Shloka 19

जटायुनिर्वाणसंस्कारः

Jatayu’s Final Testimony and Funeral Rites

Devanagari script

तं गृध्रं प्रेक्ष्य ताम्राक्षं गतासुमचलोपमम्।।।।रामस्सुबहुभिर्दुःखैर्दीनस्सौमित्रिमब्रवीत्।

Transliteration

taṃ gṛdhraṃ prekṣya tāmrākṣaṃ gatāsum acalopamam |

rāmaḥ subahubhir duḥkhair dīnaḥ saumitrim abravīt ||

Translation

ครั้นพระรามทอดพระเนตรนกแร้งนั้น—ดวงตาแดงฉาน สิ้นลมหายใจ นอนแน่นิ่งดุจภูผา—พระองค์ถูกความทุกข์นานาประการท่วมท้น จึงตรัสกับเสามิตรี (พระลักษมณ์) ด้วยความอาดูร

Word by Word

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• gṛdhram: vulture
• gṛdhram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛdhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• prekṣya: having seen
• prekṣya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त, ‘having seen’

• tāmrākṣam: red-eyed
• tāmrākṣam: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāmra + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: ‘ताम्राणि अक्षीणि यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गृध्रं विशेषयति

• gatāsum: lifeless (whose life has gone)
• gatāsum: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata + asu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (karmadhāraya-like): ‘गताः असवः यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गृध्रं विशेषयति

• acalopamam: mountain-like
• acalopamam: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acala + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘अचलस्य उपमः’ (like a mountain); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गृध्रं विशेषयति

• rāmaḥ: Rāma
• rāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• subahubhiḥ: with very many
• subahubhiḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपसर्ग ‘सु’ (very) + बहु; नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग-तृतीया, बहुवचन; दुःखैः विशेषणम्

• duḥkhaiḥ: with sorrows
• duḥkhaiḥ: Karana (करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• dīnaḥ: dejected
• dīnaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; रामस्य विशेषणम्

• saumitrim: to Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa)
• saumitrim: Sampradana (सम्प्रदानम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saumitri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (patronymic: son of Sumitrā)

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Context

Stricken with deep grief, his eyes red (with tears) Rama saw the vulture looking like a mountain. Seeing him dead, he said to Lakshmana:

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa (Saumitrī)
• Jatāyu

FAQs

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

Compassion and honoring the righteous: grief here is not mere attachment, but moral recognition of a protector’s sacrifice—an ethical response to virtue.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma sees Jatāyu dead, is struck by compounded sorrow, and turns to speak with Lakṣmaṇa.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s empathy and gratitude—he is deeply moved by the death of one who acted for dharma.