Shloka 23

जटायुवृत्तान्तः

Jatāyu’s Testimony and Rāma’s Grief

Devanagari script

एकमेकायने दुर्गे निश्श्वसन्तं कथञ्चन।समीक्ष्य दुःखिततरो रामस्सौमित्रिमब्रवीत्।।।।

Transliteration

ekam ekāyane durge niśśvasantaṃ kathañcana |

samīkṣya duḥkhitataro rāmaḥ saumitrim abravīt ||

Translation

罗摩看见他——独自在那荒僻难至之处，艰难喘息——悲恸更甚，便对扫弥特利（罗什曼那）开口说道。

Word by Word

• ekam: alone/solitary
• ekam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); used adverbially = 'alone'

• ekāyane: in a solitary place/path
• ekāyane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekāyana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• durge: in a difficult/inaccessible place
• durge: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• niśśvasantam: sighing/breathing with difficulty
• niśśvasantam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: niś-√śvas (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (present active participle/वर्तमान कृदन्त), Parasmaipada; Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; agreeing with implied object (e.g., Jaṭāyuṣam)

• kathañcana: somehow; with great difficulty
• kathañcana: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathañcana (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• samīkṣya: having observed
• samīkṣya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√īkṣ (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त), 'having observed/after seeing'

• duḥkhitataraḥ: more distressed
• duḥkhitataraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkhita (प्रातिपदिक) + tara (तरप्)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; comparative degree (तर)

• rāmaḥ: Rama
• rāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana

• saumitriṃ: to Saumitri (Lakshmana)
• saumitriṃ: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saumitri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• abravīt: said/spoke
• abravīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (लङ्, past), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana

Context

Rama saw Jatayu breathing with difficulty in that solitary, inaccessible place.Overcome by greater grief he said to Lakshmana:

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana (Saumitrī)
• Jatayu

FAQs

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

Dharma in crisis requires attention to the suffering and timely counsel: Rāma recognizes the dying witness and turns to purposeful action through dialogue.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma notices Jatāyu’s labored breathing in an isolated terrain and, grief-stricken, addresses Lakṣmaṇa.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s alertness (apramāda) and compassionate responsiveness to a dying ally.