Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.169

c9.169

Jaṭāyu was my younger brother. Our mother was Mahāśvetā and father Sūryadeva. On account of the boon of our parents I was King of all the birds and Jaṭāyu the crown Prince. As our brotherliness grew thicker our haughtiness due to our power and speed also increased. Once we flew up towards the orbit of the Sun to see him, our father. In his youthful enthusiasm my younger brother, Jaṭāyu, climbed higher up in the sky leaving me behind. Due to the heat of the Sun his wings lost their power and energy. Then, to save him, I flew up above him and shaded him. Therefore he could descend to the earth without his wings being burned and thus killed. But, my wings got burned and I fell down on the Mahendra mountain and got my legs broken. Thus I lost the power either to fly or to walk.