Shloka 14

जटायुरुपदेशः — Jatāyu Confronts Rāvaṇa

Ethical Admonition and Challenge

Devanagari script

यदि शूर्पणखाहेतोर्जनस्थानगतः खरः।।3.50.13।।अतिवृत्तो हतः पूर्वं रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा।अत्र ब्रूहि यथातत्त्वं को रामस्य व्यतिक्रमः।।3.50.14।।यस्य त्वं लोकनाथस्य भार्यां हृत्वा गमिष्यसि।

Transliteration

yadi śūrpaṇakhāhetoḥ janasthānagataḥ kharaḥ | ativṛtto hataḥ pūrvaṃ rāmeṇākliṣṭakarmaṇā || atra brūhi yathātattvaṃ ko rāmasya vyatikramaḥ | yasya tvaṃ lokanāthasya bhāryāṃ hṛtvā gamiṣyasi ||

Translation

หากเพราะเหตุแห่งศูรปณขา ขระได้มาถึงชนะสถาน และเพราะล่วงเกินเกินขอบเขต จึงถูกพระรามผู้การงานไม่ย่อท้อประหารเสียก่อนแล้ว บัดนี้จงบอกความจริงแก่เราเถิด: พระรามมีความผิดอันใด ที่ท่านจะลักพาพระชายาของพระผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งโลกไป?

Word by Word

क्षिप्रम्quickly, at once

विसृजrelease, let go

वैदेहीम्Vaidehi (Sita)

माdo not

त्वाyou

घोरेणwith fierce

चक्षुषाwith (his) eye/gaze

दहेत्may burn

दहनभूतेनwith (one) become like fire

वृत्रम्Vritra

इन्द्राशनिःIndra's thunderbolt

यथाas, like

Context

On account of Surpanakha, Khara trespassed into Janasthana and got killed by Rama, without much effort. Tell me truly, what transgression (of dharma) did he commit for which you are stealing away the wife of Rama who is the lord of this world?.

Characters & Entities

Śūrpaṇakhā

Janasthāna

Khara

Rāma

Rāvaṇa

Sītā (implied as Rāma’s wife)

FAQs

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

Punishment follows transgression: Jatāyu frames Khara’s death as the result of overstepping dharma, and challenges the adharma of abducting another’s wife by demanding a truthful justification.

What is the narrative situation?

During Sītā’s abduction, Jatāyu confronts Rāvaṇa and argues that Rāma committed no wrong that could warrant such an act.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Satya and moral reasoning—Jatāyu insists on truth (yathātattvam) and exposes the absence of any legitimate grievance against Rāma.