Shloka 31

जटायुरावणयुद्धम्

Jatayu’s Combat with Ravana

Devanagari script

परेतकाले पुरुषो यत्कर्म प्रतिपद्यते।।।।विनाशायात्मनोऽधर्म्यं प्रतिपन्नोऽसि कर्म तत्।

Transliteration

pareta-kāle puruṣo yat karma pratipadyate | vināśāyātmano 'dharmyaṃ pratipanno 'si karma tat ||

Translation

人は最期が近づくときに取りかかる業は、しばしば滅びへと向かう。汝はまさにそのような不義の業に踏み入り、自らの破滅を招いている。

Word by Word

• pareta-kāle: at the time of death
• pareta-kāle: Kāla/Adhikaraṇa (काल/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pareta + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: paretasya kālaḥ (time of death)

• puruṣaḥ: a man
• puruṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• yat: whatever
• yat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• karma: deed
• karma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• pratipadyate: undertakes / resorts to
• pratipadyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pad (धातु) + prati-
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; ātmanepada

• vināśāya: for destruction
• vināśāya: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vināśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Caturthī, Ekavacana; purpose dative

• ātmanaḥ: of oneself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• adharmyam: unrighteous
• adharmyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adharmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifies karma (unrighteous)

• pratipannaḥ: having undertaken
• pratipannaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √pad (धातु) + prati- (कृदन्त)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; kta (past participle): 'having undertaken'

• asi: you are
• asi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Madhyama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• karma: deed
• karma: Karma (कर्म/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म/Determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun

Context

You have resorted to unrighteous action like a dying man. This will spell your destruction.

Characters & Entities

• Jaṭāyu
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

Adharma is self-defeating: when one chooses unrighteousness, one effectively chooses one’s own downfall.

What is the narrative situation?

Jaṭāyu interprets Rāvaṇa’s act as a desperate, end-bringing choice, warning that it signals imminent ruin.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral clarity: Jaṭāyu identifies the inner trajectory of wrongdoing—toward self-destruction.