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JATAYU,
JATAYUS
According to the Ramayana, a bird who has son of Vishnu’s bird
Garuda, and king of the vultures. Others say he was a son of Aruna.
He became an ally of Rama’s and he fought furiously against Ravana
to prevent the carrying away of Sita. Ravana overpowered him and
left him mortally wounded. Rama found him in time to hear his dying
words, and to learn what had become to Sita. Rama and Lakshmana
performed his funeral rites to “secure his soul in the enjoyments of
heaven,” whither he ascended in a chariot of fire. In the Puranas he
is the friend of Dasa-ratha. When that king went to the ecliptic to
recover Sita from Sani (Saturn), his carriage was consumed by a
glance from the eye of the latter, but Jatayu caught the falling
king and saved him. The Padma Purana says Dasa-ratha assailed Saturn
because of a dearth, and when he and his car were hurled from
heaven, Jatayu caught him.
JATILA
A daughter of Gotama, who is mentioned in the Maha-bharata as a
virtuous woman and the wife of seven husbands.
JAYA-DEVA
A poet, author of the Gita-govinda (q.v.).
JAYAD-RATHA
A prince of the Lunar race, son of Brihanmanas. He was king of
Sindhu, and was “indifferently termed Raja of the Sindhus or
Saindhavas, and Raja of the Sauviras, or sometimes in concert
Sindhu-sauviras,” the Saindhavas and Sauviras both being tribes
living along the Indus. Jayad-ratha married Duh-sala, daughter of
Dhrita-rashtra, and was an ally of the Kauravas. When the Pandavas
were in exile he called at their forest abode while they were out
hunting and Draupadi was at home alone. He had with him six brothers
and a large retinue, but the resources of the Pandavas were equal to
the occasion, and Draupadi was able to supply five hundred deer with
accompaniments for breakfast. This is explained by the statement
that Yudhi-shthira, having worshipped the sun, obtained from that
luminary an inexhaustible cauldron, which was to supply all and
every viand that might be required by the Pandavas in their exile.
Jayad-ratha was captivated by the charms of Draupadi, and tried to
induce her to elope with him. When he was indignantly repulsed he
carried her off by force. On the return of the Pandavas they pursued
the ravisher, defeated his forces, and made him prisoner. His life
was spared by command of Yudhi-shthira, but Bhima kicked and beat
him, terribly, cut off his hair, and made him go before the
assembled Pandavas and acknowledge himself to be their slave. At the
intercession of Draupadi he was allowed to depart. He was killed,
after a desperate conflict, by Arjuna on the fourteenth day of the
great battle.
JAYANTA
Son of Indra also called Jaya.
JAYANTI
Daughter of Indra. She is called also Jayanti, Deva-sena, and
Tavishi.
JIMUTA
A great wrestler, who was overcome and killer by Bhima at the court
of Virata.
JIMUTA-VAHANA
`Whose vehicle is the clouds.’ A title of Indra. A name borne by
several persons, and among them by the author of the
Daya-bhaga.
JISHNU
A name of Arjuna.
JUSHKA
A Turushka or Turki king, who ruled in Kashmir and in Northern
India. See Kanishka.
JWALA-MUKHI
`Mouth of fire.’ A volcano. A celebrated place of pilgrimage in the
Lower Himalayas, north of the Panjab, where fire issues from the
ground. According to the legend, it is the fire which Sati, the wife
of Siva, created, and in which she burnt herself.
JYAMAGHA
A king of the Lunar race, proverbial “most eminent among husbands
submissive to their wives.” Saibya, his wife, was barren, but he was
afraid to take another wife till, having overcome an enemy and
driven him from his country, the daughter of the vanquished king
became his captive. She was beautiful, and Jyamagha desired to marry
her. He took her in his chariot and carried her to his palace to ask
the assent of his queen. When Saibya saw the maiden, she was filled
with jealousy, and angrily demanded who the “light-hearted damsel.”
was. The king was disconcerted, and humbly replied, “She is the
young bride of the future son whom thou shalt bring forth.” It had
ceased to be with Saibya after the manner of women, but still she
bore a son who was named Vidarbha, and married the captive
princess.
JYOTISHA
Astronomy. One of the Vedangas. The object of this Vedanga is to fix
the most auspicious days and seasons for the performance of
sacrifices. There has been little discovered that is ancient on this
subject; only one “short track, consisting of thirty-six verses, in
a comparatively modern style, to which scholars cannot assign an
earlier date than 300 years B.C.”
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