Shloka 23

जटायुनिर्वाणसंस्कारः

Jatayu’s Final Testimony and Funeral Rites

Devanagari script

गृध्रराज्यं परित्यज्य पितृपैतामहं महत्।।।।मम हेतोरयं प्राणान्मुमोच पतगेश्वरः।

Transliteration

gṛdhrarājyaṃ parityajya pitṛpaitāmahaṃ mahat |

mama hetor ayaṃ prāṇān mumoca patageśvaraḥ ||

Translation

ละทิ้งราชอำนาจอันยิ่งใหญ่ที่สืบมาจากบรรพชนในหมู่แร้งแล้ว เจ้าแห่งปักษานี้ได้สละชีวิตเพื่อเรา

Word by Word

• gṛdhrarājyam: the kingdom of vultures
• gṛdhrarājyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛdhra + rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘गृध्राणां राज्यम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• parityajya: having renounced
• parityajya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त, ‘having abandoned’

• pitṛpaitāmaham: paternal and ancestral
• pitṛpaitāmaham: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pitṛ + paitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (pitṛ + paitāmaha), ‘paternal and ancestral’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गृध्रराज्यं विशेषयति

• mahat: great
• mahat: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गृध्रराज्यं विशेषयति

• mama: of me / my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• hetoḥ: for the sake
• hetoḥ: Prayojana (प्रयोजनम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/पञ्चमी, एकवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (for the sake of)

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prāṇān: life-breaths
• prāṇān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• mumoca: gave up
• mumoca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• patageśvaraḥ: lord of birds (Jatāyu)
• patageśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pataga + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘पतगानाम् ईश्वरः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Context

This lord of the birds left his ancestral kingdom of viltures and gave up life for my sake.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Jaṭāyu

FAQs

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

Self-sacrifice for righteousness: abandoning status and safety to protect another is upheld as a high dharmic act.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma praises Jaṭāyu’s renunciation and sacrifice, framing his death as a deliberate act undertaken for Rāma’s cause.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Jaṭāyu’s renunciation and loyalty—placing dharma above personal power and inherited privilege.