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Shloka 37

जटायुनिर्वाणसंस्कारः

Jatayu’s Final Testimony and Funeral Rites

स गृध्रराजः कृतवान्यशस्करं सुदुष्करं कर्म रणे निपातितः।महर्षिकल्पेन च संस्कृतस्तदा जगाम पुण्यां गतिमात्मनश्शुभाम्।।।।

sa gṛdhrarājaḥ kṛtavān yaśaskaraṃ suduṣkaraṃ karma raṇe nipātitaḥ |

maharṣikalpena ca saṃskṛtas tadā jagāma puṇyāṃ gatim ātmanaḥ śubhām ||

യുദ്ധത്തിൽ വീണിട്ടും അത്യന്തം ദുഷ്കരവും യശസ്സുനൽകുന്നതുമായ കര്‍മ്മം നിർവ്വഹിച്ച ആ ഗൃധ്രരാജനെ മഹർഷിമാരുടെ വിധിപ്രകാരം സംസ്കരിച്ചു; പിന്നെ അവൻ തന്റെ ആത്മാവിന് പുണ്യമയവും ശുഭവുമായ ഗതി പ്രാപിച്ചു.

saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
gṛdhra-rājaḥthe vulture-king
gṛdhra-rājaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootgṛdhra (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; 'king of vultures'
kṛtavānhaving done
kṛtavān:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√kṛ (कृ धातु)
FormPast active participle (क्तवतु; क्तवत्-प्रत्यय), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with 'gṛdhrarājaḥ'
yaśas-karamglory-producing
yaśas-karam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootyaśas (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (√kṛ; कर प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; adjective of 'karma'; तत्पुरुष: 'making fame'
su-duṣkaramvery difficult
su-duṣkaram:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsu (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + duṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka, Accusative, Singular; adjective of 'karma'; कर्मधारय: 'very difficult'
karmadeed
karma:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkarman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
raṇein battle
raṇe:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular
nipātitaḥhaving been struck down
nipātitaḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
TypeVerb
Root√pat (पत् धातु) with ni- (उपसर्ग)
FormPast passive participle (क्त; क्त-प्रत्यय), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; 'having been felled'
maharṣi-kalpenaby/according to sages' ordinance
maharṣi-kalpena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootmaharṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष: 'according to the rule/prescription of great sages'
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)
saṃskṛtaḥsanctified
saṃskṛtaḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
TypeVerb
Root√kṛ (कृ धातु) with sam- (उपसर्ग)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; 'having been sanctified/ritually prepared'
tadāthen
tadā:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottadā (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (कालवाचक)
jagāmawent/reached
jagāma:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√gam (गम् धातु)
FormLiṭ-lakāra (लिट्; Perfect), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular
puṇyāmholy/meritorious
puṇyām:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpuṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; adjective of 'gatim'
gatimstate/goal
gatim:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootgati (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
ātmanaḥof himself
ātmanaḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootātman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular
śubhāmauspicious
śubhām:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootśubha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular; adjective of 'gatim'

The king of vultures had performed a very difficult and glorious feat by laying down his life fighting. Sanctified by Rama's offering as laid down in scriptures by the seers, he attained a holy, auspicious and divine state of the self.

J
Jatāyu (gṛdhrarāja)
B
battle (raṇa)
M
maharṣi (great seers)

FAQs

Dharma teaches that truthful, self-sacrificing protection of the vulnerable is supremely meritorious; when joined with proper rites, such virtue culminates in auspicious destiny.

The narration concludes Jatāyu’s episode: having died fighting, and having been sanctified by Rāma’s rites, he reaches a blessed state.

Jatāyu’s courage and steadfastness (not retreating from righteous battle), and the idea that such satya-aligned bravery is honored by cosmic and ritual order.