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{{Short description|Son of Hindu god Indra}}
{{Short description|Son of Hindu god Indra}}
{{other uses|Jayant (disambiguation)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox deity
{{Infobox deity
|type = Hindu
| type = Hindu
|father = [[Indra]]
| father = [[Indra]]
|mother = [[Shachi]]
| mother = [[Shachi]]
|siblings = Rishabha, Midhusha, [[Jayanti (Hinduism)|Jayanti]]
| siblings = Rishabha, Midhusha, [[Jayanti (Hinduism)|Jayanti]]
|affiliation = [[Deva (Hinduism)|Deva]]
| affiliation = [[Deva (Hinduism)|Deva]]
|gender = Male
| gender = Male
|texts = [[Ramayana]], [[Bhagavata Purana]]
| texts = [[Ramayana]], [[Bhagavata Purana]]
| image = Rama Pursues Kakasura with a Magical Grass-Arrow.jpg
| caption = Jayanta, as a crow, is attacked by Rama
| abode = [[Svarga]]
}}
}}
In [[Hindu mythology]], '''Jayanta''' ({{lang-sa|जयन्त}}, "victorious"<ref>[http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/monier/serveimg.pl?file=/scans/MWScan/MWScanjpg/mw0413-jayakarNa.jpg Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary p. 413]</ref>), is the son of [[Indra]], the king of the gods ([[Deva (Hinduism)|deva]]s) and his mother [[Shachi]] (Indrani).<ref name="Mani">{{cite book|author = Mani, Vettam|title = Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature|url = https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft|publisher = Motilal Banarsidass|year = 1975|location = Delhi|isbn = 0-8426-0822-2|authorlink =Vettam Mani|page=[https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/354 354]}}</ref> He resides in [[Svarga]], the Hindu heaven, governed by Indra. He has a sister called [[Jayanti (Hinduism)|Jayanti]]. He appears in various Hindu scriptures as fighting wars on behalf of the gods and his father. Jayanta also appears in the epic ''[[Ramayana]]'' and other lore, in which he disguises himself as a crow.


==As a crow==
'''Jayanta''' ({{lang-sa|जयन्त}}, "victory"<ref>[http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/monier/serveimg.pl?file=/scans/MWScan/MWScanjpg/mw0413-jayakarNa.jpg Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary p. 413]</ref>), is a character who appears in [[Hindu texts|Hindu literature]]. He is the son of [[Indra]], the king of the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] (gods), and his wife, [[Shachi]] (Indrani).<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2009-04-12 |title=Jayanta, Jayamta: 30 definitions |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/jayanta |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref> He has a sister called [[Jayanti (Hinduism)|Jayanti]].
[[File:Rama Pursues Kakasura with a Magical Grass-Arrow.jpg|thumb|Rama shoots the Brahmastra on Jayant, disguised as a crow and who is flying here and there to escape the weapon.]]


In the ''[[Sundara Kanda]]'' (fifth Book of the epic ''[[Ramayana]]''), when [[Hanuman]] meets [[Sita]], she narrates an incident that happened in the forest in [[Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh|Chitrakuta]]. The prince of [[Ayodhya]] and [[avatar]] of the god [[Vishnu]], [[Rama]] is exiled to the forest with his wife Sita (an avatar of Vishnu's wife [[Lakshmi]]) and brother [[Lakshmana]]. A fatigued Rama was sleeping in the lap of Sita, when a crow attacked her. The crow pecks at her twice; once on her breast or between her breasts in some versions.<ref name="Mani" /><ref name=":0" /> The ''[[Ramcharitmanas]]'' replaces the breast with feet.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://hindi.webdunia.com/religion/religion/hindu/ramcharitmanas/AranyaKand/2.htm|title=Ramcharitmanas|page=http://hindi.webdunia.com/religion/religion/hindu/ramcharitmanas/AranyaKand/2.htm}}</ref> In hurry to drive away the crow, she tries to fasten her garments, but ends up loosening them. Rama is awakened and recognizes the crow whose claws were dripping in blood as the son of Indra. An enraged Rama, at the behest of Sita, picks a blade of grass and unleashes the divine weapon [[Brahmastra]] out of it on the crow, who flees in fear. The crow flies across the universe, but the weapon follows. Turned back by Indra, Brahma, Shiva and [[rishi]]s (sages), the crow takes refuge in Rama and surrenders to him. The son of Indra requests pardon, but Rama says that the Brahmastra cannot be withdrawn. So, the son of Indra asks it to hit the crow's right eye, and he is left half-blind.<ref name="Mani"/><ref name=":0">Goldman pp. 216&ndash;218</ref> While Jayant is not explicitly named in the episode, various commentaries on the epic like the ''Tilaka'' and the ''Bhushana'' by Govindaraja identify Jayant as the "son of Indra"; some other commentaries do not identify any individual son of Indra. Govindaraja says only Jayant is known as the son of Indra.<ref name="goldman">Goldman p. 456</ref>
He appears in various Hindu scriptures, fighting in wars on behalf of the devas. Jayanta also appears in the epic ''[[Ramayana]]'' and other lore, in which he disguises himself as a crow.


