Week 3 Storytelling: Jatayu and Sampathi

It was getting late when Jacob and Samuel’s father came into their room and told them that it was time to get ready for bed. As the boys finished their nightly routine, their father carried them back to their room and tucked them in. “What bedtime story do y’all want to hear tonight?” he asked kindly. “You decide,” replied Samuel. “Yeah, tell us something that we haven’t heard before!” added Jacob. The father paused for a moment to decide on a story, then he began:

“There once were two brothers, named Jatayu and Sampathi. However, this was no ordinary pair of brothers. Jatayu and Sampathi were the two most majestic eagles that ever lived, with beautiful feathers and wings that spanned almost thirty feet. Like the two of you, Jatayu and Sampathi loved to compete with one another in every way possible. One day, Jatayu challenged Sampathi to a competition to see who could fly higher. Without responding, Sampathi took off toward the sky and Jatayu raced to keep up. The two birds flapped their wings with all their might, soaring past the highest trees, tallest mountains, and, eventually, the clouds.  At an instant, Jatayu blew past Sampathi and turned back to taunt his older brother. ‘What’s the matter? Can’t keep up?’ Jatayu asked mockingly. As Sampathi glanced in his brother’s direction, he noticed faint waves of smoke rising from his wings. In their competition, the two failed to realize that they had climbed well into the outer layer of the atmosphere, where there is little protection from the sun’s powerful rays. ‘Jatayu, your wings! We must descend!” Sampathi begged, but Jatayu would not fall prey to his brother’s trickery. Sampathi realized that his brother would not end the competition and hurried to get ahead of him. Just as Sampathi managed to protect Jatayu in the shadow of his wings, the older brother burst into flames. The flames greatly injured Sampathi’s wings, sending him in a downward spiral toward the Earth. Jatayu dove after his brother in a desperate attempt to save him. Jatayu reached Sampathi in time to wrap him in his wings, just before hitting the ground. When they awoke, Sampathi no longer had his wings. Fortunately, a sage happened upon the brothers and offered himself to care for them in their time of weakness.”

 

(Two Eagles Soaring: Intimate Love Divine)

 

“Goodnight, boys.” The father got up and headed for the door. “What?! How can you expect us to go to sleep after such a sad story?” Samuel insisted. “Well, if you must know, legend had it that Sampathi’s wings would be restored in the presence of a great warrior by the name of Rama. Rama’s mission was to remove all of the evil spirits from the world, but we’ll save that story for tomorrow night.” The boys smiled at their father as he turned off the light and they drifted to sleep, anxious to hear the next night’s story.

Author’s Note: In the original story, the two brothers were not competing, but trying to catch a glimpse of heaven. During their climb, they crossed paths with the sun god, who grew very irritated and attacked them. I thought that the idea of a competition between two brothers would make for a better bedtime story. I also liked how the story could be tied into The Ramayana as a whole.

Bibliography: Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana