Shloka 17

जटायुवृत्तान्तः

Jatāyu’s Testimony and Rāma’s Grief

Devanagari script

सीतामभ्यवपन्नोऽहं रावणश्च रणे मया।विध्वंसितरथश्चात्र पातितो धरणीतले।।।।

Transliteration

sītām abhyavapanno ’haṃ rāvaṇaś ca raṇe mayā | vidhvaṃsitarathaś cātra pātito dharaṇītale ||

Translation

சீதையை காக்க நான் பாய்ந்து வந்தேன்; என்னுடன் போரிட்ட ராவணன்—அவன் தேரம் சிதைந்தபின்—இங்கேயே பூமித்தளத்தில் வீழ்ந்தான்.

Word by Word

• sītām: Sita
• sītām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana

• abhyavapannaḥ: (I) have fallen down
• abhyavapannaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-pad (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle (क्त), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; with upasarga abhi+ava; predicate of ahaṃ; sense: ‘fallen down/come down’

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Prathamā, Eka-vacana

• rāvaṇaḥ: Ravana
• rāvaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; coordinated subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction, indeclinable

• raṇe: in battle
• raṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Eka-vacana

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartṛ (कर्ता; agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Tṛtīyā, Eka-vacana

• vidhvaṃsita-rathaḥ: with chariot destroyed
• vidhvaṃsita-rathaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidhvaṃsita (ध्वंस्/ध्वंसय् धातु + kta) + ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (विध्वंसितरथ = ‘whose chariot is destroyed’ as descriptive), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; qualifies rāvaṇaḥ

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction, indeclinable

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deictic adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• pātitaḥ: was struck down
• pātitaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु) + ṇic? (causative implied) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; passive sense ‘was felled/was made to fall’ (कर्मणि)

• dharaṇī-tale: on the ground
• dharaṇī-tale: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī-tala (प्रातिपदिक; components: dharaṇī + tala)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘surface of the earth’), Napuṃsakliṅga, Saptamī, Eka-vacana

Context

I descended down to protect Sita, and in the battle with Ravana his chariot destroyed fell down here on the ground.

Characters & Entities

• Jatāyu
• Sītā
• Rāvaṇa
• Earth/ground (dharaṇītala)

FAQs

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

Protecting the vulnerable is dharma: Jatāyu acts as guardian, risking himself to defend Sītā against injustice.

What is the narrative situation?

Jatāyu recounts his intervention and the battle in which he damaged Rāvaṇa’s chariot and brought him down.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Courage and protective duty (rakṣaṇa-dharma), even when facing a superior force.