When Divine Law Meets Natural Order: The Jatayu Question in Ramayana The Ramayana, one of Hinduism's most revered epics, presents us with countless moral dilemmas that continue to resonate through centuries. Among these, the folk traditions of northern Kerala raise a particularly thought-provoking question: Was Rama wrong in cremating Jatayu? This query, emerging from local oral traditions, challenges our understanding of dharma, natural law, and the complex relationship between human civilization and the wild order of the forest. The Sacred Bond Between Rama and Jatayu In Valmiki's Ramayana, Jatayu's encounter with Rama represents one of the most poignant moments in the epic. The great vulture king, mortally wounded while attempting to rescue Sita from Ravana's clutches, breathes his last in Rama's arms. As described in the Aranya Kanda, Rama's grief is profound: "This vulture has done for me what even my own kinsmen could not do" (Aranya Kanda 68....