Besides the ''Ramayana'', Jayant is said to have assumed the form of the crow in some tellings of the [[Samudra manthan]] episode. A pot of ''[[amrita]]'' (elixir of life) emerged from the churning of the ocean by the gods and the demons. The demons seized the pot, but Jayant took it from them in the guise of a crow. Pursued by the demons, he flew for twelve days without rest. He stopped at four locations on earth: [[Allahabad|Prayag (in modern Allahabad)]], [[Haridwar]], [[Ujjain]] and [[Nashik]], where the [[Kumbha Mela]] is celebrated every twelve years in remembrance of the incident.<ref name="goldman"/>
==Legends==
{{Hindu mythology}}


==Fighting on behalf of the gods==
=== Crow form ===
The last Book ''Uttara Kanda'' of the ''Ramayana'' describes a battle between Indra and the [[rakshasa]] (demon) king [[Ravana]]. While Indra battles Ravana, Jayanta fights with Ravana's son [[Meghanada]]. A fierce battle ensues between Jayanta and Meghanada; ultimately Ravana's son strikes Jayanta, who falls unconscious. In the confusion, [[Puloman]], his maternal grandfather, takes Jayanta away from the battlefield, unseen by anyone and hides him in the ocean. Indra presumes Jayanta dead and fights more powerfully, but Meghanada defeats him too.<ref name="Mani"/><ref name="VālmīkiVenkatesananda1988">{{cite book|author=Swami Venkatesananda|title=The Concise Ramayana of Valmiki|year=1988|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-88706-862-1|page=369}}</ref>
In the ''[[Sundara Kanda]]'' (the fifth Book of the epic ''[[Ramayana]]''), when [[Hanuman]] meets [[Sita]], she narrates an incident that happened in the forest in [[Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh|Chitrakuta]]. The prince of [[Ayodhya]] and an [[avatar]] of the god [[Vishnu]], [[Rama]], is exiled to the forest with his wife Sita (an avatar of Vishnu's wife, [[Lakshmi]]) and his brother, [[Lakshmana]]. A fatigued Rama was sleeping in the lap of Sita, when a crow attacked her. The crow pecks at her twice; once on her breast or between her breasts in some versions.<ref name="Mani">{{cite book |author=Mani, Vettam |url=https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft |title=Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=1975 |isbn=0-8426-0822-2 |location=Delhi |page=[https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/354 354] |authorlink=Vettam Mani}}</ref><ref name=":0" />  


Jayanta is also described to fight in the battle between the gods and [[asura]]s (demons) in the ''[[Padma Purana]]''.<ref name="goldman"/> The ''[[Harivamsa]]'' mentions the battle between Indra and the god [[Krishna]] to acquire the celestial tree [[Parijat]] from Indra's heaven. Jayanta is described battling Krishna's son [[Pradyumna]] and is defeated. In the ''[[Skanda Purana]]'', Jayanta is defeated by the asura [[Surapadman]], who is finally killed by the commander-in-chief of the gods, [[Murugan|Skanda]].<ref name="Mani"/>
The ''[[Ramcharitmanas]]'' replaces the breast with feet.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://hindi.webdunia.com/religion/religion/hindu/ramcharitmanas/AranyaKand/2.htm|title=Ramcharitmanas|page=http://hindi.webdunia.com/religion/religion/hindu/ramcharitmanas/AranyaKand/2.htm}}</ref> In a hurry to drive away the crow, she tries to fasten her garments, but ends up loosening them. Rama is awakened and recognises the crow, whose claws were dripping in blood, as the son of Indra. An enraged Rama, at the behest of Sita, picks a blade of grass and unleashes the divine weapon [[Brahmastra]] out of it on the crow, who flees in fear. The crow flies across the universe, but the weapon follows. Turned back by Indra, [[Brahma]], [[Shiva]], and various [[rishi]]s (sages), the crow takes refuge in Rama, and surrenders to him. The son of Indra requests pardon, but Rama says that the Brahmastra cannot be withdrawn. So, the son of Indra asks it to hit the crow's right eye, and he is left half-blind.<ref name="Mani" /><ref name=":0">Goldman pp. 216&ndash;218</ref> While Jayanta is not explicitly named in the episode, various commentaries on the epic like the ''Tilaka'' and the ''Bhushana'' by Govindaraja identify Jayanta as the "son of Indra"; some other commentaries do not identify any individual son of Indra. Govindaraja remarks only Jayanta is known as the son of Indra.<ref name="goldman">Goldman p. 456</ref>


