Jayanta is the son of Indra and Shachi (Indrani). His name means victorious in Sanskrit. He lives in Swarga. Jayanta always fought with the other devas in the battles between the devas and asuras.
Family
- Father: Indra
- Mother: Shachi
- Sister: Jayanti
- Half-Brother: Vali
Battle Between Ravana and Indra
Once, a war occurred between Ravana and Indra. Jayanta fought Indrajita, the son of Ravana. Indrajita was really powerful and had various celestial weapons, so he knocked Jayanta unconscious. Pulomana, his maternal grandfather, took Jayanta away from the battlefield and hid him in the ocean. After the war ended, Pulomana went and fetched Jayanta from the ocean.
Jayanta as a Crow
Once, when Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita were in exile for 14 years, Rama was sleeping on Sita’s lap. While he was sleeping, a crow attacked Sita. It pecked at her on her feet twice. Rama woke and looked at the crow, which is dripping with blood. Rama realized that the crow is none other than Jayanta. In fury, he picked up a single blade of grass and chanted an incantation. He then threw the blade of grass, which transformed into the Brahmastra. The Brahmastra approached Jayanta, who fled. Jayanta fled all around the universe, but the Brahmastra keeps following him.
Finally, he fell at Lord Rama’s feet. “Please, Lord Rama. I beg your pardon. Please take back this fearsome weapon,” Jayanta pleaded. “The Brahmastra can’t be taken back once it has been unleashed,” Lord Rama said. “Then please make it only hit my right eye,” Jayanta begged.
The Brahmastra approached Jayanta and hit his right eye, making him half-blind.