Shloka 7

जटायुरावणयुद्धम्

Jatayu’s Combat with Ravana

Devanagari script

तस्य तीक्ष्णनखाभ्यां तु चरणाभ्यां महाबलः।चकार बहुधा गात्रे व्रणान्पतगसत्तमः।।।।

Transliteration

tasya tīkṣṇanakhābhyāṃ tu caraṇābhyāṃ mahābalaḥ |

cakāra bahudhā gātre vraṇān patagasattamaḥ ||

Translation

പിന്നീട് പക്ഷികളിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ മഹാബലൻ ജടായു തന്റെ മൂർച്ചയുള്ള നഖങ്ങളുള്ള കാലുകളാൽ രാവണന്റെ ശരീരത്തിൽ പല സ്ഥലങ്ങളിലും മുറിവുകൾ ഉണ്ടാക്കി കീറിപ്പറിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• tasya: of him (Ravana)
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (6th), Ekavacana

• tīkṣṇa-nakhābhyām: with (his) sharp claws
• tīkṣṇa-nakhābhyām: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīkṣṇa + nakha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Karmadhāraya ‘sharp claws’; Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Dvivacana

• tu: indeed, and
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa/viśeṣa-avyaya (अवधारण/विशेष-अव्यय; ‘indeed/but’)

• caraṇābhyām: with (his) two feet
• caraṇābhyām: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Dvivacana

• mahā-balaḥ: very strong
• mahā-balaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Karmadhāraya ‘very strong’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of pataga-sattamaḥ

• cakāra: made, inflicted
• cakāra: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• bahudhā: in many ways, repeatedly
• bahudhā: Prakāra (प्रकार/Mode)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahudhā (अव्यय)
• Form: Prakāra-avyaya (प्रकार-अव्यय/adverb of manner)

• gātre: on the body/limbs
• gātre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana

• vraṇān: wounds
• vraṇān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Bahuvacana

• pataga-sattamaḥ: the best of birds (Jatāyu)
• pataga-sattamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pataga + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Tatpuruṣa ‘best of birds’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

Context

Lord of Lanka saw that very bold Jatayu of dark blue colour of the cloud, fair chest, fallen on the ground, looking like the forest fire that had been put out.

Characters & Entities

• Jatāyu
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

Dharma includes active protection: confronting injustice, not merely condemning it, even at personal risk.

What is the narrative situation?

Jatāyu counterattacks effectively, injuring Rāvaṇa with his claws and feet.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Vīrya (valor) and protective resolve in Jatāyu.