Jatayu (Sanskrit: जटायु, IAST: Jaṭāyu) is a demigod in the Hindu epic Ramayana, who has the form of a vulture.

During their youth, Jatayu and his elder brother, Sampati, under a wager, flew towards Surya, the solar deity.

Jatayu, careless due to his youthfulness, outflew his brother, and entered the Sūryamaṇḍala, the orbit of the Sun, during noon.

In a desperate bid to rescue his brother, Sampati flew ahead of him, spreading his wings wide open to shield him.

Incapacitated, he spent the rest of his life under the protection of a sage named Nishakara, who performed a penance in the mountains.