Considering the Vulture: Gaining Perspective on the Ramayana Tradition Through the Pastimes of Jatayu: Journal of Vaishnava Studies

Abstract

Originally composed by Valmiki, the story of Rama and Sita has been told and retold for centuries. Over time, many tellings of the epic have come into existence, both orally transmitted and recorded in text. The sum total of these tellings of Ramkatha, from ancient to modern, dominant to subversive, form what may be referred to as “the Ramayana tradition.” In the Ramayana tradition, we find diverse emphases and approaches from version to version, which reflect the central values of the particular telling, and thus of the
author. While such core sensibilities may be surmised through the reading of an entire text, I will argue that they also appear in concentrated form, as projected into the portrayal and pastimes of the vulture Jatayu.