Shloka 7
Sāvitrī’s Trirātra-Vrata and Departure with Satyavān (सावित्रीव्रतनिश्चयः सहगमनं च)
निहत्य गृध्रराजं स भिन्नाभ्रशिखरोपमम् | ऊर्ध्वमाचक्रमे सीतां गृहीत्वाड्केन राक्षस:,बादलोंको भेदनेवाले पर्वतशिखरके समान गृध्रराज जटायुको घायल करके रावण पुनः सीताको गोदमें लिये हुए आकाशमार्गसे चल दिया
nihatya gṛdhrarājaṃ sa bhinnābhraśikharopamam | ūrdhvam ācakrame sītāṃ gṛhītvāṅkena rākṣasaḥ ||
Having struck down the king of vultures, Jaṭāyu—mighty like a mountain-peak that cleaves the clouds—the rākṣasa (Rāvaṇa) rose again into the sky, carrying Sītā upon his lap. The episode underscores the ethical contrast between predatory force and self-sacrificing protection: Jaṭāyu falls while upholding righteousness, and the abductor advances through adharma despite heroic resistance.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Righteousness may demand costly resistance: Jaṭāyu embodies dharma by defending Sītā despite overwhelming odds, while Rāvaṇa’s success in flight highlights that immediate victory can still be morally corrupt (adharma) and ultimately self-destructive.
After grievously injuring (or striking down) Jaṭāyu, the vulture-king who tried to stop him, Rāvaṇa resumes his aerial journey, carrying Sītā on his lap as he departs through the sky.