Jambavan

**Jambavan** was a bear from the Ramayana, a Hindu epic tale.

## History

Jambavan was created by Brahma to help Rama and His other avatars in protecting the world from great evil. He witnessed the churning of the Ocean of Milk around the land of Krauncha, and he went around Vamana seven times as the latter rescued the three worlds from the tyranny of Bali. Some time later, he became the leader of a southerly tribe of sapient bears, the Rikshas.

In the Ramayana, he helped Rama find His wife Sita and fight Her enemy, Ravana. He encouraged Hanuman to understand His powers, causing the latter to fly across the ocean to find Sita in Lanka.

Many years later in the Mahabharata, the god Krishna searched for the blessed gem Syamantaka after a lion killed its owner. He found that the lion was already dead, so He found its slayer: Jambavan, in a mountain cave. Krishna and Jambavan fought for almost a month, until Jambavan grew tired. When he realised who Krishna was, he gave Him the gem. He also let his daughter Jambavati to marry Krishna.

## Appearance

Jambavan is an Asian black bear or sloth bear wearing a golden crown and silk robes.

## In the Rabydosverse

After the Porasonids converted to Sandharma (Hinduism), they began to invoke many westerly gods. Among them included Jambavan, whom they depicted as a black bear with a yellow crescent on his chest. Porason's Jambavan wields a burning sword that he uses to kill demonic creatures.

He became popular among the Porasonids, who regarded him as the guardian of their land's forests alongside Queen Arayani. At some later time, they also associated him with the borders and diplomacy, to the point that the symbol of the Porasonid Border Patrol is a black bear raising a sword.

He later became a guardian of children, after he was considered the protector of the lost, like Zomjonor and his gryphons. His daughter Jambavati became the patron goddess of nurses and people who adopt children.

If there is a child in a Porasonid family, he or she is represented by a black plush bear, given to him or her at their first birthday. Similar to the döro dolls of Heronoja, the toy bears can either be cuddled or placed near the family shrine to protect its respective child. Because of the child's love for Jambavan as an extra friend, their thirteenth birthday is given a sombre treatment. After the child eats the cake, they say farewell to Jambavan, carries the bear-doll on a coffin (or a box) in a mock funeral, and burn the doll as an offering to Jambavan.

Porasonids believe that the bear-dolls have spirits, sent from Jambavan in Svarga (Heaven) at midnight after the child receives the doll. Thirteen years later, the doll is dressed in white, and is burned. The spirit is released from the doll and sent back to Heaven, where he or she reports the child's deeds to Jambavan, and then to Shiva and Kali, who will decide what rewards will the child get in adulthood. One day later, Jambavan sends the bear-spirit from his kingdom to a different bear-doll to protect another child.

In Porasonid culture, his sacred day is Kali Puja, when they believe that he was created. On that day, Porasonids offer their thanks to Shiva, Kali, and Jambavan for protecting them and their children from danger: to honour Their blessings, the day is also known there as "Children's Day".

In Pinoguni, Jambavan is the Kumaso people's symbol, who refer him as Tobaban, the Bear-King. He is worshipped as the thirtieth bear-king.

## Trivia

* Jambavan's appearance in the Rabydosverse was inspired by his counterpart in Tokyo Afterschool Summoners.
* On Radumo's thirteenth birthday, she danced with her bear-doll and then burned it as an offering to Jambavan. To the surprise of her peers and family, she used colourful decorations like her previous birthday, because she was very happy that her distressing childhood was over. As she laid the bear doll into the fires, she thanked Jambavan and her gods, and then she danced again.

## See also

* Doro
* Eternity Day
* Porasonid mythology