Shloka 32

जटायुरावणयुद्धम्

Jatayu’s Combat with Ravana

Devanagari script

पापानुबन्धो वै यस्य कर्मणः कर्मको नु तत्।।।।कुर्वीत लोकाधिपतिस्स्वयंभूर्भगवानपि।

Transliteration

pāpānubandho vai yasya karmaṇaḥ karmako nu tat | kurvīta lokādhipatiḥ svayaṃbhūr bhagavān api ||

Translation

若一件行为必然招致罪业相随，谁还会去做呢？即使是自生的世间主宰、梵天大神，也不会行此等事。

Word by Word

• pāpa-anubandhaḥ: sinful consequence
• pāpa-anubandhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa + anubandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: pāpasya anubandhaḥ (sinful consequence)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (emphasis/indeed)

• yasya: of which / whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/Napuṃsaka, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• karmaṇaḥ: of the act
• karmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• karmakaḥ: doer/agent (one who would do it)
• karmakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; interrogative predicate with kaḥ implied

• nu: then / indeed
• nu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nu (अव्यय)
• Form: Praśna/avadhāraṇa-nipāta (interrogative/emphatic particle)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun

• kurvīta: would do
• kurvīta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Vidhiliṅ-lakāra (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; ātmanepada

• loka-adhipatiḥ: lord of the world
• loka-adhipatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka + adhipati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: lokasya adhipatiḥ (lord of the world)

• svayaṃ-bhūḥ: the self-born (Brahmā)
• svayaṃ-bhūḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayam + bhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: svayam bhavati iti (self-born)

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (also/even)

Context

If the consequences of an action be sin, who will do it ? Even the self-born lord of the world may not.

Characters & Entities

• Jaṭāyu
• Rāvaṇa
• Brahmā (Svayaṃbhū)

FAQs

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

A dharmic agent avoids actions that are intrinsically bound to sin; moral legitimacy is measured by the ethical ‘after-effect’ (anubandha).

What is the narrative situation?

Jaṭāyu argues from principle: deeds that are certain to yield pāpa are unfit for anyone, stressing the gravity of Rāvaṇa’s wrongdoing.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Ethical reasoning: Jaṭāyu appeals to universal moral standards rather than fear or flattery.