Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 68: Jaṭāyu’s Liberation
Text 3.68.11
उपरुध्यन्ति मे प्राणा दृष्टिर्भ्रमति राघव।
पश्यामि वृक्षान्सौवर्णानुशीरकृतमूर्धजान्॥
uparudhyanti me prāṇā dṛṣṭir bhramati rāghava
paśyāmi vṛkṣān sauvarṇān uśīra-kṛta-mūrdhajān
uparudhyanti = are choked; me = my; prāṇāḥ = life-airs; dṛṣṭiḥ = my vision; bhramati = is disturbed; rāghava = O Rāghava; paśyāmi = I see; vṛkṣān = trees; sauvarṇān = golden; uśīra-kṛta-mūrdhajān = that have the lāmajjaka grass growing on top of them.
O Rāghava, my life-airs are choked. My vision is disturbed. I see golden trees that have the lāmajjaka grass growing on top of them.1
1 According to Monier-Williams Dictionary, lāmajjaka is the root of Andropogon Muricatus. Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: uśīraiḥ lāmajjakaiḥ kṛtāḥ kalpitāḥ mūrdhajāḥ keśāḥ yeṣāṁ te tathā.
“My life-airs are choked” indicates that Jaṭāyu’s life-airs were tormented by the pain of death. It is well-known that at the time of death one sees golden trees.
Jaṭāyu thought, “What is the need to speak much? [Anyway,] Sītā-devī will be obtained again!” Then he spoke the next verse.