Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

जटायुषं तु दृष्ट्वैव ज्ञात्वा राक्षससंहृताम् । सीतां ज्ञात्वा ततः पक्षी संस्कृतस्तेन भक्तितः

Transliteration

jaṭāyuṣaṃ tu dṛṣṭvaiva jñātvā rākṣasasaṃhṛtām | sītāṃ jñātvā tataḥ pakṣī saṃskṛtastena bhaktitaḥ

Translation

罗摩一见阇塔尤，得知他为罗刹所害，由此明了悉多的遭遇；于是他以虔敬之心为此鸟行火葬等丧仪。

Word by Word

• जटायुषम्: Jaṭāyu
• जटायुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṭāyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन = masculine accusative singular

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = particle

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त = gerund/absolutive

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) = emphatic particle

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त = gerund/absolutive

• राक्षससंहृताम्: killed by a demon
• राक्षससंहृताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rākṣasa + saṃ√hṛ (हृ) → saṃhṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (राक्षसेन संहृता/संहृतः) = feminine accusative singular adjective

• सीताम्: Sītā
• सीताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन = feminine accusative singular

• ज्ञात्वा: having learned/recognized
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त = gerund/absolutive

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequential/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त; क्रम/हेतु/अपादानार्थ) = indeclinable adverb ‘thereupon/from that’

• पक्षी: the bird (Jaṭāyu)
• पक्षी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन = masculine nominative singular

• संस्कृतः: was honored/treated (with rites)
• संस्कृतः: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ√kṛ (कृ) → saṃskṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) = past passive participle; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेन: by him (Rāma)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम = instrumental singular pronoun

• भक्तितः: out of devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय = indeclinable adverb ‘out of/from devotion’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jaṭāyu-smṛti-sthāna (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa stand beside the fallen Jaṭāyu; Rāma, moved yet composed, performs the last rites with devotion—offering water and arranging the body for cremation/ritual farewell.

Characters & Entities

• Jaṭāyu
• Rāma
• Sītā
• Rākṣasa (Rāvaṇa implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gratitude and dharma extend beyond human boundaries; honoring a protector through proper rites is itself a sacred act that upholds cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse highlights saṃskāra-dharma (funerary duty) within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃskāra/antyeṣṭi: performing due funeral rites for the fallen (here, Jaṭāyu), done with bhakti.