Shloka 38

जटायुनिर्वाणसंस्कारः

Jatayu’s Final Testimony and Funeral Rites

Devanagari script

कृतोदकौ तावपि पक्षिसत्तमे स्थिरां च बुद्धिं प्रणिधाय जग्मतुः।प्रवेश्य सीताधिगमे ततो मनो वनं सुरेन्द्रविव विष्णुवासवौ।।।।

Transliteration

kṛtodakau tāv api pakṣisattame sthirāṃ ca buddhiṃ praṇidhāya jagmatuḥ |

praveśya sītādhigame tato mano vanaṃ surendrav iva viṣṇuvāsavau ||

Translation

പക്ഷിസത്തമനായ അവനുവേണ്ടിയും ജലതർപ്പണം അർപ്പിച്ച്, ആ ഇരുവരും ബുദ്ധിയെ സ്ഥിരമാക്കി ദൃഢമായി മുന്നേറി; പിന്നെ സീതാന്വേഷണത്തിൽ മനസ്സിനെ നിശ്ചയപ്പെടുത്തി, ദേവാധിദേവന്മാരിൽ വിഷ്ണുവും വാസവനും (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) പോലെയായി വനത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• kṛta-udakau: having offered libations
• kṛta-udakau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (√kṛ; क्त कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual; तत्पुरुष: 'having performed the water-libation'; used adjectivally for 'tāv'

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात); 'also/even'

• pakṣi-sattame: for the best of birds
• pakṣi-sattame: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣin (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; addressed/locative of reference: 'in/with regard to the best of birds' (i.e., for him)

• sthirām: steady
• sthirām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; adjective of 'buddhim'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• buddhim: resolve/mind
• buddhim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• praṇidhāya: having fixed (their attention)
• praṇidhāya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇi-√dhā (धा धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष), 'having fixed/applied'

• jagmatuḥ: they two went
• jagmatuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्; Perfect), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Dual

• praveśya: having entered
• praveśya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√viś (विश् धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), 'having entered'

• sītā-adhigame: in the quest for Sītā
• sītā-adhigame: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; विषय/उद्देश्य-प्रसङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक) + adhigama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; तत्पुरुष: 'in the obtaining/finding of Sītā' (purpose-context)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of sequence

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object with implied 'kṛtvā/niyojya' sense: 'their mind (set)'; used as internal object

• vanam: forest
• vanam: Karma (कर्म; destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Accusative, Singular

• surendra-vat: like the lord of gods
• surendra-vat: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: surendra (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (वत् प्रत्यय; तुल्यवाचक)
• Form: Comparative indeclinable (उपमानवाचक अव्यय)

• iva: as/like
• iva: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle of comparison (उपमावाचक निपात)

• viṣṇu-vāsavau: Viṣṇu and Indra
• viṣṇu-vāsavau: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual; द्वन्द्व: 'Viṣṇu and Vāsava (Indra)' used as upamāna for the two heroes

Context

Ravana, the lord of the demons created violent winds through terrific magic and whisked her away in the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Jaṭāyu
• Sītā
• Forest
• Viṣṇu
• Vāsava (Indra)

FAQs

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

Dharma is shown as honoring the righteous dead (proper rites for Jaṭāyu) and then pursuing one’s duty with steady, truth-guided resolve—grief does not cancel responsibility.

What is the narrative situation?

After performing libations for Jaṭāyu, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa collect themselves and proceed into the forest, fully focused on recovering Sītā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Kṛtajñatā (gratitude) toward Jaṭāyu and dhṛti (steadfastness) in continuing the righteous quest.