Sampati Helps the Vanaras

Sampati Helps the Vanaras

A gigantic vulture lived on the top of the mountain. Watching the Vanaras prepare to fast to death, he thanked the providence for having sent him so much food without him having to make any effort. Sampati – that was his name – came out of his cave and watched the Vanaras fast, awaiting their death.

 Sampati was Jatayu’s older brother, the vulture who had died trying to protect Sita. Do you remember?

 Angada saw the big vulture and began to complain.

“Friends, look at that vulture. Soon he will eat our flesh. But we must also be ready to give up our life to serve Rama. Do you remember Jatayu in Pancavati? He sacrificed his life to serve Rama. Courage, then; face death as heroes.”

Sampati heard his brother’s name and only then did he learn of his death.

“Prince, my name is Sampati,” he shouted to Angada. “That Jatayu you mentioned earlier was my younger brother. I heard he died. Tell me how it happened. Tell me who that person is for whom he sacrificed his life and how you met him.”

Sampati no longer had wings and moved with difficulty. Angada and the others were wary. «Was that big vulture really Jatayu’s brother?» They wondered.

“Help me get to where you are,” he said trying to get down. “My wings were burned by the sun’s rays and from that day on I find it difficult to move.”

The Vanaras suspected that he might be lying to eat them before they died, but they decided to help him get down anyway. As he descended among them, Sampati showed no bad intentions and the Vanaras were heartened. Angada told him the story of Rama, the kidnapping of Sita, Jatayu’s confrontation with Ravana, and his death.

Then, he also told the story of Rama’s alliance with Sugriva, the death of Vali and the dramatic search for Sita. 

When Angada finished the story, Sampati looked sad.

“Jatayu was the dearest person I had. It was for him that I sacrificed my wings. You know, one day, a long time ago, we were returning from the celestial planets, and I saw that he was suffering from excessive heat. Seeing him suffering so much, I covered him with my wings. But that day, the sun’s rays were so strong that they burned me and I fell on this mountain where we are now. Since that day, I had never heard from  Jatayu again.”

Angada thought that perhaps Sampati, who lived on the peaks of those mountains, might have known or seen something that could help them in their search. He was not very optimistic, but as it is known, hope is the last to die.

“Maybe you can help us. Do you know anything about Sita? Have you seen anything strange? Help us if you can.” Angada said.

Sampati thought for a moment.

“Yes,” he replied, “now that I think about it, I remember hearing about a beautiful woman being taken away by a huge Raksasa. She shouted: Rama! Rama! Help! and tried to extricate herself from the grip. From your story, I think I can relate Sita’s kidnapping to that event.”

“Do you know why I tell you all this?” Sampati asked, “I tell you this because I want to avenge my brother’s death, and I will also tell you where the kingdom of that demon is. You will surely find Sita there. That Raksasa was Ravana, and his kingdom is the island of Lanka.”

With that news, all the Vanaras widened their eyes with joy: they no longer expected to find even the slightest trace of Sita, who seemed to have vanished into thin air. Everyone started jumping with joy and hugged each other.

“Our dearest friend,” the wise Jambavan said to Sampati. “You can’t even imagine how much comfort and happiness this news has given us. But how did you come to know about this fact?”

“I have a son named Suparsva,” Sampati replied. “Since my wings were burned by the sun, he has been the one who has fed me, and every day he comes to the cave where I live. One day he arrived late, and I asked him why. I was very hungry and I was particularly aware of the delay. He told me that he had seen a giant Raksasa flying and carrying a beautiful young woman who squirmed and screamed: Rama! Rama! He became curious about who that majestic Raksasa could be and asked the mountain sages. They told him that it was Ravana and that that woman was Sita. Now you know why I was aware of Ravana’s episode.”

“Now I want to tell you some details of my story that you don’t know yet.”

“When I fell on the mountain with my wings burned and completely useless, I laboriously descended from the peak of this mountain and met a sage by the name of Nishakara who was nearby. He saw me and asked me:

‘What happened to you? How did your wings burn?’

I told him: “I got too close to the sun trying to protect my brother’s life, and so, I got burned. In this condition, my life has no meaning. For this reason, I want to die jumping off the mountain peak.”

‘No, don’t do it!’ said the merciful sage. ‘Don’t worry about your infirmity because you will soon get your wings back. One day you will meet Rama’s faithful friends, the Vanaras who will come in search of his dear wife. If you give them the information they need to find her, you’ll get your wings back.’ 

And just as Sampati was talking to the Vanaras, a pair of wonderful wings sprouted from his body. Filled with joy, Sampati took off and began to circle in the sky.

“Don’t worry, you will soon find Sita. Go further south, across the ocean. Sita is there!” he shouted from above.

And he disappeared into the sky. Encouraged by Sampati, the Vanaras headed further south.

 

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