Shloka 37

जटायुनिर्वाणसंस्कारः

Jatayu’s Final Testimony and Funeral Rites

Devanagari script

स गृध्रराजः कृतवान्यशस्करं सुदुष्करं कर्म रणे निपातितः।महर्षिकल्पेन च संस्कृतस्तदा जगाम पुण्यां गतिमात्मनश्शुभाम्।।।।

Transliteration

sa gṛdhrarājaḥ kṛtavān yaśaskaraṃ suduṣkaraṃ karma raṇe nipātitaḥ |

maharṣikalpena ca saṃskṛtas tadā jagāma puṇyāṃ gatim ātmanaḥ śubhām ||

Translation

ৰণত পতিত হৈও অতি দুস্কৰ আৰু যশস্কৰ কৰ্ম সম্পন্ন কৰা সেই গৃধ্ৰৰাজক মহর্ষিসকলৰ বিধি অনুসাৰে সংস্কাৰ কৰা হ’ল; তাৰ পিছত তেওঁ নিজৰ আত্মাৰ বাবে পুণ্যময়, শুভ গতি লাভ কৰিলে।

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• gṛdhra-rājaḥ: the vulture-king
• gṛdhra-rājaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛdhra (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; 'king of vultures'

• kṛtavān: having done
• kṛtavān: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: Past active participle (क्तवतु; क्तवत्-प्रत्यय), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with 'gṛdhrarājaḥ'

• yaśas-karam: glory-producing
• yaśas-karam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yaśas (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (√kṛ; कर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; adjective of 'karma'; तत्पुरुष: 'making fame'

• su-duṣkaram: very difficult
• su-duṣkaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + duṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Accusative, Singular; adjective of 'karma'; कर्मधारय: 'very difficult'

• karma: deed
• karma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• raṇe: in battle
• raṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• nipātitaḥ: having been struck down
• nipātitaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pat (पत् धातु) with ni- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त; क्त-प्रत्यय), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; 'having been felled'

• maharṣi-kalpena: by/according to sages' ordinance
• maharṣi-kalpena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maharṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष: 'according to the rule/prescription of great sages'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• saṃskṛtaḥ: sanctified
• saṃskṛtaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) with sam- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; 'having been sanctified/ritually prepared'

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक)

• jagāma: went/reached
• jagāma: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्; Perfect), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• puṇyām: holy/meritorious
• puṇyām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; adjective of 'gatim'

• gatim: state/goal
• gatim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ātmanaḥ: of himself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• śubhām: auspicious
• śubhām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; adjective of 'gatim'

Context

The king of vultures had performed a very difficult and glorious feat by laying down his life fighting. Sanctified by Rama's offering as laid down in scriptures by the seers, he attained a holy, auspicious and divine state of the self.

Characters & Entities

• Jatāyu (gṛdhrarāja)
• battle (raṇa)
• maharṣi (great seers)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma teaches that truthful, self-sacrificing protection of the vulnerable is supremely meritorious; when joined with proper rites, such virtue culminates in auspicious destiny.

What is the narrative situation?

The narration concludes Jatāyu’s episode: having died fighting, and having been sanctified by Rāma’s rites, he reaches a blessed state.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Jatāyu’s courage and steadfastness (not retreating from righteous battle), and the idea that such satya-aligned bravery is honored by cosmic and ritual order.