Saint Nishakara: The moon and father of budha 

The Story Breakdown

So the part of story I want to focus on is in the very beginning when Samati is explaining why he cannot fly. 

Basically Jatayu and Sampati would fly together. One day they flew very high and Jatayu got too close to the sun. It was too hot and he fainted, falling into the sun. To save him Sampati put his wings in between Jatayu and the sun. While he saved Jatayu, his wings were burned. 

This is a story of ultimate sacrifice and love. Sampati loved Jatyu as a brother. 

Creating A Story

If I retell this story, I want to keep it very similar. I may change up the characters or location though. I could modernize it. I could also change the story entirely. Maybe Sampati does not save his brother and is punished. Maybe Jatayu tricks him into the fire. Maybe an outsider comes into the story in hopes to hurt Jatayu or Sampati!

Bibliography: PDE Ramayana, Part B Sampati and Jatayu, by Frederika Richardson Macdonald (1870). Link here