Shloka 24

रामायणकथासंक्षेपः — ब्रह्मोक्तो रामावतारवृत्तान्तः

Devanagari script

जटायुषञ्च संस्कृत्य तदुक्तो दक्षिणां दिशम् / गत्वा सख्यं ततश्चक्रे सुग्रीवेण च राघवः

Transliteration

jaṭāyuṣañca saṃskṛtya tadukto dakṣiṇāṃ diśam / gatvā sakhyaṃ tataścakre sugrīveṇa ca rāghavaḥ

Translation

జటాయువుకు అంత్యక్రియలు చేసి, అతడు చెప్పినట్లుగా రాఘవుడు దక్షిణ దిశకు వెళ్లాడు. తరువాత సుగ్రీవునితో స్నేహసంధి చేసాడు.

Word by Word

• जटायुषम्: Jaṭāyus
• जटायुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटायुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• संस्कृत्य: having performed the funeral rites/honored
• संस्कृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having performed rites/cremated, having honored’

• तदुक्तः: having been instructed (by him)
• तदुक्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (वच्-धातुज कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: ‘तद्-उक्तः’ = ‘by him spoken/so instructed’; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त ‘उक्त’

• दक्षिणाम्: southern
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘दिशम्’)

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having gone’

• सख्यम्: friendship
• सख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Desha/Kala-adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• चक्रे: made/formed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सुग्रीवेण: with Sugrīva
• सुग्रीवेण: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• राघवः: Rāghava (Rāma)
• राघवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (not identifiable as Vishnu–Garuda dialogue from this excerpt)

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Jatāyu

Timing: Immediately after death (antyeṣṭi/saṃskāra context)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Kṛtajñatā (gratitude) and honoring the dead through proper rites; dharma includes alliances (sakhya) for righteous ends.

Vedantic Theme: Ritual action (karma) performed with purity supports order (ṛta/dharma) and steadies the mind for higher aims.

Application: Perform last rites and remembrance responsibly; build trustworthy partnerships to pursue just goals.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: funerary site and journey path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa (general antyeṣṭi and śrāddha discussions elsewhere in the text)

Characters & Entities

• Jaṭāyu
• Sugrīva
• Rāghava (Rama)

FAQs

What is the importance of performing rites (saṃskāra) for the dead in this verse?

The verse highlights dharma: honoring the deceased through proper rites is treated as a sacred duty, even when the departed is not a human relative.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly describe the soul’s post-death journey; it focuses on the ethical act of completing funerary rites, which traditionally supports the departed’s peaceful transition.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Fulfill last rites and memorial duties conscientiously, and uphold gratitude and responsibility toward those who helped you—dharma before personal goals.