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Shloka 23

जटायुवृत्तान्तः

Jatāyu’s Testimony and Rāma’s Grief

एकमेकायने दुर्गे निश्श्वसन्तं कथञ्चन।समीक्ष्य दुःखिततरो रामस्सौमित्रिमब्रवीत्।।।।

ekam ekāyane durge niśśvasantaṃ kathañcana |

samīkṣya duḥkhitataro rāmaḥ saumitrim abravīt ||

ആ ഏകാന്തവും ദുർഗമവുമായ സ്ഥലത്ത് അവൻ ഒറ്റയ്ക്കായി കഷ്ടത്തോടെ ശ്വസിക്കുന്നതു കണ്ടു, രാമൻ കൂടുതൽ ദുഃഖിതനായി സൗമിത്രിയോട് (ലക്ഷ്മണനോട്) പറഞ്ഞു.

ekamalone/solitary
ekam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rooteka (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); used adverbially = 'alone'
ekāyanein a solitary place/path
ekāyane:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootekāyana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana (एकवचन)
durgein a difficult/inaccessible place
durge:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootdurga (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana (एकवचन)
niśśvasantamsighing/breathing with difficulty
niśśvasantam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeVerb
Rootniś-√śvas (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
FormVartamāna-kṛdanta (present active participle/वर्तमान कृदन्त), Parasmaipada; Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; agreeing with implied object (e.g., Jaṭāyuṣam)
kathañcanasomehow; with great difficulty
kathañcana:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkathañcana (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)
samīkṣyahaving observed
samīkṣya:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootsam-√īkṣ (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त), 'having observed/after seeing'
duḥkhitataraḥmore distressed
duḥkhitataraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootduḥkhita (प्रातिपदिक) + tara (तरप्)
FormPuṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; comparative degree (तर)
rāmaḥRama
rāmaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana
saumitriṃto Saumitri (Lakshmana)
saumitriṃ:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootsaumitri (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana
abravītsaid/spoke
abravīt:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√brū (धातु)
FormLaṅ-lakāra (लङ्, past), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana

Rama saw Jatayu breathing with difficulty in that solitary, inaccessible place.Overcome by greater grief he said to Lakshmana:

R
Rama
L
Lakshmana (Saumitrī)
J
Jatayu

FAQs

Dharma in crisis requires attention to the suffering and timely counsel: Rāma recognizes the dying witness and turns to purposeful action through dialogue.

Rāma notices Jatāyu’s labored breathing in an isolated terrain and, grief-stricken, addresses Lakṣmaṇa.

Rāma’s alertness (apramāda) and compassionate responsiveness to a dying ally.