Shloka 28

जटायुनिर्वाणसंस्कारः

Jatayu’s Final Testimony and Funeral Rites

Devanagari script

नाथं पतगलोकस्य चितामारोप्य राघव।।।।इमं धक्ष्यामि सौमित्रे हतं रौद्रेण रक्षसा।

Transliteration

nāthaṃ patagalokasya citām āropya rāghava |

imaṃ dhakṣyāmi saumitre hataṃ raudreṇa rakṣasā ||

Translation

ഹേ രാഘവാ—ഹേ സൗമിത്രേ—പക്ഷിലോകത്തിന്റെ നാഥനായ ഇദ്ദേഹത്തെ ചിതയിൽ കയറ്റി, ഭീകരനായ രാക്ഷസൻ വധിച്ച ഈ ഗൃധ്രരാജനെ ഞാൻ ദഹിപ്പിക്കും.

Word by Word

• nātham: lord
• nātham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• pataga-lokasya: of the world of birds
• pataga-lokasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pataga (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘पतगानां लोकः’; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• citām: funeral pyre
• citām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• āropya: having placed
• āropya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-ruh (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा/ल्यप् Absolutive): ‘having placed/caused to mount’

• rāghava: O Raghava
• rāghava: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• imam: this (one)
• imam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• dhakṣyāmi: I will burn/cremate
• dhakṣyāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dah (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• saumitre: O Saumitri
• saumitre: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saumitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• hatam: killed
• hatam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: han (धातु) + ta (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP): ‘killed’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘imam’ (Jatayu)

• raudreṇa: by the fierce
• raudreṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘rakṣasā’

• rakṣasā: by the demon
• rakṣasā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

Context

O scion of the Raghus ! I will place the body of the lord of the world of birds, killed by the fierce demon, on the funeral pyre and crimate him with honour.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Lakṣmaṇa (Saumitri)
• Jaṭāyu (lord of bird-world)
• rākṣasa (demon)

FAQs

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

Dharma of honoring protectors: one who upheld righteousness deserves dignified rites; respect is a moral obligation, not merely a social formality.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma confirms the intention to cremate Jaṭāyu with due honor after he was killed by the fierce rākṣasa (Rāvaṇa in context).

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s reverence and compassion—treating Jaṭāyu as a dignitary deserving proper funerary respect.