==Other legends==
Besides the ''Ramayana'', Jayanta is said to have assumed the form of the crow in some versions of the [[Samudra manthan|Samudra Manthana]] episode. A pot of ''[[amrita]]'' (elixir of life) emerged from the churning of the ocean by the devas and the [[Asura|asuras]]. The asuras seized the pot, but Jayanta took it from them in the guise of a crow. Pursued by the asuras, he is regarded to have flown for twelve days without rest. He stopped at four locations on earth: [[Allahabad|Prayaga (in modern Allahabad)]], [[Haridwar]], [[Ujjain]], and [[Nashik]], where the [[Kumbha Mela]] is celebrated every twelve years in remembrance of the incident.<ref name="goldman" />
The ''[[Vayu Purana]]'' narrates a tale wherein Jayanta is cursed and turned into a [[bamboo]]. This tale is also told in context of [[devadasi]] lore with some variation. Once the sage [[Agastya]] arrived in Indra's court and was welcomed by Indra, by organizing a dance performance of the [[apsara]] [[Urvashi]]. In the performance, Urvashi and Jayanta looked in each other's eyes in love. The distracted Urvashi missed the beat and the dance went haywire. An agitated Agastya cursed Urvashi to be born on earth as a devadasi and Jayanta to be a bamboo tree in the [[Vindhya]] mountains. The duo bowed in reverence and prayed for mercy. The sage said that the curse will end when Urvashi will be presented with a ''talaikole'' (a bamboo staff, Jayanta) on her dance debut (''[[Arangetram]]''). As ordained, the lovers were released from the curse and returned to heaven, when Urvashi got united with Jayanta as the bamboo staff.<ref name="Mani"/><ref name="Devi1990">{{cite book|author=Ragini Devi|title=Dance Dialects of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KRz5ykKRVAEC&pg=PA45|year=1990|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-0674-0|page=45}}</ref>


==Notes==
=== Deva warrior ===
The ''Uttara Kanda'', the final book of the ''Ramayana,'' describes a battle between Indra and the [[rakshasa]] king [[Ravana]]. While Indra battles Ravana, Jayanta fights with Ravana's son, [[Meghanada]]. A fierce battle ensues between Jayanta and Meghanada; ultimately Ravana's son strikes Jayanta, who falls unconscious. In the confusion, [[Puloman]], his maternal grandfather, takes Jayanta away from the battlefield, unseen by anyone and hides him in the ocean. Indra presumes Jayanta dead, and fights more powerfully, but Meghanada defeats him too.<ref name="Mani" /><ref name="VālmīkiVenkatesananda1988">{{cite book|author=Swami Venkatesananda|title=The Concise Ramayana of Valmiki|year=1988|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-88706-862-1|page=369}}</ref>
 
Jayanta is also described to fight in the battle between the devas and [[asura]]s in the ''[[Padma Purana]]''.<ref name="goldman" />
 
The ''[[Harivamsa]]'' mentions a battle between Indra and the god [[Krishna]] to acquire the celestial tree, ''Pārijātapuṣpa'', from Indra's realm. Jayanta is described battling Krishna's son [[Pradyumna]], and is defeated.
 
In the ''[[Skanda Purana]]'', Jayanta is defeated by the asura [[Surapadman]], who is finally killed by the commander-in-chief of the devas, [[Murugan|Skanda]].<ref name="Mani" />
 
=== Bamboo curse ===
The ''[[Vayu Purana]]'' narrates a tale wherein Jayanta is cursed and turned into a [[bamboo]]. This tale is also told in context of [[devadasi]] lore, with some variations. Once, the sage [[Agastya]] arrived in Indra's court, and was welcomed by Indra, organising a dance performance of the [[apsara]] [[Urvashi]]. In the performance, Urvashi and Jayanta looked into each other's eyes in love. The distracted Urvashi missed a beat, and the dance went haywire. An agitated Agastya cursed Urvashi to be born on earth as a devadasi, and Jayanta to become a bamboo tree in the [[Vindhya]] mountains. The duo bowed in reverence, and prayed for mercy. The sage said that the curse would end when Urvashi is presented with a ''talaikole'' (a bamboo staff, Jayanta) on her dance debut (''[[Arangetram (dance)|Arangetram]]''). As ordained, the lovers were released from the curse and returned to Svarga, where Urvashi got united with Jayanta as the bamboo staff.<ref name="Mani" /><ref name="Devi1990">{{cite book|author=Ragini Devi|title=Dance Dialects of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KRz5ykKRVAEC&pg=PA45|year=1990|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-0674-0|page=45}}</ref>
 
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==References==
==Notes==
* {{cite book|last=Goldman|first=Robert P.|author2=Goldman, Sally J. Sutherland|title=The Ramayana Of Valmiki: Sundarakāṇḍa|series=The Ramayana Of Valmiki: An Epic Of Ancient India|year=1996|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-06662-0|volume=V}}
* {{cite book|last=Goldman|first=Robert P.|author2=Goldman, Sally J. Sutherland|title=The Ramayana Of Valmiki: Sundarakāṇḍa|series=The Ramayana Of Valmiki: An Epic Of Ancient India|year=1996|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-06662-0|volume=V}}


[[Category:Hindu gods]]
[[Category:Hindu gods]]
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