Shloka 4.61.17

सूर्यानुगमनवृत्तान्तः — The Account of Following the Sun

Devanagari script

राज्येन हीनो भ्रात्रा च पक्षाभ्यां विक्रमेण च।सर्वथा मर्तुमेवेच्छन्पतिष्ये शिखराद्गीरेः।।।।

Transliteration

pakṣābhyāṃ ca mayā gupto jaṭāyur na pradahyate | pramādāt tatra nirdagdhaḥ patan vāyupathād aham ||

Translation

With my wings I shielded Jatāyu so that he would not be burned; yet through my own heedlessness I was scorched there, and as I fell I dropped from the airy path.

Context

'Bereft of my kingdom, my brother and my wings, and having lost my strength I desire to fall down from the mountain top and die.'ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē valmīkīya ādikāvyē kiṣkindhākāṇḍē ēkaṣaṣṭitamassargaḥ৷৷Thus ends the sixtyfirst sarga in Kishkindakanda of the first epic, the Holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Sampāti
• Jatāyu
• Vāyupatha (air-route)

FAQs

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

Protecting others is dharmic, but dharma also demands vigilance: pramāda (carelessness) can destroy the protector even while saving another.

What is the narrative situation?

Sampāti covers Jatāyu from the Sun’s heat/fire; Sampāti himself gets burned and falls.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Protective self-sacrifice (rakṣā-bhāva), tempered by the warning against heedlessness.