Shloka 4.58.5
सम्पातिवाक्यम् (Sampāti’s Counsel and the Revelation of Laṅkā)
आवृत्त्याऽकाशमार्गे तु जवेन स्म गतौ भृशम्।मध्यं प्राप्ते दिनकरे जटायुरवसीदति।।4.58.5।।
purā vṛtra-vadhe vṛtte paraspara-jayaiṣiṇau |
ādityam upayātau svaḥ jvalantaṁ raśmi-mālinam ||
Long ago, after Vṛtra had been slain, we two—eager to outdo one another—flew up to the Sun, blazing and wreathed in rays.
'Flying in the sky at a violently high speed, we reached the meridian of the Sun when, unable to bear the heat, Jatayu became weak.
A warning against reckless rivalry: unchecked pride can lead to danger; Dharma requires restraint and right judgment.
Sampāti begins recounting an old incident explaining how he and Jatāyu came near the Sun due to competitive zeal.
Reflective honesty—Sampāti admits the impulse of rivalry that led to suffering, turning experience into instruction.