Jaṭāyu

In the Rāmāyaṇa narrative Jaṭāyu is described as the younger son of Aruṇa and Shyeni and the brother of Sampati. In youth he and Sampati engaged in a wagered contest of flight toward Sūrya (the Sun); during that episode Jaṭāyu flew into the Sūryamaṇḍala (the Sun's orbit) while his brother later suffered burnt wings protecting him. Jaṭāyu later appears in the epic defending Sītā from Rāvaṇa's abduction, where he is mortally wounded.

Jaṭāyu is presented in the epic in the form of a vulture and is accorded the title gṛdhrarāja, "King of Vultures." The primary sources give no detailed physical description beyond his avian/vulture identity; later local and modern commemorative portrayals (for example monumental sculpture at a contemporary park and village traditions identifying fall-sites) represent him visually in devotional contexts.

Within the Rāmāyaṇa narrative Jaṭāyu demonstrates extraordinary aerial ability (the youthful flight toward the Sun) and martial/protective action when he attempts to rescue Sītā from Rāvaṇa and fights the rakṣasa. He is able to engage Rāvaṇa in combat and, after being wounded, provides Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with information about the abductor's direction before dying of his wounds. These capacities are described as narrative events rather than ongoing magical functions.