Lord Rāma was more distressed with the death of the vulture than with the theft of Sītā-devī. Though Jaṭāyu was an animal, because he was a friend of Rāmacandra’s father Daśaratha and because he gave up his life in service to Rāmacandra, the object of service, Rāmacandra burnt his body, that is, He performed the Brahma-medha ceremony of final rites for Jaṭāyu. Śrī Vālmīki will note this:

yat tat pretasya martyasya kathayanti dvijātayaḥ
tat svarga-gamanaṁ tasya pitryaṁ rāmo jajāpa ha

“Rāma recited mantras to the forefathers which lead the deceased to the heavens and which the twice-born describe as [being fit for recitation] for deceased humans.” (Rāmāyaṇa 3.68.34)

Jaṭāyu deserved such an honor because he was a liberated soul who had given up his body. The Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa states:

mat-kṛte nidhanaṁ yasmāt tvayā prāptaṁ dvijottama
tasmāt tvaṁ mat-prasādena viṣṇu-lokam avāpsyasi

[Lord Viṣṇu said:] “O best of the twice-born, because you have given up your body for My sake, by My mercy, you will attain Viṣṇuloka.”

There is a general statement in the Agni Purāṇa in this regard:

viṣṇoḥ kāryaṁ samuddiśya deha-tyāgo yataḥ kṛtaḥ
tato vaikuṇṭham āsādya mukto bhavati mānavaḥ

“When a man gives up his body to fulfill the mission of Lord Viṣṇu, he attains Vaikuṇṭha and becomes liberated [from material existence].”

The Aśvamedha-parva of the Mahābhārata also states:

prāṇāṁs tyajati yo martyo māṁ prapanno ’pi mat-kṛte
bāla-sūrya-prakāśena vrajed yānena mad-gṛham

[The Supreme Personality of Godhead said:] “Even a mortal (human) who gives up his life for My sake and who has surrendered unto Me goes to My residence in a vehicle that blazes with the illumination of the rising sun.”

Lord Rāma will state it right here, in the Rāmāyaṇa (3.68.29-30):

yā gatir yajna-śīlānām āhitāgneś ca yā gatiḥ
aparāvartināṁ yā ca yā ca bhūmi-pradāyinām

mayā tvaṁ samanujñāto gaccha lokān anuttamān
gṛdhra-rāja mahā-sattva saṁskṛtaś ca mayā vraja

“With My permission, go to those unrivalled worlds that are the goals of those who properly perform fire sacrifices, the goals of those who perform austerities surrounded by fires, the goals of those who do not return [to material existence] and the goals of those who renounce their properties. O king of the vultures, O great being, purified by Me, go!”

In these verses, “those who do not return” refers to those who are liberated from material existence [51]. It does not refer to kṣatriyas who do not turn back because if a kṣatriya who does not turn back dies, he will naturally attain the result—it does not require the Supreme Lord’s [special] favor. Another meaning of these verses is that those who gradually proceed in stages towards liberation from material existence can attain [residence and enjoyment in] various worlds [in the higher planetary systems prior to attaining liberation]. This is noted in the Śruti [52].¹

One might wonder how it is possible for Lord Rāma, who behaves like a human being, to give liberation from material existence to a vulture—an act that can only be done by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. [The answer is that He did so to teach that] human beings can attain all the worlds [described in the Vedic literature] if they stick to the Absolute Truth [53].

After killing Jaṭāyu, while searching for Sītā-devī, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa came upon Kabandha whose form was distorted, that is, his head had been placed in his stomach and his appearance was frightening to behold. He was called Kabandha because he had the form of a kabandha (“a headless trunk”).

Nārada Muni says “alas” out of distress that [coming upon Kabandha while searching for Sītā is like] coming upon terrible poison while searching for nectar. Kabandha was actually the son of Danu, but because of his rākṣasic nature, he is referred to as a rākṣasa.

NOTE. Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta (2.1.10-14) clarifies the destination of various practitioners of Vedic dharma and points out where the pathway through which those who gradually proceed in stages towards liberation from material existence fits in:

kāmināṁ puṇya-kartṝṇāṁ trai-lokyaṁ gṛhiṇāṁ padam
agṛhāṇāṁ ca tasyordhvaṁ sthitaṁ loka-catuṣṭayam

“By performing auspicious duties, householders with material desires can achieve the three celestial worlds, and persons who have renounced their homes can reach the four worlds still beyond those.”

bhogānte muhur āvṛttim ete sarve prayānti hi
mahar-ādi-gatāḥ kecin mucyante brahmaṇā saha

“But when their enjoyment ends, all these persons must return to this mundane earth. Only a select few of those who have reached the planets of Mahar and beyond are liberated along with Brahmā.”

kecit krameṇa mucyante bhogān bhuktvārcir-ādiṣu
labhante yatayaḥ sadyo muktiṁ jñāna-parā hi ye

“Some persons enjoy pleasures in upper regions like the realm of fire and attain liberation gradually, in stages. And ascetics fully devoted to spiritual knowledge quickly obtain liberation.”

bhaktā bhagavato ye tu sa-kāmāḥ svecchayākhilān
bhuñjānāḥ sukha-bhogāṁs te viśuddhā yānti tat-padam

“But even the devotees of the Personality of Godhead who still have material desires can enjoy the pleasures they wish and then become fully purified and go to the Lord’s abode.”

vaikuṇṭhaṁ durlabhaṁ muktaiḥ sāndrānanda-cid-ātmakam
niṣkāmā ye tu tad-bhaktā labhante sadya eva tat

“That abode, Vaikuṇṭha, is made of concentrated ecstasy and pure consciousness. Even for liberated souls it is difficult to attain. But the Lord’s devotees who are free from selfish desires reach it at once.”