Shloka 3.68.31
जटायुनिर्वाणसंस्कारः — Jatayu’s Final Testimony and Funeral Rites
एवमुक्त्वा चितां दीप्तामारोप्य पतगेश्वरम्।।।।ददाह रामो धर्मात्मा स्वबन्धुमिव दुःखितः।
evam uktvā citāṃ dīptām āropya patageśvaram |
dadāha rāmo dharmātmā svabandhum iva duḥkhitaḥ ||
Having spoken thus, righteous Rāma placed the lord of birds upon the blazing pyre and cremated him, grieving as though for his own kinsman.
Thus said, righteous Rama laid him on the pyre and sadly cremated the lord of the birds as one would do to his own relative.
Dharma includes honoring the dead with proper rites and sincere grief, especially one who upheld truth and righteousness; ritual duty is joined with human compassion.
After blessing Jatāyu, Rāma personally conducts cremation, treating him as family because Jatāyu died protecting Sītā and dharma.
Rāma’s kṛtajñatā (gratitude) and empathy—he does not delegate the duty but performs it with personal sorrow.