Shloka 3.68.23

जटायुनिर्वाणसंस्कारः — Jatayu’s Final Testimony and Funeral Rites

Devanagari script

गृध्रराज्यं परित्यज्य पितृपैतामहं महत्।।।।मम हेतोरयं प्राणान्मुमोच पतगेश्वरः।

Transliteration

gṛdhrarājyaṃ parityajya pitṛpaitāmahaṃ mahat |

mama hetor ayaṃ prāṇān mumoca patageśvaraḥ ||

Translation

Forsaking his great ancestral sovereignty among the vultures, this lord of birds surrendered his very life for my sake.

Context

This lord of the birds left his ancestral kingdom of viltures and gave up life for my sake.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Jaṭāyu
• patageśvara (lord of birds)

FAQs

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

Self-sacrifice for righteousness: abandoning status and safety to protect another is upheld as a high dharmic act.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma praises Jaṭāyu’s renunciation and sacrifice, framing his death as a deliberate act undertaken for Rāma’s cause.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Jaṭāyu’s renunciation and loyalty—placing dharma above personal power and inherited privilege.